The Glue Pot in Swindon

what a pub should be, no pretence or faux jollity, beer and chat cable of keeping you on your toes always my first stop when visiting swindon

Whilst visiting STEAM in Swindon we went for a walk to see the Swindon Railway Village after being directed there by a member of staff in the museum. He told of four pubs that use to be used by workers in the railway works. One was still a working pub - The Glue Pot. We came across it by chance and decided to pay a visit. There was a good choice of ales from light ale to dark ale and stout. We chose the Downton New Forest ale. Good choice. A well kept beer and reasonably priced. The atmosphere was nice and relaxing and the barman was very helpful and friendly. If we hadn't already have had lunch we would certainly be tempted by the filled rolls on offer. Nice to visit a pub with no loud music or fruit machines.

Fewer and fewer of these places left in England but this is one of the best. A proper good pub where the beer and cider are the most important things. Superb choice of real ales. Friendly staff. Nice and quiet, civilised but still a great atmosphere. This is my first and only visit so far but would recommend it to any real ale lovers and will certainly be back when next in Swindon.

really nice little pub, good selection of beer and conversation nothing more you could want, will return

Visited late afternoon in December, when it was a bit gloomy outside. Warm welcome, good choice of drinks available and at a decent price. Lovely decor inside, love the seating. Outside seating available but was a little chilly to utilise on this visit.

Great place to visit with a great atmosphere I will definitely be returning here with friends and family

This is a historic pub sitauted in the heart of the Great Western Railway building that served the workes well. It is also a comfortable 10 minute walk from the MacArthur Glen Shooping centre if you need a break. The pubs is comfortable and has a warm and friendly welcome. There is a fine selection of well-kept real ales for the Hop Back brewery and also soem guests. We sampled three and they were all in excellent condition and there is a good selection of ciders too ! Dont miss this lovely pub !

This is a proper traditional pub in a historical part of Swindon. Situated in the Railway village, this place is a must for real ale &/or cider drinkers visiting, or living in, Swindon. Good Beer Guide 11 years running, Swindon & North Wilts CAMRA cider pub of the year 4 years on the trot. Both dog and cyclist friendly, no children in the bar, no fruit machines, no telly, only background music. Friendly, well informed staff, smallish on street beer garden/smoking area, regular exhibitions by local artists (paintings etc). Proper traditional!!

After visiting the nearby Steam museum I made a pleasant relaxed Sunday afternoon visit here. There is a great selection of ale, and real cider, however there was also a choice of bottled gluten free beer from the Hopback Brewery. The staff were very helpful checking which beers were gluten free. I tried both the gf Crop Circle, which was very good, and the gf Taiphoon which was excellent.

a lively bubbly pub hosting numerous craft ales and ciders suitable for most discerning pallets prices average

It serves good ale in a no fuss environment. If you like ale in a traditional drinking establishment then try it.

been coming to swindon for years and this is the first decent pub i have found, nice ciders, too nice if anything and bit of character, and the barman even had a Pink Floyd t shirt, will return

For a real taste of British Beer and Spirits this place will suit you. Huge choice of real ales in a classic British Bar with great service, drinks well priced, clean toilets.

Returned again to this old Alehouse which has a wide selection of beers and ciders particularly Hop Back brewery beers. Despite its ambience it is clean and tidy. Only disappointing thing was the lack of sandwich and light refreshment choices such as the cheese and onion rolls available when we last visited. Does what it says in the tin. Sells beer and cider the quality of which is excellent. If you like beers and ciders give this a try

Have visited as a couple and as a group several times. There are usually plenty of seats around rectangular table booths for 6. A good choice of 'proper' ales. Not a restaurant as such. A good place to meet friends then go on elsewhere for a meal/event.

An old fashioned pub with friendly staff and customers who come to enjoy the great selection of real ales in the main. Good prices, go join in the fun.

A real quality homely pub, decent beer and the best single malt whisky I have ever had. Intrigued that vaping was allowed inside, took me back 30 years with the smoke inside, but at least we didn't leave stinking of fags!

Situated within the 1975 designated Swindon Railway Village conservation area, just getting to the Glue Pot is a visual treat (I walked down Oxford Street) but regardless of all those Great Western Railway buildings, the Glue Pot would still be worth hitting up if it was in a council recycling centre.

Very good selection of beers and ales on offer in this pub and so close in time to the GBBF as well. A bit of practice drinking of good beers. Nice.

Dropped in to visit again and it’s as good as usual. Always about ten ales on and well kept. Cosy local pub with great atmosphere.

Pár kollégám állította hogy el kell kerülni de nem értem miért. Semmi nagy kaland ugyan vagy speciális dolog de határozottan egy hangulatos pub jó sörökkel amiket el is lehet vinni. Ki is lehet ülni ha az idő is úgy engedi.

My first visit and not to be my last.

Dropped in to try the ales and found a beer festival. I did you they always have nine nice beers on so who needs the festival! Anyway great tastes as usual are had.

What's not to love, perfect beer, lovely staff, quiet conversation, plenty of wood. This is a proper pub, I love it. Oh and it's near the railway station, bit of a bonus for getting home.

Tried the Gluepot again and as good as usual. Nine approx beers on with many Hopback. My favourite Fubar from Tiny Rebel too. Great pub

A best pub in town! About ten real ales on and quite a few good tastes. Cosy busy pub and a throw back to the old days. Very friendly atmosphere.

Great welcome from the bar staff. Always someone to have a good chat to. All ages. Don't be afraid to pop in!

This little tiny pub is fab for ale a proper little "local" definately not for kids. Brilliant staff always friendly.

With fond memories we rerun to try the ales. About ten on and we tried three halves. Very nice and Laura always gets out three glasses when we arrive.

Not bad, friendly staff and good atmosphere for an authentic English pub (I presume, not being English). Regularly busy on a late Friday afternoon through to closing time. Has a good patio for sitting outside in summer months (I presume not knowing summer, being Scottish).

Cervezas en el pegamento Pot de nuevo. Última pub crawl en nuestra cerveza. Alrededor de 10 cervezas buenas. Todas están muy bien y buen servicio!

Pub tradicional británico con cervezas hopback todas en buenas condiciones. Concurso noche miércoles, happy hours de lunes.

Este es un pub básica, suficiente gente amable y el ale está bien cuidado. No moderno en ningún sentido, pero a veces eso es exactamente lo que quieres de un pub.

Cayó en el final de nuestra ruta de bares para probar las cervezas. Gran ale pub con unos 8 cervezas. Bien cuidado y el personal amable. cerveza Una visita obligada.

Just great beer. Wooden settles and friendly bar staff. I wasn't aware of food being served so I wouldn't describe it as a restaurant. The beer's good though!

Always a great selection of cider on in the Glue Pot. This is by far my favourite pub in Swindon. The perfect pub to socialise with friends, as there's no loud music and no TV's. On a sunny warm day, drinks can be enjoyed on the small patio outside. Dog friendly.

Wandering the streets of Swindon as a visitor I stumbled across The Glue Pot and decided to give it a try. The Landlord introduced me to "Summer Lightening" and I very much enjoyed it. The following weekend it was the pub's 4th Real Ale & Cider Festival - 14th to 17th April - and I did attend and enjoy. The place was packed.Blackboards detail beers & ciders being served and beers that are due to arrive; with good descriptions of each and their respective strengths! Summer Lightening is described as an "extremely pleasant straw-coloured beer with an intense bitterness, leading to an excellent, long dry finish. Probably the most awarded cask ale in Britain !"This is a small cosy pub with a knowledgeable and friendly staff and another likeable trait is that people find the time to talk to you. If you have not been give it a try and you will enjoy. Best beer consistently served at decent prices in the Swindon area in my opinion.

The Glue Pot is a must visit for those who appreciate real ales and ciders.They don't do food other than snacks. If you want Cappuccino's or Latte's you are out of luck, however if you like quality ales and ciders it is well worth a visit.The other great thing about the pub is that there isn't a TV, or duke box people actually talk to one another whilst enjoying a pint or two.

Great local pub with about ten ales. Good selection from Hopback and others. Quite busy. Beers don't quite taste so good with all the new hoppy beers around these days.

On a Saturday trip to Swindon dropped in to try the beers. Always about nine real ales on so a great fave. Gutted to have missed both of my Tiny Rebel fave beers. One just gone and one arriving soon. Must come more often in future. Great drinkers pub and good to see Laura serving again.

Boards full of draft beers and ciders - description, strength and on/just missed or next up.Ask for what you like and great staff will point you in the right direction.Minimal food - just a few varieties of sandwiches/rolls/wrap + crisps but you really not there for anything but the well kept beer!We went before football (a 15 minute stroll to ground) - both home and away supporters welcomed when we were there

Dropped in at the last stop of our trip for some beers. Nice 'local' pub with usually about nine real ales on. Mostly Hopback. And Summer Lightning is our favourite. Some random others too. Not so good for food but great ale pub.

The beer and cider in this pub is perfect. Its a good job I don't live locally otherwise I'd be in here every night. Please Gluepot - never change!

Dropped in the last pub on our crawl before eating. Always have great ales. Eight or so on tap. Four guests and four different. Friendly bar staff and cosy pub.

Dropped in on our pub crawl to try the Pot. Bar staff always friendly. Hopback beers mostly but a few strangers. Always like Summer Lightning. Good locals pub.

I'm of the opinion that this is Swindons best pub. Swindon has not impressed me at all as a city au general, and the times I've taken a drink in the town I've had negative experiences in pretty much every place apart from The Glue Pot. Always a good range of real ales and decent prices.

Dropped in at the Gluepot to try some beers. Usually they have about 8 ales on and this was no exception.Summer Lightning is usually our favourite, and this time was good as usual. Great locals pub with new ales every time.

Closest 'proper' pub to the town centre before you hit the chains and puller of a great pint. Told the cider is even better. Loads of character inside and although the beer garden isn't much (it is in a town centre after all!), there is a plentiful supply of seating to relax in the sun ☀ with your pint.

Dropped in the Gluepot on the last leg of our pub crawl. Always very friendly staff, Laura gets out three half glasses as soon as we enter. We usually sample around three to six of their nine beers. Good place!

Been in Camra guide for years and deservedly so, always a good range of Ales and ciders. Traditional pub, no fruit machines or TV's, friendly staff. Always go there when I'm in town.

A cosy little "spit and sawdust" pub in the old railway village. Its character is unchanged in the 30 years I've been here, and the beers are well kept. No frills, but a good quiet little retreat for a few beers.

Dropped in the Gluepot for a few beers. Always about 10 available mostly Hopback. Great staff and nice beers again. Will be back soon!

A Pub full of character and it has a very good range of beers. Its the best pub within reach of the bottom of Town imo

This is a lively real ale pub. Good selection of beers - and a good lunch selection of butties snd wraps. Nice seating are inside and out - Great!

Back to the Gluepot to sample beers. Always have about ten ales on and about half Hopback. Great beers a and friendly staff as usual.

Dropped into the Gluepot again on our pub crawl and eventual buffet. Great choice of real ales - mostly Hogsback but always a few guests rotating through. Summer Lightning is always a favourite! Usually about eight ales on tap!

Ok...so it's a bit quirky but the Glue Pot is a fantastic place to get a high quality locally brewed beer and sit in a proper pub which does nothing but serve great beer (ie doesn't have pretentions to be a gastro pub/ kids play area/ sports bar etc). The internal layout is great with lovely wooden booths and it's really easy to lose a couple of hours in a few here. Step away from the town centre chain pubs and enjoy a decent pint (or two) here.

Well deserving of praise. A welcoming, warm pub with an ever changing range of beers served in tip top condition. Recommended.

A good range of beers, but no fresh food served. Chilled out quiz nights and a genuine place for a pint. Some outdoor seating for the warmer months.

This is one of the best places I have found for ales and ciders. The decor is old fashioned and I really nice change to the other places in Swindon that serve a selection of ales and ciders

Not many of these pubs left and certainly not in Swindon where trendy rubbish bars rule. Right in the railway village a survivor from earlier times. I'm not a CAMRA member but I love to see pubs like this and hope to visit it for many years to come. If you are in town and in the area it's worth a visit. It's an old style drinkers pub. Real ales and ciders and good bottled beers as well.

Visited with a group of friends who appreciate real ale and The Glue Pot delivered this in buckets. A real find that is worth searching out in Swindon with a friendly atmosphere with an unfussy interior and a good range of real ales and ciders on tap. What makes this place good is it is a real pub that serves drinks and does not do food apart from crisps and nuts. Well worth a visit if you want something traditional that knows how to serve good ale.

Great choice of ales, changing regularly. Great pub atmosphere, and if the weather's kind, tables outside too. Great supporter of our armed forces & to be thanked for that.

Visited on Saturday night to have a few drinks. Barmaid always spots us coming in and has glasses ready before we order! Good old fashioned pub with 9 ish real ales.

Dropped in for a sample of the beers on a Saturday night. About 9 real ales on and all in good shape. Always like their beers Summer Lightning a favourite!

Been to this place a few times. A good and clean pub which sells very good ales. Not very big but comfortable and very good atmosphere. A few benches outside for outdoor drinking in the summer. If you love ale you'll love the glue pot.

Been here many times, great selection of well kept ales, scrubbed oak tables and no screaming kids! However, went there yesterday, dear old mum was full of wine after her Sunday lunch, so l enquired if she could have a coffee. Now, l do understand that some trad pubs don't want to do the coffee thing, but she was so rude, and obviously took great pleasure in refusing the request. You're in the wrong job, love!

If you like traditional pubs that have been largely left alone, then this one is a gem. Please don't modernise it.A large range of real ales and ciders, and also a good selection of bottled beers.It's a drinkers pub in the old style and long may it continue.

I think Bert Hindle 2014 is out of order. I personally think childhood is too short to spend in bars. That aside, I know JC has nothing against children, the simple truth is if he, or a member of staff, are caught breaking the terms of his license, he could be out of a job. That would be a shame, because he has very high standards.The Glue Pot has the best kept beer in Swindon and is excellent value for money, especially on a Monday, with the 50 pence off pints of Hopback or Downton beer. It is also a very friendly pub. A complete stranger can walk in there, and easily get talking to other drinkers.

It is a restriction of the Glue Pots Premises License that children are not allowed in the pub, in fine weather they my sit in the beer garden, and enter just to use the toilets. Anything else would be a contravention of license restrictions so don't ask because none of the staff are able to change that!

A real 'blast from the past' lots of locals using it and a welcoming atmosphere. A large range of good beers, and all at very reasonable prices. Very basic seating and quite small but we throughly enjoyed it. On a pleasant evening there are several tables outside too. Interesting area as it's the old dwellings for the railway engineering workers. Would happily go again.

No gimmicks, no nonsense just good beer and cider in a quiet back street pub where the decor haven't changed since Brunells time!

Great selection of real ales set in the heart of the old railway workers housing estate close to the outlet village via the old workers tunnel

Sponsored by hopback. Quiet little traditional pub, good ales and relaxed ambience. A little jewel in the heavily chain-pub saturated city centre of Swindon.

There is a negative review on here by BertHindle2014, who titles it 'No Wonder The Pub Trade is Dying'. He then goes on to say how angry he was that he was told his child/children were not welcome. Notably it's his one and only review, obviously a grudge review! BertHindle2014, anyone who knows this pub will tell you it's NOT a children's pub and you should just have accepted that and gone to a children's pub without being nasty enough to save up your vitriol for a negative review. Yes, we all love children, but in the right place, right time. Thankfully there are still a few pubs (not many) which enforce old values. Your kids may be perfectly quiet little angels but that's not the point. Part of what we expect (and pay for) in a pub like this is a real child free atmosphere. You will need to go to a Wetherspoons, pay cheaper prices, join all the other mums and dads with kids and let them run riot there. NOT at the Glue Pot, thank you very much!!

If you like your beer and cider this is the place to go. The surrounding area is very pleasant and it's not a long way from the railway station.

J'y suis allé par hasard, et bien comme souvent, ce dernier fait bien les choses.L'accueil était cordial, et le repas bien préparé. Même en solo, j'ai passé une bonne soirée.C'est un bon endroit pour passer un bon moment. Merci

I've been here many times. Always a good selection of real ales and interesting people. Good to sit outside on a summer evening.

Out the way, good pub to chat in but don't go if you're a trendy lager drinker. This pub is a proper pub. Real ale where you can chat. I personally thought but was great, but it won't be to everyone's taste.

I wholeheartedly agree with the comments made by the last reviewer 'Tom W' - by far THE best pub in Swindon - certainly the best real ale pub for many miles. In addition over Easter 2014 the pub hosted their first real ale and cider festival to great success. A four day festival practically selling out of all guest ale and cider by the the third day. Food from Pieminister pies of Bristol was also served and also went down a treat. In addition to the excellent range of real ales and ciders there is an impressive range of Whiskies to be sampled as well.Brewery = Hopback

Set on a corner in the historic railway village, this little pub is a golden find and has a ecletic local following. It's charm lays in the fact that, at its heart, it is a good old fashioned English pub, rarely found these days. It is run by a landlord who, quite rightly, is justly proud of the quality of his ale, and proves it with cask after cask. With it's church derived bench seating and tables that makes for intimate conversations, it is always welcoming. With 8 real ales and 6 ciders on draught you can clearly see why. It does not pretend to be something it is not, it is not foodie pub, it is not pretentious. Locals wear their hearts on their sleves and revel in the art of conversation, as well as the love of the golden amber fluid. It is for all that like the best English beer, and the cacophony of a busy pub that adds to that experience. This is not a pub you bring toddlers for sure, although in summer they are welcome on the garden benches outside. On Saturdays, visiting real ale loving football fans are welcomed to add to the atmosphere, always convial, always friendly. Many come back after the game, even if they lost, the ale is that good. 5 minutes from Swindon's railway station and the centre of Swindon's shopping high street, this has been my local for nearly 10 years. This is the Holy Grail . . . I found it.

Wandered into here after a nice afternoon out at Steam and the Outlet Village because we'd read that it was a proper real ale pub. Alas, we made the heinous crime of having a young toddler in tow (who likes pubs and will happily sit in them supping a soft drink), and so were curtly told that we weren't welcome.Only in the UK can you find businesses that don't welcome families. Quite where they think their custom is going to come from in years to come, I don't know.

The Glue Pot, a cornerstone of good quality real ale in the railway village of Swindon.The pub itself has wonderful charm and character, both the exterior and interior. The old wooden benches and well trodden carpet inside makes it a lovely 'old man' pub of days gone by.A wonderful selection of 'real' beer and cider is always available. However you do need to be prepared to enjoy this pub for the beer and accept that the service is going to be lacking or non existent. Come back Keith! All is forgiven!

Now the Glue Pot is a haven for beer in downtown Swindon, and has been for a number of years. Up until recently service and customer care has been of dubious note, but that has never really bothered me as I havent suffered directly from it.......the beer has always been the name of the game. But tonight the pub was busy, and the landlord who was working by himself was a little harrassed and short tempered, politely I him he was doing a great job in the circumstances prior to my bar order, and to my amazment got a somewhat curt and rude response, followed by some glass and bottle smashing. Now this is not going to stop me drinking in there, and I don't know the landlord personally......but I feel a slightly more measured response to customers would not go a miss.

Manager is basically rude, unsociable and grumpy old man! Should not be allowed in this kind of "customer service" trade since he seems incapable of providing any!

Great local pub with a bit of a special off-beat atmosphere and great selection of real ales. Recommended.

This place is a traditional real ale pub and it may not appeal to everyone! I very much like it but that's because I like real ale, ancient carpets, funny-looking old devils, high-backed benches and no music. Expect no frills service but a nice enough atmosphere. The pub really is a one-off as far as Swindon is concerned and I hope it remains for many years to come.

We have lived near the Glue Pot for nearly 25 years and only just started using the pub this summer. We have been regular visitors now since May this year and we always thought it was a bit of a dump, so we never bothered to try it, but we were wrong, its quite nice inside, clean with a typical old fashioned pub feel. My husband likes the real ales, there is always around 8 on offer, but yes, you do have to buy one to taste it, but most real ale drinkers know what they like anyway.Although, he has had a couple of not so good pints, if it is warm and the beer is not moving, it can be a bit hit and miss. I dont like the lager there, it always seems flat, so I tend to stick to the cider, I am not adventurous, they have lots of speciality ciders to try, but I only like the Thatchers, but they keep running out which is really annoying! They get busy sometimes, there is a quiz night every Thursday and Friday evenings are very busy. I did send a really horrible half of lager back once, warm and flat, but was not offered a replacement, normally I wouldn't have gone back, but I have got to rather like it there, the staff are not very friendly, in fact they are quite miserable and don't really encourage trade, service can also be very slow and I have been stood there for ages sometimes when they are reading, they don't seem in a hurry to encourage new customers, so why am I giving them trade? good question as its nothing special, its small and basic, but its a short stroll home for me and during the summer anyway, when I can sit outside away from the town centre and enjoy a cool Thatchers, it's suiting my needs at the moment.

6 good ales mix of hopback and other local ones. First ale pub I've come across not to do tasters though!No music good chat though.

Was in there this evening and the manager flatly refused to give me a taster of a beer. What's that about? Not recommended.

~ ODE TO THE GLUE POT ~If you’re the type who likes a pint of real ale good and trueThere is a pub in Swindon I would recommend to youI found it by pure chance you see some several years agoAnd now whenever I’m in town there’s nowhere else I’d goThere’s eight real ales available and all connected up Information on a blackboard to help you choose which one you’ll supThe brewery, the strength, a good description and the priceAnd if you may be still confused the bar staff give adviceThe Hopback ale does stay on tap, guest beers change frequentlyThe choice is always so first rate I’m quite a devoteeI’ve quaffed some ales in there that taste like nectar on my tongueAccordingly to many this pub’s praises I have sungAt times when I have been in there I’ve often sat and musedAbout how it’s name “The Glue Pot” came to be the one they usedI asked this of the landlord there one summer’s afternoonAnd he pointed out the table in the centre of the roomYou’d never know unless he told, the décor is concealingWhat used to be a pot-bellied stove with a flue into the ceilingIt’s location to the well known Swindon railway works is nearWhere craftsmen built the coaches out of wood and oak veneerAnd when they stepped into the pub for ale and lunch to eatThey’d bring their glue pots in with them and set them on the heatThis meant the glue’s consistency stayed usable and runnySo when they returned to work each day it saved them time and money“Let’s go to that there Glue Pot then” those artisans would sayJust like their wood that name did stick and lives on to this dayThis place is a gem in Swindon, it’s a grown up drinkers pubAnd if you come at lunchtime you can get well decent grubSo if real-ale, conversation loving folk is what you areMake haste to the famous Glue PotFor a welcome at the bar!

Went on a lunchtime with a group of others to grab a bite to eat and a drink. The food is really cheap and proper artery clogging British grub - think chip buttys, bacon and egg sarnies, cheesy chips...if you like that kind of thing, it's great! You do have to wait a little while for it. My companions seemed very pleased with the beer as well and it looks like they change what they're offering regularly. It's a good refuge on a wet day.

To be honest, this was recommended to me and when I saw it, I was scared! It was, however Monday night in Swindon, so one couldn't expect the hasienda! Decent beer, locals didn't attack me so what more could you want? I bet this is a lot better than other boozers in Swindon!