Pubs and Bars / A-Z Bristol pub crawl
A-Z Pub Crawl: The Kingsdown Vaults, Kingsdown
Dozens of black papier-mache bats hung across the ceiling of The Kingsdown Vaults on Friday afternoon, hours before a Halloween-themed event at the pub.
A skeleton enjoyed a posh seat atop the fireplace, while another threatened to slip onto the nearby table as he struggled to find balance on a wooden ledge fixed to the wall.
Papier-mache pumpkins sat across the pub’s seating area, sneering at those entering the pub with evil smiles.
The papier-mache bats had a watchful eye over the pub’s few visitors on Halloween afternoon
Despite the team’s best efforts to evoke gasps and spooks, the few who were enjoying a midday pint at this pub on the junction of Kingsdown Parade and Clevedon Terrace seemed to feel at ease and welcomed.
A thirsty patron, who was trying to dodge the rain, settled onto a table with half a pint of Bristol Beer Factory’s Live Forever session pale and a few packets of crisps.
Other than two Bristol Beer Factory brews, the pub had a selection of options on tap, including Neck Oil’s Session IPA, Birra Moretti, Amstel Bier and Guinness.
Vines in multiple shades of green crawled across spots in the pub, which also regularly hosts live music nights, the next being a performance by the string band The Henry Slim on Saturday night.
Skeletons hanging, sitting and balancing across the room was another Halloween-themed touched inside the pub
Settled in on a seat by the window, an elderly lady enjoyed her pint as she waited for a friend to arrive.
While the pub was unspusprisingly quiet, given it had just opened for the day, posters of a Sinister Seance event on the same evening promised “sultry siren songs, dark poetry and spoken word” in just a few hours.
It is believed that the word Kingsdown, which is also the area the pub is located in, originates from the Middle Ages when the neighbourhood was used as an exercise ground for the King’s horses garrisoned at the Royal Castle.
As the rain began to fade away and the slight hint of sunshine began to show, the patron finished her drink, munched on the last few crisps and made her way out of the quaint boozer.
The Kingsdown Vaults is located on the junction of Clevedon Terrace and Kingsdown Parade
All photos: Karen Johnson
Read next:
Our newsletters emailed directly to you
