Ye Olde Two Brewers Inn
24 St. James' Street, Shaftesbury,
Dorset. SP7 8HE.
Tel: 01747 855477 / 854211

Opening Times:

Food is served:
12 - 2:30 ........................................Lunchtime
6:30 - 9:00 ........................................ Evening
No food is served Sunday evenings

Excellent selection of real ales

Skittle alley for hire

Large beer garden with spectacular view

Large non-smoking restaurant

Car park

The Two Brewers History in St James
Built at the end of the 18th century The Two Brewers was one of five pubs in the little suburb of St James. It was quite an affluent area at the time with successful businesses like tanneries and laundries taking advantage of the abundant water as did the Two Brewers which brewed its own beer.

Next to where the pub now stands was a large Elizabethan house with ornate gardens which can be seen in the section of Upjohn's 1799 plan of Shaftesbury above. It was owned for many years by the wealthy Merefield family whose crest can still be seen today above the row of houses that replaced it.

During the 19th century a lot of the larger buildings were replaced by small workers cottages and poor houses occupied by large families. By the end of the 19th century a lot of premises in St James and Gold Hill were in a very unsanitary condition. Victorian social reform was in the air, however, and most of these small cottages were either demolished or modernised.

Above is a picture of the Two Brewers c. 1900 showing the landlord of 50 years, Seymour Usher, sitting in his well kept gardens. Local historian Eric Olsen's excellent books on the area inform us that Seymour was also a novelty violinist in his youth who's music hall act involved taking a pony on stage and using it's tail to play his violin.

In the early 20th century St James had a reputation of being a bit rowdy and fights between the drovers and farm labourers were not uncommon. By this time there were only three pubs left in the street. One was called the Fox and Hounds and the other The Hand in Hand which also brewed its own beer. Both these pubs closed in the 1950's.

Today St James is a very pleasant community at the centre of which is Ye Olde Two Brewers Inn.

Associations
The Two brewers is a member of the following associations:
British Institute of Innkeepers
Federation of Small Businesses

This pretty 18th century pub is located in the heart of historic Shaftesbury at the bottom of Gold Hill, one of the most photographed and picturesque streets in England. It offers a wide variety of real ales, lagers and wines along with fresh home cooked meals at lunchtimes and evenings and traditional Sunday lunches.

A cosy interior boasts three open fires while the large beer garden to the rear makes the most of the wonderful views over the Blackmore Vale. There are plenty of tables in the bar and a large non-smoking restaurant so there is always somewhere to sit.

If you haven't got the energy for the steep climb back up Gold Hill to Shaftesbury there is ample parking to the rear in the pub car park.

The Menu

See our menus page for a full list of mouth watering meals and snacks.

Food is served:
12 - 2:30 ........................................Lunchtime
6:30 - 9:00 ........................................ Evening
No food is served Sunday evenings

The Bar

Real Ales
Ruddles Best (3.7)
St Austells Tribute (4.2)
Adnams Broadside (4.7)
Old Speckled Hen (4.5)
Timothy Taylor Landlord (4.3)
( Real ales change regularly so may vary from above.)

The Two Brewers has been accredited by Cask Marque.

Other Draughts
Fosters
Kronenbourg 1664
Stella Artois
John Smith's Extra Smooth
Guinness
Scrumpy Jack

Wines and Spirits
Aside from the regular house wines and usual spirits we have a selection of fine wines served by the glass. Click here for our wine list.

Hot drinks
Hot drinks and coffees available from the bar:
Cappuccino, Espresso, Chocolate, Espresschoc, Café Latté, Tea.

Charities
The total money collected for various charities during 2005 was £2858.69. Many thanks to all our customers for supporting our sponsored events. Keep an eye on the blackboard above for upcoming events.

Charities that have benefited so far are:
Msaada
RNLI
Yewstock School
Somerset & Dorset Air Ambulance
JLU Westminster Hospital
St James Church Bells Appeal
Cancer Research
more......

Skittle Alley
The two brewers has a skittle alley that is available for hire for skittles and functions. Please call or email for more information.

There are 3 regular teams, 2 playing in the Mere and District Skittles League; The Two Brewers and the Old Pops. For more information about these two teams and to see how they are fairing you can visit the Mere and District Skittles League web site. The other regulars are The West Wilts Hunt Skittles League.

Darts
Two darts teams play at the Two Brewers; on Tuesday nights the Two Brewers team play in the Gillingham and District Darts league and on Wednesday the Wooly Bullies play in the LVA Darts League.