The Broad Face

Situated in the centre of The Abingdon On Thames Medieval Abbey Restaurant Quarter The Broad Face Restaurant & PublicHouse occupies a pretty site astride The Thames on Abingdon Bridge with views of The Old Gaol Residential Flats Quarter. Only one side of the bridge is passable on foot with traffic so be careful on the narrow footway. Yes The Broadface name & sign eminate from several legends one being it was representative of a hanged condemned criminal connected to the County Gaol. Who knows? I have only passed this Pub & viewed it from the River Side not eaten there. The terrace has underneath a strange wier type cavern where water eddies. On my passing by t the terrace was occupied by groups of several burly male drinkers clutching pints of lager. The atmosphere was a little "Rugby Club"for my liking. A recent murder on a boat some yards away as reported in the local newspaper perhaps did not help the atmosphere which had an off putting "hardness"to it. The Upper Reaches Hotel opposite was all the rage when it opened in The 1970s but now the paint is peeling & it has seen better days. The nearby Medieval Abbey Alleyways are very picturesque if a little deserted. The Crown and Thistle Hotel ex Coaching Inn is yards away. Infomative Plaques on the wall are everywhere giving the history of The Broad Face. Diners appeared shy of passing glances inside. This historic inn remains an unknown quantity as a "softie"I was too scared to go in!It looks like "Pub Food".