-Trafalgar Bay-
7 Nunnery Lane, York, YO23 1AB.
01904 653336
01904 653336
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Toilets:
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Review:
Situated on the traffic laden Nunnery Lane looking across the road to the outside of the City Walls, the Trafalgar Bay is a fine example of a Victorian public house with its traditional and neatly kept exterior, including a lovely hand panted sign. As a Sam Smith’s pub you’d expect little else but from the off you need to know about all of the restrictions that come with such a pub, no phones, music, swearing, cash only payments, etc… but once you get past that it’s easy to overlook them because this Sam Smith’s pub is exceptionally well run.
Access is a little restrictive as you enter through a narrow corridor which opens up onto several rooms, the first to the immediate left is the bar room which is small but well proportioned. Heavy low oak beams surround it and the room is warmly lit with wall sconces. There are a few stools by the bar and the usual range of extremely low-priced Sam Smith’s beers, some of which are great, some not so much. There are two lounge rooms to either side of the bar, both facing the front of the building and as such are light filled cosy spaces, the smaller of the two having a beautiful open Victorian fireplace for those cooler nights. The décor is right out of the history books but clean, fresh and looking almost brand-new, this is how I remember pubs from my youth, unchanging and classic. The atmosphere is welcoming and you really do get the feeling of stepping back in time, the ban on technology really emphasising this in a good way I think.
Moving through to the back games room this is dedicated to a pool table and dart board with the rear corridor beyond being packed with books for a book exchange. The toilets are back here too and although a little basic are well kept. To the rear is a large outside space, although it’s totally paved there are a lot of benches and a couple of mature trees to brighten up the view. It’s a good space and quite peaceful despite being so close to such a busy road.
Now despite having a ban on so much stuff the Trafalgar Bay still scores high in our Entertainment rating as the current Landlady runs a staggering amount of community events from the pub, there’s always something going on for locals and visitors alike, whether that’s crafting, games, quizzes, socials or Sam’s beer tasting events. I can easily say this was one of the most surprising pubs to visit beyond the walls, we really didn’t expect so much to be on offer and it’s become one of our firm favourites. The ban on swearing is actually a blessing as it means the pub is very family friendly, dogs are welcome too. So if you like a proper old school welcoming community pub and can put your phone down for a bit it’s well worth visiting, maybe you’ll enjoy it just that little bit more when you have to actually talk to your friends or the friendly staff. Not all bans are bad in the end.
Situated on the traffic laden Nunnery Lane looking across the road to the outside of the City Walls, the Trafalgar Bay is a fine example of a Victorian public house with its traditional and neatly kept exterior, including a lovely hand panted sign. As a Sam Smith’s pub you’d expect little else but from the off you need to know about all of the restrictions that come with such a pub, no phones, music, swearing, cash only payments, etc… but once you get past that it’s easy to overlook them because this Sam Smith’s pub is exceptionally well run.
Access is a little restrictive as you enter through a narrow corridor which opens up onto several rooms, the first to the immediate left is the bar room which is small but well proportioned. Heavy low oak beams surround it and the room is warmly lit with wall sconces. There are a few stools by the bar and the usual range of extremely low-priced Sam Smith’s beers, some of which are great, some not so much. There are two lounge rooms to either side of the bar, both facing the front of the building and as such are light filled cosy spaces, the smaller of the two having a beautiful open Victorian fireplace for those cooler nights. The décor is right out of the history books but clean, fresh and looking almost brand-new, this is how I remember pubs from my youth, unchanging and classic. The atmosphere is welcoming and you really do get the feeling of stepping back in time, the ban on technology really emphasising this in a good way I think.
Moving through to the back games room this is dedicated to a pool table and dart board with the rear corridor beyond being packed with books for a book exchange. The toilets are back here too and although a little basic are well kept. To the rear is a large outside space, although it’s totally paved there are a lot of benches and a couple of mature trees to brighten up the view. It’s a good space and quite peaceful despite being so close to such a busy road.
Now despite having a ban on so much stuff the Trafalgar Bay still scores high in our Entertainment rating as the current Landlady runs a staggering amount of community events from the pub, there’s always something going on for locals and visitors alike, whether that’s crafting, games, quizzes, socials or Sam’s beer tasting events. I can easily say this was one of the most surprising pubs to visit beyond the walls, we really didn’t expect so much to be on offer and it’s become one of our firm favourites. The ban on swearing is actually a blessing as it means the pub is very family friendly, dogs are welcome too. So if you like a proper old school welcoming community pub and can put your phone down for a bit it’s well worth visiting, maybe you’ll enjoy it just that little bit more when you have to actually talk to your friends or the friendly staff. Not all bans are bad in the end.
