The Bull's Head, Craswall

The first time visitor needs to have a sense of adventure if they’re even considering a trip to the Bull’s Head. Craswall is in the Black Mountains that spread from Herefordshire into southeast Wales and to describe it as off the beaten track still doesn’t do justice to the obscurity of its location. Driving from Hereford seemed to be a choice between two options. Guided by the Google Maps App on my phone I unwittingly took the more obscure route. Heading south from Hay on Wye on the occasionally single track Forest Road went into the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park. The one turning to Craswall had a barely visible signpost showing the way and I missed it. Unfortunately the app didn’t seem to have the ability to say “you’re wrong, turn around and go back” so it led me down roads that got narrower and narrower and seemingly more and more remote from human contact.  Isolated houses tucked down narrow claustrophobic roads with no room for passing felt detached from everything.

There was one bonus however. Clusters of young pheasants regularly ran out into the road seemingly startled by the appearance of a silver VW Golf from nowhere. Although occasionally the high hedges meant that there was nowhere for them to go and you ended up following them down the lane at panicked pheasant pace.

After what seemed an eternity I was becoming convinced GoogleMaps was taking the piss and intentionally sending me up one dead end after another. Luckily, I passed a couple of hikers that I recognised from earlier on the peaks. Not only did they give me good directions to the Bulls Head but their sage advice that the pub was a long way beyond the village sign turned out to be truly valuable. The landlady Kathryn Mackintosh mentioned that the pub had bought many signs to help people find the pub but they kept being stolen so they gave up. So finding the pub is always going to be a gamble for anyone who has never been there before.

Craswall is no roaring metropolis. The Bull’s Head sits on a bend in the Longtown/Abergavenny road across the way from a farmhouse on one side and a phone box and small stable (with the added mod con of a post box) on the other. The pub itself is in an old drover’s inn built around 1730 and the garden and buildings have an air of gentle decay that adds to the  charm of the place.

 A main dining room and a much smaller bar where I ended up sitting are available for eating. The stone walled bar room with flagstoned floor is filled with rustic furniture that has the distressed look resulting from consistent use. Food is ordered at the hatch in the bar and features 6 starters, 10 mains and 6 desserts. If you want to drink water there is a large earthenware sink in the corner of the room where you’re welcome to help yourself any time.

The warm Arbroath smokie pot got things off to a great start. The blisteringly hot combination of the vivid smoked fish and cheesy blasts on top of the spinach base was really lovely but each occasional hit of dill and nutmeg took things up a notch. The basket of crusty multigrain bread that came with it partnered really nicely too.

The roast rump of local lamb with Provençal tomato, sugar snap peas and rosemary potatoes was a hugely comforting plate of food. The slices of pink lamb were juicy and tender with a delightful flavour and the sauce was superb. The sugar snap peas had a nice crispness and the succulent tomatoes with their herby crust also worked really well with the lamb.

Having thoroughly enjoyed the previous courses, dessert was a must. The new season’s Black Mountain wimberry tart set the seal on a lovely lunch. The sweet short crust pastry base was similar to shortbread. The sugar dusted tart was stuffed full of slightly tart wimberries that were in total harmony with the main filling. The cheesy tart filling with its hint of lemon was utterly gorgeous and my favourite part. I could happily have devoured another portion. 

The Bull’s Head was a great find, once I eventually managed to track it down. The food was thoroughly satisfying. It’s not innovative but was really well cooked throughout showing nice ingredients treated with respect. The restaurant relies on many family members pitching in and they were all very friendly. The kitchen is tiny and as far as I could tell sparsely staffed but it was impressive watching how quickly they served a full restaurant. If you want an adventure then the Bull’s Head totally justifies the trip.


There is one additional problem. The Bull's Head is only open for lunch and dinner on Friday and Saturday  and lunch on Sunday.

Overall Rating - 4/5