The Broad Face

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Gastropub
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About

Welcome to our website for the Broad Face in the heart of Abingdon where we love all things local. Our aim is to be a quality pub showcasing the best of local produce and welcoming to locals and visitors alike.

The Broad Face public house is at the junction of Bridge Street and Thames Street. The building  was erected in 1840 but there are records of a public house called the Broad Face as far back as 1734. Mystery surrounds the origin of the Broad Face's name. Some say it's to do with its riverside location, as the building presents a broad face to the Thames.

Much more colourful are the theories that it either alludes to the swollen face of a man who drowned in the river, or the bloated face of a man who was hanged at the gaol that used to be opposite the pub

Location

30-32 Bridge Street, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 3HR

01235 537775 01235 537775

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1 Review 
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James C

02 January 2015  
Food & Drink 2.5
Service 2.5
Atmosphere 3
Value 3
Picturesque Pub in Medieval Riverside Restaurant Quarter of Abingdon-On-Thames Oxfordshire(formerly Berkshire)
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".
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01235 537775 01235 537775

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