I had a pint in the 1930s Bristol pub that has finally shaken off its ‘rough’ image

Rough. That’s one word that crops up when you mention The Bulldog pub. Others include ‘hard’ and ‘notorious’.

And that may well have been the case years ago, mainly thanks to a few lively incidents involving football away fans bravely - or stupidly - setting foot inside this staunch Bristol Rovers pub.

But The Bulldog’s former image problem has improved hugely under the couple who took over the pub in May 2022.

Aaron and Donna Burnett have turned the place around and these days it’s very much the locals’ pub it was originally built as between the wars.

Opened in 1938, this large brick-built corner pub on Filton Avenue is, sadly, the last of the area’s inter-war pubs left.

The other two pubs from the same era are long gone - The Fellowship is now a Tesco and The George VI is now a DIY store. They were all built around the same time as other lost Bristol pubs like The Venture Inn at Knowle West and The Happy Landings in Hengrove.

Originally called The Bristol Bulldog after the fighter aeroplane built at the nearby Filton factory, this pub is very much the pub where the locals congregate to put the world to rights over a few pints.

Pay the pub a visit in the mid-afternoon and that’s when the local tradesmen start to pop in for a pint after work along with residents who have been drinking here for decades.

Many of the regulars have inevitably been lost over the years but some are still remembered in the bar itself.

Beneath a framed signed Bristol Rovers shirt, there’s a wooden bench with a brass plaque inscribed ‘Andy’s Bench’, a tribute to much-missed pub regular Andy Payne.

Near the main entrance, there’s another tribute to ‘Sound Tony The Wanderer - in loving memory’.

Aaron and Donna keep a clean and tidy pub, and they have brought back the pool and darts for the regulars, as well as large TV screens for live sport.

A large bar with original 1930s wood panels and wonderful leaded windows, it has a timeless look but is also reminiscent of those brilliant pubs used in 1970s cop shows like The Sweeney. It really has a classic retro look inside, which many people might not expect from the outside.

The owners have also, admirably, kept prices as low as they can at a time when most pubs seem to be outpricing their regulars.

At The Bulldog, the cheapest pint is the Carling at £3.90 and my pint of Guinness (the proper stuff not the extra cold version) was a reasonable £4.40.

Also on tap is Madri, Stella Artois, John Smith’s, Coors, Doom Bar, Blackthorn Dry and five types of Thatcher’s cider including Gold and Haze.

Aaron and Donna have put their stamp on The Bulldog and their hard work in improving the pub’s reputation has paid off.

Those old ‘rough’ and ‘hard’ descriptions are gone and have been replaced by ‘friendly’ and ‘community’ because this is one Bulldog that no longer bites.

The Bulldog, 528-534 Filton Avenue, Bristol, BS7 0QF.