We had a pint at the refurbished pub near Bristol with a stunning ‘secret’ beer garden

From the road, the Kings Arms doesn’t give too much away but it would be a real mistake to walk past as it’s a pub full of surprises.

OK, there’s some nice dark green Victorian tiling along the bottom half of the building and brass plaques reminding people it was once a hotel, but the paint is peeling and, to be frank, this roadside pub looks a little neglected.

It’s also slightly intimidating and, according to some locals, the pub used to have ‘a bit of a reputation’ before it gained a new landlord with ambition.

Step inside, however, and it’s a very different story now. After a lengthy period of closure, the Kings Arms reopened in November 2022 after a complete refurbishment inside.

A Grade II-listed former coaching inn that may even predate the nearby 19th-century Holy Trinity Church, the pub has a new quarry tile floor where the pool table is, as well as new furniture and bar.

There are new flatscreen TVs on the walls and a jukebox, which on the day I was there was pumping out classics from The Kinks and David Bowie.

But the biggest surprise, perhaps, is the beer garden accessed via a side door next to the refurbished toilets.

After a spacious concrete area with benches, there is a large separate grassed area with mature trees and borders running along ancient stone walls, more benches and lovely views of the church.

It really is timeless and genuinely surprising to find such a tranquil spot in the middle of this busy town just over the Bristol border.

Just as surprising, perhaps, is the fact the real ale is served from the barrels in a separate room behind the bar.

My pint of Cheddar Ales Gorge Best was crystal clear and in faultless condition - this is clearly now run by a landlord who cares about beer. And it was only £3.50 - an increasingly rare price tag, especially for beer of this high quality.

Also on tap are six types of Thatchers cider, Foster’s, Guinness, Carling and Budvar.

At 4pm on a Tuesday, the pub was doing a surprisingly brisk trade, with a few drinkers standing around the bar, three friends playing pool and a larger group having a game of cards at a table opposite the bar.

Food isn’t served here at the moment so drinkers have to make do with packets of Burts Lightly Salted or sweet chilli-flavoured Nobby’s nuts - two of the, dare I say it, ‘posher’ pub snacks on the market.

But then like the refurbished interior and well-manicured lawn in the beer garden, perhaps this once lowly Kingswood boozer is shaking off its old image and trying to live up to its regal name more.

The Kings Arms, 16 High Street, Kingswood, BS15 4AB.