The drinks aren’t the only thing drawing the crowds to this stunning location
the New Inn at Blagdon.(Image: PAUL GILLIS / Reach PLC)
Gromit Unleashed 3 has been a sensational success since beginning on June 30. The 53 sculpture trail spans nearly 50 miles from Cheddar Gorge in the south to Slimbridge in the north.
Towards the southern end of the trail, The New Inn in Blagdon, North Somerset, boasts the statue with perhaps the best view of all.
Set against the stunning backdrop of rolling hills and a view of nearby Blagdon Lake, the Big Friendly Wallace, an homage to the beloved Roald Dahl children’s book, has been entertaining guests in the pub’s beer garden all summer. The New Inn is open for lunch and dinner Monday to Saturday, and from midday until 7pm on Sundays.
Pub manager James Wilson said the resident Wallace had helped the pub become busy even outside these extended opening hours. “Generally it’s been really positive,” he said. “It drives footfall before we’re even open, and it drives footfall when we’re open.
James said he wasn’t sure exactly how much extra business had been generated by Wallace, with the pub busier than usual due to a summer of mostly glorious weather. However, he estimated the affable statue of the Wendsleydale aficionado could have brought in as many as 600 extra punters a week since it was installed.
Bristol woman Wendy Ritchens cosied up to Wallace on a recent visit to the pub(Image: Wendy Ritchens)
James also said he’d been shocked by how many people had stopped off at the pub on a quest to visit all 53 sculptures. “I’ve been surprised about how many people have come by who have been doing the whole trail,” he said. “Especially as we’re not on a main road, we’re more of a destination pub, so you can really notice it when people are passing through.”
Wallace isn’t the only thing drawing crowds to The New Inn. The kitchen serves up a selection of pub classics, with much of the produce sourced from neighbouring Yeo Valley Farms. A traditional roast is on offer on Sundays, and a selection of local beers are available on tap to be enjoyed in the picturesque garden, or inside next to a fire in the winter months.
Big Friendly Wallace at the New Inn at Blagdon(Image: PAUL GILLIS / Reach PLC)
There is also a private room named after the fishing on offer at Blagdon Lake. The Tipsy Trout is available to hire for functions, group meals or meetings.
Some other Gromit Unleashed statues at destinations outside central Bristol include a “Toucan Tango” Feathers McGraw at Noah’s Ark Farm in Wraxhall and the appropriately named “Fisherman’s Friend” Wallace at the West Country Water Park near Bradley Stoke.
The trail runs until August 31, raising money for Bristol children’s charity The Grand Appeal.