don cload, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Eat and drink · Kemble
The Tavern Inn, Kemble
An Arkell's pub a short walk from Kemble station, with a large garden, children's play areas, dogs welcome and food from Wednesday to Sunday.
Dog-friendly · Family-friendly · Walker-friendly · Car-free · EV charging
The pub a short walk from Kemble station, which makes it the easiest lunch in the south Cotswolds without a car. It is friendly to families and dogs, with a big garden, but it is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
- Good: A short walk from Kemble station, trains from London Paddington
- Good: Large garden with children's play areas
- Good: Dogs welcome throughout the pub and garden
- Good: Wheelchair access and an accessible toilet
- Worth knowing: Closed Mondays and Tuesdays
- Worth knowing: Food stops at 8.30pm, and 4pm on Sundays
About
The Tavern Inn is an Arkell's pub a short walk from Kemble station, close to the source of the Thames. The brewery says it opened in the 1890s as the Coffee Tavern, because the station had no refreshment rooms, only became a pub in 1946, and was bought by Arkell's five years later; railway timetables are kept in the bar. It is open from Wednesday to Sunday, from noon (11am at weekends) until 10pm, and 6pm on Sundays.
The food is traditional country pub cooking: home-cooked classics, seasonal dishes and Sunday roasts, with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free choices and a children's menu, from a menu that changes with the seasons. It is served from noon to 3pm and 5pm to 8.30pm from Wednesday to Saturday, and from noon to 4pm on Sundays. Booking, by phone or email, is a good idea at busy times, but walk-ins are welcome when there is room.
CAMRA's pub listing, last updated in January 2024, gives three regular Arkell's real ales: 3B, Moonlight and Wiltshire Gold. The pub lists a fire and a window seat inside, and outside a large garden with an outdoor bar and children's play areas. Dogs are welcome throughout the pub and the garden. There is customer parking and an EV charger, though overnight parking only by arrangement, as it is not a public car park, and the pub says it is wheelchair accessible with an accessible toilet. A function room takes 30 to 40, and the garden, with a stretch tent, takes 60 to 80 for parties and weddings. The pub also points guests to three shepherd huts a few minutes away, each with a double bed, kitchen and shower, from £75 a night.
It is the natural end to a car-free day: take the train to Kemble, walk to the source of the Thames and the Thames Head Inn, and come back here before the train home.
Opening hours and season
Closed, opens Wed 11, 12:00
| Mon | Opening | Food served |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Closed | Closed |
| Tuesday | Closed | Closed |
| Wednesday | 12:00 to 22:00 | 12:00 to 15:00, 17:00 to 20:30 |
| Thursday | 12:00 to 22:00 | 12:00 to 15:00, 17:00 to 20:30 |
| Friday | 12:00 to 22:00 | 12:00 to 15:00, 17:00 to 20:30 |
| Saturday | 11:00 to 22:00 | 12:00 to 15:00, 17:00 to 20:30 |
| Sunday | 11:00 to 18:00 | 12:00 to 16:00 |
Food served: Sunday roasts from noon to 4pm
Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, except for some private bookings and events.
The details
- Food
- Pub classics
- Serving
- Lunch · Dinner · Sunday lunch
- Dietary
- Vegetarian dishes · Vegan dishes · Gluten-free dishes · Children's menu
- Booking a table
- Booking recommended
- Features
- Garden or terrace · Play area · Open fire · Bar · Real ale · Parking · Dogs inside · Events and meetings
- History
- A pub since 1946; an Arkell's pub since 1951
- Without a car
- A short walk from Kemble station, on the line from London Paddington
Photos
The garden 
The dining room 
Sunday roast 
A sharing plate
Location
Accessibility
- Step-free access
- Accessible toilet
The pub says it is wheelchair friendly, with wheelchair access and an accessible toilet. Baby changing is available.
Places to stay nearby
-
The Thames Head Inn
Pubs · Kemble
A pub serving Arkell's beers on the A433 between Cirencester and Tetbury, a short walk from the source of the Thames, open all day with food from 11am, four rooms and a campsite.
Dog-friendly · Walker-friendly
Verified Oct 2026
-
Lower Mill Estate
Self-catering · The Cotswold Water Park
A family-run private estate of lakes and woodland at Somerford Keynes in the Cotswold Lakes, with architect-designed self-catering homes sleeping two to 12, pools, a restaurant and kayaks, paddleboards and bikes to hire.
Dog-friendly · Family-friendly · Hot tubs
Verified Oct 2026
-
The Rectory Hotel
Hotel · Malmesbury
A hotel in an early 18th-century rectory at Crudwell, near Malmesbury, with 15 rooms in the house, a three-bedroom garden cottage and a heated outdoor pool in summer.
Verified Oct 2026
Nearby walks, places and things to do
- The Thames Head Inn 1.6 km away
- Rodmarton Manor 4.1 km away
- Lower Mill Estate 4.9 km away
- Cirencester Roman Amphitheatre 5.1 km away