The famous pub with its thatched roof looks a bit out of place in the middle of the Wrexham high street. The Horse and Jockey is one of the oldest buildings in the town, possibly built in the 16th century as a hall house.
In the 17th century, the building was extended and divided into three cottages. Later, the part nearest to Hope Street was a private house, sometimes used as a guest house, while the part along Priory Street was a “beer house” called The Colliers. The pub has had periods of closure, which is strange considering its prime location and welcoming appearance.
The pub was renamed the ‘Horse and Jockey’ after the Cheltenham born Jockey ‘Fred Archer’ (1857-1886). He rode at Bangor-on-dee and was regarded as one of the finest jockeys of all time, having notched up more than 2,700 wins in his short life. He was champion jockey 13 times despite his height of 1.78 metres, which is pretty big for a jockey.
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Sadly, he took his own life aged just 29. This followed the death of his first child and then the death of his wife while she gave birth to their second child.
The pub is split into two parts with an entrance that leads into a basic bar area. The other part has a small but pleasant dining area, which is where we found a table. We could see glimpses of the original timber-frame construction inside, with the words “never trust a thin cook” painted on one side.
There are pictures of jockeys with horses on the walls along with signs that declare that ‘a meal without wine is called breakfast’. The pub certainly has bags of character, and I expect the old boozer has seen a few things in its time.
Outside, there is a sign that offers a large breakfast for £5.99. Inside, the menu offers about ten choices with traditional pub classics such as fish and chips, burgers or the more-old school option of liver and onions. A jumbo sausage, chips with mushy peas were priced for less than a fiver with most of the food also available for takeaway delivery.
Curiously, it was quite quiet inside but there were a few drinkers, taking in the sun on outside chairs near the hanging baskets. There was no music as the video jukebox was being fixed by a technician, which suited me fine as I prefer a pint in peace.
![Pie, chips and peas at the Horse and Jockey in Wrexham](https://i2-prod.birminghammail.co.uk/incoming/article27384461.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/1_CSMW9340.jpg)
My wife had her eye on a pie. Not just any pie, this was a traditional pub steak and stout pie served with chips and peas. The braised steak was tender and plentiful under a topping of a golden flaky puff pastry. She was given a boat of gravy to pour over the top.
To be honest, she wasn’t expecting much for £7.99. But this easily passed her expectations and she polished the plate clean.
I was persuaded to opt for the chicken curry after seeing the offer on a blackboard for £6.99. Being a connoisseur, I opted for half rice and half chips to go with my very fruity chicken curry sauce. It really tasted like a classic chip shop curry with large chunks of chicken in a tasty thick sauce.
The curry was served along side some fluffy white rice and piping hot chips. I didn’t get the advertised poppadum - perhaps it had been pinched by the resident ghost? Anyway, I was more than happy with what I got on my plate especially for the inflation-busting price.
We ordered two halves of bitter to drink as for some reason some of the ales and beers were not available on the day.
As a bald man I am always more than happy to see a thatched roof as it somehow gives me hope. The Horse and Jockey has history and soul seeping out of its wonky walls and you can’t really go wrong with two meals and two drinks for about £18.
The facts
What we ate and drank: Steak pie £7.99; Chicken curry £6.99; Half John Smiths £1.55 x 2; Total £18.08
Opening times: Sunday – Thursday 12pm-10.30pm, Friday – Saturday 8am-2am
Address and contact details: Horse and Jockey, 32 Hope Street, Wrexham, LL11 1BG, 01978 351081
Atmosphere: Bags of character
Car parking: Public car park in retail park just down road
Disabled access: Limited due to nature of building
Service: Order at the bar
Overall: Thatched roof pub which looks a bit out of place in the middle of the high street