My pub of choice on Dove Street is The Hillgrove. However, Boak and Bailey’s post about darts tipped me off that the Hare on the Hill had a board, so I walked the extra 100m to check it out. I had been to the Hare on the Hill a few times as an undergrad, but never noticed the dartboard because I was a heathen then. It was formerly a Bath Ales pub, however, it now serves a great selection of Bristol brewery offerings.

The board is a well-used Winmau Diamond Plus. The “Diamond” refers to the shape of the wires, which are designed to deflect darts into the board rather than bounce them out, albeit with mixed success. The wires are a little wonky in places, the beds are a bit tired and for some reason patches of black ink have vanished but the board remains usable. Weirdly, they have opted not to put any sort of foam surround/wall protection. Maybe they have tremendous faith in the darting ability of their punters; however, it has led to a number of holes in the wall and a chunk of missing plaster, as shown below. The board is only attached at the top, meaning care has to be taken when fetching darts, so as not to bring the whole thing down.

There is a proper oche in the form of a metal bar screwed to the floor. Although not raised, it can be felt by sliding your toe along the floor, making throw preparation easier than with a painted line. The board is slightly too low, but not enough to throw the proportions off. There was some greebling below the board in the form of tins, which made a loud clattering sound when a poorly thrown dart slid out of a tired bed. This was largely covered up by the loud indie music being played from a record player.

There is a large chalkboard for scoring, although accessibility is hampered by the furniture. I had to clear two tables out of the way on arrival to make the oche accessible. Of course, at busy times this would most likely be impossible as they would be occupied, so visit timing is key if you want to throw arrows. I also reoriented one of the ceiling lights to illuminate the board, as it’s right at the back of the pub where it’s difficult for natural light to penetrate.

The lo-fi set-up in the Hare on the Hill is in keeping with the rest of the pub. Having a modern set-up with bright LEDs on a prominent plastic surround would be incongruous with the vintage decor surrounding it. This lowers its score on my more darts-focused rating system; however, I enjoyed the atmosphere, and it makes a fine addition to my collection of pubs where I can have a casual throw.