The Angel has a very cosy lounge bar, with a large open fireplace and a feature copper hood that was made by craftsmen in the Swindon railway workshops. Original beams are in situ, and the old bread oven is still evident. Here you will find a permanent exhibition of the work of Purton’s renowned landscape artist, Andy le Poidevin. There is a large public bar with jukebox and dartboard, where traditional pub games, such as cards, dominoes and chess, are played. You can enjoy Arkell’s traditional bitters, such as 3Bs, 2Bs, Summer Ale, Moonlight, Noel Ale and other seasonal ales, as well as Guinness, Strongbow, Stella Artois and Carling lagers.

Purton is a stone-built village of character, some five miles north-east of central Swindon. In the mid-19th century it set up as a mini spa, with its own octagonal pump room. The church of St Mary is one of only three in England to have a central tower and a spire, and the large church has become a place of even greater significance due to the gradual discovery of its medieval wall paintings. Nearby visitor attractions include the preserved Swindon & Cricklade Railway at Tadpole Lane, Blunsdon, and the house and grounds at Lydiard Park, Lydiard Tregoze. There are many public rights of way, permitted paths, and bridle ways around the village. The Angel is situated hard by the roadside in High Street.

It is likely that cottages once occupied the site on which The Angel stands, and its business developed out of home-brewing activities that took place in one of them. Allegedly, some 6,000 gallons of beer, brewed on the premises, were consumed during a single Purton fair in the 18th century. The business was sufficiently well known to attract travellers during the main coaching era in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Old stone steps outside the pub are part of a longer set that, during the horse and carriage era, extended into the road and were used as mounting steps.

It was a favourite stopping place for travellers between Malmesbury Abbey and Blunsdon Abbey. Adjacent residential buildings, known as ‘The Stables’, are a reminder of what was once here. The Angel was still a home-brewing business when it was bought by Arkells in 1884. The present stone building dates from 1704. The Purton Friendly Society was founded at The Angel in 1787, and, during the 18th and 19th centuries, it was here that the local magistrates met each month.