Just returned from an 8/9 day road trip to England, stopping in 6 different places and, if my counting is right, ticking off 16 ale pubs on the way - 13 of them new to me.
First stop was LIVERPOOL. On a walkabout from Albert Docks up to the Anglican Cathedral, we came across a pub called the Brewery Tap, adjacent to what used to be the Higson's Brewery. It looked promising and was OK, but it definitely wasn't a real brewery tap. They had a couple of ales from breweries I hadn't tried before - Cross Bay and Liverpool Organic. They had some nice etched windows too:
There were 2 pubs on my hit list here - the Roscoe Head, one of the elite group who have appeared in every edition of the Good Beer Guide, and the Philharmonic, whose interior is something to be admired. The former deserves its reputation - a cosy little back street pub with 6 interesting ales, all in good nick. Strangely, however, they have a policy of not offering tasters at all.
The Philharmonic's bar is a beauty:
The Gents' toilets are to be admired as well - but hold your nose as you enter - they stank!:
It's part of the Nicholson's group now.
Nest stop was WINCHESTER. By accident, we stumbled across the Royal Oak, which claims to be England's oldest pub. It's now part of the Greene King empire and, apart from a signboard outside the pub, they seem to be ignoring this heritage. The interior doesn't look particularly old and their web site doesn't even have any photos of the pub. As a pub it's fine - comfortable and nice layout, but why aren't they making more of their history?
Further along the south coast, we stopped overnight at DOVER, where we discovered a lovely brewpub/restaurant called Cullins Yard. Two of their in-house ales - Jimmy's Riddle and Pigs Ear - flanked Adnam's Broadside.
Just north of London, on the Hertfordshire/Essex border, lies BROXBOURNE, where we used to live in the 1970's - this was our next stop. Two of the pubs there were formerly favourites of ours - the Crown and the Bull, the latter a McMullen's pub. Not exceptional, but an acceptable pair of locals.
LONDON would surely provide some interesting fare? The Albert between Victoria and Westminster is another GK establishment but they still had an interesting selection of beers. The Nell of Old Drury has some interesting history. It has an underground tunnel that links the pub with the Theatre Royal across the street, and this was allegedly used by Charles II to visit Nell Gynne in the late 1600's.
Back in Westminster, the Feathers is a hugely popular Nicholson's pub whilst the nearby Buckingham Arms is a Young's outlet which is another of CAMRA's famous four pubs that have appeared in every edition of the GBG.
Friday night and lovely Shepherd Market in Mayfair is mobbed, but we managed to find a seat in Ye Grapes, which used to be a pub I frequented back in the 70's when I worked in the west end. It's as popular now as it was then - and deservedly so.
Our last London pub was the Marquis of Westminster, which, strangely, is in Pimlico. It has a nice dining room above the pub.
CHESTER was next and it had a great selection of pubs, with the pick of them probably being the Pied Bull, which is bedecked with CAMRA awards, both for its in-house ales and also the pub itself. We spotted the Albion, whose landlord is a controversial local character, but it's closed on Sundays.
Along the canal front, there are a few good pubs. Best for food was Artichoke, with 3 good ales too. The Old Harkers Arms has a good choice of 9 ales available and it was warm enough to sit outside late at night:
Just across the road is The Cellar which has an interactive screen displaying the choice of beers:
Interesting trip.
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