22/05/21 - Buxton - Good Beer Guide (mainly) Pub Crawl

Pubs - 3 Gained Entry, 2 Barred Entry, 1 Dead

Good Beer Guide Ticks #546 - 547

Recovery time needed in the Premier Inn, following a grim weather walk to Three Shires Head.

At 5pm we are ready to attempt something that has not been tried for well over 6 months - an on-spec Pub Crawl. No bookings. Vague notes made on the four Good Beer Guide Pubs in Buxton. With Mrs M on board, we can already knock off the Wetherspoons. I'm braced for disappointment - its just a question of how much.

Cheshire Cheese, 37-39 High Street, Titanic Anchor and Steerage

Away from the Opera House and conservation area is a high concentration of pubs along the high street and in the Market Square. The second encountered on our short walk - after the intriguingly named Blazing Rag - is the Cheshire Cheese.

A tied house to the Titanic Brewery - possibly the only good thing to have come out of Stoke.

Double fronted pubs deserve to be photographed from further away

We negotiate our way, via the guardian of the door,  to the final remaining table - high stools and a shelf, looking directly at the bar but not close enough to work out what is on offer.  I'm not having Plum Porter again. I tried that with limited success at the Bree Louise in Euston, before it was knocked down for contravening iffy smells rules.  

So what to have?  All you need to do is ask for random things to do with the Titanic.  Captain Smith?  Yes, that's one but sadly not on here.  

I am offered a walk to the bar to peek at the goods but after a suitably lavish description of the 5 handpulls, I settle on a very fine classic bitter called Anchor, followed by a similarly high quality, but less enjoyed Steerage Golden Ale.

View from a high table

And then comes the decision?  The next on the list is a micro pub.  Unlikely to get in at the best of times.  

Do we risk our fortunately gained seats to be stared at by locals who remember when the building was a haberdashery in the 1950s?

Of course we do.

The Ale Stop, Chapel Street

It's dead.  One for the dubious ticks committee.  

No Entry

Looked more severe than merely closed.  Despite Mrs M shouting "leave it, it's gone" I look through the window at a scene of beery carnage.  A handpull from a beer engine strewn on the floor, amongst various other drinking detritus. 

Further on-line investigation shows that its not dead, just resting.  They aim to be reborn on June 21st.

Kings Head, 53 Degrees North and the New Inn

This leaves us with a 30 minute window before our booking at Itacha (highly recommended Greek Restaurant).  Kings Head looks lively with outdoor overspill.  53 Degrees North looks wonderful.  Both have chalk boards that make me feel like Joseph of Nazareth in December 0.

This leaves the New Inn, where bouncers at the door have been supplanted by a toothless smoker who has lost the ability to pace himself on Saturdays during lockdown.  I honestly thought Mrs M had bolted it back to Lenny Henry's.  

Still, it was a fine Robinsons Unicorn.  Which I know some people class as an oxymoron.

Red Willow Buxton, 1 Cavendish Circus, Wreckless and Strata West Coast IPA

There's a couple of brewery tap rooms in Buxton.  The Buxton Brewery was on my wish list but has not re-opened.  Instead, there is the tap room of the Red Willow Brewery - which unlike BB - is in the Good Beer Guide.

I know little of this brewery but do remember that Virgin Trains used to stock their Tilting Ale before Avanti took over the West Coast Main Line and upped the prices of advance tickets.

Its a former bank and has had a glorious make over that includes the introduction of a Begbie-esque mezzanine floor, a much desired booth that includes Chesterfields and some leather covered benching in the same style.

Impressive enough on its own but along with a good choice of beers, its also a Gin Palace.   

We were both very happy.

External Photos thwarted by the Buxton Yoof being lairly.  Internal photos didnt come out great.  Here's some lifted from the Internet.

"Go in Mate, its not going to hurt you"

"see, its lovely"