22/10/21 - Using the Good Beer Guide to find the best pubs in Nottingham

Pubs - 8 (over two days)

Good Beer Guide Ticks - #597 - #601

A first visit to Nottingham since I started blogging.  I'll put my faith in the bible to find the best locations to get a pint, perhaps a little surprised that some of the classics - the Bell, The Salutation and the Trip - are not contained within.   You cannot accuse Camra of playing to the crowd.

Off the train and exactly an hour to find food, a pint, get checked into Lenny's gaff and take my seat for Fake Kate Bush at the Playhouse.

VAT and Fiddle over the road from the station meets the first two requirements.

VAT and Fiddle, Queens Bridge Road, Castle Rock Harvest Pale

Tap House

Traditional pub and tap house for the Castle Rock brewery.  Through the door and take stock of my surroundings.  After work pints for those who cannot WFH.  A long bar festooned with all of Castle Rock's wares.  Like the man who enters a chip shop and stairs at the overhead menu for an age before requesting "Fish and Chips", I eventually decide on their signature brew, a Harvest Pale.

Perfect.  Lasagne for £8.  I have made a good choice for an opener.

Award Winning

Barrel Drop, 7 Hurts Yard, Kernal Pale Ale Mosiac Sabro

The rest of Friday was singing along to Never for Ever whilst drinking bottles of Magpie and going to one of the few traditional pubs open after 11pm, Ye Olde Salutation.  How this isn't in the bible, I will never know.  The Ghost Ship was one of the best pints found.  For entertainment options - can you beat a room full of students, hard drinking pensioners and hard men with skull tattoos instead of hair, whilst listening to the stomping on the beamed roof from an upstairs karaoke bar?  Probably not, until you wonder how strong the temporary support struts holding the building together really are.  

So having found my pick of the Nottingham pubs early, I start again the night after.  Without the bible to guide me, I doubt I would have found the Barrel Drop - a tiny micro down an even tinier alley.

There you are....

Kernel beers constantly get rave reviews.  After a study of the mandatory chalk board, I see they have one on - a 5.2% sessionable pale ale.  Order a pint and have it explained to me that the prices on the board are for 2/3rds.   This isn't what Brexiteers were promised, surely.

The beer looked ropey on dispense.  The server's eyes met mine, as she dared me to complain.  I didn't but I should have trusted my instincts for they don't tell lies.  On leaving, the Kernel had been furiously scrubbed off the board.

Water going down better than Kernel

Fox and Grapes, Southwell Road, Jaipur

Couldn't resist popping into the Bell and also was intrigued by the Six Barrel Drafthouse that I had noticed in the day, whilst completing an Adventure Lab Cache.  The former, an ancient, multi roomed city centre boozer that wears its history well.  The latter is what I believe is called a "pre-emptive tick".  We will see if it is in the delayed GBG 2022.  I know a place that could be substituted for it.  Delirium Tremens at £4 a bottle gets my vote.

Fortified for a walk to the sketchier part of town, I find the Fox and Grapes - another Castle Rock house.  Free standing on a junction of roads, with plenty of indoor and outdoor space.  A little food servery, 13 hand pulls and an interesting collection of whiskies that are stacked at a height that probably requires a health and safety certificate before dispense.

Handsome Castle Rock

Didn't get past the Jaipur on Cask.  It was excellent

The King William IV 6 Eyre Street, Oakham Citra

Just over the road but nowhere near as impressive is what is labelled as the King Billy.  The bible provides it with a glowing reference but maybe I picked it on a bad night.  

Took an age to snap when the pedestrian light was on.

Look at my Oakham Citra - normally a quality drink.  Look at it perched on your nan's dining room table.  What's the first thing you would say?  Probably, barmats.  What's the second thing you would say? Where's the lacing in the Lace Market?

Entertainment options, recreating the Olympic Ring

Newshouse, Canal Street, Burton Bridge Stairway to Heaven

Where the news headlines were read to Nottingham's illiterate

Two roomed traditional pub, with some fine external black tiling.  To the right is the pool room, which looked a bit hectic.  The demographic closer to the plague carrying teenagers than I was prepared to risk.  

To the left a more sedate lounge, populated by old boys reading papers.  

The place reminded me of a Black Country Ales pub - prevalent in my native West Midlands.  Keepers of all things traditional.

We are the Mods.  We are the Ice Hockey-ers.

The walk back to Lenny's Purple Palace took me past the Sally.  I couldn't say no.

Its still the best pub in Nottingham.  

22/10/21 - Ye Olde Trip to Nottingham

Distance - 8.5 Miles

Geocaches - 7

Walk Inspiration - Urban Rambles 

After a night at the Nottingham Playhouse to see Britain's finest Kate Bush Tribute band, I find myself in a Premier Inn with a whole day to explore the City.

A walk from the Urban Rambles seems to provide the best way of getting to know the city.

And it finishes at possibly Nottinghams best known pub.  Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem is high on all pub tickers lists for it's claim to be England's oldest.  Of course, it's not the only one to self promote this.  I've been a long time visitor of St Alban's Fighing Cocks and this year, actually crossed the threshold of Stow-on-the-Wold's Porch House.

First the walk.  For an Urban Ramble, it largely leaves the City alone but I will be exploring the Lace Market, Sneinton and the Meadows when I start Good Beer Guide Ticking on the evening.

Instead, I am routed first North and West, first through Nottingham's Cemetery and aiming for the mightily impressive Wollaton Deer Park.

Cemetery closed to new applicants in 1923 - already home to 150,000 Souls

Rutting season at Wollaton

Wollaton Hall - C16th

Some claim it to be the home of Bruce Wayne

Exiting Wollaton Park to the South, it's over the A52 and into the grounds of Nottingham University.  The only clues to it being open to the public are the buses and the fact the OS map suggests is is on the Robin Hood Way - a 107 mile long distance path terminating at Edwinstowe.

Nottingham University

The Beeston Canal, picked up in a rough looking industrial estate (they rarely come in any other flavour) delivers me back to the City and post walk refreshment.

Beeston Canal

Much has been written about Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem and its one of those places that seemingly provides a different experience on every visit.  Today, it was lightly populated and an iron gate seemed to stop exploration of the upstairs rooms.  Instead it was a choice between bench seating chiseled into the rock face or outside.

1189AD - Making it England's Oldest?

A Greene King Pub, completing the theme park experience by offering several T-Shirts for sale.  The beer had more than than usual range and the LocALE Nottingham Legend was a decent 4% traditional session ale.

Certainly one of the more interesting pubs to visit.   Is it the best in Nottingham?  Not whilst the Salutation is going strong.

Visit both, that gem is just the other-side of the ring-road.  But of course, its much better to go there after dark.  

When the Nottingham freaks come out to play.

10/07/21 - The Good Beer Guide Pubs of Retford and Worksop

Distance - 12 Miles

Geocaches - 12 and the Retford Adventure Lab Cache.

Walk Inspiration - Best Pub Walks in Nottinghamshire, Walk 28

Good Beer Guide Ticks - #556-562

A first for this blog - a two centre pub crawl - ticking off the Good Beer Guide Entries of Worksop and Retford.

First a walk - it was a 12 miler along the canal. The train return journey took 12 mins.  The scenery improved with every step from Worksop.  There were geocaches.  And Locks.  Disappointingly, the only pub passed was on the opposite side of the canal.  With no bridge.    

Earthy Worksop

The Prettiest part of the Chesterfield Canal

Blog space saved for the pubs 

Retford

I'd never heard of the town before but I was sold on it when I saw it had found Good Beer Guide Entries.  First, an Adventure Lab Cache to show me the 5 best tourist sights.  The hospital.  The Sebastopol cannon.  The church.  The Market Square.  The Park.

Sightseeing in Retford

Beer Under the Clock (formerly Beerheadz), West Coast by Silver Brewhouse

Tick one of the day and VAR/Dubious Pub Ticking Committee at Stockley Park are instantly required.  This is in the bible as Beerheadz.  Their facebook page detailed that the old management had taken it over and renamed it.

Its a micro located opposite the rapid Covid testing clinic and under the Market Square Clock, proving its name.  

An excellent pint, so I'm claiming it.

Handsome

Beer Opposite the Covid Clinic was dismissed as a Name

The Ship Inn, Batemans Gold

This place nearly broke the universal law that there are no bad pubs called the Ship Inn.

The only fully traditional pub on today's outing - it has everything going for it... apart from the service.

One member of staff on a Saturday Afternoon, who met any and all inquiries by barking "I will be with you in a minute!" and then losing the pub beer garden by serving people out of order.

Traffic Stopping Access to the Ship Inn

The Idle Valley Tap Room, St Modwen by Heritage Brewing

The Good Beer Guide keeps on turning up surprises and here we have a tap room for a brewery that no longer exists.  

When is a Tap, not a Tap?

The Beer Shed, Harrisons Brewery Best Bitter

So, two tap rooms in Retford and the Beer Shed was the busiest place on this particular Saturday Afternoon.  

The Tap Room for Harrisons Brewery, one that I have previously not heard of.

From the outside, it looks like a micro but it opens up downstairs and even has a little beer garden.

Double fronted Micro?

Shiny Happy Person

Worksop

At the local football derby - the Retford fans sing "You're just a town full of scumbags" at the Worksop Fans, who retort with "You're just a town full of Tories".

This - and the fact that Worksop is the Birthplace of Bruce Dickinson - are the sort of the facts you can determine when hanging around pubs solo, armed with a Smartphone.

The Mallard, Brickworks Bitter by Bingham Brewery

Two of the four good beer guide ticks are near Worksop Station.  In fact, the Mallard is actually inside the station. 

Handy for commuters - if there are any left, these days.

A pub in a Station

The Station Hotel, Shine On by Milestone Brewery

Commuters have a real choice - with another Good Beer Guide Entry over the road.

  

The Station Hotel

Dukeries Brewery Tap, Baronet

Not far from the Liquorice Gardens - which I nearly visited.  The Good Beer Guide only provided clues to the fact that it was a JDW.  Greene King Abbot and Ruddles listed under its beers.

They won't and never will, sell Dukeries beers, despite being next door.  The brewers father says they don't know how to keep a good pint.  I'll take his word for it, as Mrs M has banned me from spending money at Tim's.

This is the latest surprise recommendation by the Good Beer Guide.  Its all things to all people - a brewery tap - a BBQ food outlet - a live music venue.

All tables were booked out for the night - with eclectic customers ranging from burly bikers to your nan and granddad.   The accommodating staff managed to fit me in.

And what a joy to hear live music again.

One of the more unusual Good Beer Guide Ticks