05/01/20 - Bristol - A Good Beer Guide Pub Crawl

Tonight's Theme

For reasons that will be revealed when we come to the Seven Stars, Bristol has long been on the radar for a pub exploration. With a Travelodge offer that was only slightly higher than the car parking charges, there was little excuse not to knock off as many of the ten Good Beer Guide pubs in the City. All this, when most of the country are concentrating on DryJanuary.

Number 1 Harbourside, Canons Road, Bristol Beer Factory Fortitude

At first, I wonder whether I will be allowed in.   Everyone else appears to have children.   Free range children.  As they are so free range, I could probably claim one of the errant dustbins lids as my own, should I be challenged.

This is a new pub in the quayside.   Big windows to allow a solo pub ticker to watch the world go by. An ultra efficient long bar, where people queue.

The modern pub experience

I made it for 4pm and the Sunday Lunch was promised for "as long as available".   I inquired and much to the chef's pleasure, must have had the last serving.

It was out of this world.   Easily the best roast I have had out for a long time.   In case you are concerned that the blog will take a future diversion to food orientated posts, the beer was also exceptional.

Nice Line Up

Go here if you are hungry.

The Famous Royal Navy Volunteer, King Street, Good Chemistry Brewing Time Lapse

The lady at the Travelodge check in insisted that I went to Ale House next door.  You can't say I didnt try.   Even spotting the Sam Smiths pumps did not force me to turn around.   The barman who wouldn't put his book down to serve me did.   Other punters laughed at his lack of professionalism.  At least he wasn't on his phone.

Classic Pub - Gone Crafty

So - next door I go for the 2nd GBG tick of the evening.   This is an ancient pub that has been thoroughly modernised.  Its massive.   The pumps don't have clips.   You have to navigate a beer board.  The punters beards are in the main, bigger than the bar staffs beards.

Pointless and horrible

I couldn't quite put my finger on why I didn't like it until I made use of the facilities.

Go here if you find piddling into converted metal barrels amusing.

Beer Emporium, King Street, St Bernardus 12

Everyone loves a cellar bar.   Especially one with a lift.   Its quite an architectural feat to create a vaulted ceiling, with the added benefit that the acoustics meant I could eavesdrop on every single conversation going on in the room.   This started off as more interesting than the Sunday Times but all those voices soon made me think I was going quite mad.

£8.80 - exactly half the cost of my Travelodge Room - where I had a bath, and 4 cups of tea

Go here if you have money to burn.

The Seven Stars, 1 Thomas Lane, Cheddar Ales Totty Pott

OK - revelation time.   The hairy bikers had a series called "Pubs that Built Britain".   They came to Bristol and did a reasonable job of explaining the history and not shying away from the slave trading.

They also came here.   I liked the look of it.   Who wouldn't.

Its got C17th Lady Pirates

DryJanuary has caused the only punters to be present to be two elderly gents and me.   It had the benefit that I could discreetly record it on video, in all its old school gorgeousness.

Having the Place to myself

Go here for a proper pub experience.

Christmas Steps, Twister Oak Spun Gold

Research not completed properly and I had failed to notice the Cornubia closes up at 6pm on a Sunday.   And this, after I had battled to find a way through and got as far as the fences claiming if you enter you will be eaten by dogs.   One for the next visit.

With the Christmas lights still up but not illuminated, I decide its still seasonal enough to visit the Christmas Steps - taking in some of Bristols more lovely landmarks on the way. 

Alas, the Steps themselves are more interesting than the pub.

Bottom of the Steps

Top of the Steps

The pub is a dark, multi level pub - where all the real ales are at the downstairs bar and all the staff are at the upstairs bar. 

The Steps contain a selection of independent shops, including a board game cafe (packed!) and a DVD rental shop.

Go here of you want to recreate the dance scene from the Joker.

The Gryphon, Colston Street, Paulaner Hell

This is something else.  No one can accuse CAMRA of not being all inclusive.   You would think it was diverse enough by being my first ever Thrash Metal Real Ale Bar but no.   The only real ale they sell are incredibly strong, incredibly dark real ales.

The signs were there.

Skeleton of a previous unsuspecting pub ticker who asked for a Pale Ale

It was dark.  Panterra (for surely it was them) were blasting.   At least the venue liked my Untappd check in where I stated I had popped in for a quiet pint.

Go here if you know what you like.

The Three Tuns, St Georges Road, St Austell Cornish

Believe it or not, blogfans, I actually walked past another tick for the Lime Kiln.   I'm not Alan Winfield.

This was close to my Travelodge and I'm a big fan of the beer from Bishops Castle.

9:30pm and there's an old boy propping up the bar and a barman who wants to close up but oh no - he's now got a rambling pub blogger to additionally serve.

I am greeted with "customers have increased 50%" and then have to contribute on topics as wide as why Bristol is the centre of the universe, how health and safety has gone mad if you can't give cub scouts beer and a frankly complex Madeline McCann conspiracy that I couldn't keep up with but felt I was better off just agreeing with.   He was very passionate about Madeline.   And the beery cubs, now I think about it.

Banksy is from Bristol, isn't he?

Come here if you are lonely and want to make friends.

Yep - Keep Bristol Weird.

05/01/20 - Father Ted Cache Series and the Lamb at Iron Acton

Distance - 4 Miles
Geocaches - 20
First Geocache

The first walk of 2020 and its a Geocaching round. Every year, I set the target of 1000 finds. 2019 was a dismal failure on 810.

I'm on my way to Bristol, so a search on Geocaching Maps reveals plenty of options but as Facebook keeps playing me clips from Father Ted, it seemed apt to do a series of 18 based on the TV series.   Each cache is named after a character or place from the show, with the cache description detailing the back story.   Plenty of good memories from a classic TV show.

One of the Larger Caches

Rather than start at number 1, I choose to start at number 11 in Iron Acton.   The village has a pub, which we'll come onto later.

Iron Acton is by far the highlight of the route.   Dominated by the church, a manor house and the pub - with visits from Henry VIII and William of Orange.

Iron Acton Church and Cross

The walk is agricultural and mercifully, the mud isn't to bad.   The River Frome provides the prettiest section and signage indicates that there is a path in its honour - something to be investigated.  The route heads south to Frampton End - notable only for over the top officialdom and then east to Mayshill, where the New Inn waits for the truly thirsty.

Small Diversion along the River Frome

Someone is getting angry

I save myself for the Lamb.  I was interested in the web site which indicated that it had been in the Good Beer Guide for five consecutive years.   To be fair, it didn't say which 5 years and I had to trawl the archives back to the 2016 edition to find the last mention.

The Lamb Inn, Iron Acton

And the Sign

It was certainly doing a busy trade with the pensioners, who can always sniff a bargain.  Two roasts for the price of one was the deal but where this would leave me is anyone's guess.  A solo cacher?  I would have insisted on my money's worth, regardless of the response generated.

With no free table, the question did not need to be answered.   Instead, I agreed with the local Camra branch reasoning.   My Wickwar Falling Star was served far too cold and Untappd checkins prompted comments on the general murkiness.

Thanks to Leonards193 keeping up the maintenance of this round of caches over several years - an enjoyable walk.

Onto Bristol!

28/12/19 - Chiltern Chain Walk - Stage 3 - Ivinghoe Beacon

Distance - 13.5 Miles
Geocaches - 12
Walk Inspiration
Pub - The Kings Arms, Tring
Previous Stages - Stage 1, Stage 2

The answer to the question "Where do Hertfordshire folk go for an Xmas Walk" is surely Ashbridge. It's a National Trust Area of Outstanding Beauty. Ample parking, although you need to be there early. Plenty of Geocaches and fine woodland, hillside paths.

I'm back on the Chiltern Chain Walk... a collection of 20 walks covering the area. I was meant to be doing 4 stages a year.   Its a symptom of too much going on and bad planning when I reveal that this is the first time I have made it in 2019. Must do better in 2020.

My start is Bridgwater Monument, a doric arch built in honour of a canal-man. Only on my return to a computer screen do I determine that you can climb the 107 internal stairs.   Again, I must plan better in 2020.

Bridgwater Monument

There's two main features for the walk.   I completed the Ridgeway nearly 4 years ago and this is the first time I have revisited it.   Heading north from Bridgewater Monument, I work my way over the broad tracks in Moneybury hill to pick up the final stretch of the Ridgeway at Incombe Hole.  December murk put pay to any decent views but even on a dull day, its an unbroken vista over middle England.

Incombe Hole, looking over Buckinghamshire

The final stretch of the Ridgeway

The remainder of the walk is nearly all woodland and common land.   Most of it on muddy forest tracks.   Makes for reasonable walking but there are only so many photos of tress that you can take.

Trees Everywhere

If the trees did become monotonous, there's a high amount of Geocaches in the area - with plenty of puzzle caches.   The Xmas period provided me with enough downtime to complete a crossword and a Sudoku to provide the co-ordinates for two and I was pleased to find the actual treasure, after making a diversion from the planned walk.  The final find of the day was a touch amusing... I could see a large group of adults and kids spread over a wide period.  They didn't look close enough to GZ to be caching but that was the only possible explanation for multiple generations turning over logs in woodland.   Making a walk up find in front of an audience is as heroic as my life gets.

Unless you include the relentless pursuit of Good Beer Guide ticking.   The walk, if you excluded the tea hut at the start, had no civilisation at all.   The nearest GBG pub was a couple of miles away down in Tring.   Of course, I was heading that way.   I'd just walked 13 miles and had a thirst on.

The Kings Arms is a handsome boozer.   I would describe it as "backstreet" but its really not far from the pretty town centre.

Regal, yet Back Street

Traditional inside, it was all wood paneling and beer adverts from yesteryear.   Separate rooms for the darts players, the drinkers and the diners.  But of course, the regulars all sit around the bar.  It wouldn't be normal if they didn't.

Wood Paneling and Bar Hangers

An interesting collection of LocALE hand pulls.   A first for me from the Leighton Buzzard Brewing Company.  A Restoration X, stuffed into a Marstons Deep 61 glass.  £4.20.

The Robin Hood is the 2nd Good Beer Guide entry in town.   I'm sure I will get there on the next leg of the Chiltern Chain Walk.  Hopefully before Xmas 2020.

Parting Shot

26/12/19 - Tintern Wye Valley Hotel to Devils Pulpit

Distance - 6 Miles
Walk Inspiration - Country Walking Magazine - Jan 2017
Geocaches - 1


14th annual Xmas walk in Tintern.   A quick check of the 2020 Good Beer Guide reveals that the sole entry in these parts is the Wye Valley Hotel.   As this establishment is at the very edge of town, far away from the Abbey, I've never visited it.

Time for that to be corrected, even if it means a good 1/2 mile along the road until the real walking action is picked up at the old footbridge.

And like every walk this winter, its very muddy action.

Poor Conditions, but better than watching Bond films on ITV4

The aim is to get up onto Offa's Dyke Path, eat turkey sandwiches at Devils Pulpit and then come back along the former railway line running next to the River Wye.    The paths cut through the woodland, where everything's gone green and occasional views are offered over the Severn Estuary and across the water to the ruined abbey.

Its a lovely, atmospheric walk.

Heading up to Offas Dyke

After attempting to convert the monks, Turkey Sandwiches

The Abbey, from the other side of the Water

The 1/2 mile back to the Wye Valley Hotel passes two pubs.   The Anchor always serves a decent pint of Otter and the Rose and Crown positively encourages me to enter - claiming a warm welcome awaits muddy dogs and their owners.

I shun them, having a tick to get.  A tick that remains ungot.

2pm on a Boxing Day afternoon and the place is locked and bottled.   The sign next to the door offers no indication - just the menu.   Signs of life inside, but even with my dog whispering skills, I am not going to be able to convince a greyhound to unscrape the bolt through the power of mime.

How very strange.    Nothing for it, I'm back at the anchor to meet an otter.

I inquire about what fate has befell the Wye Valley Hotel, wondering if its gone the way of the much revered Cherry Tree Inn in the village.   A 35 year ever present in the bible was not enough to save that place from conversion to houses.

They tell me that it has gone bankrupt.   Twitter indicates it won a 5 star hygiene award only two days ago.

Either the information is hot off the press or the greyhound's owners simply fancied a bank holiday off.

I'll check again in Xmas 2020