London UK, Spring 2015: 7) The Pubs

A lot of the fun of visiting England is visiting the pubs, or public houses.  Often divided into small rooms and cozy nooks, many offer real fires during the proper season.  Many of the pubs also offer real, or cask ale, and these are the pubs in which I prefer to spend my time.  If there is no cask ale on offer, I'm usually right back out the door.  Cask ale is superior to draught in many ways, including flavour.  The finest cask ales can be subtle, but the first sip will be as good as the last one.  Hand pumped by gravity from the cellar, the beer is best kept around 50 F.  This is not "warm" beer; it is beer served at its proper temperature, about what one would find in a chilly cellar.  These days refrigeration units do the job perfectly at some pubs without proper cellars.  Not all cask ales are superior to other types.  I had some forgettable beer on this trip.  However, the good stuff is vastly superior to other types of beer, and it is searching for the best ales that is half the fun.

Here is my rating system for the pubs and the real ales that I tried this time around.  While no pub visited hit the highest score this time, several of the beers and ciders did!  The traditional English pub is taking serious hits these days.  Beer is expensive in pubs compared to the grocery store.  Older pubs aren't getting refurbished often enough, and some can get pretty run down.  Many are closing.  Some of the really good ones get refurbished and loose their soul to bland modernism overkill.  However, pubs are still at the heart of what makes England what it is.  Many are packed out the door during busy supper hours.  There were a few pubs in London I tried to visit but could not due to the crowds.

Ratings for Pubs and Ales/Ciders

*   =Not worth repeating.

** =Worth repeating.

***=Must be repeated often!

Here, then, in chronological order, are the pubs visited and the beers digested:

SATURDAY--arrival day

1) The George--**1/2 stars (no photo)

      -our "local," close to our hotel in Croydon

     -17 casks on handpull, including a cider!

     -part of the Wetherspoon chain+ (see end for discussion)

Arundel "Black Lightning" ** stars

Dark Star "American Pale Ale" **1/2 stars

SUNDAY

2)  Seven Stars--** (photo below, and also in Part 2)

     -in Foots Cray Village, it hadn't opened for the day on my 2010 trip

     -part way along London Loop Segment 2 

     -only 1 real ale, but a really nice pub

Wells "Bombardier" **

Our first pub of the season during our daytime walking adventures.  I had missed the opening

time on my solo 2010 trip, but managed to get in the door this time.  Very nice pub with a large

dining area further back.  The pennants over the bar are advertising their lone real ale, Wells

Bombardier.  Deb had espresso.

3)  Taylor's Chalk, Sidcup ** (no photo)

     -Sidcup High Street, a bit out of the way from our walk, but worth it

     -10 real ales on!

     -part of the Wetherspoons Chain+ 

Ringwood "49er" **1/2

4)  Sovereign of the Seas, Petts Wood ** (no photo)

     -waiting for us at the end of the Loop segment

     -9 ales and 1 real cider

     -part of the Wetherspoons chain

Black Dragon "Cider" (Welsh) **

Hogback "Hog in the Limelight" *1/2

Westerham "Finchcock Original" **

5)  The George, Croydon

     -2nd visit

Twickenham "Sundancer" **

Adnam's Guest Brewers' Ale "Make it Rain" (brewed by Danny Bruckert from 6-Point Brewery in Brooklyn, exclusively for Wetherspoons). **1/2

MONDAY--outside of London

6) The Millstone, Barnack (2 photos, below) **

     -our 3 Villages Walk began and ended here

     -pub is tied to Everards Brewery

     -closed weekdays 2:30 pm till 5 pm

     -4 real ales, 1 cider

Bath "Golden Hare" **

 In downtown Barnack, this was a very quiet pub in a very quiet village.  Our 

3 Villages Walk began and ended here.  We stopped here before the hike, then

had to run for the last bus at the end of it.

5 of the 6 hand pulls were on today, one with cider.  Millstone, Barnack.

7)  The White Hart, Ufford ** 1/2 (2 photos, below)

     -open all day; has bedrooms

     -halfway along the 3 Villages Walk; must walk to get here

     -very friendly landlady

Oakham "JB" **

Lilith "Deep Copper Best Bitter" **

 

Pretty much the entire village of Ufford!

The inside of the White Hart was cozy!  Note the hanging chamber pot collection near the door 

to the bathrooms.  Deb found out about Elderflower Frisse while here.  She actually found it

at Sobey's recently!

8)  The Brewery Tap, Peterborough **1/2 (2 photos, below)

     -carries the full line of Oakham ales, made nearby

     -good veg food options

Oakham "Scarlet Macaw" **1/2

Oakham "Inferno" **1/2 (served too warm, or might have scored perfect)

The Brewery Tap in Peterborough is one of the first things you notice coming out of the 

train station.

It's a big barn of a place, and it's filled with beer!!  Deb is ordering some vegan meals at the bar.
The Brewery Tap, Peterborough.

 

TUESDAY--Peterborough, then back to London

9)  Draper's Arms, Peterborough ** (photo below)

     -Wetherspoons refit of an old drapery shop  

     -lovely private glass-walled booths

     -10 ales on

Grain Store "Red Kite" ** (a local brew)

10) Charters, Peterborough **1/2 (2 photos, below)

     -downstairs section of a very large old grain barge--restaurant upstairs

     -just over the bridge from the main town centre

     -Thai menu, with many veg options--we ate lunch here after visiting the cathedral

     -10 ales, 1 cider

Weston's "Perry Cider" ***

Oakham "Bishops Farewell" **1/2

Charters, a great pub on the River Nene close to downtown Peterborough, UK, is housed in the

downstairs part.  It's roomy and well lit.

"Captain" was the official greeter at Charters

11) Cherry Tree, Peterborough ** (1 photo, below)

     -2nd choice, as 1st choice did not open until later

     -a bit rundown, but quite ok--great pub sign!

     -4 ales; veg food choices

Oakham "Green Devil" *** A terrific ale, and very well kept by the landlord!  Huzzah!

I scored a perfect pint at The Cherry Tree in Peterborough!

12)  Porterhouse, London (no photo) **1/2

     -London tap house for the Dublin brewery

     -mostly craft draught taps, but there were 3 ales

     -big, multi-level fun place; we had a light dinner here with Caroline

Zenith "IPA"--light, but delicious and refreshing--a great pint!! ***

 

WEDNESDAY London Loop Segment 3, Part 1

13)  Sovereign of the Seas, Petts Wood (2nd visit)
Hop Stuff "Renegade IPA" **

14) Change of Horses, Farnborough Village ** (photo, below)
     -near the centre of the village; makes a perfect break when on the Loop
     -Orpington Astronomy Association meets here every month
     -a bit run down, but friendly
Harvey's "Best Bitter" *** Another perfect glass of ale!

Inside the Change of Horses, Farnborough

15)  Marquis of Granby, London, near St. John's Smith Square concert hall  ** (no photo)

     -a perfect before and/or after the concert pub

     -4 beer engines; also 4 casks on our visit, during a mini beer festival  

Leeds "Gathering Storm Stout"  **

16)  Victoria Station Pub, London ** (no photo)

     -upstairs at the station, and always busy

     -train departure screens inside

     -Wetherspoons pub; pricier than the others

??? "Black IPA" **1/2

THURSDAY London Loop Segment 3, Part 2

17) Fox Inn, Keston Village ** (photo, below)

     -in the heart of the village

     -Loop segment passes its door!

     -2 ales on hand pull

Longman Brewery "Long Blonde" **

 Downtown Keston

18) Greyhound, Keston Village ** (photo, below)

     -across the street from the Fox

     -say hello to Wellington, the pub St Bernard dog

Edinburgh "Fool Proof" *** Oo la la!!

 Downtown Keston

19) New Inn, Hayes Station area **1/2 (photo in Part 5, very bottom)

     -fancy schmancy but comfortable

      -good coffee

     -very end of the Loop segment

Bespoke Brewery "King's Shilling" *** Killer ale!!!

20) Station Hotel, Hither Green station vicinity **1/2 (2 photos, below)

     -refurbished and looking great

     -easy to reach from the station

     -very cool cafe/florist nearby

Weston's "Family Reserve Cider"  *** Best of the best!

 Station Hotel, Hither Green.  It is a hotel again, too.  Newly refurbished.

Inside the beautifully restored Station Hotel, Hither Green

Though not a public house, we had a vegan home-cooked dinner Thursday night at Caroline's home (technically a private house).  In addition to eating more food than I should have, I was offered a bottle of Meantime's "Cali-Belgian IPA" **1/2.  This was a seriously large bottle, about the size of a bottle of wine.  I did my best to drink it all, but it was as filling as all of the wonderful food we ate, so I had to leave some behind.

FRIDAY  Capital Ring Segment 3; Croydon evening pub crawl

21)  Bridge House, Penge West **1/2 (photo below)

     -lovely 2-level pub with a great garden deck

     -Capital Ring passes the door; adjacent to Penge West Station

Cross Bay "Halo Pale Ale" **

Backyard Brewery "Joker" *** Score!!

 Penge West Station area.  Note the green Capital Ring signs.

22)  Green Dragon, Croydon **1/2 (3 photos, below)

     -close to our hotel

     -real ale and cider mecca

     -spacious but very busy
Twickenham "Redhead Ale" **1/2
Weston's "Old Rosie" Cider ***

Green Dragon, Croydon

 Green Dragon, Croydon

 Green Dragon, Croydon.  Some of their huge pump clip collection, showing how many different ales they have served here.

23) Spreadeagle, Croydon ** (photo below)

     -across from the Green Dragon

     -a Fuller's Pub, with the full range of their ales

Fuller's "Wild River,"  a poor imitation of American craft ale *1/2

The Spreadeagle, Croydon

24)  The George (3rd Visit)

Oakham "Scarlet Macaw" ***  The best way to end a night of drinking!!!

SATURDAY  Departure Day

25)  London's Pride, Heathrow Terminal 2 (no photo)

     -Fuller's pub and restaurant, once past the security checkpoint

     -free wi-fi (all pubs had this!)

Gale's "Seafarer" **

Fuller's "ESB" *** Oh ya!  I'll be back!!

So what would it be like to go on a pub crawl with me in London?  Some lucky person could find out.  Just come along with us next time!  In the meantime, this is sort of what it would be like....

Cheers!

+ As promised, a short discussion on Wetherspoons Pubs.  Yes, they are a chain.  Many people hate them for this reason and will not set foot inside one.  The haters musn't like beer, or the lowest pint prices anywhere.  The beer selection is always top notch, and includes macro and micro selections.  Most Wetherspoons, being busy night and day, have the freshest beer around.  Cask ale usually lasts 3 days tops, but most casks at Wetherspoons are finished in a day or less.  At least half of the ales change daily, but there are several that are semi-permanent.  They usually have at least ten selections--the George has 17!!  With ales changing each time we visited, this pub was like a mini-cask ale festival all on its own, 7 days a week!  Their menu includes very good food at very good value, and often includes a pint of beer in the low price.  The pubs are not the most atmospheric, are usually large, but they are well run and clean.  No louts need enter!  The George had security Friday night and Saturdays, and i.d. was checked on all youth (18 is the legal drinking age in England).  They are safe pubs, but due to the high traffic volume they are rather impersonal.  Personally I really like Wetherspoons and will continue to patronize them.  Look them up on the web--their actual beer and cider festivals are legendary.  The best part is never knowing what beer is on offer when you go there. 

 

Mapman Mike

London UK,Spring 2015: 6) Capital Ring, Segment 3

The Capital Ring encircles London, but lies much closer to the center than the London Loop.  This makes for a shorter trail, about 75 miles, as well as a more urbanized one.  Still, even around Zone 3 there are more than enough parks and green spaces to make this project worthwhile.  In previous years we have completed Segments 1, 2, 6, 8, and 9.  After completing today's walk there are 9 segments remaining.  This project might get finished in our lifetime.

 Capital Ring Segment 3 begins at Grove Park Station.  We broke off a bit early at Penge West 

Station, saving the impressive Crystal Palace Park for the beginning of the next walk.  Today's walk lasted for 8 miles, partly due to a misguided detour in Penge in search of a pub.  There was a

fabulous one right at Penge West Station, which we eventually reached.

 Though the routes are well signed, sometimes one is missing at a crucial turning point.  It's best
to also have a route description along, either the book (which we have) or printouts from the
Capital Ring website.

 Sometimes the Capital Ring's connection to forests and woods can be rather thin, as was this segment of the walk.  Once a vast, ancient forest, only remnants now survive.  Closeup view of part of the Ring route we followed today (see larger map, above).

Some Hobbit seats along Woodland Walk, Segment 3.

Though we saw bluebells all week on our walks, the finest display was at Beckenham Place Woods.

 Deb enters the near-magical Beckenham Place Woods.  Note the bluebells in the woods.

 Beckenham Place, John Cator's 18th C. mansion.  It is now the clubhouse of the golf course here,

as well as a general tea room for the public.  We stopped for tea.  It was cold and damp once again.

 Sometimes I make friends along the way, and stop to chat a while.  Deb usually leaves me far behind at times like these.

Closeup of the steeple of St. Paul's, New Beckenham.  There were lovely churches along all of the 

routes that we walked.

Cator Park, Capital Ring 3.  Our walk eventually ended happily, in a fine pub.  To read more about the many pubs visited on this journey, continue on to part 7.

London UK, Spring 2015: 5) London Loop Segment 3

Due to weather issues we did this walk over two days.  It began Wednesday morning at Petts Wood Station, where Segment 2 ended.  It was cold, windy and pouring rain when we arrived at the station.  Despite promises that the rain would cease by 1 pm, it never did.  We managed to walk some of the trail, after purchasing an extra large umbrella at a cat charity shop.  We sat at a pub for an hour before deciding to head out.  By 3 pm we were in the village of Farnborough, drying off in another pub.  45 minutes later we abandoned ship, taking a bus back towards home base.  The few photos I took of this first part of the hike are loaded with clouds and moisture.  When we resumed at the village the next day, suddenly the sun is shining and it is a perfect day to hike!  Segment 3 of the Loop was 11 miles long, so we didn't mind breaking it up over two days.

Wednesday evening, after briefly resting at our hotel and eating in with some cold salads purchased at the nearby grocers, we attended our one and only concert of the week.  We traveled by train to Victoria Station, walking another mile to St John's, Smith Square, a beautiful and vast recital hall.  We heard a ravishing all-Baroque program.  The first half was English music by Purcell (3 works), and the second half was all French (Rameau and Charpentier).  The small orchestra was called "Spiritato."  However, the reason for our visit was to hear the Schola Cantorum of the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School, a boys choir with a reputation far and wide.

The concert was a life-affirming event, much like our visit to the cathedral in Peterborough, only much more so.  The music was out of this world beautiful, performed with musicality to spare and precision.  There were a few boy soloists, but one of them took the prize.  He was about 12, sang like an angel, and made the entire evening special and unforgettable.  The highlight for us was the Charpentier "Te Deum."  Looking forward to hearing this group again!

 Our rainy day route to Farnborough, the first part of 

Segment 3 of the London Loop.  Try to guess where 

we got temporarily lost by missing a turn--haha!

 We found a wet bench in between rain showers and ate our lunch.  We were lost here for a 

little while, but soon had found our way back to the main trail.

 How about that for a cheerful looking sky!  Note the rapeseed in the distant field.

 After just 4.2 wet and chilly miles we called a halt in the village of Farnborough.  Buses from here went to either of two train stations, so it was easy to get home.  There was a pub!

 From Farnborough High Street to Hayes Station, this is the sunny part of our route.  Today we

walked 5.8 miles to complete Segment 3 of the London Loop.

Immediately upon leaving the village triangle we found ourselves

in the village church yard.  A giant yew tree welcomes one and all.

Of course there was a friendly wood fairy.

 

St. Giles the Abbot, Farnborough.  The newer nave (rear) dates from the 1640s, repaired after

storm damage.  Note the time on the clock--we heard the bells chime!

Day 2 of the walk turned into an amazing day.  It did rain for about one minute later in the afternoon.

Past High Elms Park was this clock house.

Aptly named Bogey Lane came soon afterwards.  This was a very 

claustrophobic laneway, with a path that narrows as it climbs a

hill, curving so that one cannot see ahead or behind.  Dense

thickets grows on either side, obstructing views.  I dare anyone

to walk this path alone at dusk!

 

Holwood Estate sits high on a hill overlooking a portion of the Loop.  Once the home of William Pitt, Prime Minister.

Much cozier than Bogey Lane was this part of the Loop.

 

View from the hilltop where lies the remains of the Wilberforce Oak.  William Wilberforce and William Pitt met here to prepare a parliamentary bill to abolish slavery!  There is a memorial

bench and a plaque, along with the remains of the now-blasted oak.

Down the hill sits this spring, bubbling up from the ground.  It is the source of the Ravensbourne

River, eventually flowing into the Thames near Greenwich.  A Roman encampment nearby found the spring by observing ravens circling overhead and landing here.  It is now named
"Ceasar's Well."  Ceasar Jr. looks well pleased with his well.

Several ponds are fed by the spring, which once supplied the water to Holwood House.

Five baby coots were swimming with mommy and daddy on our visit.

Sign for Keston Village.  There were two pubs, 

both of which were visited.

We finished up the walk at New Inn, across from Hayes Station.  This was a great place, with wonderful beer and very good coffee.  Nearly every pub we visited had very good coffee, and 

free wi-fi.