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.
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 ***
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
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