The theme of this year’s Chesterfield Great Historic Pub Tour could be described as “The Best of Chesterfield”. Visiting a total of 8 pubs, 6 of which are in the latest edition of CAMRA’s, “The Good Beer Guide”, and 2 more that should make the cut soon.
Your guide is Shaun Stevenson, a local history enthusiast with a passion for supporting the
hospitality trade. His knowledge concerning Chesterfield’s pubs is extensive, despite the fact that Shaun is actually legally blind. “I know Chesterfield like the back of my hand”, remarked Shaun. “If you join me on one of my tours, I’ll tell you all about these fabulous places, including stories about famous people, local heroes, tragic events and even murders”.
Chesterfield has managed to retain its historic town centre with its recently revamped open
air market attracting many new visitors. Shaun is keen to show off his home town and
promises to indulge in some history telling as the tour passes through landmarks like the
Crooked Spire churchyard, The Shambles and the 800 year old market square, with its
cobblestones and narrow alleyways.
The day begins at 12 noon in the Pig & Pump on St Mary’s Gate, in the shadow of the Crooked Spire. This walking tour allows around 30 minutes at each venue to purchase the drink of your choice. The group will then move on to the next pub with interesting anecdotes along the way. An optional pre-arranged lunch is available around 3pm and the tour finishes at The Neptune Beer Emporium around 5pm/6pm.
Dates for 2026 are limited to Saturdays – 9th May, 6th June, 4th July, 1st August, 5th
September. Booking in advance is recommended.
Shaun has been operating the Chesterfield Great Historic Pub Tour since 2019 and has
noticed a trend towards real ale tourism. “Organisations like CAMRA and some enterprising
individuals have created an entire industry around ‘making a day of it’. Structured pub tours
based around locations and transport links are becoming very popular and I would like to
think that my tour offers something different, within this genre”. Shaun added, “I’m looking
forward to welcoming friends old and new. Regulars return every year, knowing that I always tell new stories and visit new places.”
Shaun also provides pub tours of Bakewell on selected Saturdays throughout the summer
and a popular local drinking challenge, the Brampton Mile, on bank holiday Sundays.
For more details, visit www.greathistoricpubtours.co.uk Facebook – search @CGHPT and
YouTube – Great Historic Pub Tours.
