The Sheffield & District CAMRA branch area contains significantly more than just the city of Sheffield, with the District part being in Derbyshire. This includes Killamarsh and Marsh Lane along with a huge chunk of the Peak District National Park such as the Hope Valley.
During the summer we’re making an effort to hold members’ socials and meetings in the area and our June social saw one of our pubs by bus trips take place. It was originally billed as pubs along the 257 bus route (which runs from Sheffield to Eyam and Bakewell via Ladybower, Bamford, Grindleford and Calver) but having seen a beer festival advertised at the Red Lion in Litton along with a steam rally our plans were adapted!
The date was put in the diary early in the new year and we were lucky to get a hot sunny day, however it did end up being the same weekend festivals at the Sheaf View, Wisewood Inn and Heeley City Farm plus Kelham Pride so it was just 4 of us on this one!
We started out on the midday 257 bus to the Anglers Rest in Bamford, a pub owned by the community but leased out to Atlantik Inns to operate. It also features a tea room and the village post office. There was a choice of 5 cask ales from Abbeydale, Eyam and Intrepid breweries on the bar. As it was lunchtime and we had an hour there some of us ordered food. As well as the main meals menu they also do lunchtime sandwiches and a bar bites menu that is available quicker!
The 257 bus then took us on to Eyam and the Miners Arns, this is a Greene King pub with lounge, restaurant and beer garden. 3 cask ales were available including a guest beer from Eyam brewery. It was also noted the village shop sells bottles and cans from Eyam brewery! The brewery is no longer in this village, however, with production now up the road in Great Hucklow whilst the new tap room is in Tideswell.
Half an hour later bus 65 picked us up for the ride to Litton, via a slightly different route to normal as the road through Tideswell was closed for first day of the annual Tidza Wakes Week celebrations. We also bypassed Great Hucklow, possibly because the steam rally touring the area was coming down the country lane the other way!
Litton has its own celebrations alongside this with the main event being “Litton Night” on the Tuesday and the Red Lion’s beer festival is part of this. We were greeted by an outside bar featuring a dozen cask ales stillaged up and served on gravity pour. This supplemented a decent range inside on the normal pub bar. Many beers were enjoyed sat outside in the sunshine over the couple of hours we were there and at about tea time the pub started to prepare for a livelier evening with music and a BBQ. Some of us grabbed a burger before we left!
Bus 173 took us for the short ride down the hill to Wardlow Mires, although there was a slight delay due to the driver getting out to help a motorcyclist that had come off her bike on the junction after overtaking the bus – luckily nothing was hurt other than her pride! Our next stop was the Three Stags Head, where we found the steam rally parked up and the groups riding on their trailers enjoying a beer outside! The Three Stags Heads is a proper museum piece of a pub full of character that hasn’t changed in years and has a selection of cask ales on the bar from Abbeydale, Eyam and Intrepid including the “Black Lurcher” strong stout brewed specially for them by Abbeydale and named after the breed of dog that has been resident there for many years!
We had the time it took the 173 to get to Bakewell and back to enjoy our beer before rejoining it for a ride through to Bradwell. An uphill walk into a hillside residential area was then neccessar to reach Ye Olde Bowling Green, a classic multiroom pub that also offers accommodation and food. There were just two cask ales available – Timothy Taylor Landlord and Bradfield Farmers Blonde – and these were enjoyed in the beer garden which offered a spectacular view over the valley.
Bus 272 then took us back to Sheffield City Centre offering another scenic bus ride, including the climb up into the hills from Hathersage, at the end of an interesting day drinking beer in the sunshine and travelling through some beautiful countryside.
Our next social in the Peak District part of our branch will be on Saturday 22 August, using the 65 bus which runs from Sheffield to Tideswell and Buxton. Our branch area stretches as far as Millers Dale, just short of Buxton, on this route and there are many pubs along the route plus Eyam Brewery’s tap room. Meet on the bus leaving Sheffield Interchange at 11:35, a Derbyshire Wayfarer all day bus pass costs £9, you can buy this from the driver or on the Travelmaster app.