A few days in London gave me my first chance to visit the Bermondsey Beer Mile, a beery bucket list item. So post a mind bending visit to the Escher exhibition Sheena and I set off on a hot and sunny Friday afternoon, and found the first challenge was to find somewhere open. It seems 3-5pm onwards is the opening time for most venues!
Thankfully the Kernel taproom is open from midday. Not in a railway arch to my surprise, but a modern, plain venue that lacks a little charm, but makes up for it with an extensive beer list (if only one cask beer). Starting sensibly on the very tasty table beer, followed by the Dunkel, a lager style not seen brewed often in the UK.
The next bar was in a railway arch, the Enid Street Tavern, more what I was expecting as a venue, with a list of 10 beers, one on cask, several from Bianca Road Brewing situated in the Beer mile, and only one beer I’d seen before. Their own pale was gone in a flash, always a good sign, but we kept on moving.
Next was a Cidery as I love a good cider. Against the Grain is perhaps just that on the beer mile, but the ‘Heart of Oak’, dry oak cider made on the premises took me back to my youth in all the best ways.
The Anspach and Hobday taproom was the best fitted out railway arch venue we visited, very modern, and plush. I only really knew of their London Black nitro porter, so was pleasantly surprised to find 13 beers from the brewery on, including a cask beer. The cask beer ‘Tack!’ was a collaboration with O/O brewery in Sweden, and Dan Rowe told me it would be worth trying, and I’m glad he did. Tasty, Hoppy, very well kept, and cool on a hot day, an excellent 6.5% IPA.
Final destination was Hiver as Sheena loves Honey beer (and beekeeping). The taproom has a beehive in it, but don’t worry we were never bothered by them, and the three honey beers were all tried and enjoyed, plus some honey to take home.
As a first experience of the beer mile I felt we only scratched the surface, with plenty of venues still to go out. We enjoyed how chill it was, but will go in the evening next time, if only so more of the venues are open.
We recently made use of our bus passes and the X17: an hourly service which runs from Barnsley to Matlock via Sheffield and Chesterfield. My colleague, Paul went for the longer journey, commencing in Barnsley while I joined him at Sheffield Interchange. The full journey takes well over two hours with the leg from Sheffield to Matlock taking around 80-90 minutes (the top deck offers excellent views).
On arrival in Matlock, we descended at the Red Lion bus stop and visited the family-owned pub, the home of Moot Ales, a 10 Bbl. operation which has brewed since 2018. The name pays homage to the history of Matlock: the original meaning of the name was ‘the oak (tree) where a moot was held.’ A moot was an assembly, which symbolises a spirit of community, discussion and coming together.
We sampled two of their beers; Matlock Best (4.3%) and a 5.3% IPA, Giddy Edge.
We then adjourned to two other local outlets: the Remarkable Hare and bod Matlock. The Hare had a good range of cask beers served in a smart front bar. The rear of the building includes a large eating area.
Across the road, bod, is a 2022 conversion of a former furniture shop which provides six cask ales: we went for the legendary Titanic Plum Porter (4.9%). In 2023, the pub was highly commended in the national CAMRA Pub Design Awards (Conversion to Pub Use category).
Bod’s bar
The return journey was punctuated by a stop in Chesterfield and visits to the Chesterfield Alehouse and the recently re-opened Grade II* listed Ye Royal Oak.
The latter is the oldest pub in Chesterfield. It includes an old sign for Sheffield Brewery, William Stones. This was uncovered in 2025, Stones having purchased the pub, from the Batteson family in 1897.
On return to Sheffield, the X17 passed the Rutland Arms: the provider of my last beer of a long, but enjoyable, day.
Chesterfield Canal – Worksop to Ranby – Saturday 26 September 2026
Continuing the Chesterfield Canal theme, the walk starts at Worksop railway station. We catch the 11.38 Lincoln train from Sheffield to Worksop, arriving there at 12.07. We will commence the walk around 1.00pm after some refreshments at the Mallard Inn on the station. A short walk down Carlton Road brings us to the canal and we head eastwards on Canal Road and then along the towpath to Ranby.
On the way we pass the Victorian Bracebridge Pumping Station and then go over the aqueduct over the River Ryton. After that we pass under the access road for the Sherwood Solar Farm and following a couple of bridge crossings where the towpath shifts to the opposite bank and back, we pass under the dual carriageway that is the A1 and arrive at Ranby. The Chequers Inn, which overlooks the canal, serves a couple of cask ales at any time and food is available. The walking distance, along the predominantly flat canal towpath, is around 5.5 miles, and takes about 2 hours. This leaves us about an hour before we catch the 16.02 43 bus back to Worksop station.
Arriving back at Worksop, we have a choice of trains back to Sheffield. If you need to get back quickly, there’s one at 17.04, but if you fancy another pint (or two) in the Mallard, there’s the 18.10 or the 19.12. Both take around half an hour to get you back on home ground.
Over a dozen people, mainly from CAMRA’s Wyre Forest branch in Worcestershire, chose Sheffield for their annual spring trip. Recent destinations have included Liverpool, Nottingham, Oxford, Scarborough and York.
The weather was kind, and the publicans of Sheffield extended a very warm welcome over two to three days towards the end of May. Between us, we must have visited several dozen of the city’s renowned pubs, both traditional and modern, enjoying many beers that are rarely if ever found in our own area.
Among the pubs to stand out as highlights – for different reasons – are the Bath Hotel, Dog & Partridge, Fargate, Fat Cat, Grapes, Harlequin, Head of Steam, Kelham Island Tavern, Perch, Shakespeares, Sheffield Tap, Two & Six, Vocation & Co and Wisewood.
Of course our spring trip is not just about beer and pubs, not quite anyway. The Kelham Island Museum was a highlight for many, and people also enjoyed Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet and the Botanical Gardens. The 7 Spices Balti hosted us for an excellent group meal.
We would like to thank our colleagues from Sheffield & District CAMRA – including Paul Manning, Mike Cook and Dave Pickersgill – who gave invaluable advice while we were in the planning stage. Even better, they and other locals joined us in the garden of the St.Mars of the Desert Brewery for a social afternoon.
Now that connections have been made, several from the visiting group are intending to return to Sheffield for the Steel City Beer Festival in October. We extend a cordial invitation to the ale drinkers of Yorkshire to visit our own (rather smaller) Kidderminster Beer & Cider Festival, which is taking place from 12th to 14th November, a well loved event at a time of year when few festivals are held.
The Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough Ale Trail runs from 1st to 31st August with 30 participating venues.
Harrogate and Ripon CAMRA branch covers an area of North Yorkshire to the north of Leeds stretching over 20 miles up into the Yorkshire Dales. We have a good number of rural pubs together with a high concentration of pubs and clubs in the three main centres.
Our members wanted to support our pubs, clubs and breweries and decided three years ago that an Ale Trail might encourage real ale drinkers to try new pubs and increase footfall into all of the participant venues.
We looked at members’ beer scores in the three main towns and chose the best 30 pubs, clubs and taprooms in terms of beer quality, most of which also had a good selection of ales. This included most of our Good Beer Guide pubs in the three towns but also some that didn’t quite make the grade for the Guide.
We approached local breweries Daleside and Rooster’s for help and they have been very happy to support us for the last three years of running the Trail.
In order to ensure a good offering of prizes to incentivise people to undertake the trail we ask every venue to offer a prize of a bar/food tab between £20 and £50 or a gallon of real ale. This means that there’s a good selection of prizes and all venues benefit by receiving return visits from Ale Trailers.
So how does it work?
The Ale Trail is open to everyone, not just CAMRA members.
We supply each participating venue with Ale Trail passports which include details of the 30 pubs, clubs and taprooms, and maps to assist with navigation. Ale Trailers pick up a passport and buy at least half a pint of cask ale (or real cider) in each venue entitling them to collect a unique sticker which is placed on the relevant page of their passport.
Ale Trailers visit as many venues as they’re able in the three towns during the month of August collecting stickers along the way, and subject to a minimum of 15 stickers, then complete their name and email address, tear out the sticker page and submit to one of the ‘core’ pubs named in the passport for entry into the Prize Draw.
The Prize Draw takes place in September where our members draw entries from a hat. The first three entries drawn win a £50 prize and thereafter prizes are awarded in order of value.
Want to join in the Trail?
The Ale Trail runs from 1st to 31st August.
All venues can be reached by public transport. Harrogate and Knaresborough both have train stations and Ripon is reached via a regular bus service (36) from Harrogate. Please see our website for more detail: http://www.harrogateandriponcamra.org.uk/ale-trail.html
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 Ridgeway 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.
On 16th May 2026, Malcolm Dixon organised his final Rambale after years of sterling service to the idea of walking and drinking good beers (not at the same time though!).
Assisted as ever by his wife Jenny, this last one was a walk through the Peak District, with the walk commencing at Stanton in Peak at the Flying Childers pub there. To get there, we met at Sheffield Interchange for the 218 bus to Bakewell and changed there onto the 172 Matlock bus, which meanders through the villages, including Stanton.
As the weather forecast was not the best, only five hardy souls took the risk, but we all brought the appropriate clothing, just in case.
The 172 dropped us outside the Flying Childers, one of only three pubs in England named after the racehorse of the same name from the early 1700’s. A very cosy pub with a choice of Draught Bass and Abbeydale Deception. I chose the lesser ABV’d Deception to start the day, but the Bass got the thumbs up from the others.
Then on to the walk, immediately very much uphill at first to the footpath over the moor, where it thankfully levelled out. This area of the peak has several stone circles and the first we passed was the North Circle, although it was off the main path and hidden in the trees. The weather had held so far, just a few spots of rain in the moderate breeze. After the rigours of the initial hill climb, it was actually quite welcome. The remoteness of the landscape up on the top of the moor was highlighted by the sound of cuckoos not too distant in the trees. It seems a long time since any of us had heard that sound. The next circle was the most well known of them, the Nine Ladies. Nine stones, around two feet high, stand in a circle of about eleven metres diameter. It dates from between 3300 to 900 BCE, and the purpose of the monument is unknown, but is quite evocative.
Walking more or less south now towards Birchover, we also passed the Central and South Circles, although, again, these were not particularly visible from the main path. The views across the Derwent valley here are nothing short of spectacular, even given the less than perfect weather on the day. As the path neared Birchover, it became more downhill and extremely uneven. Very difficult to negotiate, but luckily this section was quite short and we soon found the road above Birchover and walked down the hill to the next hostelry. Always on the lookout for local wildlife, we actually saw an alpaca and a well preserved Robin on the way down!
The hostelry in question was the Red Lion and also home to Birchover Brewery, all the cask choice being from there. I chose their Wiggly Walker, which was very apt by now, but an extremely pleasant 4.6%, and definitely quenched the thirst.
With the weather looking as if it was closing in, it was unanimously agreed that, instead of walking the last section to Darley Bridge, it would be prudent to catch the 172 bus, which stopped right outside, with enough time to enjoy the refreshments beforehand. The bus took us all the way to the Three Stags Heads at Darley Bridge, and we were luckily inside by the time the rain started to come down heavier. Appropriately, one of the cask selection was Abbeydale’s Dr Morton’s VAR (4.1%), as the second half of the FA Cup Final was just getting underway on the TV in the corner, so it seemed the right choice, and very nice too.
As the weather seemed now to have set in, another change of plan was to catch the next 172 bus into Matlock and then the X17 back to Sheffield. This left just enough time for a swift half of Butt Heads Brew Co’s Black Hops Rising, a 4.6% Black IPA. This was a new one to me, but local to Matlock apparently, and very good.
Back in Sheffield, my bus home was still 45 minutes away, so a pint of Tapped Brew Co’s Sheaf Street (4.5%) in the Sheffield Tap filled that gap.
Despite the weather cutting short Malcolm’s last Rambale, it nevertheless was a very enjoyable day and no-one went home feeling anything but that it was extremely interesting and satisfactory. We may have missed out on some of the walking bit, but not the pubs!
Many thanks to Malcolm and Jenny for this and all their previous Rambales, and I sincerely hope that I can continue the legacy, and that they join us for the future ones.
OUR JULY RAMBALE
Join us on Saturday 18 July for a walk from Thorpe Salvin (Meet at the Parish Oven pub at 1pm, get there on bus 26 from Crystal Peaks) to Shireoaks, ending at the Ticking Clock Brewery tap room.We return to Sheffield by train from Shireoaks station.
RambAles are our social events that combine pub visits with a gentle walk, usually in the countryside. June sees our new social secretary Mike Cooke take over on RambAle organising duties!
On 27 June the walk is from the West End Hotel in Killamarsh to Fuggle Bunny Brew House in Halfway with some of the route being on old railway trackbeds. This is in a part of our branch area we rarely visit! Get there on bus 120K, meeting time is 12:20. Details of this were in last month’s issue of Beer Matters or can be found on the website.
The 18 July walk is along the route of the Chesterfield Canal from Thorpe Salvin to Shireoaks.
We meet up at Crystal Peaks Interchange, stand CP2, for the 12.30 no. 26 bus to Thorpe Salvin. If you’re travelling from Sheffield city centre, either the 11.30 no. 120 bus from the Interchange, or the 11.45 Blue route tram from Cathedral, will get you there in plenty of time.
Alighting the 26 at Thorpe Salvin around 1.00pm, we walk just around the corner to the Parish Oven for pre-walk refreshments, following which we take the footpath through the fields down to the Chesterfield Canal, crossing over at Pudding Dyke Bridge to take the towpath eastwards, past the impressive series of Thorpe staircase locks. This area is renowned for being one of the the prettiest parts of the whole UK canal network.
At Turnerwood, we can stop for tea or coffee at Orchard Teas, overlooking the attractive basin there. Continuing our walk, we pass through Shireoaks, past the Marina, which was once the wharf for the nearby colliery, and carry on along the canal to the Lockkeeper keeper, on the outskirts of Worksop. Time for a drink (food is available here) before we retrace our steps back towards Shireoaks. We leave the canal at the bridge over Shireoaks Road, and walk through the site of the abandoned colliery to the Ticking Clock Brewery & Taproom. Here we have around 90 minutes to relax.
After quenching our thirsts (food is also available here, usually pizzas or burgers from outside caterers), we take the short walk back to Shireoaks station and catch the 18.14 train back to Sheffield, where the option of the Sheffield Tap may compete with that of catching the next bus home!
Total mileage on foot is about 6 miles, mostly level, with no significant hills, the canal between Thorpe Salvin and Worksop is all downhill (obviously only actually downhill where the locks are). It’s just over 2 hours walking in total.
Note: Anyone needing to get back earlier can cut short the stop at Ticking Clock and catch the 17.08 train back to Sheffield.
Stagecoach’s Peak Sightseer open top bus tour launches its 2026 season on 23 May with buses running hourly on two routes from Chatsworth House. The Blue route runs to Mam Tor, Blue John Cavern, via Baslow, Calver, Grindleford, Longshaw, Hathersage, Hope and Castleton. The Red route runs on a circular route via Bakewell and Ashford In the Water. Tours operate from 10am to 6pm daily until 19 September (then Saturdays only to 10 October) and there is also a South Sheffield feeder bus at the start and end of the day offering pick ups and drop offs at Meadowhead, Woodseats, Millhouses and Totley.
The tour ticket allows you to hop on and off as much as you like and includes both open top tour routes, the feeder service and also various local Stagecoach buses including service 65 (Sheffield-Buxton via Calver) and 170 (Chesterfield to Bakewell via Baslow).
There are a number of pubs along the route and it can be a great day out doing the sightseeing in the morning then a few pubs in the afternoon.There are some absolutely epic landscapes to see from the top deck!
Peak Sightseer ticket prices (normal bus tickets/fares do not apply): adult £14, concessions £9.50, children £8.50, family £38, group of 5 adults £60. Tickets are available from the bus driver or on the Stagecoach app.
There are discounts for ticket holders at the following pubs: Bank House (Hathersage), Little John (Hathersage), Old Hall Hotel (Hope) and Peak Hotel (Castleton). The Hathersage venues offer the discounts weekdays only 10am to 5pm.
There is also a network of local buses in the area that run all year around. They charge single fares at £3 per ride or an all day Derbyshire Wayfarer pass is available – £9 bus only or £17 bus and train. Wayfarer ticket holders can buy the Peak Sightseer ticket at the concession price. Wayfarer tickets are available on the Travelmaster app as well as from the bus driver.
62 (High Peak) Castleton to Buxton: via Hope, Edale and Chapel en le Frith.
65 (Stagecoach) Sheffield to Buxton: via Grindleford, Calver, Stoney Middleton, Eyam, Foolow, Great Hucklow, Tideswell, Litton and Millers Dale
170 (Stagecoach) Chesterfield to Bakewell: via Baslow and Chatsworth
173 (Andrew’s) Bakewell to Castleton: via Great Longstone, Monsal Head, Wardlow, Litton, Tideswell, Great Hucklow, Bradwell and Hope.
218 (TM Travel) Sheffield to Bakewell: via Owler Bar, Baslow and Chatsworth
257 (Andrew’s) Sheffield to Bakewell: via Yorkshire Bridge, Bamford, Hathersage, Grindleford, Calver, Stoney Middleton, Eyam and Baslow
272 (First bus and High Peak) Sheffield to Castleton: via Fox House, Hathersage and Hope.
Transpeak (High Peak) Derby to Buxton: via Matlock, Bakewell and Ashford in the Water.
More information on the Peak Sightseer can be found online at stagecoachbus.com with details of other bus services at travelderbyshire.co.uk. Also do check out our map over the page.
For this feature we will take a look at the pubs along the Blue Sightseer route that are in the CAMRA Sheffield & District branch area – Calver Sough to Castleton.
A Sports Bar & Pub Kitchen. The dining area and bar feature exposed beams, flag stone flooring and roaring fires (in winter). Wide ranging food menu. Carvery on Sunday.
Originally three cottages on the “green” in the centre of the village, this has been a pub and hotel for the last 150 years. Panoramic views of Froggatt Edge from the garden terrace. Buses: 65, 257, BLUE
A large boutique hotel near Grindleford station with modern public bar, lounge and restaurant. Impressive views from the large garden. Casual walkers and dogs welcome. Snacks are served in the bar from 12pm-9pm. Train, Buses: 65, BLUE
Originally built to serve the nearby millstone quarry, now popular with diners. Open plan with large well furnished seating/dining areas. Extensive outdoor area partly under cover. Bus: 272, BLUE.
Comforting pub dating from the Edwardian period decorated with horse brasses and ornamental plates. The pub features a main bar area, two seated dining areas and a bar-side room around the central bar servery. The pleasant garden overlooks a stream. Bus: 272, BLUE.
Formerly a historic bank, now an award winning contemporary restaurant and bar nestling in the heart of the Peak District National Park. Bank House offers fresh locally sourced seasonal produce and the finest tipples from Europe. One cask ale available, usually a house beer from Abbeydale. Train, Bus: 257,272, BLUE
Formerly a 500 year old inn, this luxury Derbyshire hotel in the heart of the Peak District has been transformed into a pub offering a range of cask ales in their public bar. Bar is open for coffee and soft drinks from 8am, but from 11am for alcohol. Train. Buses: 257, 272, BLUE.
Large stone built pub which has had extensive internal renovations refurbishment and the new bright clean interior now has a carvery style servery, dining and seating areas and a bar area. Up to two regularly changing cask beers are on offer, often from local breweries like Thornbridge, Buxton, Ashover, Neepsend, and also four draft keg taps which are always interesting (for example craft keg beers from local breweries like Pentrich, Abbeydale, and Thornbridge). Train. Buses: 257, 272, BLUE.
Large roadside pub, open plan but with distinct areas around the island bar. There is a big screen showing sporting events and good value pool table. Dogs and walkers welcome. Buses: 173, 272, BLUE.
Old Hall Hotel, Hope
Typical village corner pub with a large open plan bar area. Traditional, relaxed and friendly atmosphere maintained. The snug features a real fire. Five B&B rooms available. Tea room adjoins building serving 7 days a week from 8am to 5pm. Beer festivals held most bank holiday weekends. Dogs and muddy boots welcome. Train. Buses: 62, 173, 272, BLUE.
Uncomplicated Greene King owned local village pub split into two drinking areas with rear car park and outdoor seating area. Dogs, walkers and families welcome. Bar snacks available. Train. Buses: 62, 173, 272, BLUE.
A traditional village inn. A central servery separates the restaurant and the bustling bar area. Names of landlords since 1746 are inscribed on low wooden beams. Accommodation offered in 10 en suite rooms. Homemade food served everyday. Walkers welcome and dogs welcome in the bar. Offers six cask beers, from local brewers. Buses: 62, 173, 272, BLUE
Self proclaimed quirky pub offering en-suite B&B accommodation, good pub food, a range of five cask beers, quiz night, live music and more. Outdoor drinking area at rear. Buses: 62, 173, 272, BLUE
The bar areas include a feature fireplace, exposed stone walls and carved wooden chairs. Stylish dining room and busy family food trade. Excellent range of cask ales including beers from several local breweries with a house ale provided by Intrepid. Buses: 62, 173, 272, BLUE.
Bulls Head, Castleton
A spacious wood panelled dining room, while leather sofas feature in the smaller bar area. High quality home cooked food. Six different Robinsons real ales are offered. Courtyard drinking area and barn for indoor/outdoor eating and drinking.
A chain pub aiming to create an authentic atmosphere with local pictures adorning the walls, candlelit tables and wooden beams. Walkers welcome. Dogs allowed in the bar and water and dog treats provided.
Cosy two roomed back street pub. The flag stoned tap room welcomes walkers and dogs, while the carpeted restaurant is for diners only. Attractive forecourt seating. Five cask beers are offered. Homemade jams, pickles and chutneys for sale using locally sourced ingredients as much as possible. Won a PubAid Community Sustainability Hero award in 2024 and 2025. The pub grows its own produce, uses solar power and keeps bees as well as doing much recycling.
ALL THE KNOWN DERBYSHIRE PEAK DISTRICT PUBS IN OUR BRANCH AREAWITH CASK ALE
Recently, I was fortunate enough to visit several breweries and taprooms in Belgium. These included several of great age and others of a more recent vintage.
Roman (Oudenaarde) showed both their now decommissioned coppers and their new shiny brewery. The brewery dates to 1545, and founder Joos Roman: a bailiff who sold beer at an inn on the main trading route from Germany to France. The current management are the 14th generation, brothers Carlo and Lode Roman.
Founded over three centuries later (1875), Verhagne (Vichte) was visited on a Sunday morning: 90% of their production is the ruby-red, Duchess be Bourgogne (6.2%)
Silly Brewery in the town of Silly is one of the smaller members of the Belgian Family Brewers Association. The brewery began in 1852 in a farm bought by Marcellin Meynsbrughen and was called Meynsbrughen Brewery until 1973. They now have a handsome town-centre site with views over France. Their logo is an agricultural worker with a scythe in one hand and a beer in the other. Their most well-known beers are Silly Saison (5%), Silly Scotch (8%), and the Enghien range.
Omer Vander Ghinste began in 1892 when Remi Vander Ghinste bought a house with brewery buildings in Bellegem for his son Omer. The family were careful with their spending as Marguerite named her son, born in 1901, “Omer” for practical reasons, so expensive bar, and brewery windows would not have to be replaced. This was the beginning of a family tradition. The latest Omer Vander Ghinste has been in charge since 1993. Their most well-known beers are Omer Blond (8%) and VanderGhinste Roodbruin (5.5%), a Flemish Red Brown.
Brasserie Cazeau (Templeuve) is heir to a legacy name, the current brewery dating from 1995. It is a real mix of the old and the new, including a wood-panelled copper, lots of stairs and many ‘interesting’ sets of pipework. About 70% of production is secondary fermented in the bottle. Beers include the Tournay range, including Blonde (6.5%), Noire (7.6%), Saison (5%), Noel (8.2%), and Triple (9.4%). We were also provided with a sample of Tourney Hop Harvest 2025 (4%) straight from the fermenting vessel. A year earlier, Brasserie ‘t Gaverhopke, an ancient farm, commenced brewing. All beers are unfiltered and refermented in the bottle.
Vicaris Brewery (Dendermonde) was founded by dental engineer Vincent Dilewyns who began brewing at home in 2000 and produced a lovely Tripel. It was never the intention to go commercial, but after success at a local event the leftover crates were sold to locals and some ended up at the 2006 national Zythos Beer Festival. The current brewery opened in 2021. Their beers are unpasteurised and unfiltered and include: Vicaris NANOo, one of the best Belgian zero-alcohol beers.
Established in 2005, De Ranke (Dottignes) also produces unpasteurised and unfiltered beers, utilising whole hops in a traditional gravity-led set-up. Brewing to sale for their heavily hopped high IBU beers (40-70) takes between 8 and 20 weeks. Their most well-known beer is XX Bitter (6%).
Deseveaux (Bossu) were set up in 2011. Production on the old family farm commencing in 2014. They specialise in brewing with buckwheat and spelt in conjunction with malted barley and wheat. 35% of production is organic. Mostly Belgian hops are used including some grown on-site (Cascade, Goldings, and Phoenix). Water, from their well, is treated before use. Their most well-known beers are the Abbaye de Saint-Ghislain and Sarazen ranges.
Chateau de Leigonon (Ciney) opened in 2024 as part of a larger complex in an ex-farm on the estate. Belgian Process Solutions installed the extensive kit. They currently brew 3-4 times/month. Beers include Ambree (5%), IPA (5.5%), and Imperial Solstice (8.1%).
Along the way, several visits were made to brewery taprooms. These included the Duvel-Moorgat Maredsous Monastery microbrewery and bar, the Taproom Brouwerij de Brabandere Brewery (Harelbeke, opened in 2025) and the Trolls & Bush Beer Restaurant and Brewery Tap for Dubuisson Brewery in Pipaix. The Borinage Brewery Tap (Boussu) provided the oddest beer name: Urine Double IPA (7%).
At the Boon Tap Room (Lambeek), Frank, the man who brought lambic back from the dead, appeared behind the bar, then joined us at our table: suffice to say his knowledge regarding foeders, sour beers and barrel aging is unsurpassed. Boon now has the world’s largest stock of lambic beer in oak barrels, 2.1 million litres. Frank retired in 2021 and his two sons now run the brewery.
Across the country are an increasing number of high-quality low alcohol beers. For example, Ramon (in a can, 0.3%) was “Beer of the Year” at the 2025 London Beer Competition. It is brewed using a specially selected yeast that minimises alcohol production while unlocking aromatic, hop-flavours.
Thanks to Podge Beer Tours and Wakefield CAMRA for arranging the two trips which included these, and several other, visits.
