Category: Travel

A mid-morning arrival at Huddersfield station (via Wakefield) allowed plenty of time for a cooked breakfast and a half of Clarks (now brewed at Castle Eden) English Pale Ale in The Vulcan before boarding the hourly train for the short ride to the attractive village of Marsden.

Sitting outside the Riverhead Brewery Tap (CAMRA Good Beer Guide 2018) in the sunshine waiting for their festival to open at noon was very pleasant indeed.  The festival was a small affair with all available ales being served through ten hand pumps on the bar. From the 8 Riverhead beers and two guest that were available I sampled halves of Riverhead Montage (5%), Tour De Marsden (4.2%) and Pomegranate Pale (4%), plus a Mad Squirrel De La Crème Milk Stout (4.5%). Six traditional ciders were also available although I didn’t partake of any of these. There was then a short walk back up the hill to the station for a train back through Huddersfield to Mirfield and the festival at the Navigation Tavern (GBG 2018) which was already in full swing by the time I arrived. A separate festival bar with 24 hand pumps had been set up inside, from which I sampled beers from Bridge Brewery, 3D (Pitchfork), Ascot and Lords.

With basically an hourly service back to Wakefield Kirkgate, I allowed myself time for the short walk back past Mirfield station to the festival which had been advertised as taking place at the nearby Flowerpot (GBG 2018), which is an Ossett brewery pub.  Arriving at just after 3pm I was disappointed to find that the outside festival bar did not open until 4pm.  On a glorious sunny and warm Friday, with plenty of potential customers about, I thought it a little short-sighted not to capitalise by opening at lunchtime. I did not partake of a drink but instead returned to the Navigation for a very enjoyable Abbeydale Voyager IPA (number ten in the series), before getting a train to Wakefield Kirkgate.

First stop in Wakefield was Fernandes brewery tap (GBG 2018) and half of their Blue Lady (3.8%) together with complimentary sausage rolls and pork pies. A walk through town brought me to the Beer Exchange for some Aire Heads Grain Disorder (4.6%) and a limited edition Revolutions gin-infused Clash Porter (4.5%). Across the road to the Black Rock (GBG 2018) and from the five beers available I chose Blue Bee Enigma 500 (5.5%). The final pub of the day was The Hop in Wakefield (GBG 2018), which by now was very busy, but a very pleasant half of Wilde Child The Expatriate (4.5%) was consumed before catching a quick train from Westgate to Sheffield, followed by a bus home. Andy Morton

It had been quite a few years since my last visit to Ilkley, a picturesque little town very popular with walkers, situated at the southern end of the Dales Way route from West Yorkshire to the Lake District. I was treated to a day in Ilkley for my birthday, with real ale rather than rambling on the menu on this occasion.

After some delay due to a leaky boiler at home, we eventually got the train from Sheffield just after noon on a sunny Saturday. Usually you would only have to change once, at Leeds, but a landslip on the Wharfedale line meant an extra stop in Shipley. Once we finally arrived, we headed straight across the road from Ilkley station to the Friends of Ham, a delightful little place with a good range of cask and keg beers, plus a huge selection of pork-based bar snacks. Brass Castle’s Death By Toffee (4.8%) was the pick of the bunch.

We had hoped to visit Bar T’At after reading good things about it, but were disappointed to find it closed when we arrived, so we headed down the hill to the Flying Duck, home of Wharfedale Brewery. Here, we sampled the Best (4.0%) and Black (3.7%), and were pleasantly surprised to see Coffee and Hazelnut Baby Stout (3.6%), Abbeydale’s recent collaboration brew with North Riding, making an appearance on the handpumps.

Walking back towards the town centre, we stopped off at the Dalesway Hotel. Having stayed there before, I can vouch for the comfort of the rooms above the pub. It was slightly disappointing that only one handpump was in use at the time of our visit, but the fact it was Timothy Taylor’s Landlord (4.3%) was some consolation. We had more luck across the road at the Crescent Inn, a cosy pub offering six real ales; Kirkstall Brewery’s Dissolution IPA (5.0%) was the highlight for me.

Just down the road we stumbled across Fuggle & Golding, a well-stocked bottle shop with a good selection of KeyKeg ales featuring a couple from Ilkley Brewery. Unfortunately, the brewery doesn’t yet allow access to the public, although there were rumours of a taproom opening in the future. Heading back to the station, we decided to go back into the Friends of Ham for a half having been so impressed earlier, before catching the train back home. Dominic Nelson

It had been ten years since my last visit to this small town near Telford in Shropshire so another visit was planned to coincide with the 44^th Beer Festival in the Crown.  No cheap advance bookings were available on morning departures from Sheffield to Birmingham, so I opted to travel via Stockport instead. The hourly Arriva Trains Wales service between Stockport and Shrewsbury takes about an hour. The short walk to Shrewsbury bus station allowed me to catch the X4 limited stop Arriva service from Shrewsbury to Telford via Wellington and took 45 minutes, followed by another shorter bus ride to Oakengates.

I was the first customer to walk into the Crown Inn (CAMRA Good Beer Guide 2018 entry) when it opened at noon. It is a bright yellow painted building on Market Street and the layout was as I remembered it. Both front and back bars were adorned with hand pumps, as was the temporary bar in the back room, making 34 in total. My visit was on the first day of their 5 day festival and 26 pumps were in use.  I sampled halves from Castle Rock, Lancaster, Glastonbury, Coastal, Pitchfork and Green Duck breweries, the pick of which being Castle Rock Songbird (4.2%) which was very light and refreshing. Directly across the road from the Crown is the Station Hotel (GBG 2018). Like the Crown, plenty of hand pumps were in evidence on both front and back bars.  I sampled a 5% beer from Mallinsons to commemorate their 10 years of brewing, together with beers from Fernandes, Fixed Wheel and to make me feel at home, Abbeydale Carousel.

Two doors up from the Station Hotel is the Old Fighting Cocks (GBG 2018). This is a regular outlet for Hop & Stagger Brewery beers and I sampled their Golden Wander and Shropshire Pale Ale.   The landlord of the Crown also runs another pub in the village of Dawley so using the West Midlands Day Saver ticket again which I had purchased in Shrewsbury I took the short bus ride back into Telford and then another short ride to Dawley to visit the Elephant & Castle, a grade 2 listed building at the head of the High Street. I only had time for a couple of halves here from the 12 hand pumps as time was pushing on and the last bus back to Shrewsbury was at 18.10.  My choices were from Rudgate and Joule’s. Then it was back to Telford bus station and the X5 back to Shrewsbury. I was not due to leave Stockport until the 21.28 train so I could spend an hour in either Shrewsbury or Stockport and I chose the latter so boarded the next train from Shrewsbury to Stockport.  I decided on a quick visit to the Stockport Slope and called in the Magnet (GBG 2018) where I had a beer from the in-house Magnet Brewery with the catchy name of Brian/Alan/Steve/Sarah Bitter at 5%, named after the people for whom it was brewed, together with one from Ossett Brewery.  The nearby Railway (GBG 2018) provided a very drinkable Brightside Amarillo at 4.4%.  Back to Sheffield now and the last drink of the day was Bad Seed Become The Legend in the Sheffield Tap (GBG 2018) followed by a brisk walk for the bus. Andy Morton

March 2018 saw the 34th and final London Drinker Beer Festival, held in the Camden Centre which is very convenient for both St. Pancras and King’s Cross stations. Advance train tickets were booked, but again the cheapest route was via the non-stop Grand Central train from Doncaster to King’s Cross rather than East Midland Trains from Sheffield to St. Pancras. Arriving in London I went straight to the venue to join the queue, even though opening was still about an hour away and I was not the first. The time passed fairly quickly with only a brief rain shower to contend with. The festival was very popular and now served beers only from London breweries. I sampled halves of cask beer from House, Gorgeous, Spartan, Alphabeta, Reunion and Thames Side. Lunchtime closing was at 2.30pm which then allowed plenty of time for a wander around Highbury and Islington.

I decided on visiting the further pub first which was the Brewhouse and Kitchen at Highbury (CAMRA Good Beer Guide 2018). Three of their own cask ales were sampled here: Romford Pele, Uncertainty and Tramshed. Retracing my steps I visited the New Rose on Essex Road (GBG 2018), which I would describe as a multi roomed basic traditional boozer of a type all too rare these days. Five hand pumps were in use and I sampled beers from Truman’s and New River Brewery. Next was the Brewhouse and Kitchen at Islington. This was the busiest pub encountered today as by now the teatime drinking crowd had descended upon it. Anyway, another two of their in house brewed cask ales were tried, Myddleton Blonde Ale and Britton American Brown. Remember that Brewhouse & Kitchen pubs do give CAMRA discount. Onwards towards the Craft Beer Co, on White Lion Street (GBG 2018) and a very tasty, naturally cloudy, Park Killcat Pale Ale. Of their ten hand pumps, seven were in use today.

Heading back towards King’s Cross was the Scottish Stores. I was disappointed to find that only 3 of their 8 hand pumps were in use so to give them chance to put additional beers on I visited the Parcel Yard in King’s Cross station (GBG 2018). Here I sampled St Austell Cousin Jack, which at £2.43 a half for a 4% beer was one of the dearest of the day. Back to the Scottish Stores now but, sadly, still only 3 beers were available with no sign of any of the staff being willing to replace any of the beers that had gone. I had no time to go elsewhere so settled on a half of Portobello VPA. Changing trains in Doncaster allowed no time for a drink there, but on arriving in Sheffield a quick visit to the Bankers Draft provided a half of Greene King Heritage Suffolk Pale Ale from their festival list. At £1.10 for a 5% beer, this was by far the cheapest beer sampled all day. Andy Morton

The first weekday train on which a Derbyshire Wayfarer is valid gets to Derby just before 10am. There was a short wait for a ten-minute ride to Burton and then a walk in to town for the hourly Midland Classic service X12 to Sutton Coldfield. An Allday+ ticket costs £5.30 for unlimited travel on Midland Classic buses. An hour’s bus ride later we arrive in Sutton Coldfield town centre. A short walk through the pedestrianised area brings you to the Brewhouse & Kitchen brewpub on Birmingham Road. From the four own-brewed beers that were available I selected the Cup Session Bitter (3.6%) and a very refreshing Festive Fury Cask Pilsner (5%). Virtually next door is a Wetherspoons called The Bottle of Sack. Amongst the hand pulls three Beowulf Brewery beers were available and I chose their Double Decade (4.3%) at a very reasonable £1 a half. Back to the bus stop now for the hourly X12 service to Lichfield, midway between Sutton Coldfield and Burton. Alighting at the bus station, the Guildhall is only a few minutes walk away and this was the location for the Guildhall Arts Winter Beer Festival. A small, cosy affair with about 30 beers on gravity and 5 traditional ciders, situated in this Grade II listed property. When I arrived the festival was already well attended. Four halves were sampled from Tamworth Brewing Company, Box Steam, Backyard and Falstaff breweries. Lichfield is quite a compact place and there are several pubs within easy walking distance. First up was the Angel Inn, with plenty of wood panelling and partitions. It is in the long and narrow style nestled between shops on Market Street. Joule’s Brewery beers and guests were available and a choice of hot and cold snacks. I selected Joule’s Old No. 6 Winter Warmer (4.8%), Stockport Yuletide Blonde (4.2%) and a hot sausage roll. Close by are two more pubs next to each other on Tamworth Street. The Beerbohm (CAMRA Good Beer Guide 2018) had six tables upstairs and a similar number downstairs. From the four beers available I chose Ossett Evolution (4.0%). Next door is the smaller Whippet Inn (GBG 2018 entry), again with four hand pumps. I selected Fixed Wheel Domestique (4.5%), an Australian pale. A visit to another Wetherspoons pub followed, being the Acorn Inn where Slaters Ultra (3.7%) was imbibed. In Bird Street, the second Brewhouse & Kitchen brewpub of the day provided their Lunartic Red Rye Ale (4.7%). The Staffordshire CAMRA Pub of the Year 2017 is the Horse & Jockey (GBG 2018 entry) on Sandford Street. A bustling and popular place with 8 handpumps – my selection being one from Dancing Duck Brewery. My last stop in Lichfield was the Bitter Suite, a fairly new micro pub on St. John Street, near the bus station.  This offered table service with ales sold on gravity. Mallinsons Sorachi Noir (4.0%) was chosen. There are other pubs in Lichfield not visited today and with many so close together, it is certainly worthy of another trip. Onto the penultimate X12 back to Burton and just time for a quick Brecon Red Beacons (5.0%) in the Lord Burton Wetherspoons before the train back to Sheffield, changing in Derby. The regular visit to the Old Queen’s Head en route to the bus provided a half of Thwaites Dark Nights (3.0%). With still a few minutes to spare and the Bankers Draft nearby, a quick half of Peerless Lottie Dod Sporting Hero (4.2%) amber ale rounded off the day. Andy Morton

A planned busy day out using the Derbyshire Wayfarer ticket started with a train to Derby and a bus into Derby Bus Station. A Trent Barton service 6.3 took me to Belper in time for the noon opening of the 8^th Amber Valley Beer Festival at Strutts, a former school, now a community facility. Numerous rooms and corridors are available for seating and the beer is racked in a separate marquee outside. A pleasant couple of hours was spent here sampling cask ales from Raw, Twisted Barrel, Marble, White Horse, Pentrich and the very tasty and naturally very cloudy Vale of Glamorgan Miami Weiss at 4.5%. The hourly Trent Barton 7.1 service took me to Holbrook to visit the three pubs there. On alighting from the bus the nearest pub was the Spotted Cow where Littleover Gold at 3.8% and Falstaff Halifax Slasher (4%) were tried from the six hand pulled beers available. This pub combined an old world feel with some alcove seating but with modern overtones. A Macmillan Coffee Morning was still in progress so a nice slice of homemade lemon drizzle cake accompanied the beer. A short walk then to the Dead Poets Inn, with its stone floors, low beams and more alcove seating. Six hand pulled beers were available and three from the barrel. I sampled a half of Welbeck Abbey Duck Decoy (4.6%). Another short walk to the Wheel Inn where one could relax in some lounge style seating while enjoying an Oakham Citra (4.2%) from the range available. The Yourbus 138 and Trent Barton 7.1 services took me to Openwoodgate and the Black Bull’s Head (CAMRA Good Beer Guide 2018 entry) for some Leatherbritches Lemongrass & Ginger (3.8%) from the nine hand pulls available. Wooden floors and panelling abounded around the central island bar serving two distinct areas. At weekends another 4 beers were available on gravity as well as 5 traditional ciders in the outside converted stables known as the Bedlam Bar. I had a half of Timothy Taylor’s Boltmaker (4.0%). Back on the 7.1 into Belper and the Angels Micro Pub (GBG 2018) at the top of the Market Place. A small split-level micro with half a dozen tables and offering eight beers on gravity. Brunswick White Feather (3.6%) was sampled. Back down the hill towards the station and the nearby Arkwright’s Real Ale Bar (GBG 2018), a slightly larger micro-bar. I had the Market Harborough Super-hop Mosaic (4.3%) and Slater’s Maravilla (4.5%). A short walk to the Trent Barton bus garage for a somewhat delayed service back to Derby and the train home. Walking passed the Old Queens Head in Sheffield allowed for a half of Abbeydale Salvation No.5 Coffee & Doughnut Stout (5.8%) to finish the day off nicely, and all on a Derbyshire Wayfarer ticket. Andy Morton

Catching the first available weekday train service from Sheffield to Derby using a Derbyshire Wayfarer allowed for a few minutes in Derby before boarding a train bound for Burton. On arrival there it was a ten minute walk in to town to catch the Midland Classic service X12 to Lichfield. A slight hold-up on the A38 meant I missed the Arriva service 60 from Lichfield to Cannock, and had to make do with a scenic but slower number 62 bus to Cannock instead. When I arrived at Cannock Beer Festival in the Prince of Wales Theatre it was nicely busy and with many of the seats taken I chose to stand at the bar, although there was still some seating available. This was a smallish festival of about 60 beers, plenty of them locally brewed. I had cask ales from Kinver, Davenports, Beowulf, Vine and Ironstone breweries plus two from Franklins and Lodden. There was a very friendly and welcoming atmosphere and mention must be made of the food that was available, which comprised curry, chilli con carne and chilli scotch eggs amongst other things, at very reasonable prices. I allowed myself plenty of time for the ten minute walk back to the station to ensure I caught the service 60 back to Lichfield.  The stop before Lichfield Bus Station drops you conveniently outside the Brewhouse & Kitchen.  I sampled two halves of their in-house brewed beers here, an Oktoberfest Amber Cask Lager (5.5%) and the Spellman Sam (4.4%). The quality was good and a CAMRA discount was available. After a short stop here I caught the X12 back to Burton. Rush hour buses drop you slightly nearer to the rail station so a quick dash was made to catch the next train into Derby. Another bus took me to Derby Bus Station for a late-running Trent Barton Swift service to Ashbourne.  Ashbourne Beer Festival, held in the town hall, is another small and fairly intimate festival offering around 40 cask ales plus some cider.  From the cask beer list I chose beers from Leatherbritches, Burton Town, Bartrams and two from Caveman Brewery before another late running Swift service back to Derby and the train home.  There was just time to drop into the Sheffield Tap for a very nice Northern Whisper Beltie Stout before the bus home. Andy Morton

I’ve just returned from 6 weeks travelling around East Asia. After landing in Tokyo I travelled the west of Japan for two weeks before flying to Busan in South Korea to continue my exploring. After a strenuous start climbing Mount Fuji I dedicated the rest of my holiday to sampling all the local delights and of course the beers. One of the first stops on my adventure was the Japanese city of Matsumoto – famous for its five-tiered castle (and being home to the best Indian restaurant in Japan!). A highlight of the city was a visit to their local brewery. The range of beers at the Matsumoto Brewery were not too dissimilar to what I would expect to see in any Yorkshire pub! Their range included a Castle Stout, Pure Blonde, Smart Wheat and a Traditional Bitter. I opted for their Awesome Pale Ale, and was pleasantly surprised with how hoppy it was in comparison to British pales. After travelling to South Korea, I ventured up the west coast to Daegu where I attended the Chimac festival, the national festival of chicken and beer. It was here I discovered Somaek. Somaek was lethal. It involved using the national lagers Cass and Hite as mixers for Soju, a strong rice wine. Rarely drunk for its taste and well known for getting you intoxicated quickly there’s no more explanation needed as to how this evening progressed! Venturing further north I eventually reached Seoul, the final destination in my travels. Seoul had a surprisingly vibrant beer drinking culture. Upon recommendations from other travellers I visited Itaewon an area of town that housed what the locals refer to as craft beer valley. I was surprised by not only the range of beers but also the range of establishments: pubs, microbreweries, tap houses and bars. Also notable was the balance struck between local and import beers. I found myself jumping between Korean brewed IPAs and bottles of Brewdog and Thornbridge. The craft beer valley was a definite highlight in terms of beer and I happily spent a day meandering in and out of the bars sampling over 12 different beers as well as local street food. Toby Hayhurst

Being a Bank Holiday weekend, a more local day out was planned with the intention of doing a few pubs around the Chesterfield area and then stopping off in Mosborough on the way home. With the exception of the last port of call, all were visited by using a Stagecoach Explorer ticket costing £6.30 from the driver of the first bus caught. Catching the service 70 from near the Halfway Supertram terminus there followed a quite enjoyable journey through Eckington, Renishaw, Staveley and Brimington before arriving in Chesterfield at about 10.45. A quick change of buses was needed for the 20-or-so minute ride to the Arkwright Arms at Sutton cum Duckmanton (a CAMRA Good Beer Guide 2017 entry). Here, all 18 hand pumps were in use for their Bank Holiday Beer Festival, which this year was featuring Derbyshire breweries. I sampled halves from Dancing Duck, Whim, Amber Ales and Landlocked breweries, but the pick was a very black, smooth and easy drinking Ashover Brewery 10th Anniversary Raspberry Stout at 8.5%. Buses to and from this large and imposing Tudor-fronted free house are frequent and convenient. Back in Chesterfield and a walk through the Market Place to the somewhat smaller micro bar by the name of the Chesterfield Alehouse (GBG 2017 entry). This weekend the 6 hand pumps were dispensing beers from Brinkburn Street and Three Kings breweries. I sample Canny Sculler 11 (3.8%) from the former and Billy Mill (4.0%) and Silver Darling (5.6%) from the latter. A short journey then, courtesy of service 50, to Whittington Moor and the Beer Parlour (another GBG 2017 entry). Although only just having opened at 4pm, there was already a steady trade and from the 8 cask ales available I sampled King Clipstone King John EPA (4.4%) and Jolly Collier Porter (5.0%). The porter was another good example of the style with dark beers certainly taking the edge so far today. Just around the corner is the Derby Tup, now operated by Pigeon Fishers Brewery and I sampled their own House Pale at 3.8%, which was a nice contrast to the previous porter, before getting on board another service 50 to Mosborough. First stop was the George & Dragon which offered three ales, from which I chose Timothy Taylor’s Golden Best (3.5%). Next up was the Alma. They offer one cask ale which recently was Bombardier, but today it was Sharp’s Doom Bar (4.0%). The third Mosborough pub visited was the Queen Hotel, whose sole cask offering was Marston’s EPA (3.6%). Last up in Mosborough was the British Oak, which is now a True North Brewery run pub. My choice was Dark Star American Pale Ale (4.7%). Another journey on Service 50 followed by a short tram ride and a short walk took me to the New Inn in Gleadless. From a range of 8 cask ales I chose Welbeck Abbey’s Sleeping Beauty (5.3%), which was clean, crisp and dry and a fitting way to end the day. Andrew Morton

A spell of particularly clement weather during a recent trip home to visit family offered the perfect opportunity to sample some of the pubs under the remit of the East Lancashire branch of CAMRA. The trains weren’t running for some reason so we caught the rail-replacement bus to Colne at the end of the East Lancashire Line. Colne is known locally as “The Town on the Hill” and with good reason, but fortunately there were plenty of pub stops so we never had to walk too far at any one time! First off, we called in the Crown Hotel just outside the railway station. The pub usually offers four real ales, including ones from local breweries such as Moorhouse’s, but on the day only John Smith’s Cask (3.8%) was available, which was a bit of a shame. Nevertheless, the beer was well-kept and palatable enough. The next stop was just across the road at the Venue, where I tried Worsthorne Packhorse (3.7%), a traditional English bitter brewed just down the road near Burnley. Our third stop of the afternoon took us to the newly opened Tubbs of Colne. When I was growing up this had always been a furniture shop, so it was something of a surprise to see the place in its new guise and we felt compelled to try it out. I was pleased to see three cask ales available and opted for Bowland Brewery’s Bowland Gold (3.8%), a hoppy and zesty golden bitter that was very refreshing on a summer’s day. We deviated from the main road briefly for a stop at the Cask ‘n’ Keg micropub, which despite showcasing a fantastic selection of all styles of beer was surprisingly quiet for a Saturday afternoon. Here I sampled another locally brewed ale, Reedley Hallows Griffin IPA (4.7%), a really well-balanced IPA and my favourite beer of the day. I would definitely recommend this pub if you are ever in the area. Back on to the main road, we headed to the Wallace Hartley, a Wetherspoon’s pub named after the bandleader of the Titanic who hailed from Colne. The craft cider festival was taking place so I tried a half of Mr Whitehead’s Toffee Apple Cider (4.0%), which was drinkable but a little too sweet for my taste. My sojourn into cider territory was short-lived and before leaving I ordered a pint of Peerless Tectonic (6.2%), a dry-hopped golden ale with an intense, almost peaty, flavour that I couldn’t decide whether I loved or hated. Our final pub of the afternoon was the Duke of Lancaster at the top of the hill, where I tasted Moorhouse’s White Witch (3.9%) and Lancaster Blonde (4.0%) before heading home. One thing I did notice on the day was that the drinkers of East Lancashire seem to have a penchant for golden ales, which were available in nearly every pub we visited and were often the only option. Overall, Colne proved an enjoyable day out and it was encouraging to see local breweries featuring so prominently on the pumps. Dominic Nelson