The sun was out, and even at 10:30 it was hovering around 21°. I arrived at The Sheffield Tap with time to spare for a pint before the 11:37 train. The selection as ever was good, so I went for a new one to me Pentrich’s – Hollywood Forever, a nice APA of 4.5% to start the day. Nearing 11:25, I made my way to the departure board, and found it not working. On speaking to a member of staff, I found it was Platform 2.
Awaiting to board, I thought this may be a solo reconnaissance trip, but with 5 minutes to spare Graham and Paul turned up to join me. The 30 minute journey on a relatively quiet train passed quickly, and before we knew it we were alighting at Worksop. Through the main doors we went to pop in for a drink at The Mallard. This is a fantastic little bar has a legendary status with 4 cask ales from varying regions. My tipple of choice was Welbeck’s – Elder Maria, a pale of only 3.9% but packed with flavour, there was also Badger and The Great Divide on the bar. Graham and Paul opted for the darker bitter on offer.
A short hop through the car park and we were at the Station Hotel, a nice decorated pub with 2 wickets. One being Glamorgan’s Ffresh EPA, a beer I had never seen before, but throughly enjoyed in the nice beer garden outside. A short walk downhill saw us enter town and the very strangely named Wetherspoons – The Liquorice Gardens. The choice was the usual 4-6 cask, I went for the Titanic -Raspberry Pale, a weighty 4.7%.
On most of our trips, we have a little issue with Google Maps. This time is was finding the Millhouse. The sat nav took us in a circle again, before a lady told us it was way down the road the other way. Some 15 minutes later, we arrived at a smart outside and inside pub with 3 cask. You don’t see Everards much around Sheffield, so I gave the Tiger – Bitter, 4.2% a punt. I’m glad I did, as it was a nice biscuity, malty ale.
Worksop Rugby Club was indicated as being round the corner, and this time the map worked, which was handy as a deluge was threatening. Luckily we missed it both arriving and leaving, thus ensuring dry shirts and shorts for the trip home. This bar advertises 2 changing ales on Worksop’s CAMRA website, but needs changing. We arrived after the walk through a private housing estate, to find no real ale. There was an explanation on enquiring of “We had some yesterday,” but that was of little use for us. Graham and Paul had bottled ale, while I went for a reasonable pint of Belhaven – 80/-, not bad to say it was keg. If visiting, I would give them a ring to check on cask beer availability.
Hunger was creeping in and we’d spotted a chippy on the way, so we popped in. I had a fishcake, and again the contentious issue was that it was really a rissole, but we weren’t in Yorkshire, so I suppose you have to cut them some slack. So food consumed we took the lengthy road back to the station.
A walk to town again, and a slight uphill to the station saw us get a return train fairly promptly. We had intended to hop off at Kiveton Park for the Tap, but we’d had a long day and decided to finish in the Sheffield Tap and in no time we made our farewells.
Despite it only being the 3 of us, we had a nice tour, and a laugh. At least next time, we know the route, and could possibly add one or two more.
Salzburg is in Austria, situated in a mountainous area close to the German border. The city centre is a UNESCO world heritage site with a rich history. It was the birthplace and residence of composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and the river Salzach was used to export salt from the surrounding salt mines. More recently, the film The Sound of Music, starring Julie Andrews and Christpher Plummer was filmed at many locations in the salzburg area, and bus tours of these can be booked by enthusiasts.
I visited Salzburg for the third time with my husband James at the end of May 2025. We arrived in a drizzly city centre with one hour before checking into our apartment. We decided to head to nearby Zum Zirkelwirt. This is a lovely bar/restaurant serving traditional Austrian dishes and beers on Keg taps from the Hirter brewery. They have a Beer of the Month but this had sold out, so I opted for a Hirter weissbier (5.4%). This was very refreshing after travelling and had a soft taste. A great start to our trip.
On our first evening, I had booked Zwettler’s restaurant for dinner. Here, they serve beer from the Kaiser Karl brewery on draught. James had the Kaiser Karl dark beer (5%), which had a very malty taste and coffee aroma. My choice was the Zwickle unfiltered beer (5%), which had a refreshing and clean taste. Both beers went very well with our Austrian meal of beef soup with pancakes, Zwettler Schnitzel and mixed dumplings.
On day two, we visited Salzburg Zoo, which is a short bus ride from the city centre. Here, there is a bar serving meals, coffees and bottled beer from the Stiegl brewery. I chose the refreshing Stiegl-Hell lager (4.5%), which was very tasty and full bodied and great for a sunny day. James had the Steigl-Wiessbeer (5.1%) This tastes malty, and has a beautiful golden colour and a banana aftertaste. We had the Stiegl-Weiss beer again later on in our trip, when we visited Hofwerfen fortress, which is a filming location for the film Where Eagles Dare, and also includes a falconry display, guided castle tour and an exhibition on witchcraft. Stiegl-Weiss beer is commonly served at tourist attractions.
On our second evening, we visited the central Coffee and Booze micropub, which serves a range of international beers. I tried Starobrno (5%) on draught. This is a Czech beer with a deep golden colour and toffee notes, James drink of choice here was Weizenbergal Shwartzbier, served in a bottle (4.8%), which was a tasty dark beer. Accompanied by a 1980s soundtrack, this bar brings a fun and relaxed vibe. Later on in the same bar, i tasted the Edelweiss Hofbrau (4.5%). This is a rust coloured beer with banana notes.
Day three saw a visit to the Celtic Spirit Irish Bar. Here, I tasted the Obertrumer zwickl beer (4.8%). This was the hoppiest beer I had so far. It was a pale colour and slightly fizzy with toffee notes. James had bottled die weiss dunkel here (5.4%). This was a smooth, malty beer with a banana taste.
My favourite drinking establishment in Salzburg is Augustiner Bräustübl. This is a monastry situated at the foot of the Montsberg hill, and is close to thecity centre. Here, there is only one choice of beer, Märzen Bier (4.6%) that is brewed on site by the resident monks. It is served on cask by the litre and half litre. You begin by buying a beer token for the size of beer you would like, collect a stein from the shelf, rinse your stein in the water fountain, then hand your token and stein to the bartender who will fill it up for you. The beer can then be enjoyed either in one of their beer halls or in the 1000 seat beer garden. The beer is very easy drinking and refreshing authentic Austrian taste. Soft drinks and snacks are also available from various stalls. We visited here on multiple nights of our trip.
Me and James had a great time visiting salzburg. It is an excellent destination for a city break, with opportunities to visit the mountains too. The majority of draught beer served here is brewed on site or close by. This, along with the beer culture, has made it a good choice for us. Goodbye Salzburg, until next time.
As part of our socials, we decided to include Matlock, and nearby Wirksworth in Derbyshire as part of our itinerary.
Matlock is steeped in farming and mining history, before becoming a spa town, and a subsequent base for exploring the Peak District. The name is thought to translate to ” moot oak,” somewhat explaining the local Brewery’s name. In the late 17th century warm springs were discovered, leading to the construction of bathhouses, and its development as a spa town. Being situated on the River Derwent, textiles also became prominent with the water powering the Mills. Which also grew the economy locally.
Having purchased my Stagecoach Gold Dayrider, (£10.50) a ticket that allows unlimited day travel on their buses in Sheffield and Derbyshire (Even as far as Nottingham, although the train is a quicker option). I nipped in the Bankers for a swift half of Conwy – Rampart, a malty brown/English of 4.5%.
Glyn and I boarded the X17 at 11:05 in a warm, but dull Sheffield, being joined by Graham and Paul on Arundel Gate for the journey onwards. Fortunately, due to roadworks on Chesterfield Road Andrew was at his stop by the time it arrived at Meadowhead, otherwise he would have had to join half an hour later. The Journey then takes the Dronfield bypass to Chesterfield and beyond.
Red Lion Beer Festival in Matlock
Our first stop was the Red Lion at Matlock Green, overlooked in the distance by Riber Castle. A nice country pub with 3 ales on the bar, but boasting plenty more at the Bank Holiday Beer Festival in the back garden. First choice from the main bar was a nice Moot – Matlock Blonde of 4.1%, brewed behind the pub! Then on to the festival beers, which were well represented from the local area and beyond. Being a mild and stout fan I plumped for the Brampton – Mild, a hefty 4.9%, then a Blue Monkey – Cinder Toffee Stout at 5%. The X17 was 5 minutes away for our journey to Wirksworth, so we hastily departed.
Wirksworth has a rich history from the Romans to the present. Even influencing George Eliot, the female author of Adam Bede, The Mill on the Floss and Silas Marner. In the 12th century, it was a major centre for lead mining, before becoming prominent in quarrying. The town saw great growth and was the first cotton mill to use a steam engine at Arkwright’s Haarleem Mill. Another claim to fame is Dream Cave where wooly rhino bones were discovered.
Feather Star, Wirksworth
The purpose of this visit was a visit to the quirky The Feather Star, a pub that wouldn’t have looked out of place in Tolkien novels. A good range of beers saw me partake in a Big Trip – Soak Up the Sun, a hazy IPA of 4.2%. Next as we waited for the hourly bus was another Moot – Illumination, a tasty EPA of 4.2%. Also of note here was a collection of vinyl records racked up and available to buy.
After a democratic vote, we boarded the bus to return to Matlock itself and Titanic’s Bod bar, nicely designed as a bar and eaterie in a somewhat Scandinavian style. This had a pale I had not sampled before in Titanic – Steerage, an EPA of only 3.8. Having ordered a Chilli Sausage roll, the beer helped temper my burning mouth. Tasty, but somewhat spicy.
Newsroom, Matlock
The next sensible decision was the one to get the bus up to the The Newsroom and The Farmacy, the 2 micropubs overlooking the town. As expected from the name, The Newsroom was a former newsagents that simply had a decline trade and simply needed a change of direction. The bar itself was quite small, but had a nice choice of beers, of which Pentrich’s – Where’s My Elephent was my choice being a sweet milk of 5%.
Round the corner was The Farmacy, as run you may deduct a former pharmacy, this is a tap for Aldwarke Artisan Ales which is run by a farming family. Again a great good choice of beer in a bustling bar. I ordered my Pale Ale, GF and 3.9%. Seating was available outside and we grabbed a table to rest before the walk to where we alighted, for the X17 bus home.
All-in-all, a very enjoyable trip in somewhere I haven’t drank before. Certainly a little tour you could do with a partner or friends for 6-7 hours.
The Red Lion beer festival took place over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend. Bus X17 runs from Sheffield to Matlock every 30 minutes during the daytime (hourly on Sundays) with one an hour extended to Wirksworth. It operates via Woodseats, Chesterfield, Matlock, Matlock Bath and Cromford. Sheffield & District CAMRA has a regular programme of socials for our members, check out the diary page for details.
Although I have lived in Sheffield since the late eighties, my formative drinking days were in Bristol, and I go back for family and friends fairly frequently.
As such I’ve followed the beer scene in Bristol along side that of Sheffield. Bristol is of a similar size to Sheffield, and has in common the loss of the breweries that I knew well from my younger days, Courage and Smiles in Bristol’s case, Wards and Stones here. The Bristol beer scene is however vibrant, and has a surprising number of breweries, so much so that there is a biannual East Bristol brewery trail weekend, encompassing 6 venues. The trail covers Little Martha, Moor, Good Chemistry, Left Handed Giant, Wiper and True, and Arbor, with it possible to walk the trail with a little planning (follow this order, or do in reverse!).
This years first event was on Saturday and Sunday, May 3rd and 4th. My wife and I were down and on a surprisingly sunny day for a bank holiday weekend and arrived in Bristol Temple Meads railway station just after midday to start the trail.
Just round the corner from the station is Little Martha Brewing, their taproom situated in a converted railway arch. Originally primarily a bar, and less than four years old, the brewing operation has expanded to the point they could offer 12 beers on draft, all keg. In what would become a theme on a hot sunny day I chose a lighter option called “Halo Orbit”, a 4.8% session IPA, and my wife “Chasing Pulsars” their lager. Both lasted no time at all, always a good sign, and we set off too the next venue.
Moor brewery started in 2007, and has always been a favourite of mine. They pride themselves on unfined, unfiltered and unpasteurised beer in all dispense forms – cask, keg, can and bottle, which makes them more CAMRA friendly than most “craft” breweries. I can recommend Old Freddie Walker, a 7.4 % old strong ale, but that was too much for the early stages of the trail, so we tried the “Illumination” 4.3% English pale ale on cask, and “Kellerbier lager”. They take the lager seriously, such that the storage tanks for the “lager” stage are installed on their side to improve the process. It works, because we ended up having a second, so impressed were we. Worth noting that Moor taproom is a music venue too, with a strong emphasis on rock and punk in all forms, which we would have been happy to listen to, but hadn’t started in the early afternoon of our visit. Quick shout out to Stoked Mexican street eats, for some delicious loaded nachos.
Next a short walk to Good Chemistry brewing, the only taproom that is not frequently open. As was the case for most of the breweries there were cask options, and I tried the “Marmalade waves” 4% pale ale. Described as having “marmalade floral biscuit” flavours, this was exactly how it came across, and probably the most memorable beers I had on the trail. The orangey taste was spot on for a sunny afternoon.
Half way in, and on we went to Left Handed Giant. Now a larger brewery on the Bristol scene, with another large taproom in the city centre. At this stage it was apparent that the trail was a popular option, with a queue for beer, and no seating until people moved on. We had “Go On Then”, a 4.2% cask pale ale, and “Alpina” lager. Both perfectly pleasant, but the crowds and the first instance of the Bristol staple Drum and Bass through the sound system meant we just had the one. I will give them additional credit as the only taproom serving in glass, despite the large crowd.
Wiper and True surprised me, in that it was at a new large brewery location, not the smaller one I’d visited on the trail previously. They do brew some Stouts I love (Milk Shake, Hard Shake, Espresso Martini Shake), but none were on draft, so we had “Today” Munich Lager and “Kaleidoscope” a 4.2% Pale, mainly because they were on a smaller bar with much shorter queues than the main one. Call me old, but it made sense at the time!
So on to the final brewery, and another favourite of mine, Arbor. I choose “Mosaic” 4.0% pale to start followed by “Citrus Maxima” a 4.0% lemon and lime pale, and my wife “Helles” lager. All very drinkable on a sunny afternoon, and highly recommendable. Again it was now very busy, and the Drum and Bass was in full effect, but at that stage we didn’t care so much. I love a black IPA and “The Devil Made Me Brew it” is a great example, but it wasn’t on draft, so I bought a (pint) can of it, plus a can of “Rubber Dingy Rapids” 10% impy stout, not least for the Sheffield connection……
A short walk to the Laurence Hill station and back into town at the end of a highly enjoyable session.
I can’t say the trail is picturesque, think Attercliffe industrial units, but six breweries in close proximity is impressive, with a wide beer choice (there were options other than pales and lager!) and I recommend it if you are interested, with the next weekend trail on the 23rd and 24th August.
As far as an impromptu socials goes, you can’t beat a beer festival in the sunshine.
I arrived to join others around 17:00, to an already packed terrace with no seats to be had. The band was warming up, the food was cooking and the beer flowing.
There was a change from last year, and to be honest, not for the better. The cider tent was placed in a small corner, unlike the double-fronted location of last year. This caused a very congested stand this time around. Fortunately the ciders made up for it and they were proving popular, looking like they were in danger of selling-out the next day!
To begin, I started with a Thornbridge not sampled before, Black & Gold. A nice hoppy pale of a blonde/golden character. Lots of flavour in its 3.4% though, and an easy starter.
Steve, Andy, Paul and Dan at the Student Union beer & cider festival
I joined Paul M, Bev, Dan, and Bev’s sister Teri and husband, Steve for a chat all things ale and beyond. Andy Morten of 50k+ beers fame joined the gathering, but wasn’t stopping too long. It wasn’t long before my friend Bleddyn made it there with his pint of Brew York’s Maris the Otter, a 3.9% bitter from this excellent brewery renowned for its stouts.
Bev, Steve and Teri at the Student Union beer & cider festival
We were a bit jaded, so decided to get a seat, where we were joined my another friend Gordon. We soon felt peckish after the beer, so a Currywurst was purchased, and it was very tasty with fries, sauerkraut and mini-gherkins at £6.90.
The now seated Kevin, Bleddyn and Gordon at the Student Union beer & cider festival
Paul, Bev, Dan and Co bade their farewells, as they were continuing on more beer trails.
Being a suckered for a flavoured stout, my eyes were drawn to the Neepsend Jasmin’s Jamaican Rum Cake Stout. Quite thin and only 4.8%, but the flavour didn’t disappoint.
Now the problem is, sitting opposite the TV advertising beers. You’re always going to see one you have to sample. In this case it was an old favourite Thornbridge Baize, the legendary Mint Chocolate Stout. 5.5% like an After Eight in a glass, not cheap but worth it.
Time for departure, and a walk through town and the West Street Strip to catch my last bus, after a swift last one in the Bankers Draft. We’ll be back next year, possibly attending the Friday evening, and the Saturday, football fixtures allowing?
the printed beer & cider list at the Student Union beer & cider festival
As we head into summer, it is a great time to be heading out into the countryside to visit some of the wonderful country pubs on our patch! In Sheffield & District we are lucky to have the Peak District National Park offering a rural landscape that is breathtakingly beautiful and some useful bus and train links to get you around. For this month’s PUBlic Transport column I thought I’d highlight a few of the routes to try.
A Derbyshire Wayfarer ticket offers unlimited travel all day on any local bus or train in Derbyshire (except the Peak Sightseer tour) plus direct services between Sheffield City Centre and Derbyshire. The bus only ticket costs £9 whilst the bus and train option costs £17. Note you can’t use trains on weekdays before 9am. Alternatively at the moment there is a government funded bus deal where the maximum single fare is capped at just £3.
THE HOPE VALLEY LINE (along with buses 257 and 272)
Northern run an hourly local train service between Sheffield and Manchester that calls at Grindleford, Hathersage, Hope and Edale. Running parallel to the railway is bus route 272 Sheffield-Castleton which serves Fox House, Hathersage, Brough, Bradwell, Hope and Castleton. Both also serve Bamford railway station, however the village itself is a mile up the hill from there, which is served by bus 257 from Sheffield.
There are four pubs in Hathersage that serve real ale. The more down to earth venue in the centre of the village is the Little John Hotel where the tap room features a pool table and table football. A bit of a walk down the road past the railway station to Leadmill Bridge brings you to the Plough Inn with a fantastic choice of outdoor drinking areas. Elsewhere in the village is the George and the Scotsman’s Pack. Alternatively up in the hills with a spectacular view over the valley is the Millstone.
Bamford has just the one pub – the Anglers Rest, offering up to 6 cask ales including some from local breweries, however further up the road is the Yorkshire Bridge Inn and Ladybower Inn, located near the famous Derwent Dams and enjoy a wonderful setting by the reservoirs.
In Bradwell there are two pubs, including the White Hart, which is run by Bradfield Brewery. The bus also passes through Brough, home of Intrepid Brewery.
Hope is where you will find the Old Hall Hotel which hosts a beer & cider festival on most bank holiday weekends whilst across the road is the Woodroffe Arms, a tradional local, whilst down the lane towards Edale is the Cheshire Cheese Inn where you can enjoy cosy dining inside or al fresco drinking in their beer garden.
Castleton has enough pubs in the village for a full days pub crawl as well as a really good specialist off licence, whilst Edale has a couple of pubs including the Old Nag’s Head, which sits at the start of the Pennine Way footpath.
BUS 173 – BAKEWELL TO CASTLETON
If you are travelling from Sheffield, you can connect onto this rural minibus service by using the 218 to Bakewell or at the other end of the route you can connect at Hope from the train or bus 272. Alternatively bus 65 from Sheffield serves Litton and Tideswell. The single vehicle on route 173 shuttles up and down providing a departure once every 2 hours linking a number of villages and offering a scenic ride. Note this bus doesn’t run evenings or Sundays. Check the timetable carefully for the two trips a day that divert via Cressbrookdale.
In Great Longstone you’ll find a couple of pubs and in Little Longstone is the Packhorse Inn, a cosy little pub offering Thornbridge beer and home cooked food. Up the hill from here on the main road junction is Monsal Head with a view over the valley including the former railway viaduct below. You can take in the sights sat outside the Stables Bar behind the Monsal Head Hotel, which is also serves Thornbridge beer.
At Wardlow Mires is the legendary Three Stags’ Heads, a historical, no nonsense small two room pub listed in CAMRA’s National Inventory. A choice of local ales is available.
In Litton is the Red Lion, a cosy cottage style pub with real ales and food
Next along the route is Tideswell, there are three pubs here – the George Inn, Star and Horse & Jockey. A short distance outside the village and also on the bus route is the Anchor, which had its moment of fame as a result of providing tractor spaces in the car park catering for local farmers popping in for lunch!
BUS 65 – SHEFFIELD TO BUXTON
This bus service runs about once every 2 hours during the daytime, 7 days a week. There is no evening service. It serves a number of villages along the way including Grindleford, Calver, Eyam, Foolow, Great Hucklow, Tideswell, Litton and Millers Dale.
At Calver you’ll find the Calver Arms, Eyam the Miners Arms and in Foolow the Bulls Head. Great Hucklow is home to Eyam Brewery along with the Queen Anne pub. Hidden away from the main road at Millers Dale by the river is the Angler’s Rest.
BUS 257 – SHEFFIELD TO BAKEWELL (the long way round)
This bus provides an hourly service out of Sheffield via Yorkshire Bridge to Bamford seven days a week (no evening service) with buses continuing to Bakewell Monday to Saturday. There are some route variations at certain times of day to cater for rural school travel, however the core route runs via Hathersage, Grindleford, Calver, Stoney Middleton, Eyam and Baslow. If you are travelling from Sheffield to Baslow or Bakewell then bus 218 is more direct. The only village on this route not previously mentioned for buses 65, 173 or 272 is Stoney Middleton, here you will find the Moon Inn.
BUS X17 – BARNSLEY TO WIRKSWORTH
This bus links Sheffield, Chesterfield, Matlock, Matlock Bath, Cromford and Wirksworth.
PEAK SIGHTSEER – OPEN TOP BUS TOURS
Mentioned before and covering some of the above areas, two routes operate from 24 May until 25 October, with a daily service up to 21 September. The Red Route is a circular tour from Chatsworth House to Bakewell whilst the Blue route is a linear tour from Chatsworth House to Castleton via Baslow, Calver, Grindleford, Hathersage and Hope. Buses run daytime only on an hourly frequency and a couple of feeder trips run from Meadowhead, Woodseats, Millhouses and Totley. The tour ticket costs £12 and you can hop on and off as much as you like so can visit a pub or two along the way as well as enjoy the scenery!
BUS 61/62 – HILLSBOROUGH – BRADFIELD
These buses run a circular route from Hillsborough Interchange (you can connect with trams and other buses there) taking in Loxley, Bradfield, Dungworth and Stannington and run all day every day except Sunday. Pubs along the way include the Wisewood Inn (home of Loxley Brewery), Nags Head Inn (Bradfield Brewery’s original tap), Old Horns Inn (offering a fantastic view over the valley) and Bradfield Plough.
NEWS
First bus are no longer using X (formerly Twitter) and are directing customers to their app and website for service updates and information.
Rail replacement works take place on Supertram 24 to 30 May (between Cathedral and Middlewood/Malin Bridge), 28 July to 15 August (between Sheffield Station and Gleadless) and 16 to 29 August (between Hillsborough and Middlewood). Replacement buses will operate on the closed sections of route. Additionally Tram Train is not serving Rotherham on Saturday evenings until 25 October to allow a new station at Magna to be built – hopefully it will be open in time for Great British Beer Festival Winter next February!
Some changes in the Peak District part of our branch area already with Hulleys of Baslow going out of business, however the good news is all the routes continue to run with the service provided by new operators. The 271/272 Sheffield to Castleton has High Peak buses whilst the 173 Bakewell to Castleton along with the Monday to Saturday service on the 257 Sheffield to Bakewell via Bamford is in the hands of Andrews of Tideswell. The Summer Sunday service on route 257 is being provided by South Pennine Community Transport. Unrelated to the Hulleys situation, Bus 218 from Sheffield to Bakewell via Totley, which is operated by TM Travel, has now moved to the summer schedule with an improved Sunday frequency. Timetables at derbysbus.info.
Service changes in South Yorkshire and Chesterfield take place from 27 April. The 95a and 95b Walkley to Crystal Peaks are cut back to just run Walkley to Sheffield Interchange and the 75a Jordanthorpe to Fox Hill is cut back to Shiregreen. New service X11 is introduced providing a fast link between Sheffield, Waverley, Kimberworth and Maltby with many journeys extended to Doncaster. A number of other routes have timetable changes. Details are available at travelsouthyorkshire.com.
24 May sees the return of Stagecoach’s Peak Sightseer open top tour buses running from Chatsworth House to Bakewell (Red Route) and Castleton (Blue route). A couple of feeder trips are also available from Meadowhead, Woodseats, Millhouses and Totley. A ticket costs £12 for adults and £7 for concessions with a group deal available for up to 5 people travelling together for £30. Details at stagecoachbus.com.
Stagecoach’s Chesterfield depot has almost completed the introduction of brand new electric buses with a fleet of 18 single deckers and 39 double deckers. As well as being quieter and having better acceleration than the diesel buses they replace they also feature USB phone charging sockets, next stop announcements and air conditioning.In Sheffield look out for these buses on routes 42/43/44, 50/50a (Sheffield to Chesterfield) and X17 (Barnsley to Wirksworth) along with the Sunday service on route 65 (Meadowhall to Buxton).
Three B’s Micropub was established in Bridlington in 2020. Since opening it has won many awards both from CAMRA and other bodies. Following on from its success the pub is moving to a new site within Bridlington this spring. The new location is 2, Wellington Road, YO15 2BG. The map below shows the new pub location. The new site will feature 5 handpulls (from 4 at the current site) plus craft keg taps and a large beer fridge. The biggest asset the new pub will have is a large beer garden with seating for around 50 people at maximum.
It is hoped the new location will be open by around the end of April, in the meantime it will continue to trade at its current location on Marshall Avenue. Check out the pubs social media for updates.
Our annual Hillsborough Social took place on Friday 21 Feb at The Pangolin on Middlewood Road. On arriving from town, after meeting an old St Luke’s friend, there was a healthy dozen or so drinkers ready to sample the delights the district has to offer.
My drink of choice was Brid’s Cross, a brewery I was not familiar with, Ash and Elm, a pale with piney, malty notes. A very pleasant APA of 4.5%.
Next was the short hop over the tram tracks to the excellent little Micropub, The Beekeeper. This bar always has 3 pumps on, one normally being a new Neepsend brew. To that end, I sampled their Muisca, a 5.5% American IPA.
Heading to Hillsborough corner, we popped in the Northern Monkey who are making an effort to stock 2 cask, one of which was the nice Doctor Morten’s Duck Baffler, a simple American pale ale of 4.1% for easy quaffing.
Across the traffic lights sits The Hillsborough Tap, always quite lively and has 5 cask pumps. Unfortunately, they had the SWFC match on, and it wasn’t going well, so after a quick half, we made our way to the Rawson Spring.
This Wetherspoon establishment is set in the old swimming baths, and the spectator gallery is still visible. There is always a selection of 5-6 guest ales, and at a very good price with your CAMRA voucher. Mine was a pale, although being later in the night, I forgot to note it.
Finally, to conclude the evening, we decamped to the Beer House S6. This larger ale bar has a regular 5 cask, a cider on handpump, then 4-5 keg. There always seems to be a Two by Two or a Big Trip on, so a safe pair of hands on choice.
So, another one over, and again a good turnout to support this thriving little beer community.
UPCOMING PUB TRIP SOCIALS:
19 April – Doncaster by train
24 May – Matlock by bus
6 June – Fuggle Bunny Brewery tap
21 June – Huddersfield by train
July – Peak District by bus (details TBC)
30 August – New Mills by train including Torrside brewery tap
Stockport was once described by Friedrich Engels as “the duskiest, smokiest hole.” However, when I arrived at the station, it was bathed in sunshine and was a few degrees warmer than the Sheffield I had left 40 minutes ago. Having no romantic interest on the day, I consoled myself with beer.
The town has a history for hatting, but was also one of the first centres of the Industrial Revolution with the River’s Goyt and Tame merging to form the Mersey for transportation.
Walking down into town, my first establishment was the White Lion on Gt Underbank. A nice ornate pub serving 3 cask ales. Mine being a Weetwood Chesire Cat, a blonde/Golden 4%.
On exiting I tackled the short, steep cobbled hill to the Market Place. A 12th century feature, which contains the Angel Inn. A small bar selling 3 cask of which the Beartown Best Bitter 3.7% session strength, was partaken, as I had not tried this one before. It was here I met Stephen Oakes and his Cockapoo, Boo. Who was very friendly, and recommended a few establishments some of which were on my GBG list.
Armed with this info, I set off up the town and over a colourful bridge to reach the Petersgate Tap, a micro bar which was busy with locals. The bar has capacity for 6 cask and I had the Horwich-based Blackedge Blonde at 4.5%. Followed by a Small World Beers Barncliffe Bitter, again sessionable at 3.7%.
I was OK for time, and decided on the longer walk towards the A6 Manchester Road to The Magnet on Wellington Rd. This pub is atop the incline and is overshadowed by the railway’s arches. Inside is a treasure trove of cask and keg, displayed on a TV screen. I had my first stout of the day, Riverhead’s Winter Stout. A lovely dark-roast brew, thinner than usual but a reasonable 4.8%. Enjoying this pub I twisted my own arm to have a Mallinsons Nectaron, a pleasant 4.1% pale.
A walk back down to the towns Frenchgate Centre, saw me at the Swan With Two Necks, a Roninsons pub on Princes St selling Unicorn, a 4.2% Bitter which is pleasantly hopped. I had a great conversation with an older couple who had similar tastes in music, and who travelled Europe extensively on their motorcycle.
It was time to climb the cobbled hill again, to Bakers Vaults in Market Place, a spacious venue with a good choice of cask. Among these was the Staggeringly Good Forward to the Past, an American IPA, a tasty 5.2%. With around 75 minutes remaining, I had the walk back towards the station to Ye Olde Vic, a very traditional pub with an older charm. It boasted 3-4 ales and I plumped for the 4Ts S.P.A. at 3.8%.
A short hop, up and down to the station saw a prompt train return me to Sheffield, with time for a couple of halves (a Derby Rheingold, 3.8% and a Prime Pacific, 4.2%) in the Two and Six Micropub to end the enjoyable day.
