A Southwell Stroll

The nights are drawing in and the weather has a distinctly autumnal feel to it at the moment, but it takes a lot more than that, or 2 weeks worth of flu-like symptoms, to stop me from getting out and about. Once again finding myself with some spare time and spare cash, I decided to head out for an exploration of a place that I'd never visited, despite it being not too far away. Staying within county lines on this occasion, and being solo for this trip, yesterday I took the opportunity to head to Southwell.
Southwell  is a town in Nottinghamshire, the site of Southwell Minster, the cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham covering Nottinghamshire. Its population of under 7,000 increased to 7,297 at the 2011 Census. The origin of the name is unclear. The town lies on the River Greet, about 14 miles (22 km) north-east of Nottingham. Other historic buildings include the prebendal houses in Church Street and Westgate, and the Methodist church, which has a right of way running under it, so that the upper floor seats more than the lower. The workhouse, built in 1824, was a prototype for many others. It is owned by the National Trust and shows its appearance and conditions in the 19th century. Behind the Minster is a partly ruined palace, once a residence of the Archbishop of York. It includes the recently restored State Chamber, Cardinal Wolsey's former dining room, and gardens amongst the ruins.
The origin of the name is unclear. Several locations claim to be the original "well", notably at GR SK708535 where a plaque has been placed; in the Admiral Rodney public house; on the south side of the minster, known as Lady Well in the 19th century; and one by the cloisters, called Holy Well. Norwell, eight miles north-west, may support the idea of a pair of "south" and "north" wells.

The remains of a large, opulent Roman villa were excavated beneath the minster and its churchyard in 1959. Part of a mural from the excavation is displayed in the minster. The villa is one of three examples of its type found in the territories of the Corieltauvi (or Coritani) tribes – along with Scampton in Lincolnshire and Norfolk Street in Leicestershire. A section of the Fosse Way runs on the opposite bank of the River Trent with evidence of a Roman settlement at Ad Pontem ("to the bridge" or "at the bridge"), northwest of the village of East Stoke. There is no specific evidence of a road link between Ad Pontem and Southwell. Other evidence of a Roman settlement includes the use of Roman bricks in the prebendary buildings around the minster, remains of a ditch or fosse was discovered at Burgage Hill in the 19th century, and speculative Roman remains beneath the Church Street site of the recently vacated Minster School. 

The Venerable Bede records the baptism of numerous converts in the "flood of the Trent" near Tiovulginacester by Paulinus in the presence of Edwin of Northumbria whom he had converted to Christianity in 627. There is no agreement on the exact location of Tiovulginacester, but Paulinus certainly visited the locale, and possibly founded the first church in Southwell. 

The remains of Eadburh, Abbess of Repton and daughter of Ealdwulf of East Anglia were buried in Southwell's Saxon church. Eadburh was appointed Abbess under the patronage of King Wulfhere of Mercia. She appears in the Life of Guthlac and is believed to have died around AD 700. Her remains were buried or translated to Southwell Minster, where her relics were revered in the Middle Ages. The only reference is in a Pilgrims Guide to Shrines and Burial Places of the Saints of England, supposedly written in 1000, which records: "There resteth St. Eadburh in the Minster of Southwell near the water called the Trent."

Eadwy of England gifted land in Southwell to Oskytel the Archbishop of York, in 956. Eadwy's charter is the first dated reference to Southwell. Evidence of a tessellated floor and the 11th-century tympanum over a doorway in the north transept are evidence of construction of the Minster after this time. The Domesday Book of 1086 has much detail about an Archbishop's manor in Southwell. 

A custom known as the "Gate to Southwell" originated after 1109 when the Archbishop of York, Thomas I wrote to every parish in Nottinghamshire asking for contributions to the construction of a new mother church. Annually at Whitsuntide, contributions known as the "Southwell Pence" were taken to the Minster in a procession that set off from Nottingham, headed by the Mayor and followed by clergy and lay people making a pilgrimage to Southwell's Whitsun Fair. The Southwell Pence were paid at the north porch of the minster to the Chapter Clerk. The "gate" in the name of the Southwell Gate means "street", as it does in many East Midland and North-Eastern street names, after the Norse word "gata". The custom in its original form persisted well into the 16th century. It was revived in 1981 by the Dolphin Morrismen, but the imposition of traffic management costs forced the organisers to abandon the custom in 2014. It is survived by The Gate to Southwell Festival a broad spectrum roots and acoustic music event established in 2007 which takes place annually in early June on a site near Southwell and at various venues around the town. 

Geoffrey Plantagenet was ordained as a priest at Southwell in 1189. On 4 April 1194, Richard I and the King of Scots, William I, was in Southwell, having spent Palm Sunday in Clipstone. King John visited Southwell between 1207 and 1213, ostensibly for the hunting in Sherwood Forest, but also en route in an expedition to Wales in 1212.

The Saracen's Head was built in 1463 on land gifted in 1396 by the Archbishop of York, Thomas Arundel, to John and Margaret Fysher. When built, the first floor overhung the roadway in the vernacular of the time.

In 1603, James VI of Scotland passed through Southwell on his way to London to be crowned King James I. 

During the English Civil War, King Charles I spent his last night as a free man in May 1646 in the Saracen's Head (then the King's Head), before surrendering to the Scottish Army stationed at nearby Kelham. The fabric of the town, the minster and Archbishop's Palace suffered at the hands of Oliver Cromwell's troops, as they sequestered the palace as stabling for their horses, broke down monuments, and ransacked the graves for lead and other valuables. In 1793, iron rings fastened to the walls to secure the horses were still in situ. The end of the civil war left the Archbishop's Palace in ruins apart from its Great Hall. It is reputed that Cromwell also stayed in the King's Head.

In 1656, a Bridewell was built on the Burgage. It was enlarged in 1787 when it became a prison for the county. There is evidence that a house of correction was built in 1611, so the Bridewell may itself have been an enlargement. Mary Ann Brailsford was baptized at Southwell in May 1791, and Matthew Bramley in 1796 in Balderton. 

By 1801, the population was 2,305. In 1803, Lord Byron stayed with his mother in Burgage Manor during his holidays from Harrow and Cambridge. His mother rented the house; although by that time he had become 6th Baron Byron of Rochdale, the family home, Newstead Abbey required significant remedial work, which they could not afford. 

As the site of an Anglican cathedral, the town is sometimes considered to be a city, and was treated as such in the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica. However, its city status is not recognised by the government. Southwell has an active Town Council. 

The town is something of an oddity for North Nottinghamshire, being visibly affluent, when compared with its near neighbours of Newark-on-Trent and Mansfield. Whereas agriculture and coal respectively have seen the fortunes of the other two towns fluctuate over the years, Southwell has remained an area of residence for many of Nottingham's wealthiest residents. It was featured in The Sunday Times shortlist of 'Best Places to Live 2017' for the Midlands region. 

In most parts of Nottinghamshire, 'Southwell' is pronounced SUH-thull, with a voiced 'th' (as in 'the' or 'there') and a silent 'w'. Residents of Southwell itself tend to pronounce the name as it is spelt.

It was here that the well-known Bramley cooking apple was first seeded by Mary Ann Brailsford in 1809. A local nurseryman Henry Merryweather, 17 years old, saw its potential and cultivated it from cuttings. The apple is now used across the cookery world and is renowned for its acidic taste and the fact that it cooks to a smooth puree. One of the local football clubs, Southwell City, is nicknamed "The Bramleys", and the town's new library and youth centre is known as 'The Bramley Centre' in honour of the town's contribution to British cuisine. In March 2009, a stained glass window was installed in Southwell Minister, commemorating the Bramley apple's 200th anniversary.

Despite not having a railway station, Southwell is still easily accessible from Nottingham city centre and so, around 11.15am I boarded the NCT Pathfinder 26 service which would take me right into the heart of this historic town. Approximately 45 minutes later, I had arrived and immediately set about getting my bearings and working out my route for the day. Disembarking at Park Terrace, I followed the main road and turned right which in a couple of minutes brought me directly to the area known as Market Place where my first 2 locations sit conveniently opposite each other. The first of these, on the right, sits on the junction of Market Place and Church Street and would be my first stop of the day. The investigation of Southwell began at the Crown Hotel.

Situated almost next door to the famous Minster, the Crown is a Marston's run establishment in a building that dates from the 18th century. Inside, there is a large main room with a small restaurant area to one side, a curved bar at the back of the room and a small games room to the left of the entrance which contains a pool table and dartboard. A door to the rear leads to the gents toilets and a large outdoor area which includes a covered space with picnic style benches. There is also accommodation on the floors above, accessed through a separate door in the bar area. The décor is largely scrubbed wooden tables and chairs and there is a TV in one area that plays Sky News with the sound on. The bar itself features 2 banks of handpumps, 6 in total, separated from each other by a pillar. On the day of my visit, 2 of the pumps were in use, offering a choice of Wychwood Hobgoblin Gold and McEwan's Head Space. I decided on the Head Space (4.2%), billed as a Scotch whisky beer. Following a slight delay whilst the barman found out the price (the till had crashed due to some wiring work that was being carried out), I made my way over to a round table in front of the aforementioned TV. The beer is a dark reddish-brown in colour with a distinctive fruitiness and a smooth finish. However, try as I might, I couldn't detect even the slightest whisky flavour. This was a definite disappointment and the overall product suffers as a result. Thankfully, the surroundings were welcoming enough. I suspect that the whisky is more pronounced in the bottle conditioned version. 

Leaving the Crown, my next destination was not far away at all. As mentioned earlier, it is actually across the road, running parallel with the route through the centre of town. Getting to it means negotiating an oddly treacherous traffic junction and mini roundabout but, in no time at all, I reached the Saracen's Head.

This former coaching inn dates from 1430 and was originally known as the King's Head. The archway in the centre of the façade leads through to the old stable block, now used as accommodation. It was here, in 1647, that the then monarch Charles I spent his last night of freedom before surrendering to Scottish forces at nearby Kelham. Following his execution, the name of building was changed to the Saracen's Head, perhaps in reference to the King's son or the belief that a Saracen sword was used in Charles' execution. Whatever the reason, the historical importance of this building has clearly prevented its most well known visitor from leaving. An apparition, believed to be Charles I, has been sighted in corridors and heard walking the hallways, often accompanied by a feeling of dense air around the observer. The late monarch is not alone in his wanderings. The spirt of Lord Byron has occasionally been sighted in the laundry room. The shade of a man in 18th century clothing, complete with powdered wig, has also been seen along with a female ghost in nineteenth century dress. She is believed to be Miss Clements, who died on the site in 1857 after being run down by a cart driven by the son of the then owner. The interior of the pub retains the historical feel in a more physical form. The main entrance leads to a central corridor with access to the rooms and function area directly ahead. To the right, another doorway leads to the cosy bar area. The bar itself is square, with seating positioned in front and around, in the form of scrubbed tables and chairs to left and right and high tables and stools directly opposite beneath the original mullioned windows. A real log fire is located in one corner, which nicely warms the room on what is a very cold day. The bar features a bank of 3 handpumps, 2 of which were in use on the day, with a choice of Timothy Taylor Landlord and Greene King Abbot Ale. Greene King IPA is also available through a large metal font which seems oddly out of place amongst the traditional fixtures and fittings. A bell for service is mounted on one of the vertical beams on the bar in case no staff are present when you arrive. Luckily for me that wasn't the case and I was soon perched on a high stool enjoying a very well kept drop of Landlord (4.3%). I will always maintain that the quality of beer at a venue should far outweigh the choices available and that's certainly the case here. I would much rather enjoy one very well kept beer than be disappointed by 6 mediocre ones. The Saracen's Head is certainly an historic and atmospheric place to enjoy a beer on a cold November afternoon and the food offering sounds incredible so I may have to return here for sustenance in the future. 

It was soon time to move on again and, once again, I didn't have far to go. Leaving the Saracen's Head, I turned left and continued along the main road, which eventually became King Street. A short distance away, lies the Admiral Rodney.

This is a traditional two roomed pub and hotel on the main high street that has retained a lot of traditional features. Entrances to the front and side lead to a central bar that serves both rooms, with seating spread out around the peripheries of the room, in the form of tables and chairs and comfortable sofas. Exposed beams dominate much of the décor and a plaque in one area identifies the site of a well that was uncovered during renovation work and is one of many that claims to have given the town its name. The pub was also awarded Pub of the Season by Newark CAMRA back in 1999. A TV occupies one wall of the front bar space. The bar features 2 banks of 4 handpumps, one at each side, doubled up with the same selection of beers. My choices for the day were Brewsters Octo-Beer, Sharp's Doom Bar, Dancing Duck Ay Up and Castle Rock Harvest Pale. I decided to go for the Octo-Beer (4%). This is a seasonal beer from the female-run, Grantham-based Brewsters, a brewery who can do no wrong in my eyes. This beer is no exception. Made with 4 malts and 4 different hops, this is a deliciously fruity pale ale with lots of citrus and tropical fruit flavours that deliver a crisp, clean and refreshing finish. I thoroughly enjoyed it as I sat on a high stool at the bar, taking in the ambience of another very welcoming and historic pub. If the stories are to be believed, I'm not the only person drawn in by the atmosphere. A phantom man with a beard, nicknamed 'Ballroom Charlie' has been spotted on numerous occasions by several previous landlords. Whether the incumbent has had any such run-ins remains to be seen.

There was a touch more walking required in order to get to my next destination. But first, an exercise in the art of striking whilst the iron is hot. On my way up the hill off of the high street, I passed The Wheatsheaf, a pub that was on my itinerary for the day. Unexpectedly, the doors were open earlier than I thought they would be. My plan was to come back to the pub later in the day after visiting my next destination and so, at this point, I chose to keep on going. I would soon rue my mistake for reasons that will become clear. Continuing on my way, I headed downhill on Burgage Lane, emerging on Newark Road where I turned left and crossed over. A couple of minutes later, I reached Station Road where I turned right and saw my next stop at the end of the road on the left. I was very excited about this pub: the Good Beer Guide listed Final Whistle.

This cracking pub is located adjacent to the Southwell Trail, a disused railway line that is now a popular walking trail. Formerly known as the Newcastle Arms, the pub was refurbished and renamed in 2010 as part of the Everards Project William initiative. The pub is multi-roomed and heavily railway themed with lots of railway memorabilia throughout. The rear courtyard garden has been laid out like a mock train station, complete with a small section of track and also includes a separate bar and a function room called the 'Locomotion'. Its reputation is further enhanced by it being named local CAMRA Branch Pub of the Year in both 2017 and 2019. The bar is L-shaped and features 10 handpumps in 2 banks of 5, with a bank on each of the 'arms' of the L. The choice is decent and vast. On my visit, my options were Brewsters Hophead, Salopian Oracle, Everards Tiger, Oakham Bishop's Farewell, Draught Bass, Elland 1872 Porter, Raw Grey Ghost IPA, Maypole Storm Brewing, Fuller's London Pride and Buxton Simcoe IPA. Slightly stunned by the choices in front of me, it took me a moment or 2 to decide but I eventually ruled in favour of Storm Brewing (4.5%) from Maypole in nearby Eakring. This proved to be an excellent choice. Maypole's version of a wheat beer is unfined and unfiltered making it naturally hazy. It's packed with classic wheat beer flavours of coriander and orange with notes of banana and cloves. More breweries should do this sort of thing in cask. When it's done properly it's superb! I enjoyed my beer sat in a round table to one side of the bar, near the corridor that leads to the garden and toilets and just within reach of the log fire. The aesthetics of this place are great, from the railway station signage that points to the loos, to the mounted deer head and the interior window repurposed from an old station ticket office. It's not difficult to see why this place is so highly praised both locally and further afield. I had a bit of time to kill before moving on so it would have been downright rude not to have another beer! My second option was from Oakham. Bishop's Farewell (4.6%) is a golden yellow beer with powerful citrus flavours, fruit and hops in the aroma and a bittersweet finish. Bittersweet indeed, as was my feelings about leaving this pub. Still, there was more work to do.

I retraced my steps slightly upon leaving the Final Whistle, leaving Station Road and turning left. This time however, I continued down Newark Road to the very end where I turned right onto Easthorpe. I then followed Easthorpe to the junction with Church Street where, once again, I turned right. A few yards further on, on the right hand side, I saw my next stop, signposted by the resplendent green livery of Everards. Next up, the Hearty Goodfellow.
 

Dating from the 18th century, this friendly pub is one of those with split opening times. On the day in question it was due to close at 3pm and then reopen at 5pm. Luckily for me, I'd timed my arrival for around 2.30ish so there was no great rush. Inside, the interior consists of a large room divided into 3 areas with seating areas to both sides of the main entrance and a smaller area to one side. The bar occupies most of the space at the back of the room and there is a small passage to one side of this which leads to the toilets. A large garden is to the rear along with a covered area for both eating and drinking. Potwell Dyke can be found to the rear of the garden. The bar includes 8 handpulls, 7 of which were available at the time of my arrival. One of these was occupied by Lilley's Tropical Cider with the others being doubles of beers from the Everards range, namely Tiger, Sunchaser and Golden Hop. I opted for the Tiger, as I've always enjoyed Everards beers and haven't had it for quite a while. I found myself in the unusual position of being served by the barman's girlfriend as he'd gone to the toilet just before I arrived and returned just as my beer was being topped up. No harm done. There's many a time I've been in a similar situation. I picked up my beer and chose a spot on a long bench with my back to the windows. I can confirm that the Tiger was in excellent condition, as you'd expect from one of it's 'home' pubs. It being the middle of the day on a Tuesday, I was the only customer which gave me plenty of opportunity to take in my surroundings. The walls and seating areas are decorated with old photos of places and people of Southwell and the original windows still display Smoke Room and Bar Room, a throwback to a time when such divisions were necessary and expected. There was also a nice, festive feel thanks to the soundtrack of Christmas songs being beamed from the bar. It's not Christmas until I hear the Pogues and I haven't yet so it isn't. This is certainly a homely little place and I got the sense that it's very much at the centre of its community. There's also something a little bit more unusual inside. The laughter of a young boy has been heard by witnesses on more than one occasion, usually when the pub is quiet and no children are present. The identity and origin of this phenomenon are unknown but it provides an interesting addition to the pub's history.

Soon, I embarked out into the November chill again. Pleasingly, it turned out that a pub I'd pencilled in for a bit later had already opened and was only a short walk away. With that, I turned my attentions to the Bramley Apple Inn.

Named after the eponymous fruit, the first example of which was grown in a garden a few doors down, the Bramley Apple has recently been taken over by new owners from the local area. This has led to earlier opening hours and the early stages of refurbishment. Inside, the layout is open plan, with a long bar serving an area that is reminiscent of a living room with a variety of furniture throughout. A smallish snug area at one end contains a small table, a couple of sofas and a TV. A second TV occupies space just inside the front door and opposite lies a pool table in a smaller space. A corridor running parallel to the bar behind a dividing a wall has recently been opened up by the new owner, who was serving behind the bar whilst I was there. Pleasingly, the bar features 6 handpulls, 4 of which were available. My options on the day were Beermats Matrix IPA, Mallard Duck & Dive, Nottingham Rock Mild and Beermats Pragmatic. I'd heard good things about the Matrix IPA, so it seemed like a reasonable choice. At 5.4%, this is an American style IPA with big flavours of orange and grapefruit and citrus notes. It's very nice indeed and surprisingly easy drinking for the strength. A good friend of mine recently had this on at the football club bar that he runs and apparently it caused carnage amongst the older drinkers. On this evidence, it's easy to see why. I took a seat in the snug area and listened to the barman/owner talking to a couple of regulars about the upcoming changes that he plans to make. It's good to see a pub being refurbished for the better and some of the work has clearly started with areas of fresh paintwork and new light fittings. The pub also apparently has a poltergeist that likes to randomly turn off beer lines in the cellar. Given the numerous cases of renovation work causing or exacerbating paranormal activity, I wonder whether the current work has stirred up any unquiet spirits.

Following the Bramley Apple, my plan was to make my way to the Wheatsheaf and while away some time before the last 2 pubs of the day opened. However, upon making my way back to King Street, my plan was scuppered as the pub was closed. This was confusing, mainly as both the pub's own website and Whatpub suggested that it should have been open at that stage. I resolved myself to try one final time before I made my way home. With an hour to kill, I had a wander around the town, taking in the sites and regathering my bearings before I made my way to the next pub, which opened at 5pm. I'd passed it earlier but I now returned to the Easthorpe/Church Street junction to visit the Old Coach House.

Previously known as the White Lion, the pub occupies a corner plot. Inside, the layout is traditional and open plan with 5 distinct drinking areas around a central bar, exposed oak beams and brickwork and a large range fire. Seating consists of tables and stools and banquette seating around the perimeter. Brewery memorabilia occupies much of the wall space and an acoustic guitar sits propped just inside the main door. A patio/garden is located to the rear. Upon entering, I was greeted by a regular's dog who seemed just as happy to be in the pub as I was. I was also greeted by a bank of  7 handpulls, which certainly warmed my heart after the cold of outside. For my perusal were Doom Bar, Timothy Taylor Boltmaker, Woodforde's Wherry, Oakham Blue Skies IPA, Manchester The Messiah is my Citra, Rat White Rat and Oakham JHB. Despite the presence of Oakham, I was intrigued by the presence of both Woodforde's and Manchester so far from their respective homes and ultimately opted for the latter. At 4.2%, The Messiah is my Citra is an excellent pale ale, bone dry on the palate and stuffed, not surprisingly, with Citra. This gives it big hitting tropical flavours and a nice, well rounded mouthfeel. A very good choice indeed.

More walking would be required now. I made my way back down Church Street to the road junction with Market Place where both the Crown and the Saracen's Head glowed in their respective inner warmth. I decided to try my luck with the Wheatsheaf again but, for some reason, it remained closed to the outside world. Deciding to scrub that from the itinerary, I had one pub left to visit. Retracing my steps back to the junction, I this time continued on back to where I had first entered the town earlier in the day. On the opposite side of the road, bathed in electric light, was my final destination of this excursion. Making a break for it over the busy main road, I made my way into The Reindeer.

The Reindeer has been a pub since 1827 and occupies a good position on West Gate, the main road running towards the town centre. Inside, there is a large, open plan bar area with 3 drinking areas, a separate function room, B&B accommodation and a large garden, accessed through a door which also leads to an external corridor where the toilets are located. The main area in front of the bar has banquette seating and a log fire, another area to the left has more of the same seating in a snug style layout and there is a further area towards the rear. The bar is small and reverse L shaped with 5 handpulls on the longer edge. At the time of my visit, 4 of in these were in use, one of which offered Weston's Old Rosie cider. The remaining 3 provided a choice between Fuller's London Pride, Jennings Cumberland Ale and John Smith's Cask Bitter. I decided on the Cumberland (4%). This pours clear orange in appearance with a thick white head, floral aroma and flavours of spiciness and hops, rounded off by a bitter finish. It's kept well and a warming way to round off the day's events. With the lights of The Reindeer behind me, I made my way back to the bus stop for the journey back to the city.

My day in Southwell had certainly been worthwhile. The history of this small town has certainly shaped the character and atmosphere of its pubs and its people and left an indelible mark on the buildings and those that dwell there. The pubs are varied and the beer range fairly decent. The outstanding pub is clearly the Final Whistle which has certainly shown why it wins awards. The Old Coach House too was a very pleasant place for a beer with a much more diverse range than I initially expected to find. Whilst Southwell may not have the reputation of other towns in respect of its pubs scene or its beer range, what there is to be found is definitely worth finding. Whilst it's not so much of the beaten track, I think it's fair to say that it does perhaps get slightly overlooked. This is unfair and I hope my trip shows that there is certainly enough to keep the willing drinker going through the afternoon, even on the coldest of November nights. There's something to be said for throwing yourself into this sort of thing. You never know what you find.

Learning my A Beer C's!

Time certainly flies! Somehow we're now in the middle of October but that means one of the best times of the year has only recently been and gone. Last week saw the return of the annual Nottingham Robin Hood Beer & Cider Festival, a place of pilgrimage for many a year!
                                

Now in its 2nd year of at least 3 years at the Motorpoint Arena whilst Nottingham Castle is closed for redevelopment, this year's festival once again saw 1000 different beers from hundreds of different breweries, alongside ciders, a designated Key Keg bar, a gin bar and all manner of artisan stalls and food vans. The overall layout of the festival had been slightly altered from last year but still included the entire interior floor space and outside areas backstage and in Bolero Square. Who would be joining me on this year's session? Well, I'm glad you asked. Obviously, Amy would be accompanying me and were joined by Matt who had driven up from Bristol on the morning of our visit. We had once again opted to go on the Thursday. We've decided that this is our preferred session, largely because it's significantly less busy earlier in the day and there tends to be a lot more beer left over!

Matt arrived shortly after 10am and approximately an hour later, he and I hopped on the tram into the city centre where Amy was due to finish work at midday. Once our trio was complete, we made the short walk to the arena, handed over our tickets, collected our glasses and beer tokens and prepared to immerse ourselves in one of the greatest beer festivals in the land. Usually, I don't have much of a strategy in terms of picking beers and will tend to gravitate towards any beer names or styles that sound interesting. This year however, I was prepared and had a plan in place. My goal would be to work my way through the alphabet, choosing breweries in alphabetical order from A-Z and see how far I could get. It was going to be an intriguing few hours but a rewarding one nonetheless.

It, of course, made sense to start at A. Amy and Matt were both very supportive of my strategy and so accompanied me to the first destination which turned out to be a relatively local brewery. My first beer of the day came from Alter Ego, based in Heanor. Sidekick (4.5%) is a fruity, session IPA with flavours of orange, grapefruit, citrus and underlying pine notes. It was a very good choice to begin the day and Amy agreed after following suit. Matt opted for Ohm (4%) from Hull-based Atom, which turned out to be a very tasty west coast pale ale. We decided to enjoy our first beer sat in the backstage outside space at a picnic style table whilst we perused our programs and tried to identify beers for later on in the day. I knew straight away that my next beer would either be from Black Iris or Blue Monkey for reason of quality as well as continuity. I ultimately decided to opt for the latter over the former. Returning to the inside area, we approached the Blue Monkey brewery bar. Matt dived straight in with the Baboonska (8.5%), a Russian imperial stout brewed in collaboration with Nottingham CAMRA and here offered in both cask and key keg. Having tried both, Matt decided that the extra cooling offered by the key keg brought out the flavours more and stuck to his guns. I, on the other hand, went slightly more conventional with Guerrilla (4.9%), a malty pitch-black beer with a genuinely robust bitterness. Amy went for a different style again with the Fat Ape (7%), a strong, warming, golden IPA. Blue Monkey has become a must visit at the beer festival and I feel like I should make more effort to visit their pubs in the region. The beer is always excellent. We decided to make our way out to Bolero Square to take in more of the ambience where we found a handy table under a marquee just as a short shower started. It wasn't long before more beer was required. Matt and Amy both decided to try their luck at the nearby Navigation Brewery bar, one of 2 they had in the outside areas. Matt chose New Dawn (3.9%) a pale, straw-coloured beer with a well-hopped flavour and refreshing finish. Amy chose Saviour (5.5%), their version of an American pale ale with grapefruit, citrus and tropical fruit flavours. My next destination though, lay back in the main arena. As much as I love good beer, I also love a good pun (as some of you may have noticed throughout these entries) and my next brewery combines both in equal measure. We had now made our to the Brew York bar and I'd already decided on Haze of Thunder (get it?), a 4.6% juicy, hazy pale ale. It was a cracker of a beer and I was glad I'd doubled up on 'B' breweries.

Needless to say, it wasn't long before I was lining up a beer for 'C'. I found it in the form of Crooked Brewery, based in Church Fenton, North Yorkshire and a beer called Bang (5.2%). This was an interesting one, a dark ale flavoured with blackcurrant and Thai ginger, which was initially sweet and malty but had a subtle, spicy warming note at the end. Unusual, yes. Tasty, also yes. I decided we should go and say hello to my colleagues on the Magpie Brewery bar (more from them later) after which Amy decided the time was right to purchase more tokens and Matt did the same. I made the same decision a few beers later. Amy had decided to switch to cider and we made the short wander to the cider stand where there were hundreds to choose from. After some help from the excellent volunteers, Amy settled on a cider from Heck's of Somerset that went down very well indeed. Matt had procured a particularly lively key keg beer from the Ferry brewery bar and I had lined up my next beverage. 'D' was covered by Digfield of Barnwell, Northamptonshire and their Mad Monk (4.8%), a smooth, rich porter. Dark beers would become something of a theme for the day, in a departure from my usual choices. I generally like most beer styles but have a habit of going for paler beers. Up to this point, it was 3-2 in favour of the dark stuff. The need for food was calling now but I picked up another beer for the walk to Bolero Square, levelling up the scores by going for Overdrive Lap 15 (5.5%), from Elusive of Wokingham, Berkshire. This is a big hitting American pale ale with Centennial and Cascade hops for proper hoppy flavours. Food was definitely a good idea now and Amy and Matt ordered loaded fries from a stall in Bolero Square. This consisted of fries covered in cheese and a choice of pulled pork or beef. Amy went for pork, Matt for beef and I was going to order my own but the portions were so massive that Amy let me share. Much needed it was too!

As I've previously mentioned, there are some breweries that always get visited at the beer festival, often as much for the novelty value as the excellent beer. My quota for 'F' would be just such a brewery as we headed backstage to the Steampunk-inspired bar for Funfair brewery, subject of much lyrical waxing in these pages in the past. My choice from their selection was Blockhead (5.3%), a traditional ginger beer flavoured with raspberry that pours bright pink and was served directly from an oversized papier mache head. What's not to love? By this stage of the afternoon, the live entertainment was in full swing and we had already witnessed the final couple of songs from a jazz/funk group made up of elder gentlemen. The stage was now occupied by an acoustic duo in the slot of what should have been a mod band, who I suspect pulled out although this was never confirmed. It was back to the pale beers for the next one. Now on 'G', I located Glastonbury brewery, somewhat confusingly based in Somerton, Somerset and Voodoo (4.8%) another fruity session IPA with grapefruit and pine flavours and a citrus aroma. This led to a reminiscence about our trip to Glastonbury with Matt which is somehow almost 3 years ago and can be read about in a prior entry. By now, Amy was well and truly staying on cider having found a delicious local cider called Floppy Tabs from Torkard Cider based in Hucknall. I was also well into the swing of things and starting to hit my stride. Next up was a beer that was very much out of left field. From Hybrid in Grangemouth, Jar Nektar (5.7%) is a farmhouse style saison with the addition of spicy pear and hints of banana. The fruity additions give it a distinctly weissbier flavour with banana and hints of clove, which dial down the sourness that I'm not normally keen on. It's unusual but brilliant!

My enjoyment of puns once again surfaced when it came to choosing my next beer. Inferno in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire have brewed a beer called Sloe Burner (6%). This is yet another dark beer, one in the form of a stout brewed with chocolate and sloe berries. Very nice it was too! We had now more or less positioned ourselves between the main arena floor and the backstage area in good view of the stage for when live music took our fancy again. This made for a very good base from which to access the majority of the beers. It was just as well really as my next choice wasn't very far away at all. Glasgow-based Jaw had now taken my fancy and I was won over by Wave (4.6%), billed as a Bavarian style weissbier. This hit all the right notes for the style and reminded me of the awesome saison from a couple of beers earlier. The day was moving forward very nicely indeed and I was impressed, as I always am, with the efficiency and dedication amongst all of the brewers, volunteers and other staff who we had encountered thus far. It was back on the dark again soon. This time, I veered towards the beers of Kinver, based in Compton, West Midlands. Witchfinder General (5.5%), brewed in collaboration with Phil Cope, former guitarist of the eponymous heavy metal band, is a strong, dark and heavy porter with dark undertones. Just what you'd expect to be honest! And this was by no means the last heavy metal reference of the day. The next band scheduled for the main stage were about as far removed from that genre as you could imagine. Electrik Vinyl were described as an 80s cover band who 'can be booked as a quartet, trio or duo'. We would soon see exactly what this would entail.

I'd made it all the way to 'L' at this point and the chosen beer for this letter would be from Litchborough Artisan in Towcester. Galaxy (4.5%) was yet another drop of the dark stuff, being a black IPA with delicate tropical fruit flavours. An odd combination yes but a successful one. We were all starting to feel the alcohol kicking in but, not to be deterred, we pushed on. I decided that it would be rude not to stick close to home for 'M' and show some brand loyalty in the process so we returned to the Magpie bar. After a moment's chat with my boss Katrina, during which I introduced her to Matt and reacquainted her with Amy, I chose Raven Sloe Berry (6%), a festival exclusive version of Raven Stout with added sloes and gin flavours. It was very much like drinking gin in dark beer form. Amy had tried the Chocolate Orange version earlier in the day and was similarly impressed. From my current employers, I then moved on the previous one. As well as their bar on Bolero Square, Navigation had a smaller mobile bar in the backstage area and it was to here that my attention would turn. Toffee Apple Amber (4%) is an excellent Autumn beer, dark amber in colour with a rich mouthfeel and a crisp, sweet finish. By the time I had returned from the bar, the band were in full swing. Electrik Vinyl turned out to be one guy and 2 girls (one of whom tried her best to look like she was playing a keyboard) who rattled through a large number of classic 80s songs including medleys of both Bananarama and Wham! as well as songs by Human League before closing on a suitably rousing version of 'We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off' by Jermaine Stewart. If nothing else, they were enthusiastic.

For my next dose of beer, I once again turned to a favourite brewery of mine, namely Oakham. As tempting as it was to have Citra, I branched out and instead went for Dragon (5%), a cask aged golden ale brewed with its namesake hop. Fresh, aromatic and with a real bite, it proved to be a superb choice. It was at this point that Amy decided to make her way home. I think she felt bad for leaving us but she'd been up very early and been at work before the festival so was feeling understandably tired. I would obviously return to her later. Matt and I soldiered on and the next stop for me was Pheasantry and their Smoking Rauch Bier (4.6%). This was a strange beast. A reddish, amber beer with a lingering spicy smokiness that did exactly what it said in the program. The next band were beginning to get underway and this consisted of four very talented musicians in a variety of novelty headwear belting out some classic and modern rock covers, interspersed with snippets of their own material. Finding a brewery for 'Q' was no easy task but I managed to locate just what I was looking for in the form of Q Brew from Carnforth, Lancashire. Chopper (5%) was the chosen offering, a pale IPA jammed with Chinook hops. The band were well underway now and Matt and I had an interesting discussion about the height of the drummer's cymbals and whether it was deliberate or the consequence of borrowing the headline band's kit. Thoughts of drums soon turned back to beer and the letter 'R'. Roman Way, based in Potterspury, Northamptonshire were the lucky recipients of my next tokens as I imbibed upon their Claudius IPA (4.7%). This was in every way in a traditional golden IPA with a good balance of malt and hops. The return from our latest beer run was heralded by a belting rendition of 'Rhinestone Cowboy' which prompted an impressive crowd singalong, although I don't know how many people know any words that aren't the chorus, with no disrespect to the late Glen Campbell.

Time was certainly moving on now and I was very close to my target of completing the alphabet. For 'S', I chose Steel City (no prizes for guessing where they're based) and the intriguingly named My Wine in Silence (5.5%). This turned out to be a pale ale, aged in white wine barrels and with the addition of grapes. It was very much like drinking wine but with a real beery kick. I wasn't sure what to expect but I enjoyed it. Heavy metal again got a nod with the next beer. Two Towers, from Birmingham, had provided Paranoid (5%), a porter with added chilli for delicious heat and warmth on a malty backbone. It's named after the song by Black Sabbath, who are from Birmingham in case you were unaware of the connection. This beer went down very well indeed, accompanied by the band rattling into a raucous rendition of 'Gay Bar' which then segued into 'Whole Lotta Love'. I was flagging decidedly by this point. I was so close and I pushed on once more. For 'U', Uppingham Brewhouse from Rutland got the nod. UB2 (4.3%) is a delicious golden ale that evokes memories of proper summer days. If the brewery don't do a red wine barrel aged beer called UB40 then they're missing a trick.

And with that, I could take no more. I'd gotten so close! My plan had worked to a point and I was impressed with how far I'd been able to take it. I'd found some absolutely belting beers with a hefty number being on the darker side of the beer spectrum. Ultimately however, I had been defeated. Imagine my dismay when I discovered that the only breweries remaining began with W and X and I'd tapped out just a couple of beers shy of my goal. Still, not to worry. I was pleased with myself for setting myself the challenge even if I didn't quite get over the finish line. As ever, the beer festival had been fantastic! We all had an awesome day and I think it's genuinely impossible to have a bad day at a beer festival. What better ways are there to spend an afternoon than with thousands of beers, a few live bands, cracking food and good company? Was I disappointed with myself? Yes, I was but I still got further than I think I expected to. And besides, there's always next year!

Browsing Belper

A week or so ago, having once again been blessed with a Friday off that also happened to be payday, I decided that the time was right for another solo trip, this time back into Derbyshire, an area that I have a considerable soft spot for. Taking advantage of the great early Autumn weather, I would be visiting a place that is renowned for having one of the best high streets in the East Midlands. Time would tell whether this also applied to its pubs. The stage was set for my trip to Belper.

Belper is a town and civil parish in the local government district of Amber Valley in Derbyshire, located about 7 miles (11 km) north of Derby on the River Derwent. As well as Belper itself, the parish also includes the village of Milford and the hamlets of Bargate, Blackbrook and Makeney. As of the 2011 Census, the parish had a population of 21,823. Originally a centre for the nail-making industry since Medieval times, Belper expanded during the early Industrial Revolution to become one of the first mill towns with the establishment of several textile mills; as such, it forms part of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. 

At the time of the Norman occupation, Belper was part of the land centred on Duffield held by the family of Henry de Ferrers. The Domesday Survey records a manor of "Bradley" which is thought to have stood in an area of town now known as the Coppice. At that time it was probably within the Forest of East Derbyshire which covered the whole of the county east of the Derwent. It was possibly appropriated by William de Ferrers, 4th Earl of Derby at some time after it was disafforested in 1225 and became part of Duffield Frith. 

The town's name is thought to be a corruption of Beaurepaire – meaning beautiful retreat – the name given to a hunting lodge, the first record of which being in a charter of 1231. This would have been the property of Edmund Crouchback, 1st Earl of Lancaster who died in 1296, the record of his estate mentioning "a capital mansion". The chapel built at that time still exists. Originally consecrated in 1250 as the Chapel of St Thomas, it was rededicated to St John during the reign of King Henry VIII. St John's Chapel is still in use today and is thought to be the oldest building still standing in Belper. 

The coal deposits of Derbyshire are frequently associated with ironstone within the clay substrate. Initially obtained from surface workings, it would later have been mined in shallow bell pits. It is thought that this was important for the de Ferrers family, who were ironmasters in Normandy. By the reign of Henry VIII Belper had grown to a substantial size. It is recorded that in 1609 fifty-one people died of plague. However, in a Parliamentary Commissioners' report of 1650 regarding Duffield and its chapelries, Belper is described as "a hamlet appertaining to Duffield". 

From at least the 13th century there were forges in the Belper and Duffield areas and iron-working became a major source of income, particularly nail making. By the end of the 18th century there were around 500 workshops in the town supplying nails to the newly built textile mills. The workshops were eventually superseded by machinery during the 19th century. Some of the nail-makers' houses are still in existence and form part of local tours of the town. 

The industrialist Jedediah Strutt, a partner of Richard Arkwright, built a water-powered cotton mill in Belper in the late 18th century: the second in the world at the time. With the expansion of the textile industry Belper became one of the first mill towns. In 1784 Strutt built the North Mill and, across the road, the West Mill. In 1803 the North Mill was burnt down and replaced by a new structure designed to be fireproof. Further extensions followed, culminating in the East Mill in 1913 – a present-day Belper landmark. Although no longer used to manufacture textiles the mill still derives electricity from the river, using turbine-driven generators.

Strutt had previously patented his "Derby Rib" for stockings, and the plentiful supply of cotton encouraged the trade of framework knitting which had been carried on in the town and surrounding villages since the middle of the previous century. Mechanisation arrived about 1850, but by that time the fashion for stockings for men was disappearing. However elaborately patterned stockings, for ladies especially, were coming into vogue, and the output of the Belper "cheveners" was much in demand.

The construction of the North Midland Railway in 1840 brought further prosperity. Belper was the first place in the UK to get gas lighting, at a works erected by the Strutts at Milford. Demand was such that in 1850, the Belper Gas and Coke Company was formed, with a works in the present Goods Road. Electricity followed in 1922 from the Derby and Nottingham Electrical Power Company's works at Spondon. The first telephones came in 1895 from the National Telephone Company. The end of the century also brought the motor car, CH218, owned by Mr. James Bakewell of the Elms being possibly the first.

Belper remained a textile and hosiery centre into the 20th century. Meanwhile, other companies were developing: iron founding led to Park Foundry becoming a leader in the solid-fuel central-heating market; Adshead and Ratcliffe had developed Arbolite putty for iron-framed windows; Dalton and Company, which had been producing lubricating oils, developed ways of recovering used engine oil proving useful during the Second World War. In 1938, A. B. Williamson had developed a substance for conditioning silk stockings; the introduction of nylon stockings after the Second World War seemed to make it redundant, but mechanics and fitters had discovered its usefulness in cleaning hands and it is still marketed by Deb Group as Swarfega. 

Something about the appearance and feel of Derbyshire mill towns has always made me feel welcome so I was filled with a feeling of excitement and anticipation as I arrived in Belper just after midday following a train journey of less than 45 minutes from Nottingham. It was time to dive in and see what the town had to offer. Leaving the train station, I made my way up a slope that leads to the rear of the nearby shopping precinct and, as I soon discovered, the rear of my first destination. Negotiating my way to the front entrance, the day's escapades began at The Railway.

Formerly known as The Railway Hotel, the pub has benefited from a recent high-quality refurbishment after being taken over by Hucknall based Lincoln Green brewery. The interior is light with areas of seating to either side of the door and opposite the bar, all with a comfortable feel and a mix of modern and traditional features. To the rear, there is access to an impressive, large garden with lots of picnic table style seating and old road signs mounted on a wall. The bar runs along one wall, facing into the main area of the pub and features 8 handpumps. This being a Lincoln Green pub, half the beers on offer are from their own range, namely Marion, Hood, Archer and Tuck. The remaining 4 feature guest beers, on this occasion being Timothy Taylor Knowle Spring, Theakston XB, Lincoln Green Strawbeeries & Cream (a seasonal) and Front Row Respect. I'm a fan of Lincoln Green's beers so I opted for the Archer (4%). This is a citrusy golden ale, brewed with American hops and rounded off by a moderately bitter finish. This was certainly a light and refreshing beer to start off a day that would involve lots of retracing of steps due to various differences in opening hours amongst the pubs on the itinerary. Having thoroughly enjoyed my first experience of Belper, it made sense to venture further in.

Leaving The Railway via the attractive garden, I made a left into a small road that runs between two rows of buildings, went through an archway and then emerged onto Bridge Street, part of the main A6 road that runs through the town. Turning right, I continued walking until my next destination emerged ahead of me. The second pub of the day would be The Rifleman's Arms.

This wooden slat fronted pub is now a freehouse that is owned and operated by the licensees. The interior is reasonably small but comfortable and well appointed. A snug is immediately to the right upon entry, featuring a mix of seating and a TV. The bar is roughly U-shaped and sits directly ahead as you enter, facing another seating area that consists of banquette seating and wooden tables and is overlooked by an impressive collection of wall clocks as well as a signed and framed England football shirt from the 1966 World Cup final. To the rear is another small seating area as well as access to the toilets. The bar features 4 handpulls, 3 of which are in use at the time. These feature Marston's Pedigree doubled up as well as Falstaff 3 Faze on the third. On this occasion, I decided on the Pedigree and I'm glad I did as it was kept very well and was very easy to drink, which I did so whilst sitting in the area that I christened the 'Clock Room' and listening to the landlady chat with a regular. The Rifleman's is very much a traditional locals pub and all the better for it. 

It was only a short walk to my next destination which is located further down Bridge Street and requires crossing the road, something which is a lot more difficult than it originally appears. Having successfully managed to get across with the help of a slow lorry I ventured to pub number 3, the George & Dragon.

This Grade II listed Georgian building is a former coaching inn with an attractive portico entrance, that is located not far from the town's famous East Mill. The interior is deep and open plan with a number of seating areas near the central, small, L-shaped bar. A couple of round tables with chairs are to the left of the entrance, a larger area with sofa style seating and a TV is to the right. This area leads to a spacious rear area with unusual airline style seating that was rescued from the old Derby Rugby Club. A side corridor leads to the toilets as well as the car park and a skittle alley. The pub is also dog friendly and has water bowls at canine height located throughout. Formerly just known as the George, this is a very picturesque and comfortable place to while away a few minutes, hours or days. Beer-wise it's not bad either. 7 handpulls are split into banks of 3 and 4. 5 of these are being used on the day I'm there, offering a choice between Bass, Abbot Ale, the house North Mill Bitter (brewed by Falstaff), Whim Ales Hartington IPA and Pentrich Lone Pine. It's been a considerable while since I encountered Whim Ales so it was only fair to break the drought. Hartington IPA (4.5%) is pale coloured and smooth on the palate with a predominant malt flavour. The slightly sweet finish combines well with distinctive light hop bitterness. I was very glad to have rediscovered this delicious beer and enjoyed it whilst watching coverage of the 2nd day of the final Ashes test which England would eventually win to draw the series, albeit without reclaiming the urn. After 3 pubs, this was certainly my favourite so far. The aesthetic and the atmosphere combine for a very homely feel, helped by the very jovial Geordie landlord. Joviality is certainly required here if stories are anything to go by. The landlord and his wife sought guidance from both mediums and paranormal investigators last year after a series of alarming events and poltergeist activity. Door handles have been rattled when there is known to be nobody on the other side, the presence of a child has been felt in and around the bar and the spirit of a lady who hanged herself in an upstairs room is believed to still reside. The landlord once observed a strange dot of white light moving around the bar before it disappeared out of the front entrance. His cat was knocked down and sadly died the following day on the road outside. Coincidence? Possibly, but connect all this with the medium who reported that the activity was linked to a long bricked up doorway and you can't help but wonder if something still lingers here. It's a cracking place nonetheless!

The retracing of steps would begin as I headed to the next pub. Leaving the George & Dragon, I turned right and headed back down Bridge Street, passing the Rifleman's Arms on the opposite side of the road. Situated slightly further on is The Devonshire.

This prominent food-led pub has recently reopened and benefited from renovation. Inside the pub is cosy with restaurant style seating to both front and rear as well as in a small snug off to one side. There is a split level area to the right and behind the entrance and a long corridor leads to the toilets and rear. The bar is relatively long and curves around one wall with a few smaller tables surrounding it. The walls feature a number of unusual decorative features include framed insects, pots and pans and a decorative swan sculpture with a metal crown. I was very pleased to see a bank of 6 handpulls located at the far end of the bar. These handpulls had one given over to cider in the form of Snails Bank Mango and the other 5 featured ales from both Marston's and Dancing Duck. The options here were Dancing Duck Dark Drake, Marston's Pedigree, Marston's 61 Deep, Dancing Duck Ay Up and Dancing Duck 22. At 4.3%, 22 is a delicious beer. This is a well balanced best bitter with a good malty flavour and notes of dark fruit that are offset by strong hop flavours and a clean finish. I consumed by beer sat at a high round table near to the other end of the bar where I unsuccessfully attempted to get the attention of a dog (Milo) in the adjacent restaurant area who looked a bit like an Ewok. 

My next location required a bit more of a walk. Walking further down Bridge Street until I reached the junction with King Street, I crossed over and made my way up King Street, passing the Railway again as I did so. Upon reaching the Market Place, I took a slight left onto the aptly named High Pavement where, after traversing a small hill, I reached the Nag's Head.

This Marston's pub consists of 2 large rooms, with a smaller third one to the rear, all clustered around a central bar. Seating is largely around the edges of the rooms and there are TVs and a jukebox predominating throughout. The bar is L-shaped and features 5 handpulls, 4 of which were in use at the time of my visit. One of these featured Rosie's Pig Cloudy Strawberry Cider with the other 3 optioning Pedigree, Ringwood Boondoggle and Ringwood Razor Back respectively. In terms of numbers, the Nag's Head was much busier than the pubs up to this point, likely due to it being Friday afternoon and there are several regulars chatting at the bar or keeping themselves to themselves on banquette seating in the lounge area. Taking the opportunity to grab a stool at the bar, I ordered the Boondoggle (4.2%), a golden coloured beer packed with zesty hop aromas and flavours. This is another clearly very community-oriented pub with lots of footfall among locals occupying as it does a prime location on the brow of a hill. There would be more hills yet to come!

Leaving the Nags Head, my journey took me the short distance downhill to the Market Place where the first of 3 micropubs in the town is located. Tucked away in a narrow corner is the Angels Micropub.
 

This Good Beer Guide listed pub is small and friendly to both humans and dogs. Entrance is into a corridor where the toilets are located and leads down into an almost chapel-like room with a vaulted ceiling and tables laid out across both parts of a split level arrangement. Beer is served on gravity here and a large serving hatch has views of a temperature controlled room beyond, where casks are stored. On the day in question, 8 beers are available along with a similar number of ciders and perries. The choice of beers is very interesting indeed and I'm faced with a choice between Falstaff 3 Faze, Lenton Lane 36 North, Oakham Citra, Thornbridge Kipling, Thornbridge Jaipur, Falstaff The Good, The Bad & The Drunk, Titanic Plum Porter and Titanic Cappuccino Stout. Regular readers will know of my love for Citra so it was an easy choice to make here. I chose to sit in the raised area of the split level with a table to myself. There were a handful of regulars and their canine companions in already and I was content to let conversation flow and observe from a distance. This is the epitome of a well-run, good quality micropub with great beer and a growing reputation. I was eager to see what the other 2 micropubs in the town had to offer but more on them later.

My next stop was a mere stone's throw away, across the Market Place. Leaving the Angels, it was no time at all before I was at the Black Swan.

This oddly shaped building occupies a curved plot of land on a slope that makes up part of the market place area. The pub is family run and has a distinct wine bar with a central space from which 3 rooms lead off. The bar sits at an angle in the back corner of the central area and is well stocked with gins, whiskies and champagne. It also features 3 handpumps. These offer a choice of Wychwood Hobgoblin Gold, Northdown Merry Margate and Kelham Island Best. As tempted as I was by the presence of Kelham Island, I decided instead to go for the Merry Margate (3.8%) brewed by Northdown in the Kent town for which the beer is named. I was unfamiliar with this brewery and research suggests that they're a relatively new arrival. The beer itself was excellent. Pale on the eye, with aromas reminiscent of marmalade and passionfruit, the flavour is light and hoppy with citrus coming through in droves. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The Black Swan is a rather nice place with an almost continental feel and a chilled out atmosphere.

It was back onto King Street for my next destination, at a pub I'd walked past on my way up the hill earlier. Attention now turned to the Green House.

Occupying property that lies above shops on the road below, the Green House is accessed up a short flight of steps from the pavement outside where the road rises up. A Stonegate property, the pub boasts a well-appointed outside area complete with dining tables and parasols and a large space inside with a mixture of standard scrubbed tables as well as booths which occupy one wall. The long bar runs almost the full length of the back wall and features 4 handpulls which offer a selection of beers from more mainstream breweries. On the day of my visit, the options were Wainwright, Sharp's Doom Bar, Abbot Ale and Hobgoblin Gold. It was Hobgoblin Gold for me this time and this was kept well enough. Whilst the range was fairly mediocre, the quality was very good which is half the struggle! The Green House allows for good views down the hill back into town and this made for good people watching territory whilst the beer went down. Soon though, I was headed back down the same hill and retracing my steps once more.

I now headed back to Bridge Street, almost to where the day had begun where I had identified a premises that would be a late addition to the itinerary. This was The Lion Hotel.

Recently renovated and now operated by JC Hotels, The Lion is a large, white-washed building on the main road. The central entrance opens into a foyer with hotel access to the left and the bar/restaurant area to the right. A central bar serves an area of traditional seating, with a small raised area in one corner. The separate restaurant space is to the rear but food is able to be eaten in the bar area. The bar's 5 handpulls are generally given over to beers from the Marston's stable but with the occasional guest also getting a look in. My quintet of choices ran thus: Ringwood Boondoggle, Pedigree, Hobgoblin Gold, Thornbridge Jaipur and Northdown He-Bru IPA. Having thoroughly enjoyed my first experience of Northdown beer, I wasn't going to pass up the 2nd so I went straight for the He-Bru IPA (4.9%). This is another cracking beer! In the style of an American IPA, it boasts big flavours of mango, pineapple and citrus. It's a definite winner and I'll definitely be paying close attention to Northdown in future. I'm thoroughly impressed with the 2 beers I've tried and even more impressed that a town in Derbyshire is serving beers from Kent!

There was more walking and more hills involved for the next leg of the trip. Leaving The Lion, I turned right and continued down Bridge Street before taking a right into Field Lane. Following this to the end, I then took a small footpath that runs alongside St. Peter's church. At the end of this path, I turned left onto Chesterfield Road which runs uphill. After passing a care home on the left, my next destination stood at a junction on a triangular plot that faces downhill. I had reached the Thorn Tree Inn.

Reopened last year under the ownership of a mother and daughter team, the Thorn Tree Inn has the prestige of being crowned winner of the 2019 Amber Valley CAMRA Winter Ale Trail. The interior is an homage to beer and has the feel of a traditional ale house about it. There is a lounge area to the front where the bar itself is located. A set of steps leads up to a rear snug where there is further seating. The walls and ceiling behind the bar are adorned with hundreds of pump clips representing all the beers served therein. The choice for the day is between 4 of the 5 available handpumps featuring Bass, Hardy & Hanson's Kimberley Bitter, Bad Seed Ground Patrol and Froth Blowers Hornswoggle. After some deliberation, and a handy taster, I went for the Ground Patrol (4.1%) from Malton based Bad Seed. This is a New Zealand style pale ale with lots of earthy, piney and citrus flavours. I'm a big fan of this style of beer and this is up there with the best I've tasted. The pub was quiet, having opened at 4pm, and I was able to have a conversation with the very helpful barmaid (one of the owners) who even allowed me a taster of the Hornswoggle to compare. Sadly, I didn't have time to fully enjoy both beers. I'm glad I made the effort to find the Thorn Tree. It's an excellent addition to the Belper beer scene without being too well known. A hidden gem indeed!

I left the Thorn Tree and headed back downhill, taking a side route that splits off from the road I was on. Following this and turning left takes you slightly back uphill where the next pub sits over the road. Next stop, The Grapes.

Another pub in the Marston's estate, The Grapes occupies a position on a hill, which provides excellent views of the town and surrounding countryside. The main entrance is accessed through an outdoor seating area, itself accessed by steps from the pavement. The bar occupies a small space in a larger lounge room and contains 4 handpulls, offering beers from the usual Marston's stable. On this occasion the options were Pedigree, Jennings Head Point, Courage Directors and Wainwright. Head Point seemed like a good choice so I went for this and then decided to sit in the substantial outside area to enjoy the sunshine. The beer is perfect for a sunny day. At 3.8% and brewed for the Rugby World Cup, it's a pale golden ale with a light, citrus finish. It's certainly easy to drink and goes down very well in the shadow of the pub's stonework and the 'weather stone' that hangs by the front door.

I had 2 pubs left to visit, both of them micros and both of them thankfully downhill. The first of these was not too far away. Making my way downhill, I turned left into Campbell Street where the next pub sits on the ground floor of a building that also contains the Strutt Club. I had now reached Arkwright's Real Ale Bar.

The second of Belper's Good Beer Guide listed pubs (at least in the 2019 edition), Arkwright's is named after the famous local mill owner. Consisting of a large single room, there is seating around the edge facing a fairly large bar that takes up most of one wall. The TV in the bar area is only used for special occasions with the toilets being located down a short corridor. The bar includes 6 handpulls with 5 of them in use and another being cleaned at the time I arrive. The choices here are certainly interesting and my option are Furnace Fun Sponge, Potton Nightspear, Black Iris Bajan Breakfast, Black Hole Supernova and Milestone Green Man. The name alone draws me to Nightspear (4.8%) from Bedfordshire's Potton Brewery. This is a black IPA which, although a controversial style in some circles, is a big hit if done well. This certainly ticks all the boxes. Citrus, pine and soft fruit hops combine with dark malts for lots of complex flavours. It's a New World beer with Old World style and I'm a big fan!

It's easy to see why Arkwright's and Angels have been honoured with inclusion in the Good Beer Guide. They are both cracking examples of micropubs done properly. It was now time to see if Belper's 3rd micropub was up to the same standard. Heading back down to King Street, I once again ended up on Bridge Street where the final pub of the day is located. My Derbyshire jaunt would conclude at Pump It Up.

Previously a butcher's and a cake shop (not at the same time), Belper's third micropub sits opposite the carved lion of the aforementioned Lion Hotel. There are 2 small rooms within, the largest is visible through the front window and features a corner bar and a couple of small tables. The smaller room is to the rear and a nearby passage leads to the unisex toilet. This is by far the smallest of the micros in the town and another good example of the micropub aesthetic. It's standing room only at the time of my arrival which gives me plenty of time to peruse the beer choices from amongst the 6 handpulls. All 6 of the available beers are more or less local which is impressive enough, as are the styles represented. My choices are Shiny Disco Balls, Amber Ales Wild Water, Littleover Hollow Legs, Amber Ales Barnes Wallis, Muirhouse Magnum Mild and Black Iris Snake Eyes. After a few moments to make my decision, I finally opted for Hollow Legs (5.2%) from Littleover. This is a full-bodied traditional pale with a heady aroma, a fruity mouthfeel with a nice malty balance and a delicate, fresh finish. I enjoyed it leaning on the bar and listening to the handful of regulars discussing football and the like. I also made friends with a very nice Staffie who seemed to enjoy the pub just as much as the human contingent. 

And with that it was time to depart. My short walk back to the station was filled with reminiscences of the day, the pubs I'd visited and the beers I'd drank. It had certainly been an interesting day with lots of positives. Belper's micropubs are excellent! All very different but all dedicated to doing what they do with passion and aplomb. I was thoroughly impressed with the pubs I'd found. The ones that I'd expected to be good were matched with the ones that took me by surprise (in particular, the George & Dragon, Devonshire and especially the Thorn Tree). The beer range was good in most and the quality decent in almost all. This has no doubt contributed to the continued praise heaped upon Belper's high street which appears to be thriving in what are trying economic times. They should be celebrated for holding the fort. Make no mistake, Belper is a belter!