The Joyce of late Summer/Lowd & Clear

I stayed well within county boundaries for this most recent of trips, and made the most of some excellent late summer weather to explore a couple of neighbouring destinations that lie a little bit closer to home, albeit amongst slightly more rural surroundings. Last week, I decided to take advantage of local transport once again to explore the Nottinghamshire villages of Burton Joyce and Lowdham. Located as they are on the main route to the town of Southwell, I had similar hopes for them as I had for Southwell itself when it featured in a previous entry, almost 3 years ago. Arriving in Nottingham city centre at late morning, I hopped onto the Pathfinder 26 bus which serves both of the villages in quick succession. What would I find? Would my expectations be met or exceeded or would I be disappointed? It wouldn't be long until I found out as, a mere half an hour or so later, I arrived in the first of the two villages: Burton Joyce.

Burton Joyce is a large village and civil parish in the Gedling district, 7 miles (11 km) east of Nottingham, between Stoke Bardolph to the south and Bulcote to the north-east. The A612 links it to Carlton and Netherfield to the south-west and Lowdham to the north-east. Initially the site of an Iron age fort, it was occupied by Norman nobility, who founded St Helen's Church. From being a farming community, Burton Joyce grew in the early Industrial Revolution, earning repute up to the 1920s for its textile products. Many of today's 3,443 inhabitants commute to work or school in Nottingham. It forms with Stoke Bardoph and Bulcote the Trent Valley ward of Gedling, with two councillors.

There is archaeological evidence such as a blade implement and arrowheads pointing to habitation in the Mesolithic and Neolithic eras. The Bronze Age finds have proved more numerous. They include a set of ring ditches, a rapier and several spearheads. The village is also notable for the site of a substantial Iron Age hillfort or bertune, later to be pronounced "Burton" in the Norman fashion (the name of the village until the early 14th-century). It was excavated in 1950–1951. The discovery of Gaulish-made samian ware and a distinctive coin, along with coarse-gritted and medieval pottery, have led archaeologists to believe that the fort was occupied by Roman soldiers sometime after their invasion of Britain in 43 AD under Vespasian. Such was not uncommon in other hill forts of the Iron Age, with Maiden Castle and Hod Hill, both in Dorset, later occupied by Romans as strategic military bases.

The Domesday Book of 1086 refers to "a church and a priest, sixteen acres of meadow...In the confessours time, and then at the taking the said survey, valued at one mark of silver," indicating occupancy of the then Bertune in Anglo-Saxon times. Little is known of the original church, except that reclaimed skerry stone was used to build the north aisle of the village's current St Helen's Church by Norman settlers. The aisle, unusually wide for its time, is thought to represent a much larger structure than customary in that period.

Restoration of the building in the 13th or early 14th century included a southward extension and rebuilding of the chancel, which may have been done by the aristocratic de Jorz family. Robert de Jorz as Lord of the Manor would become Sheriff of Nottingham in 1331. He was granted 20 oak trees on the King's behalf in 1307 and may have used the timber to benefit the church, which at the time was dedicated to St Oswald. Taking ownership of the Burton settlement, Robert added his surname to the village name, which became Burton Jorz and eventually Burton Joyce.

Following Roman Catholic tradition in the life of De Jorz, the church was closely associated with the nearby Shelford Priory. In 1348 Augustinian monks purchased the rights to handle many of the church's affairs for the considerable sum of £20; responsibilities included maintenance of the chancel and payment of the Vicar (the latter an obligation until the Reformation).

Burton Joyce's history in the early modern period is largely agricultural. Evidence includes the presence of hedgerows on the bank of the River Trent, erected in the 16th century to enforce the Tudor land enclosure policy. (Wider enclosure of the area ensued from 1769.) The construction of timber farm buildings at a similar period, including barns, have proved to be some of the village's longest standing structures. Prominent landowners at the time included the Padley family, whose mansion was built in 1500 and owned by the family for some 300 years. It was demolished in the 1960s, but a street close by is named Padleys Lane. The rest of the population were mostly agricultural labourers, who numbered about 150 in the 17th century, rising to 447 according to the 1801 census.

The village church, re-dedicated to St Helen and denominated as an Anglican place of worship, fell into disrepair sometime before the 18th century. Robert Thoroton in The Antiquities of Nottinghamshire (1677) expressed distaste at various architectural features, deeming them obsolete and unattractive. Efforts by churchwardens to do repairs were reversed in 1725 when a flood inflicted damage to a cost of £1,021, with donations made by the Church of St Mary Magadalene of Newark-on-Trent later deemed to be squandered on a poor restoration attempt by the likes of Thomas Henry Wyatt and Sir Stephen Glynne. Burton Joyce's traditional Protestantism was also under threat at this time, with strong Non-conformist and Puritanical influences pervading the 17th century, as they did also in the 18th century, with the Vicar identifying a family of Anabaptists and two of Presbyterians in a report to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Herring.

I arrived in Burton Joyce shortly before 12.30 and immediately set about finding my bearings. I had disembarked the bus slightly earlier than planned due to prolonged roadworks on the normal route meaning that a diversion was in place. This diversion would have bypassed the majority of the pubs in the village so I improvised and set myself to walking for a few minutes to get to my first destination. This was planned to be the Cross Keys on Main Street. However, upon arrival, the pub did not appear to be open. There was no sign of movement inside or out and, although the windows were open, the doors were firmly closed. The 'K' from the word 'Keys' had also fallen off which distinctly didn't bode well for the pub's fortunes. The status of the pub remains unclear. I circled back round later to see if I'd got the opening hours wrong but nothing had changed. Answers on a postcard please! Luckily, I had much more luck at my next stop. A short walk from the Cross Keys, in the shadow of the church, sits The Wheatsheaf. 

Now part of the Chef & Brewer portfolio, the current pub was built on the site of an earlier Wheat Sheaf Inn. This new building was designed by renowned 1930s pub architect T. Cecil Howitt, who was also responsible for the Art Deco Vale Hotel in Daybrook. The present interior bears little resemblance to the original design and has been substantially redeveloped in the intervening years. The previous Wheat Sheaf was under the ownership of victualler Samuel Taylor in 1823. An imposing building, with entrances to the front and side, the pub has a large, open plan dining area either side of a central bar. A smaller zone, for comfortable drinking, lies just inside the door. Outside is a large front patio with picnic tables and parasols, with a large car park to both sides. The Wheatsheaf was registered as an Asset of Community Value on 11th May 2016 by Gedling Borough Council after a nomination by Nottingham CAMRA and underwent significant refurbishment in August of the same year. The current look includes exposed brickwork, stained timber and tiled floors. I'd worked up a considerable thirst by the time I arrived here and was determined to get stuck in. The aforementioned bar has 5 handpulls, all of which were occupied at the time of my visit. With Chef & Brewer falling under the Greene King umbrella, it's not a surprise that most of the offerings were from that stable. My options were Greene King IPA (which is doubled up), Yardbird and Abbot Ale, with St. Austell Tribute occupying the final pump. For my first beer of the day, I segued away from the Tribute for now and went for the Yardbird. I then decided it would be remiss not to take advantage of the warm and sunny weather and took my beer out to the front patio. The Yardbird turned out to be a decent enough beer to begin the day on. At 4%, it's full of tropical fruit and mango flavours, with an overall floral quality and a bite of lemon underneath. The body is good with a lingering, slightly bitter finish. Whether the combination of being outside and summer sunshine enhances the quality of the beer is anyone's guess but it's not a bad beer, all told.

I was eager to see what the next of Burton Joyce's pubs had to offer by way of comparison. Leaving the Wheatsheaf through the front car park, I turned right and crossed over Church Road. Turning right again, I followed the road until I reached a play park and turned left onto Chestnut Grove. Following this road, I soon came in sight of my next stop, nestled at the end of the lane. On, now, to The Nelson.

 

Formerly an EI Group (Enterprise Inns) pub, the Nelson is now operated by the Buddy Good Pub Co., a small, independent pub chain. The pub has been licensed since at least 1855, when R. Thorpe had the premises and in 1876 the publican was Alfred Shaw, himself a former England Test cricket captain. This is a cosy, amiable pub with modern features, quirky contemporary design and a substantial beer garden. The decor blends wooden floors with terracotta tiles and stylish wall coverings. Internally, a central bar serves a small area to the front and a separate restaurant to the rear, which merge together well when the pub is busy. The garden contains a number of tables, as well as a gazebo which hosts both private functions and live music. The Nelson was already busy when I arrived, with a queue close to spilling out the door as people line up to order food at the bar. The queue dissipated fairly quickly though and I was soon perusing the bank of 3 handpulls perched at one end. My choices here were between Thornbridge Jaipur, Blue Monkey BG Sips and Timothy Taylor Landlord. I decided, on this occasion, to drink local so went for the BG Sips. Once again, I thought outside seating would be a suitable vehicle to enjoy my beer so I managed to find a table in the bustling garden, albeit one without a protective parasol. The BG Sips (4%) was in excellent condition, very fruity and bitter with a refreshing finish. This is a little gem of a pub. The fact that it was so busy on a Tuesday afternoon is testament to this. The staff were fantastic, service was swift and everybody seemed happy. Plus, I got to see a guide dog puppy and that's always a bonus!

By and large, Burton Joyce had been a success so it was time to push on with the second leg of my afternoon. Making my way back along Church Road, I picked up the Pathfinder 26 again, just at the point where it leaves the village. No more than 5 minutes later, I was disembarking again, at the war memorial, in the neighbouring village of Lowdham. 

Lowdham is a village and civil parish in the Newark and Sherwood district. At the 2001 census it had a population of 2,832, increasing to 3,334 at the 2011 Census. Two main roads slicing through the village are the A6097 south-east to north-west and the A612 between Nottingham and Southwell. 

This seems to be an Old English masculine personal nickname, Hluda, + hām (Old English), village, a village community, a manor, an estate, a homestead., so"Hluda's homestead or village". However, the name Lowdham points also to a Danish origin (earlier Ludham and Ludholme).

Relics of the Middle Ages remaining are an alabaster slab and a figure of a knight in armour, in the chancel of the church, inscribed to the memory of Sir John de Loudham. The dog at the feet of the effigy suggests that Loudham was a warrior. According to one source, "Many of the Crusaders are represented with their feet on a dog, to show that they followed the standard of the Lord as faithfully as a dog follows the footsteps of his master."

The old church and the castle mound are to the west of the bypass. St Mary's Church dates back to before the 14th century. In 1826 a Wesleyan Methodist Chapel (Top Chapel) was built in Ton Lane, and in 1844 an Independent Primitive Methodist Chapel (Bottom Chapel) appeared in the Main Street. The Ton Lane chapel closed in 1986. The Bottom Chapel continues in use as an Independent Methodist church.

To the north-east of the bypass is Lowdham Mill. There is now little sign of the frame knitting industry that was important in this area in the 19th century. In 1844 there were 94 stocking frames working in Lowdham.

The point at which I got off the bus sits at a crossroads, with one of my target pubs right on it. I would be returning to this pub in due course however, as I had another location to tick off first. Turning right at the crossroads (when facing towards the Southwell road), took me onto Station Road, so named for Lowdham train station, located here and still operational on the routes to Lincoln. Next to the station, and aptly named, is The Railway.

The Railway dates back to at least the 19th century. In 1876, it was a fully licensed establishment under publican Samuel Martin. Now operated by the Secret Pub Company, the pub was extensively renovated in March 2017. The layout is open plan, with an interior consisting of a central bar and extended dining areas in the 'wings' of the building. The decor is simple but contemporary but also contains hints of the past with railway memorabilia and old photos reflecting the pub's proximity to the railway station. The side entrance foyer has also been decorated to resemble an old fashioned ticket office. There is also well appointed outside seating to the rear. Furniture in the bar area consists of scrubbed wooden tables and chairs. A bank of 5 handpumps sits on the bar. At the time of my visit, 4 of these are in use, featuring Wye Valley HPA, Sharp's Doom Bar, Dark Star Hophead and Lancaster Brewery Lancaster Blonde. It's the Lancaster Blonde that immediately catches my interest. Once again coming in at 4%, this is a well-balanced, pale bitter and hop flavours that last well into the finish. I thoroughly enjoyed it, especially in the surroundings of such a nice, almost hidden pub. The atmosphere and decor provide a warm welcome for everyone. It was a real shame when I had to drag myself away. 

Tear myself away I did though. There was more exploring to be done after all. Retracing my steps, I returned to the crossroads where I had first entered the village and where I had first spotted the next stop on the day's itinerary. The crossroads is served by a pedestrian crossing that lines up perfectly with the pub door, which makes it very convenient indeed. Next stop: the Magna Charta.

This Greene King-operated premises has been licensed since at least 1876, when the publican was John Farley. Another former landlord was footballer Tommy Lawton. Born in Bolton in 1919, he went on to play for Burnley, Everton, Chelsea, Notts County, Brentford, Arsenal and Kettering Town, was capped 23 times for England and also managed Brentford, Kettering and Notts County, where he was also chief scout and a coach. He passed away in Nottingham in 1996, aged 77. Nowadays, the pub is plush and modern and decorated to a high standard. The bar is L-shaped and the interior is divided up into smaller sections, affording some privacy in what is a large pub. Some booths in the dining area include individual wall mounted TVs. Slogans and catchphrases are painted on some of the walls, which are bright and well decorated. The pub is part of the 'Eating Inn' portfolio of the wider Greene King group of pubs. The bar includes 4 handpulls, 3 of which were occupied when I was there. The options were Greene King Abbot Ale, Greene King IPA and St. Austell Tribute. I went for the Tribute this time and sat on a high chair at the bar, soaking up the surroundings. This is clearly an old building. Some of the windows are fairly low, particularly at the side of the pub. All in all, it's a welcoming, comfortable place that feels relaxed during the day but no doubt is much busier and energetic at busier times. The Tribute was well kept too. It's always a beer I've enjoyed so it makes a difference when a pub keeps it and presents it well. 

Something a bit more traditional was on the cards next. Leaving the Magna Charta, I turned right and then immediately right again onto Main Street. This is a picturesque road filled with nice houses and period buildings as well as the occasional shop. A couple of minutes of walking brings you to a cracking little pub on the right hand side, opposite the village hall. I had now arrived at The Old Ship Inn.

The Old Ship is believed to be the oldest public house in Lowdham, with the earliest landlord being traced back to 1788. In 1855, the publican was J. Paling and the pub was registered as an Asset of Community Value in June 2016. The current landlord and landlady took over in October 2018 and oversaw a refurbishment in November of the same year. The pub comprises a lounge with a separate restaurant area behind, a snug, a smaller, separate bar area and a beer garden. There is also outside seating on a raised area to the front of the pub, accessible up steps from the road. Low, wooden beams and wood panelling add to the homely feel and there are several references to famous ships throughout. A blue plaque on the exterior wall, by the entrance, is dedicated to Harold Cottam, the wireless operator of HMS Carpathia, who received the SOS message from the Titanic and saved 750 lives. He retired to the village in 1958. A small model of the Titanic sits on a shelf in the lounge. Seating throughout is a combination of scrubbed wood and banquettes. The bar features 6 handpulls, split into 2 banks of 3, one bank in each of the bar areas. 4 were available during my time there, with a choice between Blue Monkey Infinity IPA, Sharp's Doom Bar, Oakham Citra and Castle Rock Screech Owl. I've waxed lyrical about my fondness for Citra on multiple occasions (some would say too many) so it was an easy choice. I took a seat just across from the bar and took time to have a proper look at the pub, whilst trying not to eavesdrop on the conversation between local labourers sat at the bar, who were discussing other pubs in the local area. I do have an affinity for certain types of pub and the Old Ship definitely fits into that category. Something about historic pubs with wooden beams and a higgledy-piggledy layout immediately charms me. Even more so when the beer is good. I'm a sucker for the traditional things. 

As much as it pained me, I had to move on again after my beer. I had one more stop on my tour. Leaving the Old Ship, I turned right and then took the next left onto Ton Lane. Following this on, I came to a dual carriageway, part of the Epperstone Bypass road. Using the pedestrian crossing, I made my way to the other side, carried on for a few more yards and then took the next left onto Plough Lane. This is effectively a country track that runs between houses and about halfway down, appropriately, you will find Worlds End.

Situated just outside of the village proper, this Marston's pub dates back to the 1800s and was previously known as The Plough, which is believed to have given its name to the adjacent road. In 1855, the publican was J. Cragg and in 1876, Thomas Sears. The pub was listed as an Asset of Community Value in May 2016. A list of licensees dating back to the pub's opening is displayed behind the bar. Internally, a front entrance leads into a central area with a section to the left for dining. A smaller area, for drinkers is to the right, which is where you will find the bar. An outside space with covered seating is across the courtyard from the front entrance and there is a larger beer garden to the rear, accessed through the pub. This being a Marston's pub, it's unsurprising to know that the beer selection is from amongst the group's various breweries. Half of the 6 handpulls were in use, offering a choice between Marston's Pedigree, Wells Bombardier and Banks's Sunbeam, which I ultimately went for. This is a 4.2% pale ale brewed with Pilgrim, Citra and Nelson Sauvin hops. This provides a zesty hop aroma and flavours of gooseberry and grapefruit leading to a long, clean aftertaste. I opted to take this to the covered outside space and admire the impressive floral display that currently covers the front of the pub. The Sunbeam was drinkable enough. That sounds like a criticism and I suppose it sort of is. It wasn't terrible and it wasn't outstanding. As beers go, it hit the spot and that's all anyone can really ask for. In terms of the Worlds End as a whole, it's a relaxing place to spend a bit of time whiling away some minutes on a summer's day. I can imagine much comfort being offered to the weary traveller who would have come across it on a cold winter's night in years gone by.   

With that, my mission was complete. I returned my empty glass to the bar and made the short walk back the way I had come, past the Old Ship and the Magna Charta, to the opposing bus stop from whence I had come. A few minutes later, I was being conveyed back to Nottingham, giving me time to reflect on what I had seen and learned. I had gone into the day not quite knowing what to expect. I had known of Burton Joyce and Lowdham so had developed an image of what I had hoped the pubs would be like. I had expected a warm welcome, comfortable ambience and a sense of community. I had also expected decent beer. By and large, the pubs, and by extension the villages in which they reside, had delivered. Despite what a particular regular at work would have had me believe, the pubs are great and the beer is too! There's distinctly something about this area of the county that lends itself to relaxing afternoons spent with delicious beer in aesthetically pleasing surroundings. After all, with everything going on in this ever-worsening, ever more ridiculous hellhole of a world, we all need time to take pleasure in the simple things.