A couple of 'House calls....

I was unsure where to visit for my first proper blog but after a bit of pondering I hit upon an idea to visit a couple of pubs that are in fairly close proximity, both to my house and to each other, and that they should have something in common and a fair amount of character. With that in mind, I decided that a wander down Canal Street was in order and that my chosen pubs would be The Newshouse and The Canalhouse, chosen largely for their similar names, their interesting appearance and layout and the fact that they are both operated by Castle Rock Brewery. All together, this gave me a perfect excuse to enjoy the spring sunshine that has finally decided to make an appearance, so off I went.

My first stop, The Newshouse, is so called because of it's proximity to the BBC Nottingham building on the nearby traffic island and is one of Castle Rock's better looking properties.

Its blue-tiled exterior is complimented nicely by the classic pub look inside with furnishings of wood and brass, a general squarish layout and amongst the old newspaper front pages framed on the walls, a billiards table. I've played billiards once and it didn't seem like a game I could be bad at. I was quickly proven wrong. The building in its current form was built in 1950 but there has been a licenced premises on the site for at least a century before that and the pub has retained this character whilst keeping itself up to date. I had to have 2 attempts at ordering a beer here, largely due to a phone call I received as I went to the bar the first time. The pub was very quiet, it being a Tuesday afternoon, so I took the call outside and returned afterwards. 10 handpulls were on show, divided between both sides of the bar which is split into separate rooms. 3 Castle Rock ales were available as well as a couple of guests. In the end I decided on a pint of Full Mash Brewery's Red Dog, a copper coloured 3.8% brew with a smooth taste of sweet malt and a soft hop finish. It was surprisingly drinkable but I was forced to limit myself to one pint as I had to drive later. The pub is obviously popular with the personalities of BBC Nottingham as there are framed and signed photos of various presenters adorning the walls. 

Further down Canal Street, within the Waterfront complex, sits The Canalhouse, a very popular place and another of Castle Rock's unique buildings.

This was also the venue for the 2013 Champion Beer of Nottinghamshire competition, deservedly won by Blue Monkey's Ape Ale. The building is an old warehouse, dating from the 18th century, originally used for storage but more or less demolished by a gunpowder explosion in 1819. It was significantly rebuilt in the late 19th century, eventually becoming a museum, the two lower floors of which now serve as the bar and resaturant. Interestingly, and perhaps uniquely, part of the canal actually runs into the building, complete with a couple of narrow boats, drifting freely on the current. There is a bridge over the canal that allows access to the bar and it's 6 hand pumps, 4 of which displayed Castle Rock ales (as you'd expect), including Harvest Pale, Preservation and Yellow Archangel which is a special edition from their Natural Selection range. I opted for a guest beer; Isle of Purbeck's Solar Power at 4.3%. This is a golden beer with an initial kick of hops that gives way to a decidedly smooth finish. Very tasty indeed!

Disappointingly, as far as I have been able to determine, neither of these places has any ghost stories or at least any that are public knowledge. I'll be attempting to find out some more details just in case though. All in all, my first excursion was a fun one, albeit fairly relaxed and devoid of any real drama or ghostly tales. As a jumping off point to get me into the swing of things though, it certainly helped me get things moving.