An afternoon at the Circus

Due to a combination of a bad choice of puppy-sitter and a broken water pump on the car, I was forced to return early from my short holiday down south and, as a result, never made it to Winchester. Maybe next time. The plus side of this is that it gave me time to have a think about where my next Nottingham pub jaunt should be. After much deliberation I finally decided to visit a few pubs down in the Canning Circus area of the city, somewhere I've been too a few times but haven't been able to find the time to get to for a little while. The area of what is now Canning Circus started life as a series of intersecting muddy tracks above Chapel Bar, the old main entrance to the city of Nottingham. As with most similar locations, the area was a final resting place for people who were not allowed burial in the consecrated ground within the city walls. Suicides and felons hanged at the gallows were buried here, the superstition being that the confluence of paths going in different directions would prevent the spirit finding its way back to haunt its family and friends. Much of the area remained undeveloped until it was incorporated into the city itself following the Municipal Reform and Enclosure Awards of 1835-1865. Nowadays, the area is still a conjunction of routes in and out of the city but now includes some rather nice drinking establishments, including one or two with a story to tell.

 
My first location was the Portland Arms on Portland Street, just off of the main Circus area.

This is a traditional, street corner pub, filled with locals and, despite me feeling slightly out of place, I'm made to feel quite welcome. The staff are friendly and welcoming and it's clear that this is a rare example of a kind of pub that isn't really around any more, the classic locals pub that caters specifically to the local community. The pub has an overall square layout, with the bar L-shaped and roughly central. There are seating areas opposite, with a raised area containing a solitary pool table in one corner. 4 hand pulls are present on the bar. The Portland is run by Hardy & Hanson and their Olde Trip is available, as are 3 offerings from Full Mash Brewery; Séance, Warlord and My Old Dog, their offering for this year's Mild Trail. I went for the Séance and it was a wise choice; at 4% it's very pale, has a noticeable hoppy aroma and a very smooth fruity taste. As I leave, the assembled customers are engaged in some kind of card bingo with the landlord, having already sung a rousing rendition of 'Happy Birthday' to someone called Mary.

My next location was significantly safer ground, the Organ Grinder on Alfreton Road.

For those that don't know, this is the brewery tap for Giltbrook's Blue Monkey brewery. It opened in June 2011, on the site of the old Red Lion, the sign of which is hanging up on the wall opposite the bar. As you would expect from Blue Monkey, the pub is renowned for excellent ale, both from the brewery they represent and elsewhere. This is a must visit for any real ale fan visiting Nottingham. The pub is sqaurish, with lots of floor space and seating areas arranged around the internal walls opposite the roughly rectangular bar. The pub benefits hugely from a roof top beer garden which is the perfect place to sup a pint on lovely spring days. The ale on offer on my visit leaves me spoilt for choice. There are 9 hand pumps, 5 of which offer beers from Blue Monkey (BG Sips; Infinity; Sanctuary; Monkey See, Monkey Do and another that I've forgotten the name of!) a pale ale from the little known Hand Drawn Monkey Brewery, a dark beer called Darkness from Sussex's Dark Star Brewery and 2 milds (Bateman's Mild and one from Barnsley's Acorn Brewery, confusingly also called Darkness). I eventually opted for a pint of Sanctuary (4.1%), one of their Blue Monkey beers that I've never tried before. It's copper coloured, with a nice, smooth creamy head and a perfect balance of malty bitterness and hoppy flavour. It certainly went down a treat, so much so that, by the time Matt arrived to meet me, I was ready for another pint and I couldn't let him drink on his own! For my second, I went for Monkey See, Monkey Do (5%). This is another new one to me and it's pale, fruity to the nose and very hoppy with a smooth, almost citrusy taste. It was very nice indeed!

Our next stop was just around the corner, on Canning Circus proper, at the junction with Derby Road.

The building that is now the Sir John Borlase Warren has existed at the site since 1796, before which time a wooden stile stood at the site. The history of the building following this is uncertain but it was apparently built as a private house before being converted to a coaching inn in 1814. In layout, it still resembles a residence, with a warren of rooms and stairways over 3 floors. The servants' rooms still exist, unchanged, in the roof. The pub has recently been purchased by Everards and their influence is obvious amongst the hand pumps on the bar. The bar is situated along one wall, on the left as you enter the building and there were an interesting number of choices amongst the 8 hand pumps. Everards Tiger, Sunchaser and Original were available as were 3 other beers from different breweries. One of the pumps contained a beer that was still settling and the other was not in use. I don't mind Everards beers per se but they are available almost everywhere so, at least to begin with, I was in the mood for something else. The beer that first caught my eye was FGA from the little known Gold Course Brew. FGA stands for Fine Golden Ale and that is certainly what I got. At 4.5%, with a sweet aroma a fruity taste and a refreshing malty finish. Jade's arrival from work prompted the decision to have another pint here too. Second time around, I thought I'd try the Everards Original (5.2%). It was in excellent condition but I would've preferred more choice on the pumps. The Sir John is known for its excellent beer and food, a fantastic beer garden and a legacy of hauntings. An investigation by UK Paranormal in 2005 attempted to unravel the truth behind stories of violent poltergeist activity in the private staff flat. An unsettling atmosphere has been reported to suddenly come and go in the same area. UK Paranormal investigated these claims and also conducted a study of the caves beneath the building. These extend for 3 stories below the main structure and spread out in a series of long alleyways with a single, long passageway running through the middle. The team left a Dictaphone in a corridor a fair distance away from where they seated themselves in hopes of capturing EVP (electronic voice phenomena). During this period, one of the team members joked that the ghosts were rummaging through the personal belongings that they had left in the bar many floors above. Upon listening back to the tape, they found the unmistakable voice of an unknown male uttering 'There is plenty of that!'

Moving on from the Sir John, we decided our final stop should be The Ropewalk almost opposite.

This building, and the restaurant next door, date from the 1850s when they were originally used as a livery stables and then a home for monumental masons before becoming a funeral home run by the Palethorpe family. It repeated this purpose, both for the Co-Operative and, more recently for Lymms' funeral directors. The mortuary was located in what is now a Chinese restaurant next to the pub. The use of these buildings for this purpose was made easier by the cemetery located opposite. The Ropewalk is named after a piece of equipment used by medieval rope makers to intertwine the different rope strands. A year or so ago, The Ropewalk was renowned for its excellent choice of ales but, due to several changes of management since then, the available choices are mediocre at best. Of the 5 available hand pumps, 4 are in use, containing Greene King IPA, Wychwood Hobgoblin, Bass and, the only acceptable choice for me and Matt at this stage, The Mild Side from Nutbrook Brewery. At 3.6 %, this is an unusual golden mild with a traditional malt taste and fruit notes. It is very nice and, as someone who is still new to mild, certainly something different. It is just a shame that a pub that previously had a renowned reputation for decent ale has been forced to resort to such simple options. I can't help but feel that more effort is needed if The Ropewalk is to still be considered a must-visit destination for cask ale. Having such an unusual choice of mild was definitely interesting though and I will be making a concerted effort to embark upon my first proper mild trail in the near future. Their quiz machine robbed us blind though! By this point, we all decided that it was better to head home and try our fortunes another day. All in all, it was certainly an interesting excursion in an area of the city with a chequered history.