The pub is situated in half of an old tram and bus depot on the main street in Sherwood and named after a local lace manufacturer. Upon entry, the bar is rectangular and situated on the left side of the room with lots of seating opposite and more upstairs on an extended mezzanine that runs along the majority of the area above the bar. The pub is fairly narrow in terms of floor space but has a snug-like area with booths and low seating hidden away to the back and this is where we decide to pull up a pew. Ale-wise, 10 hand pulls are present, with a variety of different offerings from near and far, including a couple of milds. My first choice of the evening was Bus Depot Bitter, brewed by Nottingham Brewery especially for the Samuel Hall as part of a recent new range honouring local Wetherspoons venues. At 4.3%, it's golden, smooth and hoppy with a fruity finish on the palate and a perfect way to kick things off. Due to confusion about whether or not others would be joining us, we ended up staying here for longer than planned. This is certainly not a bad thing though as it allowed for more ale sampling time. Next up for me was Sherwood from Lincoln Green. Apt name aside, this is a very pale ale that is also very hoppy, and very drinkable at 4.4%. As conversation meandered between a variety of topics such as cats and Harriet's job at Rampton, we made a group decision that food was needed. Thankfully, it being a Tuesday, it turned out to be steak night so it didn't take too long for us to decide what we wanted. I went for a mixed grill which, as part of the deal, also came with a drink for the bargain price of £6.49. Wetherspoons have recently begun allowing ale drinkers the privilege of having any of the available ales as part of this offer, which pleased me greatly and allowed me to move onto Robin Hood from Springhead Brewery. At 4%, it's a dark, traditional bitter with a good head and an abundance of hop flavours. Certainly the right choice to accompany the mixed grill, which was delicious and barely touched the sides, even with the addition of Jess and Matt's tomatoes.
Eventually, the time came to venture on elsewhere and our next stop was The Chestnut Tree, situated further down Mansfield Road and on the opposite side.
This building has the look of an old manor house is raised substantially above the pavement thanks to some stone steps that lead directly to the rather large smoking area. Inside, the bar is central and curved and there is plenty of seating and a few TVs, on this occasion showing 90s music videos. The pub itself is nice enough and looks very clean, light and spacious, but the ale selection leaves a lot to be desired. Of the 3 hand pumps in use, Castle Rock Harvest Pale has run out, leaving the choice of Pedigree or Brakspear Bitter. I opted for the latter, largely because it was something different. Thankfully, the beer was in condition, auburn in colour with a malty, traditional bitter taste that is surprising for its low strength (3.8%). Generally it was rather nice and we soon learned to ignore the 'local' lads who were shouting out to random people across the road, as our conversation moved on to piercings, tattoos and Harriet's tendency to randomly pass out. The evening was very pleasant weather wise and we'd decided to sit outside, although the temperature soon began to drop so another relocation was called for. Next up we ventured to somewhere off the beaten track. Running parallel to Mansfield Road, lies a street called Loscoe Road and approximately halfway down is the excellent pub known as The Gladstone.
Well camouflaged in the middle of a Victorian terrace, The Gladstone is a haven for ale drinkers. Named after a former Prime Minister and retaining all the character of a traditional pub, it features a central, double, C-shaped bar with 12 hand pulls featuring Timothy Taylor Landlord; Fuller's London Pride; Harvest Pale; Brewster's Decadence and 2 beers from one of my favourite breweries, Peterborough-based Oakham Ales. Their offerings Scarlet Macaw and Bishop's Farewell are both available and I decide on the latter, which is a 4.6% pale ale, dominated by elaborate fruity hop notes with a grainy background and a dry finish. It's very delicious and in great condition, as it was when I was last here, and I'll definitely be returning again in the not too distant future. We again venture to the beer garden, taking in as we go the memorabilia decorating the walls, including old cricketing gear and school equipment, as well as an old bicycle suspended on the wall above our table. It's probably a sign of the amount of alcohol consumed at this stage that causes the conversation to go in slightly darker directions, taking in subjects including Alzheimer's Disease and accidental racism from the older generation. Soon though, it became time to move on again, to our last scheduled stop on this tour and it's one I've certainly been looking forward too. The clock is ticking though as it's only half an hour before the next place shuts. Luckily, it's not that far away, which is just as well, as I would've been rather unhappy if we hadn't managed to get in for last orders.
We're back on Mansfield Road proper now, on our way to Nottingham's first micropub, the incredibly popular Doctor's Orders.
Located, as the name suggests, in an old pharmacy, Doctor's Orders is unique and one of the breed of micropubs springing up around the UK. There is no bar, no cellar and no standing. Orders are taken at your table and the beer is poured from barrels that are racked in an adjacent room, behind the old pharmacist's counter and visible through glass partition windows so that you can see what's happening. It's not busy on our visit. Besides the 5 of us are a couple sitting together and a 40ish metal fan by himself. The brews on offer include 5 ales (from Mallard, Navigation, Nutbrook and Magpie respectively) and 2 real ciders. Whilst we're there, the Navigation beer runs out and is replaced by Red Feather from Welbeck Abbey. All pints are priced at £3 each and we all decide on different things, with myself venturing for Webbed Wheat from Mallard. It's golden, sweet and slightly fruity with a nice hop kick and just a little hint of the wheat that gives it its name. It's drinkable too at a very sensible 4.3%. It's certainly a quirky and charming place with some of the original features still remaining, including the bell that sounds whenever someone enters or exits. We arrived with about 25 minutes to spare until close, giving us time to properly enjoy our beers before we decide what to do next. We eventually popped into the Golden Fleece for a quick one before I decided to head home to the dog. The Golden Fleece will get a proper review at a later date as a return visit will fit nicely into an investigation of the other pubs at the City Centre end of Mansfield Road. All in all, it's been a highly enjoyable and, from my perspective, very productive evening and it's left me with lots to mull over for future reference. Mansfield Road is certainly a place where the ale is plentiful and, with less than half the pubs there visited on this trip, one can only hope that the trend continues.
With my return to work imminent, I'm still planning on trying to fit an excursion in at least once a week to keep the blog up to date. All being well, my next excursion should be more City Centre based. It all depends on how my shifts at my new airport job work out. Keep an eye out for updates though. I'll do my best to keep things going as they have been.
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