Basford is a suburb in northern Nottingham. Basford parish was absorbed into Nottingham in 1877. It gave its name to the Basford Rural District which existed from 1894 to 1974.
There is both an ‘Old Basford’ and a ‘New Basford’ although New Basford is mainly Victorian. Basford lies close to the River Leen, a tributary of the River Trent. Basford is located on the main route of the Nottingham Express Transit, which connects it to Nottingham City Centre to the south and Hucknall and Bulwell to the north.
The place name comes either from Old English "the ford near the home of Bassa" (Bassa's ford) or French le bas ford, 'the lower ford'.
Close to Basford Register Office is the site of a former workhouse, this was used for Basford and the neighbouring parishes. The workhouse later became a maternity hospital and then a psychiatric hospital. The hospital is due to be demolished.
Near Vernon Park there used to be a complex of high rise flats which consisted of horizontal and vertical blocks connected together by ariel concrete walkways. These were demolished in 1983.
Basford has a good range of shops in the area. It is a large area. Home to Vernon Park, Basford also has football teams who play in the area, and is home to the Bulwell and Basford Rotary Club.
For many years one of the largest industries in Basford was the manufacturing of soap. A soap factory was established in Basford in the 1890s by Gerard Bros. In 1955 Gerard Bros. was acquired by Cussons Sons & Co., manufacturer of Cussons Imperial Leather soap. In 2005 the factory was closed and production was moved to Thailand.
Basford was well served by railways with no less than three stations bearing its name in one form or another. Basford Vernon was the first to be built, on the Midland Railway's Nottingham to Mansfield Line. The next built was Basford North on the Great Northern Railway, which was originally called Dob Park from the land it was built on, then later Basford & Bulwell. Lastly came New Basford on the Great Central Main Line. Basford North and New Basford closed along with the lines on which they were situated. Basford Vernon closed in 1964 but the line on which it stood remained open for freight and was subsequently reopened to passengers as the Robin Hood Line; the station did not reopen but is now the site of Basford tram stop on the Nottingham Express Transit.
Basford also had over the years three breweries, though probably only the main one, Shipstones, will be familiar. The other two were Basford Brewery (taken over via Shipstones) and the redundant Prince of Wales Brewery in Old Basford which closed over 90 years ago. However, its buildings remain pretty much as built in the form of Murphy's Chemical Works on Alpine Street.
I was mildly apprehensive prior to embarking on this particular venture, as Basford has something of a dodgy reputation. However, having lived in Nottingham on and off for nearly 10 years, I know which areas to avoid so I wasn't unduly worried. The weather was overcast but still warm with rain and stormy weather threatening but I was filled with excitement at what I might discover.
My first stop is a place that sits just on the edge of Basford proper, somewhere that I've somehow managed to leave out of previous blog entries. Situated on a junction between Hucknall Road and Mansfield Road, not far from Forest Fields, is The Grosvenor.
The pub is characterised by its glazed signage and gold lettering and is currently operated by John Barras. The pub also has an unnerving tendency to severe flooding in times of particularly heavy weather as its location has positioned it in what is essentially a small basin at the crest of a hill. Inside, the bar is central with seating areas on all 4 sides. The seating is a mixture of wooden tables and upholstered benches. The bar is stocked with 9 handpulls, 8 of which are in use at the time of my visit. The majority of these are doubled up, with 2 each of Greene King IPA, Doom Bar and Abbot Ale. Also available are Well's Bombardier Burning Gold and Old Rosie cider. I opted for a pint of the Burning Gold (4.1%), a sister beer to the original Bombardier, inspired by the words to William Blake's 'Jerusalem', which is a refreshing golden beer which is almost like a lager in texture, but not in an unpleasant way. It's a good way to start the day and I took a seat on a high table right near the door as I looked up the quickest route to the next location using the not so trusty Google Maps.
The pint was smooth and went down quickly and so I decided it was time to venture forth to my next location. This was another day in which a lot of walking was involved, something to which I thankfully have no aversion. In order to reach my next spot, I had to take a long walk down Nottingham Road, the aforementioned main route from Basford to the city centre. After approximately 25 minutes or so of walking, during which I passed several pubs that it was certainly a good idea to avoid, I finally reached the next spot on my itinerary. Almost opposite a local social club is The Willow Tree Inn.
Owned and operated by Stadium Leisure, who also own the social club opposite, this is a bar and restaurant that specialises in steak. The interior is laid out like a restaurant with a public dining area to the front and a private restaurant area to the rear. The bar is slightly to left as you enter. The interior is decorated with fairy lights on a surprising number of surfaces and red tablecloths adorn every table. The atmosphere is a friendly, welcoming one and it is clear that many of the customers are regulars. The bar has 2 handpulls, only one of which is in use and this is proffering Caledonian Deuchars IPA, which is very well kept. I sat on a small sofa that looks out into the main bar area and pondered my surroundings. It's clear that the pub is set up as more of a restaurant business but this appears to be sufficient for the local community and the mere fact they have real ale available is good enough for me!
Next up was a hidden gem of a pub that I'd heard a lot about but never had a chance to visit. This involved a bit more walking but this time it was only about 10-15 minutes away. Situated on Mosley Street in Basford proper, is The Lion Inn.
Located in the shadows of the old Shipstone's Brewery, The Lion Inn is a proper ale house with all the charm and ambience that you would expect. They certainly know what they're doing here as the pub has featured in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide for 10 years in a row. Inside is a mass of rustic charm, from the traditional beams and memorabilia that cover the walls and ceiling to the huge (now, sadly unused) well that occupies the centre of the floor and acts as a sauce station for food. The central bar is U-shaped and opposite the toilets. There is an expansive outdoor seating area and the pub is a stone's throw from the Shipstone Street tram stop so there really is no excuse not to visit. The aforementioned bar is stocked with 11 handpulls, 10 of which are in use on my trip offering a mouth-watering range of beers. 10 real ciders and perries are also available. It took me a while to decide where to begin as I was faced with the following choices: Dukeries Farmer's Branch; Black Iris Bleeding Heart; Camerons Gold Bullion; Shiny 4 Wood; Tim Taylor Landlord; Phesantry Dark Ale; Totally Brewed Slap in the Face; Castle Rock Screech Owl; Castle Rock Harvest Pale and Bass. I eventually decided on 4 Wood (4.5%) from Derby's Shiny Brewery. This is a golden, coppery coloured beer with a good bitter and fruit balance. There is a nice, citrusy hop aroma with a smooth, dry aftertaste. I sat down near the bar, enjoying not just the beer but also the music from the jukebox (Fleetwood Mac in all their glory) and the pub as a whole. So good a time was I having that it would have been rude not to have a second pint. For my next beverage, I went for Bleeding Heart (4.5%) from the now Nottingham-based Black Iris brewery. This is a ruby red ale, brewed in the style of an IPA with Harpoon hops. This began life as a collaboration with Wetherspoon's as part of their craft brewers showcase. This was delicious with a strong, malty backbone and a syrupy finish. I would have loved to have stayed all day and sampled all of their beers but, sadly, time was getting on and I had yet another pub to get too.
Retracing my steps slightly, I reached my last destination, which sits on a corner of Mosley Street and Radford Road. This another pub in the local area that is known for its good beer: The Horse and Groom.
This is another traditional ale pub, formerly owned by Shipstone's that prides itself on bringing in a variety of beers from breweries around the country. The interior is very traditional and decorated with old photographs of the local area. The pub is at the back of the main room and off to the right with a seating area in front and another on the other side of the central entrance passageway. 6 of the 7 handpulls are in use when I'm there, offering a choice of Harvest Pale, Belvoir Beaver, Moorhouse Black Cat and a trio from Whim Ales, Earl Grey, Hartington IPA and Flower Power. After a moment's deliberation, I opted for the Flower Power (5.3%) from Buxton based Whim Ales. This is a pale ale with an initial warmth that is followed by developing intense citrus flavours. It is medium to full bodied with complex hop character, a dry finish and a very hoppy aroma.
As I perched at the bar and thoroughly enjoyed my last pint for this trip, I reflected upon how the day had gone. Overall, it had started slowly but as the day had gone on and the pubs had improved, it became clear that a lot can be said for the quality of the beer in this area. Basford is looked upon disapprovingly by some but, if the quality of its beer and its pubs can be used as a benchmark, that opinion looks set to change rapidly. It's always good to see pubs like The Horse and Groom, and especially The Lion, thriving in areas like this. Basford has intrigued and pleased me when I wasn't necessarily expecting it. That's credit where it is clearly due.
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