Long Eaton is a town in Derbyshire, England. It lies just north of the River Trent about 7 miles (11 km) southwest of Nottingham and is part of the Nottingham Urban Area (the conurbation around Nottingham) but not part of the City of Nottingham. Since 1 April 1974, Long Eaton has been part of Erewash borough.
Long Eaton is referred to as Aitone, in the Domesday Book. Several meanings are associated with this name, for example "farm between streams" or "low lying land". This agricultural settlement grew up close to the lowest bridging point of the River Erewash.
In 1228 the village gained the "Long" prefix due to its length. The cottages and farms straggled along the Market Place, High Street and Main Street.
The "Great Fire of Long Eaton" ripped through 14 houses and several other building in the Market Place destroying them in 1694.
The village remained a constant size until the coming of the railways in the nineteenth century. The Midland Counties Railway in 1839 and the Erewash Valley Line in 1844 provided transport links which encouraged growth. Two industries came to employ many people in the growing town, lace-making and railway wagon manufacturing. A large railway yard at Toton Sidings grew just north of the town.
By 1900 the town had grown to have a population of over 10,000. It had expanded with the construction of many new houses, business premises and factories throughout the Victorian period. In 1921 Long Eaton's boundaries were extended bringing Wilsthorpe and parts of both Sandiacre and Sawley into the town.
A notable building in the town is the Palladian Long Eaton Hall. This was originally a private residence, but is now occupied by the borough council, and is attached to the Long Eaton Town Hall complex, which opened in 1991.
The Parish Church of St. Laurence stands to the east of the Market Place. Local tradition dates the church to the 11th century, possibly built under King Cnut. However, it is more likely that it dates to after the Norman Conquest, possibly into the 12th century. It was originally a daughter church of All Saints, Sawley, but gained its independence in the 19th century.
A glance above the shops on High Street and the Market Place can reveal some interesting architecture. A large part of the centre is made of Victorian and early twentieth century architecture. The New Century Buildings are a good example of late Victorian architecture.
In general Long Eaton's main shopping streets have retained more character than those of most towns of its size.
The High Street and Market Place were pedestrianised during the 1990s and in 2010 work to enhance and improve the layout and paving of Long Eaton town centre was completed.
My previous experience of Long Eaton means that I know where all of the pubs on my planned itinerary are located and the quickest way to get to them all. My first stop was situated on the edge of Long Eaton's market place. Formerly known as The Lockstone, the pub is now called The Oxford.
The pub underwent a significant refurb and name change in August 2014 and is now operated by Amber Taverns. The interior is fairly expansive with a large amount of seating and a large number of TVs showing sports highlights. The long bar has 3 handpulls, 2 of which are in use on my visit. These offer a choice between Caledonian Golden XPA and Navigation Back of the Net. Deciding to show some brand and employee loyalty, I opted for a pint of Back of the Net (4.5%), a golden, seasonal ale brewed to commemorate the start of the football season. It's packed with fruity aromas, sweet flavours and delicate hop and fruit tastes. It's a refreshing start to the day and the pub is quiet apart from a few regulars.
Being back in Long Eaton is a strange experience but I've weirdly missed the place at times like this. My next stop, tucked away down a small, side street further down the high street, is the local Wetherspoons, The Twitchel Inn.
The pub takes its name from the nearby footpath known as 'The Twitchel' which connected Long Eaton with the village of Sawley. The footpath, leading from the junction of High Street and Station Road has since been widened and is now West Gate. The Clifford Street factory, alongside these premises opens onto both Clifford Street and West Gate. This is one of the smaller Wetherspoons pubs that I've been in, taking up the ground floor with a raised section to the rear and the obligatory upstairs toilets. The kinked bar features 12 handpulls, with a wide range of beers on offer. The choices for me on the day are Bateman's Gold, Tring Kotuku, Doom Bar, Springhead Drop O' The Black Stuff, Grainstore Steelback IPA, Pedigree New World (x2), Greene King IPA, Abbot Ale, Ruddles, Old Rosie and Old Rosie Fruit. I decided, after much deliberation, to go for a pint of the Steelback (4.2%), from Oakham's Grainstore Brewery. This is a full bodied beer with characteristic English ale flavours thanks to the use of Goldings and Fuggles hops. I don't often get the chance to enjoy Grainstore beers so it's always good to be able to try them. They certainly know what they're doing as the beer is delicious.
It was, once again, time to move on and my next location was situated at the end of nearby Main Street is a Marston's run premises called The Tappers Harker.
Named after a famous train, the Tappers Harker is a large single roomed building with eating areas divided by wooden banisters and partitions, including a raised area in one corner. The bar sits at the back of the room and is a backwards J shape. There are 4 handpulls offering Pedigree, Hogoblin, Hobgoblin Gold and Jenning's Cumberland. I decided on the Cumberland which is in excellent condition. I took a seat in a small snug area which is equipped with 2 TVs showing Sky Sports News. I took my time with this pint as my next proposed location doesn't open until 2 on a Monday. Despite this, I still managed to arrive before the doors were open so I looped back round, made friends with a cat and then made my way back to the next place on my list.
Situated on Tamworth Road which runs through the town is the previously Good Beer Guide listed, The Barge Inn.
The pub has previously been renowned for its ale and live music scene so I was excited to see what was to offer. Then however, came the big snag. Despite the advertised opening time of 2pm, 10 minutes after this, the door is still closed and the lights appear to be off. The lack of external advertising is also a worrying sign, forcing me to conclude that the pub is closed, at least temporarily. Fingers crossed this isn't a long term measure.
Not to be deterred, I turned my attention instead to a pub further down the road, back towards the town centre, The Stumble Inn, which immediately wins comedy points for funniest pub name.
This is a family run freehold premises which offers a small lounge and larger bar area. As well as being known for having a good range of local ales, the pub featured in 3 consecutive editions of the Good Beer Guide (2011-2013) and now brews on-site with its Songbird micro brewery. 4 of the 6 handpulls were in use during my visit, offering Greene King IPA, Old Speckled Hen, Abbot Ale and their own Alehouse Rock. I decided to try the offering from the pub's own brewery and this turned out to be an excellent and very tasty porter with a lot of complex malt notes and a syrupy, chocolaty aftertaste.
I had one destination left on my list and it was the one that I'd been the most excited about throughout the day. On Regent Street, opposite a doctor's surgery, is The Hole in the Wall.
Privately owned and a regular entry in the Good Beer Guide, The Hole in the Wall offers 2 distinctive drinking areas, a bar with a pool table and a quieter lounge with an old school serving hatch. The bar is central and serves both areas and the walls throughout are adorned with breweriana. The pub has been run by the same individual for many years. 6 handpulls are present, offering Bass Nottingham EPA, Oakham Citra, Doom Bar, Oakham Bishops Farewell and Thirsty Farmer Scrumpy cider. Anyone whose ever read this blog knows that I'm a big fan of Oakham beers so Bishops Farewell was an obvious choice. This was excellently kept and served as a very good end to what I feel is a productive day. As I enjoyed my thirst quenching final pint, I had a chat with the bar maid who offered to pass on my blog details. Hopefully this has meant that a few more people have been reading the recent entries. Welcome to any newcomers!
My day in Long Eaton had been very good. The pubs were pleasant, the beers were good both in quality and quantity and the weather had held out. It's nice to see that ale is keeping up appearances in the area and certain pubs can certainly be commended for their commitment to maintaining this. The Hole in the Wall deserves special praise for the length of time that they have been going strong and The Twitchel carries on the high standards of most Wetherspoons branches elsewhere. In short, Long Eaton is another place that has a growing ale scene. We can hope that this continues into the foreseeable future.
Next time, I'll be bringing you a report into a Bank Holiday trip to Loughborough which turned out to be very good indeed. Until then, take care!
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