An Ale-way Station

In the rare position of having a Bank Holiday Saturday off work, due to returning from a wedding down south, I decided to make the most of a free afternoon to return to a place that still ranks amongst the best locations ever visited for this blog. Derby is still flying the flag for real ale in the East Midlands so a return trip was overdue. On this occasion, instead of a general venture around the city centre and the better known pubs, I aimed for pubs in a specific area, this time focusing my search around the train station. The ease of the location and the close proximity of some interesting sounding premises cemented my decision to see what was on offer. Having made it safely to Nottingham Station and purchasing my ticket, I boarded the next train and, a swift 20 minutes later, arrived in the neighbouring city tinged with excitement and anticipation.

It was mid-afternoon when I arrived and the weather was unsettled but I wasn't about to let Spring showers upset my day. Conveniently, my first location on this week's itinerary, was directly opposite the main exit from the station. Located in a grand Victorian building, which is part of Railway Terrace, is the Waterfall.

 
This massive building benefits significantly from an open plan layout, with a central horseshoe-shaped bar and a number of seating areas throughout the room. A door to the rear leads to an American-style pool lounge and there is a large function room that is regularly used for wedding receptions and the like. The interior is a mix of the original features and modern additions, giving it an impressive and imposing feel. The bar includes 4 handpulls, half of which are in use during my visit, both featuring Doom Bar. I broke with tradition slightly here when I noticed that the bar also included a range of bottled beers namely: Jennings Cumberland, Shepherd Neame Spitfire, Shepherd Neame Master Brew, Wychwood Hobgoblin and 3 from the range produced by the Guinness Brewers Project, specifically Guinness Pale Ale, Dublin Porter and West Indies Porter. I wouldn't normally buy bottled ale from a pub but I'm a firm believer in giving it a go so I opted for a bottle of Spitfire. I moved over to a small, raised area with some leather bucket chairs and took a seat, occasionally glancing at the televised coverage of the epic clash between Burton and Oldham. The Spitfire was as good as I'd come to expect from the bottled version so I was relatively pleased with my decision.

The handy thing about the route I had planned for the day was the close proximity between the different venues that I'd earmarked for a visit. My next such stop was just around the corner and I was very excited to experience it as I'd heard many excellent things and I knew that I was unlikely to be disappointed. Renowned locally and recently named CAMRA Derby Pub of the Year for 2016, is the Brunswick Inn.

Situated at the apex of what is known as the 'railway triangle', the Brunswick Inn was built in 1841 by the North Midland Railway Company, along with 80 cottages and a local store. Designed by Francis Thompson, it the form of a 4 storey triangular building with 2 of the floors being underground. Georgian in its design, it is one of, if not the earliest example of a purpose built commercial inn in the country. The area was designed as a self-contained community and the Inn traded continually as well as a public house, as well as offering accommodation, until April 1974. It was shut and left to fall into disrepair and, along with the cottages, was marked for demolition. Yet public outcry at the planned demolition forced the council to reconsider and, after protracted negotiations, the Derby Historic Buildings Trust convinced the local council to sell the buildings to the Trust for renovation. The shell renovations were completed in 1982, where upon the Historic Building Trust ran out of funding and the work on the interior could not be completed. The building again hung in the balance, until in 1987 local businessmen saw the potential for The Brunswick and purchased it from the Trust. Work on the building began straight away and, on the 3rd October 1987, The Brunswick reopened as a public house and has remained so ever since. The Inn and the cottages are now protected under Grade II listed status. In 2001, the Inn was purchased by Everards Brewery, who still own it, and is currently leased to Alan Pickersgill and Phillippe Larroche, both of whom are award winning licensees.  
Early in 1990 construction was started on an extension to give the Brunswick Inn back its original capacity to produce its own beer.
A traditional tower style brewery built over three levels, great care was taken to keep the brewery in keeping with the history of the Inn, with lines of windows and stonework following through into the extension.
The plant itself was installed in April 1991, and on the 11th June 1991 production of Brunswick Brewing Company beer began. The brewery has a brew length of 10 imperial barrels (16.36Hl), and a maximum production of approximately 1000 imperial barrels per year.
The brewery produces beer not only for The Brunswick Inn, but also for Everards, as well as the local free trade and beer festivals. Over the years the Brunswick Brewing Company has established itself up and down the country, and has collected many awards for its ale, from local festival awards to national recognition.
The brewery is currently under the stewardship of long-time head brewer James Salmon, who along with the pubs tenants, are working to maintain the Brunswick Inn and Brewing Company as one of the premier brew pubs in the country.

The outward charm of the pub is maintained inside with lots period features, photos of the local area and lots of old brewery and beer memorabilia. The bar is relatively small and tucked into a corner of a small lounge, divided from the dining area by a number of glass and wood partition walls. The pub is brimming with a wonderful, chilled atmosphere. The bar has a massive 16 handpulls, 15 of which are in use whilst I'm there. There is certainly a lot of choice from amongst the following: Winning Post Twyford Sleeper, Winning Post Tully Bitter, Gold Course Hoptical Illusion, Oakham JHB, Stratford Stratford Gold, Everards Old Original, Everards Beacon, Everards Tiger and Brunswick's own Platform 2B, Rocket, Black Sabbath, Railway Porter, The Usual, White Feather and Triple Hop. I decided, after much deliberation, that I would go for a pint of Rocket (4.7%). This is a pale, IPA style beer, heavily dry hopped with a multitude of New World hops to give pleasant citrus and apricot flavours. It's a very delicious beer indeed and it's easy to see that The Brunswick's Pub of the Year title is well deserved. The beer is wonderfully kept and perfectly brewed, which is not surprising given that Brunswick is Derby's oldest surviving brewery. I could easily have stayed here all afternoon but there were more pubs to visit and more beers to drink so it was, sadly, time to move on.

A bit further down the road, and slightly round the corner, was my next destination. Opposite the railway line is Castle Rock's only pub in Derby, The Alexandra Hotel.

The Alexandra was built around 1890 and is named after the Danish princess who married the then Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) in 1863. The bar is now adorned with railway memorabilia (including an old station digital clock) and the lounge with breweriana as a reminder of the local heritage. The pub was the birthplace of Derby CAMRA in 1974 and has won awards in previous years, being crowned Pub of the Year in 2015 and runner-up in 2011. Inside, the pub has the traditional atmosphere and ambience of a Castle Rock venue with 9 handpulls, 8 of which are in use at the time that I'm there. One of these is given over to Old Rosie cider whilst the others all offer ale, specifically Mallinson's Chinook, Holden's Black Country Mild and the rest all being Castle Rock, namely Pilot's Wings, Harvest Pale, Midnight Owl, Screech Owl and Trent Vale Reserve. I opted for Pilot's Wings, a special edition brew made to commemorate the centenary of the First World War. This particular one is the 6th in the series and has been brewed in memory of Albert Ball, a Nottingham-born fighter pilot who became the first man during the Great War to be awarded 3 Distinguished Services Awards. He was awarded the Victoria Cross one month after his death at the age of 20. The beer itself is a hoppy pale ale with aromas of citrus and pine and an upfront bitterness, wrapped in an ABV of 5%. It's a very good beer and fitting tribute to a local legend.

My next stop was a little bit further away but still not too much of a walk and a stone's throw from the Derby Intu shopping centre. It was time for the almost obligatory trip to a Wetherspoons, if for no other reason than to use up some of my CAMRA vouchers. This particular one is the Babington Arms.

 

The site now occupied by the Babington Arms was once part of the gardens immediately behind the long-demolished Babbington House. This 17th Century mansion was once home to the Babbington family, whose coat of arms depicted two baboons on a large beer or wine cask. Inside, the layout is standard Wetherspoons with a long bar down one side of the room, a myriad of seating and toilets (as per usual) on a separate floor. My visit has handily coincided with the Wetherspoons ale festival, running until the end of the month. This means even more of a range than normal, which is always a massive plus. The Babington Arms boasts 18 handpulls, all but one of which is in use. Alongside the standard Spoons offerings of Pedigree, Abbot Ale, Ruddles and Doom Bar, is a varied choice that throws up the following: Sandford Orchards Pear Shaped, No. 18 Yard Hog Island, Small World Thunderbridge Stout, Small World Twin Falls, Small World Long Moor Pale, Devil's Backbone Bravo Four Point, Rudgate Ruby Mild, Otter Otter Fusion, Inveralmond Amber Bead, Orkney Norseman, Falstaff Bluebird, Mordue Wheat and Pheasantry Best Bitter. This was again a place where deliberation was required but I finally decided upon a pint of Norseman, a lovely summer ale, brewed with Maris Otter hops, giving a lively beer with a refreshing grapefruit and floral character. At only 4.4%, it's also very drinkable. The pub is very busy, this being a Saturday, so I end up leaning on one of the small drinking shelves situated opposite the bar. This isn't a bad thing as it means I can people watch and take in the atmosphere.

The Babington Arms is the furthest pub from my starting point so I now began my journey back in the direction of the station. The next pub on my agenda is in more or less a straight line from here, opposite the corner of the aforementioned a shopping centre. Sat astride the corner of a busy traffic junction is the Royal Telegraph.

Originally quite a small pub, it was built in the 1820s and named after a stage coach that ran from London to Manchester. The 'Royal' was soon dropped from the name and it was known as the Telegraph for many years. A road widening scheme took place in 1936 and the owners of the pub expanded the premises, buying out the neighbouring pub, the Prince of Wales, and two shops. The pub was then rebuilt with a long, curving frontage and an entrance at either end, a design that it still retains. It was reopened in 1937. Further internal alterations were carried out in the 1980s by Mansfield Breweries and it was renamed St. Trinian's but the name only lasted for 3 years. In 1986, the name was changed to Strutt's a name it retained until fairly recently when Marston's took the premises over and reverted to the original name. Internally, the long bar curves around the front of the pub and the space is broken up into smaller spaces for more intimate dining and drinking. One end is primarily for eating, with the far end given over to pool tables, fruit machines and darts. The middle section is a more traditional lounge bar style area. The bar includes 4 handpulls featuring Pedigree, Marston's Longer Days, Hobgoblin and Ringwood Boondoggle. I always feel a certain sentimentality for Ringwood beers so it was an easy choice for me when I selected Boondoggle, which was in excellent condition. I took some time, whilst I was enjoying my beer, to watch some of the England v Sri Lanka T20 cricket and simultaneously trying not to engage in conversation with the cricket fan on the neighbouring table.

I had 2 more pubs left on my route for the day and these were within easy walking distance of both the Royal Telegraph and the train station itself. Next up, was the aptly named Station Inn.

Situated on the busy Midland Road, the pub is approximately 250 metres from the train station. The large front room has a traditional bar and there is a pool room/function room to the rear. 2 of the 4 handpulls are in use, providing a choice between Draught Bass and Marston's New World. I decided to give the Bass a go and was then asked a question that I've never been asked before. I was given the option of Bass from the pump or direct from a large jug behind the bar. I realised quickly that this must be a good option as I could see no reason why they would offer it otherwise. Evidently the pub is famed for this unique serving method and, if I'm honest, the taste difference from the jug was noticeable and certainly added a rather tasty flavour to the beer. It's definitely something worth trying.

One pub left now and it was almost exactly back to where my journey had begun. Adjacent to the Waterfall is a pub that comes with an excellent reputation for live music and boasts a Cask Marque accreditation plaque outside the door. This boded well on first glance as I entered the Victoria Inn.

The Victoria Inn has a bar tucked into one corner of a lounge like layout with a couple of round tables and benches in two separate areas with a performance area and toilets to the rear. The bar holds 6 handpulls. How many of them were in use? None. Nada. Zip. Zero. I can only assume that the lines were being cleaned or that the pub doesn't serve real ale when there is music on through some misplaced assumption that rock fans don't like ale. I beg to differ! The one saving grace was that they at least sold bottles of Doom Bar and Hobgoblin. I went for the latter and sat at the bar having a bit of a sulk that the Cask Marque plaque seemed misplaced. I'm prepared to be proven wrong so another investigation at a later date may be in order. I know that I'd had bottled ale earlier in the day but this was at least in a venue that had at least one real ale on draught as advertised.

Despite my disappointment in the last venue, my day had been rather productive. Derby has once again proven that, whilst not all the venues are anything to write home about, the vast majority are maintaining some excellent standards of real ale. Derby is still very much the place to beat locally for real ale and whilst it continues to fly the flag, it will be very hard to beat. The ease with which it is to get to and the range and quantity of pubs that exist in close proximity to the train station make it a must for an afternoon trip, if just to have a wander around somewhere different. Improvement needed? Some, in this particular area of the city, but there are some absolute gems here too. Well done to the Brunswick Inn and the Alexandra Hotel for their numerous awards and the effort they continue to show. Overall, Derby is the place to get some decent ale down you!

Hey! Ho! Shardlow!

Whilst this week's title is a more than subtle musical nod, the subject of my most expedition is perhaps less well known and certainly bordering on being one of the hidden gem locations that often make an appearance in these pages. Last week, on what turned out to be a beautiful February Wednesday, I set my sights on a place that I had passed through on occasion but never had the opportunity to properly stop and visit. What better time, then, to finally turn my attentions to the village of Shardlow.

Shardlow is a village in Derbyshire, England about 6 miles (9.7 km) southeast of Derby and 11 miles (18 km) southwest of Nottingham. Part of the civil parish of Shardlow and Great Wilne, and the district of South Derbyshire, it is also very close to the border with Leicestershire, defined by route of the River Trent which passes close to the south. Just across the Trent is the Castle Donington parish of North West Leicestershire.
An important late 18th century river port for the transshipment of goods to and from the River Trent to the Trent and Mersey Canal, during its heyday from the 1770s to the 1840s it became referred to as "Rural Rotterdam" and "Little Liverpool". Today Shardlow is considered Britains most complete surviving example of a canal village, with over 50 Grade II listed buildings and a large number of surviving public houses within the designated Shardlow Wharf Conservation Area.

Due to its location on the River Trent, which up to this point is easily navigable, there is much early evidence of human activity in the area, dating back to 1500 BC. In 1999 the 12-foot-long (3.7 m) 1300 BC Hanson Log Boat, a Bronze Age log boat was discovered at the nearby Hanson plc gravel pit. Sawn into sections so that it could be transported and conserved, the boat is now in Derby Museum and Art Gallery. Five years later, a JCB in the quarry unearthed a bronze sword imbedded in a vertical position in the gravel. There is also a stone age tumulus at Lockington, an Iron Age settlement between Shardlow/Wilne and the river, and later Roman finds at Great Wilne.
In 1009 Æþelræd Unræd (King Ethelred the Unready) signed a charter at the Great Council which recognised the position and boundaries of Westune. The land described in that charter included the lands now known as Shardlow, Great Wilne, Church Wilne, Crich, Smalley, Morley, Weston and Aston-on-Trent. Under this charter Æþelræd gave his minister a number of rights that made him free from tax and to his own rule within the manor.
The village is listed as Serdelau in the Domesday Book - translated as a settlement near a mound with a notch or indentation – but there have been up to 20 different spellings noted by historians.^[2] The oldest surviving building today in the village is believed to be the "Dog & Duck" public house, located in the upper end of the village.

The River Trent below Shardlow is navigable all the way to the Humber Estuary, as is the River Soar which joins 2 miles (3.2 km) further down stream. Resultantly Shardlow was always an important transport hub and trading point, as wide-beam ships and boats traded cargo commercially with the pack horse trails going across the region. The tariffs charged for goods proceeding through the port, enabled industrialist Leonard Fosbrooke to build Shardlow Hall, and later lead to skirmishes being fought locally during the English Civil War for control of the strategic transport hub.
The original London to Manchester road (later a turnpike designed by the Duke of Devonshire's architect James Paine, now the A6) passes through the village, having crossed the Trent at Cavendish Bridge. By 1310, a rope-hauled ferry boat had replaced the last of a series of medieval bridges that crossed the Trent at what was known as Wilden Ferry. Later archaeological investigations in the Hemington Fields quarry, revealed that the three wooden bridges were destroyed by floods between 1140 and 1309. During this period the unstable gravel bed of the Trent was affected by a succession of large floods, which meant that the river shifted its course significantly during this time, demolishing the bridges and an adjacent Norman mill weir.
The cost to cross Paine's original 1738 bridge during its years serving as a tollroad was 2s 6d (12p) for carriages. It survived in service until 1947, when the Trent swollen by a rapid thaw swept its supports away. The British Army provided a temporary Bailey Bridge, which was replaced by the present structure in 1957. Today the pediment of Paine's bridge survives as a preserved structure, with the toll charges engraved into it.

Due to the discovery in 1720 of heated flint being able to turn the North Staffordshire reddish-clay into a lusterous white-sheen ware, from the 18th Century volumes of cargo shipped through Shardlow accelerated, supplying product and shipping ware internationally from the Stoke-on-Trent potteries.
James Brindley built the Trent and Mersey Canal from 1766 to 1777. With a vision to connect all four of England's main rivers together – the Mersey, Trent, Severn and Thames – he created the only other comparative canal port to Shardlow in the town of Stourport-on-Severn. Brindley developed his canal through Shardlow in 1770, to join the River Trent at Great Wilne .5 miles (0.80 km) further down stream at the junction with the River Derwent, which was also up to that point navigable. As a result, Shardlow quickly developed as an important UK river port, a transshipment point between the broad river barges and ships, and the canal's narrow boats. Shardlow later became the head office site of the Trent and Mersey Canal.
The port outline as exists today was formed by 1816, when the 12 canal basins had been excavated. But the warehouses around them were extensively reconstructed as trade developed, so that by 1820 the larger structures with the suburst windows which exist today, had replaced the earlier buildings. The wharfs and associated warehouses each had designated functions, which included: coal; timber; iron; cheese; corn; and salt. Other business which developed alongside the port included: boat builders; ropewalks; stables; offices, including the head office site of the Trent and Mersey Canal; plus workers cottages and owner's houses. Two families particularly made their fortunes: the Soresburys with rapid horse-drawn 'fly boats' on the Trent; and the Suttons with their barges and narrow boats.
The importance and vitality of the port resulted in the town becoming referred to as "Rural Rotterdam" and "Little Liverpool", with the population rising from 200 in 1780 to a peak of 1,306 in 1841.

However, the subsequent arrival of the Midland Railway and associated railway branches to the area in the 1840s signalled the beginning of the end; by 1861 the population had fallen to 945, of whom 136 were in the workhouse. By 1886 the port was virtually abandoned, yet the end only came with the formation of the nationalised British Waterways in 1947, which quickly resulted in the removal of the formal designation of Shardlow as a port.
In 1816, a large group of parishes from Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire erected a joint workhouse to the west of Shardlow, which had required the UK Parliament to approve the "Shardlow and Wilne Poor Relief Act". But with an expanding number of poor people to cope with, the Union negotiated from 1834 to expand to 46 parishes encompassing a population of 29,812, ranging in population scale from Hopwell (23) to Castle Donington (3,182). The "Shardlow Poor Law Union" formally came into existence on 30 March 1837, governed by an elected board of 57 guardians. The building was enlarged by Derby-based architect Henry Isaac Stevens at a cost of £2,800 in 1838-9, to increase its capacity to 230.
Shardlow and Great Wilne had been included in the parish of Aston-on-Trent until 1838. But with the formation of the poor union, the combined parishes agreed to fund a parish church for the town, resulting in the opening of St James's Church designed by H.I. Stevens, so that in the following year Shardlow became a parish in its own right.
In 1905, the workhouse started its conversion to a hospital, with new buildings to its south. Post World War II under the National Health Service it formally became "The Grove" hospital, which was closed in 2005 and subsequently demolished in 2007.

The last grain-carrying narrow boat delivered its cargo to Shardlow in the early 1950s. In 1957 the stable block which had housed over 100 towing horses were demolished, latterly followed by some of the smaller warehouses and buildings over the next 20 years. A campaign led by the newly formed Trent & Mersey Canal Society resulted in the designation in 1975 of the Shardlow Wharf Conservation Area, which today encompasses over 50 Grade II listed buildings.
During the 1970s, the men-only "Pavilion Club" flourished in the old cricket club. Then uniquely owned and operated by its gay members, it burnt down in the late 1980s. The subsequent insurance payout went into a local trust, which supported LGBT causes in the area for many years.
Today the relatively small village is considered Britain's most complete surviving example of a canal village. Most of the warehouses and other port buildings have been converted to other commercial uses, or as private dwellings.

So, for such a small village, relatively unknown outside of the local area, there is a lot of historical interest and, for the purposes of my visit, quite a large number of pubs, though not quite as many as the 13 that it used to boast. My journey began, as a lot of them tend to, with a bus ride to get me as close as possible to the village. This meant getting the Skylink from Nottingham city centre and getting off at the A50 Sawley roundabout. This was followed by a short walk past some picturesque countryside as I enjoyed the pleasant sunshine and the mild temperatures for February. As mentioned I had previously passed through Shardlow but never been able to stop so I was looking forward to the prospect of further investigating this particular part of the world.
After a brief walk, I identified my first location, just past a Chinese restaurant and down a side road off the main road just before Cavendish Bridge. Following this road, I reached my first stop after a couple more minutes of walking. Tucked away in a lower part of the village, with the Trent visible just behind, is The Old Crown Inn.

This former coaching inn dates from the 17th Century and has built up a significant reputation in recent years for its excellent food and real ale. The pub survived being severely flooded twice in a number of weeks just before Christmas 2012 but kept plugging away and has built a loyal customer base amongst locals and visitors. Inside, the original oak beamed ceiling has been retained and this displays an extensive collection of old jugs with the walls adorned with pub mirrors, brewery signs and railway memorabilia which even extends into the toilets. The interior is cosy and open-plan and divided into 2 areas with a large inglenook on the right. The bar sits between these areas directly opposite the main entrance. This bar includes 7 handpulls, 6 of which are in use during my visit and the choice is interesting, offering Marston's Sunbeam, Old Empire, Pedigree and EPA, as well as Single Hop El Dorado and Wychwood Dirty Tackle. I decided to begin my day with the El Dorado (4%), which offered distinctive dried fruit aromas and a citrusy, tropical bitterness with a herbal note in the aftertaste. This was a refreshing drop after my walk so I took in a small alcove next to the door directly facing the bar and admired my surroundings. It had definitely been a good idea to seek this pub out as it put me in high spirits for what was to come later.

To reach the next stop on the day's itinerary, I retraced my steps to the main road and this time crossed Cavendish Bridge into the village proper with the Trent winding away either side and separating the counties of Derbyshire and Leicestershire. I was immediately struck by how nice this area of the country is and Shardlow marks the 4th time I have been out this way, following previous trips to the neighbouring villages of Sawley, Castle Donington and, most recently, Kegworth. With this is mind, I was hoping for similar levels of success for the remainder of the trip. My next location is situated square on to the main road, at the junction with Wilne Lane. I had arrived at the Navigation Inn.

This traditional pub has recently undergone a change in management so I was mildly apprehensive when I saw the large banners proclaiming this fact as I entered. For a long time, this was the only remaining Davenports house in the area. Inside, there is seating areas over 2 levels with the bar just to the right as you enter through the front door. There is games room with a pool table and dartboard off to one side and outside seating to both the front and rear. The bar features 4 handpulls, arranged in a bank of 3 with a standalone pump at the opposite end. The ales to choose from are Pedigree, Castle Rock Harvest Pale, Black Sheep Bitter and Thorley & Sons Pale & Interesting from out near Ilkeston way. Not quite prepared to dive in at the deep end just yet, I opted instead for trusty Harvest Pale, which was in great condition. I took a seat on a table tucked way behind part of a partition wall and enjoyed my beer. The day thus far was going well and the weather was still glorious. One odd thing I noticed about the layout of this pub is that the cellar is directly behind the bar, accessible through a normal doorway. I have to confess to being a little bit of a nerd with regards to the positioning of pub cellars so I was intrigued by this quirk.

Soon, it was time to move on again, so I made my departure and turned right out of the pub to head up Wilne Lane, which leads to The Wharf with its pleasant views and myriad of listing buildings. Crossing a canal bridge at the end of the street saw me reach my next destination and, consequently, the following one as well, as they face each other across a small courtyard. The first of these, is the New Inn.

This canal side pub welcomes both children and dogs, serves food all day and is known to get busy in the summer months with both locals and visiting boaters. It being February and midweek, this is less of an issue for me on this day so the pub is relatively quiet with one or two small groups in for lunch. I pulled up a convenient bar stool and perused the offerings of the strange shaped bar which is almost shaped like a backwards Z with service to both sides. The pub is divided into 2 long rooms, which meet at one end but are separated at the other by a dividing wall and a corridor that houses the toilets. All of the 7 handpulls are occupied, leaving me a choice between Pedigree, Sharp's Doom Bar, Burton Bridge Stairway to Heaven, Navigation Tight Head, Camerons Northern Line Stout, Exmoor Gold and a real cider in the form of Weston's Rosie's Pig. I had longer to decide than I was expecting as the bar staff appeared to have gone AWOL but a barmaid finally emerged from the kitchen, where she informed me that she'd been eating chips, to take my order. I decided on the Exmoor Gold, which I've had previously, and it was very good indeed, with an excellent smooth finish.

I was pleased that my next location was nearby, a literal stone's throw across the aforementioned courtyard. Within a minute, if not less, I was at The Malt Shovel.
 
Dating from 1799, this hugely popular pub still retains its original beams and floors, making it a charming addition to any village. The internal layout is higgledy-piggledy with lots of smaller rooms off of the main one, at a variety of different levels. The pub started life as a malt house to the old brewery that is located behind it (the buildings remain), built by a wealthy farmer named Humphrey Moore. On one fateful day, a worker fell into a boiling vat at the malt house and died a horrible death. The traumatic events of his demise have seemingly caused him to remain at the building, as he has been seen on more than one occasion by ex-landlords and locals alike. His spirit is alleged to be most active in the cellars, particularly during any renovation work. There have been numerous instances of workers being pushed, nipped and poked by something unseen. The nearby canal also boasts a casualty of drink as a man once wandered into its waters and drowned whilst intoxicated. His body was not found until the following day and his ghost has been seen on the bank since. From spirits back to beer and the bar at the Malt Shovel. It accommodates 6 handpulls, 4 of which are in use on my visit, featuring Rosie's Pig, Hobgoblin and a doubled up Pedigree. I was expecting slightly more range if I'm honest but I suspect busier periods allow them to stock a greater variety of ales. Either way, the Hobgoblin was very well kept and this compensated more than enough.

I can imagine the Malt Shovel being rammed to the rafters on a summer evening and this would be no bad thing as it is a very pleasant place to sit and enjoy a delicious beer. A return trip may be in order I think! Leaving The Wharf, I ventured back down Wilne Lane, this time turning left at the end as I once again reached the main road through the village. My next stop was a little further on and back over the road. Upon reaching it, I passed the Old Salt Warehouse, site of a local antiques business as well as the murder of a one-legged beggar (whose ghost has been reported on the canal bank nearby) and reports of an eerie feeling and mild poltergeist activity. Sat almost opposite this is a hulking chunk of a premises known as The Clock Warehouse.

This converted mill was built in 1780 and physically straddles the Trent and Mersey Canal. As well as boasting a skittle alley with a private function room and an adjacent beer garden, the pub also benefits from the Shardlow Heritage Museum being situated in the grounds. Operated by Marston's the pub is truly enormous with an expansive interior over multiple levels and views out across the canal and the nearby fields. Having eventually located the toilets, which turned out to be on a separate floor a la Wetherspoons, I returned to the bar and perused the 5 handpulls, only 2 of which were operational. Given a choice between Pedigree and Hobgoblin, I opted for the former having just had the latter. This was as it should be and went down especially well with the burger that I felt I needed by this stage. I got the sense that the bar has more to offer during busier summer months but the staff are very friendly and welcoming and this massive place has a lot more to offer other than just its location and history.

Next up, I once again found myself crossing the road in order to reach the next location on my tour. Boasting a name perhaps unfamiliar in this part of the country, next in line was The Shakespeare Inn.

This is a traditional pub with two entrances inside the main door that take you to either the bar room or the lounge. The bar sits in the middle of these 2 areas although they are both connected at the rear of bar area. The décor is traditional and adorned with memorabilia and photos from the local area. The restaurant area, where I eventually chose to sit, doubles as a function room and the car park even allows motorhomes to stay overnight. The bar, which serves both areas of the pub, contains 5 handpulls, 2 of which are Pedigree but also featuring Courage Directors, draught Bass and Doom Bar. I decided that Doom Bar would sate my thirst and I was rewarded with as good a kept pint as you'll find anywhere. I spent the time it took to drink my pint admiring the cosy atmosphere of this quaint place.

I had one destination left for the day before my stroll back to the bus stop and my journey home and it was situated at almost the very end of the village. Believed to be the oldest surviving building in Shardlow, I had now reached the Dog & Duck.

This traditional styled pub restaurant is significantly larger on the inside that it appears from the front. The building extends backwards in an almost TARDIS-like fashion to accommodate a large drinking and dining area, a long well-stocked bar and lots of other smaller rooms for eating. There is a very large car park and a children's soft play area to satisfy the younger generation. This is another pub in the village that falls under the Marston's remit and whilst can affect the range of beers on offer it at least ensures that the pub stays open and, importantly, stays a pub. There are 8 handpulls on the bar and 7 of them are in use at the time of my visit. Pedigree appears 3 times with another 2 Help for Heroes charity ale and the final 2 Wychwood Dirty Tackle. I decided that it was only appropriate to end my day with a beer from the Wychwood stable and so opted for Dirty Tackle (4.4%). With aromas of caramel malt, apple and citrus and flavours of grapefruit, this gives way to sweet fruit and sweet malt on the finish. Not as dirty as it sounds then!

It had been an interesting day in Shardlow and time was getting on so it sadly became time for the inevitable return to normality by way of public transport. Whilst the pubs in Shardlow are covered by the extensive presence of Marston's there is clear indications that they are thriving. You only have to count the number of operational premises in what is a fairly small village, to realise that this can only be a good sign. In a climate where pubs, particularly village pubs, have been hard hit by increases in prices and rent and a decrease in trade, Shardlow and, it has to be said, a few more of my recent trips to perhaps less well-trodden areas have highlighted that it is not all doom and gloom. Villages like this with their friendly locals, interesting pubs and doses of local history make it all worthwhile. It's safe to say, that I left Shardlow on a high.