Monday, May 9, 2016

An Acre of Ale

On Friday, I had the unusual opportunity to complete a second pub trip in 3 days, something which I'm hoping to be able to do more often, work schedule permitting. My choice of location this time was one of those places where I really didn't know what to expect. The glorious weather was continuing so there seemed no reason not to spend the day out in the sunshine. Following 2 bus journeys, I made the hop over the county boundary, to the town of Sandiacre.

Sandiacre is a town in the Borough of Erewash in Derbyshire. The population of the town was 8,889 at the 2011 Census.
The name Sandiacre is usually thought to refer to a sandy acre, though another interpretation, based on Saint Diacre, is sometimes advanced.
Seven miles west of Nottingham and nine miles east of Derby, Sandiacre is part of the Greater Nottingham urban area, just on the western side of the River Erewash from Stapleford in Nottinghamshire. Sandiacre is adjoined by Long Eaton to the south and Risley to the west. Junction 25 of the M1 motorway lies in Sandiacre, where it crosses the A52 Brian Clough Way.
The Erewash Canal passes through the centre of Sandiacre, and the small basin immediately above Sandiacre Lock (No. 11 on the canal) was once the terminal link of the now-defunct Derby Canal. Situated next to the canal in the town centre is the Springfield Mill, built in 1888 as a lace mill and a reminder of Sandiacre's industrial heritage, now converted into a modern apartment complex. Examples of lace making, engineering and furniture making can still be found today. The discovery of local ironstone led to the development of Stanton Ironworks in 1787. The EWS Toton depot, which lies on the edge of Sandiacre, was a main employer in the town a number of years ago.
Although there is currently no railway station, the town was once home to a terminal on the Midland Railway, and passenger trains travelling on the St. Pancras - Manchester Piccadilly line still passed along the border with Stapleford during 2003-2004.
Transport links to Nottingham, Derby and the surrounding area are currently provided by Trent Barton.
The parish church is Saint Giles Church, which dates back to the 10th century. There is also a Methodist church in the town.
The old village lock-up still exists, situated near to St. Giles.
The 1801 census recorded Sandiacre's population as 405. By 1901, this had risen to 2954, with the 1971 census reporting a population of 7792. The current population is now hovering at an estimated 9000.

The first location on my trip was situated slightly out of the centre of the town, down Longmoor Lane, towards the border with neighbouring Long Eaton. Situated just next to the feature from which it takes its name, is The Bridge.



Operated by the Pub People Company, this is a large family-friendly pub with a massive beer garden that is hugely popular in good weather. It's no surprise that there aren't too many people inside the pub given the weather on the day of my visit. The interior is divided into designated areas with a dining area to the left of the door, a drinking area of high tables opposite the J shaped bar and a pool area, restricted to over 18s, to the right. The bar includes 4 handpulls, one of which features Weston's Rosie's Pig cider. The other 3 provide a choice of Doom Bar, Thwaites' Wainwright and Pedigree. I decided to have a pint of the Wainwright, which looked and tasted excellent, and took a seat at one of the high tables opposite the bar. It was late afternoon by the time I'd arrived in Sandiacre, so people were slowly starting to arrive at the pub following work or the school run. The pub is very much family-oriented and has a nice, relaxed atmosphere. It's a peaceful start to my excursion, helped by the well-kept beer.

Retracing my steps down Longmoor Lane, I now walked back to where I'd got off the bus which happened to be directly opposite my next location. The next 2 pubs are in very close proximity, effectively separated by a side road and a Co-Op store. The first of the these 2, and my second stop for the day, was the White Lion.



 
This large two-roomed pub is split into a separate lounge to the left and the bar to the right. Entry to the building is through a central main door and there is a beer garden to the rear. Taking the right hand door when I walked in, I arrived in the bar area, which has a small bar to the left of the entrance, a seating area towards the rear and a smaller, raised area with low benches and round tables. There are 3 handpulls available, 2 of which were in use, offering a choice between Kieron's Tipple (brewed by the landlord) and St. Austell's Tribute. I opted for the Tribute, which was very good indeed and just as it should be. I took a seat in the aforementioned raised area, which also contained a small TV that for some reason was showing Come Dine With Me with full sound. The soundtrack in the pub was rock-oriented, which is always a massive plus, particularly when Bohemian Rhapsody came on!

From here, it was on to the next pub, a literal stone's throw away and similarly named. This one was the Red Lion.



Situated at the crossroads in the town, the pub features 2 red lions, one either side of the main doorway. The pub was refurbished in 2015 and now boasts gold, black and red décor to the front. There are two areas to the pub, both served by from a bar that sits roughly in the centre, with a wall to the front side and the pub kitchen area to the rear. There are quite a few locals in at the time of my visit and the landlord is setting up what is either a DJ or karaoke station. The pub also features a few TVs, showing Sky Sports News, some with sound. There are 2 handpulls on the bar, only one of which is being used on my visit, featuring Old Golden Hen. This is very well kept and goes down very smoothly, probably helped by the hot weather. It surprised me to learn that the pub is dog friendly and one canine visitor is particularly noisy but very cute!

I had a couple more pubs to visit before I headed back to town and these weren't too far away either. The Bridge is definitely an outlier in terms of walking distance! Leaving the Red Lion, I turned left and followed Town Street, which runs adjacent to the canal until, a couple of minutes walk away on the right, is The Plough.



Owned by Mitchells and Butlers, as part of their Sizzling Pubs estate, this is a large pub that backs onto the Erewash Canal. The main entrance leads to door further doors. The left entrance leads to a bar area with a pool table, dartboard and TVs whereas the right leads to a more family-orientated dining area. Both are served by a bar with a long dividing wall connecting both sections. The rear garden leads onto the canal and the front area has parasols and large picnic tables. There is also an ample car park at the front and a smaller one to the side. Each side of the bar includes 3 handpulls, making 6 in total and these are doubled up, so offering two of each of their beers. On this occasion, the beers are Everard's Tiger, Wadworth 6X and Dorset Brewing Company Citrus Maximus. It's been a while since I had a pint of Tiger so it didn't take me long to decide what to drink here. The Tiger was at its best and a testament to what is a very good quality beer. Another surprise was in store for me here when I discovered that a mate of mine, Fletch, was now working here. I hadn't seem him since a mutual friend's wedding over a year before so it was nice for the chance of a brief catch up.

The Plough was slowly beginning to fill up with evening drinkers and there were already a large group of labourers enjoying a well earned pint after a hard day. I had one more pub to visit and, as much as it would have been nice to stay at this comfortable pub, I knew I had to go the distance. I turned right upon leaving The Plough and followed the road ahead until it split. I then took the left hand split, onto Church Street and found my final destination nestling at the top of a small incline. My last stop on today's adventure was the Blue Bell.






Situated in the older part of Sandiacre, and opposite the old 1660 village lock-up 'for drunks and stray animals', the pub has recently been refurbished. The entrance leads into the bar, where dark wood and beams are used to create a relaxing olde worlde atmosphere. There is also a stove fire, which is in use in the winter months. The rear of the pub offers seating away from the bar and a conservatory that includes a pool table. A large blue bell hangs outside the entrance to the pub in the car park. 3 of the 5 handpulls are in use, one of which features Rosie's Pig. The other 2 offer a choice of Tiger and Adnams Ghost Ship. I decided on the Ghost Ship, which was delicious as always. I took a seat at a small table, near to the fireplace whilst I reluctantly restrained myself from saying hello to a very friendly Labrador that was trying to get the attention of every passer-by.

My wanders around Sandiacre had been a good way to spend a few hours and all without taking me too far away from my bus stop back to Nottingham. When the time came to wend my way back, a few minutes walk was all it took and the bus was with me in a couple of minutes. What were my overall thoughts about Sandiacre? It was certainly a friendlier place than I'd been concerned it would be and the pubs all had a friendly atmosphere. In terms of ale (the reason I was here), things are positive. Whilst the range of beers is limited, due to the nature of the pubs and the community, there is no doubting the consistency and quality of the beers that were on offer. There was not a bad pint all day and it's not often that that can be said in smaller towns like this one. The increased emphasis on real ale nationally, particularly where it affects community pubs, is no doubt one factor in this. The rest of it can no doubt be put down to the hard work and effort put in to ensure that real ale is as good as it could be as its resurgence continues. Sandiacre surprised me immensely. A barren acre? Not a chance!


No comments:

Post a Comment