Monday, August 1, 2016

A Run of the Mill

My two most recent trips have both been confined to a relatively local area so, for this excursion, I decided to once again head further afield and head over the county boundary into Derbyshire to investigate the town of Langley Mill and the pubs that it has to offer.
Langley Mill is a small town in the Amber Valley district of Derbyshire. It is on the border of Nottinghamshire, and merges into the towns of Aldercar (to the north) and Heanor (to the southwest). Across the River Erewash is the Nottinghamshire town of Eastwood. It is part of the Aldercar and Langley Mill parish. Although the town has an "NG" postcode, it is in Derbyshire. (The boundary used to be the River Erewash, but the boundary was moved in the 1990s and is now the A610; this means that the Erewash Canal basin is now in Langley Mill.)
Originally named Long Lea, the village of Langley Mill was a major employer throughout the mid 1900s with many companies including The Flour Mill, Langley Mill Pottery, Aristoc & Co Ltd, G.R. Turners, and Vic Hallam Limited.
Aristoc & Co Limited on North Street became a target for German Bombers during the Second World War. Originally a manufacturer of silk stockings, Aristoc manufactured parachutes, inflatable dinghies, etc., for the war effort. The buildings have now been replaced with housing.
International Superbike champion Ron Haslam hailed from Langley Mill. He won many titles in the 1970s and early 1980s on the international motorcycle scene, pitting his natural talents against major stars including Barry Sheene.
Langley (not Langley Mill) is in the Heanor and Loscoe parish.
The town is at the junction of the Erewash Canal, the Cromford Canal, and the Nottingham Canal. The town is the site of Langley Mill railway station, on the Erewash Valley Line. The A610 £2.5 million Langley Mill Bypass was opened on 8 September 1983, by Joe Carty, the leader of Derbyshire County Council.

To get to Langley Mill, I'd decided to get the train as opposed to the bus due to the fact that this would drop me off at a central point for me to get my bearings in the town. The downsides to this particular transport choice meant however that, whilst the journey was quicker, it was more expensive and less frequent, limited to one train an hour there and back. This didn't put me off though and I was determined to have a good day regardless. The weather was a far cry from that of my previous trip out, with a bright, warm Sunday replaced by a cooler, inclement Thursday. I arrived in Langley Mill after the 20 minute train ride and immediately set about finding my way around. The closest pub to the station didn't open until later in the day so I was resolved to visit this last.
To reach my first destination, I turned right out of the station and walked down the main road through the village, passed an Asda supermarket and then further along to where the main road almost joins the A610. Situated down an incline just off the road facing the main thoroughfare was my first stop, The Great Northern.




Now operated by the Pub People Company, this historic canal side pub was refurbished in 2013. The pub sits at the end of the Erewash Canal, at the Great Northern Basin, from which it takes it's name. The pub sits in the basin with the road elevated up a steep verge in front. Internally, the pub is effectively a single room, broken up into nooks and crannies for some privacy, with the bar occupying the central portion of the room. There is also a beer garden and a children's play area alongside the canal. The bar itself features 7 handpulls, 5 of which are in use on my visit. 2 of these offer real cider in the form of Rosie's Pig Handbrake and Snail's Bank Pig Squeal, while the rest proffer real ale, on this occasion Navigation Brittania, Sharp's Doom Bar and Nottingham Dreadnought. Having recently reacquainted myself with Dreadnought, I opted for a pint of it again here. It was very well kept and well earned after my trip.

Following a pleasant few minutes enjoying my pint at the Great Northern, it was time to make my way to my next stop. This meant retracing my steps, back past the train station and up a slight incline towards the middle of the town. On a junction between the main road and a smaller side street, sits the next pub on the day's itinerary, the creatively named Inn the Middle.



This large, roadside pub benefits from a spacious interior with a central, island bar and a pool and darts area off in one corner and a smoking area to rear. The pub takes its name from its location in the town and also from the fact the town itself is roughly equidistant between Nottingham and Derby. 3 of the 4 handpulls are in use offering a choice of local beers, namely Dancing Duck Sapphire, Brewster's Roll in the Hay and Burton Town Heroes for Ghosts. Being unfamiliar with any of these beers, I was spoilt for choice so decided to go for the Sapphire (4.2%), a pale ale with a nice, fruity aroma and lots of citrus flavours from orange, lemon and pink grapefruit, all giving way to a spicy finish. I took a seat to one side of the central bar, thoroughly enjoying my afternoon so far. The beer was delicious and went down a tad too easily. The temptation to have a second was strong but, constrained as I was by time, I had no other choice but to move on. It was raining strongly when I left Inn the Middle but thankfully, I didn't have far to go.
My third and final stop on this short trip was the closest pub to the station and I arrived a couple of minutes after it opened. The day was to close at the Railway Tavern.



This little changed station pub is operated by Turnstone Taverns and is laid out with a number of rooms off the central bar. The pub is locally known for showing live sport and featured in the CAMRA Good Pub Guide in 2010. The bar features 5 handpulls, 3 of which were in use during my visit. All of featured beers were about as local as they could be, as they are all from Heanor's Leadmill Brewery, essentially just down the road. The choices before me were Wild Rover, B52 and Butterley Tunnel, all of which were new to me, leading to a moment of decision making. I eventually decided on the B52. At 5.2%, this is a premium bitter with a caramel malt character and a slightly sharp, bitter hop finish. I made way into a small snug-like back room with my pint and enjoyed it in the company of live football coverage from a pre-season European friendly. I had made a wise choice by leaving this pub until last as I finished my pint with just enough time to make my train back to Nottingham.

My trip to Langley Mill had been an interesting one. Whilst it does not contain many pubs, the quality of beer is very good and it obviously does a lot to support local breweries and ensures that LocALE has a permanent presence. The lack of pubs is more than compensated for by good quality beer and the pubs themselves are welcoming and well maintained. This is definitely one of those locations that has been a pleasant surprise and deserves recognition for such as it seems to have slipped under the radar of the local real ale scene. I urge others to make the trip as it's certainly more than run of the mill!

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