When the Going gets Lough

Unusually, the past couple of weeks have seen me in a position to accommodate a couple of trips in quick succession, with the most recent of these seeing us back over the border into Leicestershire. Amy and I had long discussed a revisit and reappraisal of Loughborough, ostensibly to see how much things had improved, or not, since 2015 when it last featured in these pages. Time and circumstance were finally on our side last weekend. With a Saturday off and Amy scheduled for a hair appointment in Loughborough on the same day, an opportunity had at last presented itself. The aim was to explore some venues that we'd neglected last time or, as with the recent trip to Nottingham, were relatively new on the scene. There would be a couple of returnees but the majority would be new experiences. From our home in Clifton, we find ourselves in the handy position of being directly on a bus route between Nottingham and Loughborough, making planning our trip significantly easier than it might otherwise have been. I was very eager to see what the day would bring and it would already be much enhanced by having Amy alongside me.

We arrived in Loughborough shortly after 11am. Amy's appointment was scheduled for around 11.30 so, whilst she made her way over, I was left to my own devices for around 40 minutes or so. This time was spent wandering around the market, exploring a couple of shops, generally refreshing my memory of where things were and, at one point, paying 20p to use a public toilet. The weather was warm, calm and very pleasant so we had definitely picked a good day on which to explore Loughborough's pubs. Around 12.30, Amy got in touch to confirm that she was all done and we reconvened to begin our day proper. The location of Amy's hair appointment is situated just off the central market place and our first port of call was only a short walk away. Turning left onto Derby Square, we continued on for a few yards until we reached the junction of Market Street and Ashby Road. In the centre of this, on Ashby Square, is where you'll find our first stop: The Griffin.

Located just north of the town centre, The Griffin is a heavily student-oriented pub operated by Marston's. The inside is large and open-plan with lots of seating throughout as well as a more secluded snug-type area to the left of the entrance and a large rear garden that features picnic bench style seating as well as a wall-mounted TV. The bar sits along one side and is decorated with fake ferns and palm leaves. The decor throughout is bright and colourful. There are a number of TVs around the room with an emphasis on showing live sport. There is a staircase in one corner that leads to an upstairs corridor where the toilets are located. On the bar, which is very well-stocked in general, sits a solitary handpull on the very end. This features a rotating beer from the Marston's range which, on the day of our visit, is Wychwood Hobgoblin IPA. We both opted for this and headed to a comfortable looking sofa in the aforementioned snug area which allowed us a prime view of a large TV showing the Liverpool game. We drank our beers in relative comfort here. The pub was surprisingly quiet for a Saturday which led us to speculate as to whether a number of students are adhering to the old stereotype about them not getting up before mid-afternoon. The beer was very good and perfectly drinkable and the match wasn't bad either. We decided to use the half time interval to make our way to pub number two. 

Leaving the Griffin, we turned left and made our way up Ashby Road, heading further away from the centre of town. After only a couple of minutes, our next destination hove into view on the right hand side. Crossing over, we approached The Generous Briton.

Known locally as 'The GB', the pub reopened in 2011 as a freehouse. The two room layout has been retained with a main entrance on Ashby Road and a side entrance, that leads directly into the bar, on Regent Street at the side. The decor is homely and welcoming with banquette seating in the bar and more traditional tables and chairs in the slightly larger lounge. TV sport is shown throughout. The bar, into which we enter, features a dartboard and old photographs of the local area. The lounge contains a pool table and a jukebox. The interior has been maintained to a high standard with a light and airy feel and the pub's name branded onto some of the windows. The bar is central and serves both areas with two banks of hand pumps divided between the two. Closer inspection confirms that the lounge bar contains 4 handpulls which feature the pubs regular beers: Timothy Taylor Landlord, Sharp's Doom Bar, Draught Bass and Charnwood Salvation. The bar area holds the remaining 3 and these are given over to guest beers. It is in this area that we now find ourselves. The guest beers on the day were Brains Rev James, Castle Rock In Bloom and Navigation Eclipse. I was surprised, although probably shouldn't have been, to see Castle Rock in The GB so it made sense to give it a try. Amy followed suit and we retreated to a table opposite the bar where we could watch the opening minutes of the second half of the Liverpool match unfold. In Bloom is a Castle Rock seasonal beer. At 4.5%, it's brewed with Loral, Citra and Sabro hops. This provides floral aromas and subtle earthy and herbal notes followed by a delicate hit of lime and coconut, all ending in a rounded mouthfeel and refreshing bitterness. It's a delicious beverage indeed! The GB had surprised us. The interior is at definite odds with the first impressions from outside and it's a welcome addition to Loughborough's beer scene, as evidenced by it being awarded Town Pub of the Year in 2011 and 2013 and Pub of the Year 2012 by the local branch of CAMRA. The choice of beers is wide and varied and the service is good, if slightly pushy when trying to persuade you to buy another. 

We neglected the offer of a second beer here. We had arranged to meet Amy's sister and her partner at some point later in the day and were concerned about being pushed for time so we made the decision to move on. Our next intended port of call was the Paget Arms on Oxford Street but, despite what the Internet would have had us believe, we arrived too early. Concerned that we might be forced to rush if we waited for opening time, we decided to head back towards the town centre, which offered the next string of pubs in fairly close proximity. Retracing our steps slightly, we headed left down Regent Street until we emerged near a retail park. Crossing through this, we emerged on a road known as The Rushes which runs into the main shopping area of the town. A short way along this road, from our perspective, is the Swan in the Rushes.

The Good Beer Guide 2022 listed Swan is a traditional three-roomed pub, owned and operated by Castle Rock. As of 2022, it is the oldest surviving pub across Castle Rock's managed estate. Originally built in 1932, when it was known as the Charnwood Inn, the pub gained its current name in 1986. The glazed stone frontage is original but the original leaded windows that once said 'Vaults' and 'Smoke Room' respectively, have been replaced with modern versions. Left of the entrance lobby is the smoke room, which has retained a 1930s tiled and wood surround fireplace, fixed seating, leaded glass panels and parquet flooring. The lower part of the back bar is also original but the upper part is more modern, possibly from the 1960s. The right hand bar still contains the original bar counter with a rare shallow copper trough running around the base and original fixed seating, although the bar back dates from the mid-80s. A smaller room to the rear was formerly part of the living quarters and most of the doors throughout the premises are original and remain in situ. The pub is recognised by CAMRA as having a a regionally important historic interior. As well as its wealth of original features, there is also an upstairs function room, the Hop Loft, and a first floor outside terrace. A large beer garden with marquees and bench seating has been incorporated into what was once the car park. A recently refurbished games room features darts, pool, table football and a vintage arcade game. The Swan has undergone a revival in recent years and was awarded CAMRA branch Cider Pub of the Year for 2019, 2021 and 2022. The central bar serves both of the front rooms and features 10 handpulls, divided into two banks of 5, one in each room. 8 of these were in use when we arrived. As well as offering Castle Rock beers, namely Elsie Mo, Harvest Pale and Preservation, there were also guest ales available, in the form of Shiny Glamour Muscles, Charnwood Salvation, Littleover Taj and Backyard 1898. Another pump was taken up by Seacider. As strange as it sounds, I often won't drink Castle Rock in a Castle Rock pub if there are guests available as it allows me to expand my palate. So, on this occasion, I opted for the Taj from Derby-based Littleover. Amy went for a craft beer this time and we decided to sit outside in the expansive garden so we could enjoy the warm weather, albeit from the shade of a marquee, and watch one of the employees tighten bolts in all of the picnic benches. I wasn't familiar with this particular beer from Littleover before but I was pleased to make its acquaintance. Taj (4.6%) is a gluten free IPA with refreshing tropical and citrus hop notes and a subtle, dry bitter finish. It went down very well indeed in the sunshine of a beer garden! I'd enjoyed properly visiting the Swan again. It has certainly improved in the 7 years between appearances in the blog and I'm not even being biased. Confident that we now had more time to kill before we met Amy's sister and her partner, and emboldened by confirmation of a Liverpool win, we were well and truly in the swing of things by now.

We left the Swan the way we came in and had but yards to go to find out next location. The first of two micropubs to make an appearance on the itinerary, had we not been looking for it, we would have missed the Needle & Pin. 

Converted from an old electronics shop that had been closed since 2008, the Good Beer Guide 2022 listed Needle & Pin opened in 2016. The door leads into a split level layout with the ground floor featuring bench seating and tables and a small flight of steps leading up to a bar in the top corner. Beyond this is a small corridor wherein lie the toilets. The 'cellar' is a specially adapted cold room accessed from behind the bar. A flight of stairs leads to an upper level which features more extensive seating as well as board games and music. The interior is very bright and clean. The bar features 4 handpulls as well as a bank of 4 keg taps. The Needle & Pin was awarded CAMRA Branch Pub of the Year for 2018. The 4 hand pumps offer a choice of both local beers and those from further afield. At the time we visited, the following were available: North Riding Imperial Stout, Mill Hill A Man is not a Camel, Stancill Barnsley Bitter and Mill Hill In Capable Hands. Whilst I went for the In Capable Hands, Amy was drawn to a cherry and plum gose on keg from Polly's Brew Co. Having selected our beers, we went and took a table by the window. Amy's beer was delicious with all the fruitiness and subtle sourness you'd expect from the style. Personally, I was equally as enamoured with my choice. In Capable Hands is brewed by Mill Hill in nearby Enderby. It's a hazy, New England-style pale ale with big hop notes, underlying bitterness, and a very clean and refreshing finish, all at 4.7%. I love finding beers I love from breweries I'm not familiar with. The Needle & Pin is, in every sense, the epitome of everything that's right about a micropub. The only discernible issue was that the pub was devoid of background music during our visit. We'd arrived not long after they opened and were the only customers which made the long periods of silence slightly awkward but it's a small quibble in what is otherwise an excellent little place. 

It was time to venture on again. Our next location would see us venturing back into the town centre proper. Turning right down a side street, we emerged within sight of the Griffin where our day had begun. Approaching it, we this time turned left onto Market Street, which is effectively a traditional high street with shops and cafes along either side. Halfway along this, on the left as we were walking, is Cask Bah.

The second of the duo of micropubs scheduled for the day, the Cask Bah's emphasis is on beer, music and good times. This is very much reflected in the interior. Music memorabilia and lyrics from punk songs decorate the walls. Even the name of the pub pays homage to a song by the Clash. There are musical instruments throughout, portraits of music icons across the walls and the toilet is accessed through the front of an old red phone box. Real ale is available and is served via gravity from taps mounted on the back bar. The rock music aesthetic extends to the beers which are all provided by Nottingham Brewery but are rebadged, with permission, and renamed after music icons. Even the pump clips are customised vinyl records, a theme that continues throughout the venue. The decor and the vibe come as no surprise as soon as I realise that the landlord is Craig, former landlord of the Tap & Tumbler in Nottingham. During his time at the helm, the Tap also sold rebadged Nottingham Brewery beers and incorporated vinyl into their interior decoration. What of the beers? Well, there are 7 pumps here, 6 for beer and 1 for cider. As mentioned, each beer is renamed for a specific musical theme, but all are from Nottingham Brewery's range, meaning that there are a range of styles on offer. The beers, at least during our visit, are Rebel Reb'ale (Dreadnought), Pitcher This (EPA), Strummerville (Bullion), Lemmy Legend (Legend), Blockhead (Reel Ale) and Mellors Mild (Rock Mild) with the available cider being Lilley's Apple & Blackcurrant. It took a little while for my head to stop spinning so I could focus on the job in hand but I was eventually able to select the Rebel Reb'ale and Amy the Pitcher This. We sat in a booth, resplendent in its punk decor, and absorbed the atmosphere of the place. I have to say, it's very, very cool. Whilst I was making the requisite notes,  Craig came over we had a chat about the place and how things work with the beers and the dispense. We briefly chatted about his time at the Tap and he said that he'd recognised me from somewhere which would, in all likelihood, be from his previous place of employ. The beer was great. Nottingham Brewery don't get enough credit, in my humble opinion, for the quality of their ales. The Dreadnought is excellent! It's a 4.5% amber coloured bitter with full malt flavours and hoppy bitterness. I would absolutely recommend this place to anyone who enjoys beer, music and the good times that encapsulate both. I have no doubt that I'll be coming back. 

As painful as it was leaving Cask Bah, we were now eager to get to an old favourite from our last time in Loughborough. Continuing down Market Street and through the market place, we emerged on Leicester Road. Continuing down this, we reached Wood Gate, where we turned right and crossed over at the traffic lights. A short distance away is the Good Beer Guide 2022 listed Organ Grinder.

Previously a coaching inn known as the Pack Horse, the pub was bought by Blue Monkey in 2012 and underwent a thorough top-to-bottom renovation which uncovered lots of original features. The main bar is slightly to the right of the entrance, serving a bar space with wooden furniture and repurposed barrels as seating. A corridor runs alongside this which leads to an outside space, to the rear of which a beer garden, with picnic table seating, can be found. Directly behind the bar, the lounge bar area has been converted from the old stable block. The stables themselves have been repurposed into booths for drinking with the dividers being left in place to reflect the pub's original incarnation. Opposite this, is a tiny enclosed seating area with a single table and a handful of chairs. This is a situated in a separate room called the Ostler's House, which is filled with firewood and old photos and still retains the original stove and sink. An ostler was someone who would look after horses for visitors of coaching inns. Keeping these features and allowing the public to utilise them is certainly a nice touch. It's always good when pubs give a nod to their history. This being a Blue Monkey pub, it should come as no surprise that their beers are prominent. 8 hand pumps sit on the bar and 7 of these were in use, with the vast majority from the Blue Monkey range, specifically Jungle VIP, Chocolate Guerrilla, Guerrilla, Primate, BG Sips and Infinity IPA and another pump reserved for a guest beer, in this case Goffs Jester. It would be rude not have one of Blue Monkey's excellent beers and so we both went for the Jungle VIP (4.4%) a delicious golden ale. It's fruity, easy drinking and very refreshing. We sat in the Ostler's House whilst we sunk our beers. I didn't remember all the unique details of this place before and I'm very glad that we made the effort of a return visit. It also reminded me that I really need to revisit the sister venue in Nottingham at some point in future. That's for another time though!

By now, we finally had an ETA for Amy's sister Laura and an agreed upon destination. With two pubs left, it looked as if we would have company for the last leg of the trip. Leaving the Organ Grinder, we headed slightly back on ourselves, and made our way over to Church Gate, where we arrived at almost exactly the same time as Laura. A few minutes later we were joined by Laura's partner Yasmin as we congregated outside our penultimate stop: The Three Nuns.

This Everards pub takes its name from an unfortunate spelling error. During its naming, the original name, the Three Tuns, was misspelled as Three Nuns and the name stuck. Colloquially known as the 'Nuns' it boasts an open plan interior arranged around a central bar with traditional wooden furniture and banquette seating and a beer garden to the rear. The bar holds two banks of hand pumps, 6 on the front bar and 5 on the back bar, usually with beers doubled up across both sections. The decor is traditional with breweriana, local photographs, whitewashed walls, wooden beams and horse brasses. Everards beers take centre stage here. Only one of the 11 pumps wasn't in use and the others were all doubled up, featuring 5 different beers from the Everards range: 4 x 4, Sunchaser, Old Original, Beacon Hill and Tiger. It had been a very long time since I'd had an Everards beer, let alone in an Everards pub! Amy and I both went for the Tiger whilst our guests went for lager and vodka and lemonade respectively. We sat on a table just inside the door, enjoying our drinks and generally catching up. The Tiger, as you'd expect, was in cracking form. Copper in colour with aromas of malt and toffee, it's a very well balanced drink with a delicate spiciness from Fuggles and Goldings hops. I'd forgotten how good a beer it actually is. 

We had one final venue planned before our day would draw to a close and, luckily enough, it happened to be just next door. So, with Laura and Yasmin in tow, we made our way to the White Hart.

Now a freehouse, the White Hart reopened in 2013 following an extensive refurbishment and is now part of the Benjamin Pimlico Pub Company. There is a secluded patio and beer garden to the rear, with the interior radiating a cosy, relaxing ambience. The lighting is low and subtle, creating a comfortable atmosphere with wooden tables and chairs arranged across the floor with a bar to one side. Candles occupy the majority of tables to further enhance the mood lighting. The pub is Good Beer Guide 2022 and was CAMRA Branch Pub of the Year for 2017. The pub operates a 21 and over policy for individuals but young children under 5 are still welcome as part of a family group. The White Hart has built up an excellent local reputation for good beer and features live music on occasional Friday and Saturday evenings. 6 handpulls occupy the bar with a mix between local and not so local beers. At the time of our visit, the choices were Timothy Taylor Landlord, Shiny Disco Balls, Arbor Mosaic and 3 beers from Charnwood, in the shape of Blue Fox, Vixen and Salvation. I immediately went for the Blue Fox, Amy went for a pint of Beavertown Neck Oil and our guests repeated their previous drink choices. We took a table a short distance from the bar and remarked on the general feel of the pub. Amy and Laura had been here in the past but not for many years and discussed how much it had changed, evidently for the better. I enjoyed my beer here too. Charnwood are a family-run Loughborough brewery and it's rare to see their beers outside of the town so it was nice to be drinking it where it was meant to be drunk. Blue Fox (4.2%) is a refreshing golden beer brewed with Mosaic hops that give it a tropical fruit and blueberry aroma and finish. It was ace!

And with that, our time was up. Our glasses were empty and our bus was nearly due so we bid farewell to Laura and Yasmin and headed the short distance to Baxter Gate to embark on the return journey. The day had been a successful one. I hadn't been entirely sure what to expect from our Loughborough revisit but it had delivered. It's clear that, whilst the town does certainly have its share of 'locals' pubs, the new additions to it's drinking scene are perfectly placed to attract visitors from further afield. It definitely feels that the choice of both pubs and beers in Loughborough has changed for the better in the last few years, and it's nice to see things moving in an upward direction as opposed to the alternative. The more that the beer scene in this part of Leicestershire trends towards the positive, the more inclined I'll be to schedule in a return trip. It had certainly been a worthwhile day and we'd both thoroughly enjoyed it. After all, if you don't end a pub trip by falling asleep on the sofa at 8.30 during an episode of Ghost Adventures, have you even been on a pub trip?