Roaming in Radcliffe

Greetings friends! Firstly, my apologies for another few months away from these pages. Regular and long time readers will know that the summer months tend to be fairly busy round these parts, what with Download Festival, various family occasions and, this year, the trials and tribulations of attempting to buy a house. With these distractions either dealt with or on the backburner, I should once again find the time to get out and about. Last week was the perfect opportunity to do just that! On a very sunny, hot and pleasant Thursday afternoon, itself a marked contrast from the recent unsettled, wet and decidedly unsummery weather, I made the short trip out to a place that has long been in my sights. Its close proximity to home, as well as its small handful of pubs, mean that this is a place that can be completed in just a few hours as opposed to a whole day. It would also give me an excellent excuse to be out making the most of the brief summery vibes and should, on the whole, be a lot less physically taxing than my last excursion. The place in question was Radcliffe-on-Trent.

Radcliffe-on-Trent is a village and civil parish in the Rushcliffe borough of Nottinghamshire. The population of the civil parish at the Census 2011 was 8,205. It is to the east of Nottingham, close to but not part of the Greater Nottingham built-up area. However, the Greater Nottingham Partnership sees the whole of Rushcliffe as part of the conurbation. The village lies on the south bank and cliff overlooking the River Trent. The "Rad" part of its name is a corruption of the Old English for red, in reference to the dark red colour of the cliffs, which are formed of Triassic red shale with gypsum banding. Nearby places are Shelford, East Bridgford, Holme Pierrepont and Stoke Bardolph.

To the south-east of the parish lies the former Saxondale Hospital, which has been redeveloped into some 350 dwellings and renamed Upper Saxondale. Harlequin, a small mainly residential area, lies between it and Radcliffe, which is mainly on the northern side of the major, east-west, A52 trunk road. At its western end it the Radcliffe Road runs along the north-eastern edge of Trent Bridge cricket ground. Radcliffe has a railway station connecting it to Nottingham and beyond in the west and Grantham and beyond to the east. 

Despite the presence of a train station, Radcliffe is reached more frequently, more easily and more cheaply, by a regular bus service from Nottingham city centre which reaches the village in around 25 minutes and it was this mode of transport that would convey me to my destination. Because, on one of the hottest days for weeks, what better way to travel than via a badly air-conditioned box on wheels with significant amounts of glass? Needless to say, I was a tad uncomfortable and sweaty by the time I disembarked at Vicarage Lane, in the centre of the village. Fortunately, Radcliffe is blessed with a quartet of pubs, and I would be visiting each in turn. I had a clear plan in my mind which, due to a couple of the pubs not opening until early evening, would involve a bit of going back and forth. However, I was determined, I was moderately excited at what I would discover and I was glad to be out. My first task upon leaving the bus was, typically, the part that would involve the most walking. I took an almost immediate left onto Shelford Road and followed this straight on. This took me primarily past houses but also took me over a bridge with the railway line below. After approximately 10 minutes or so, my first stop of the day appeared, and about time too, as my thirst was certainly in need of quenching. I would begin my explorations at The Radcliffe.

Formerly a Home Ales outlet, at which time it was the Trent Hotel, the pub was most recently operated by Heineken subsidiary Red Star Pub Company, but is now owned and operated by the Secret Pub Company, who also operate other well regarded village pubs locally, including The Plough at Normanton-on-the-Wolds (yet to feature in this blog but I'll get there eventually) and The Railway at Lowdham. This large open-plan pub has benefited from substantial refurbishments in both 2017 and 2019. Clearly, the change of ownership has paid off, as The Radcliffe was voted Best Pub in Nottinghamshire at the British Beer and Pub Awards 2022. Inside, an area to the front is primarily for drinkers, with larger, more open areas at the rear for dining, including a covered patio. A well-appointed garden features picnic-style benches as well as children's play equipment. The decked patio also features uncovered booth-style seating, some of which features tables with gas heaters for colder months. The decor is modern and contemporary but also boasts a lot of character with nice touches throughout, such as minimalist lighting and the use of pages from Haynes motoring manuals decorating the ceiling in the gents, with covers framed above the urinals. The bar sits in the centre of the single main room, to the right of the main entrance. A bank of 4 handpulls can be found here, and I was pleased to see that two of these were in use, offering a choice between Sharp's Doom Bar and Robinson's Dizzy Blonde. It didn't take me very long at all to make my choice. Given that you rarely see Dizzy Blonde in this neck of the woods, I was always going to pick that over Doom Bar. A few moments later, I took my pint outside and sat myself in one of the outside booths, shaded by the trees so that I could enjoy the warm weather without being directly under the merciless gaze of Ra. It was mid-afternoon by the time I'd arrived here and there were a few people about, mostly families finishing off lunchtime meals. I got the impression that the pub can, and does, get very busy for food, and no doubt benefits from having a decent garden space. It's certainly a pleasant and relaxing place to enjoy a pint, particularly when the beer is as well kept as I found it to be. Dizzy Blonde (3.8%) is a very sessionable pale ale, brewed with Amarillo and Cascade hops. Overall, it's very light and refreshing, with a herbal aroma and flavours of clean, zesty hops, all leading to a dry, crisp finish. It's an excellent thirst quencher for hot days!

My afternoon in Radcliffe had begun with a bang so I was eager to see how the rest of my time here would pan out. Leaving the Radcliffe, I retraced my steps down Shelford Road, heading back in the direction of the village centre. A few minutes later, I had arrived back at the crossroads from whence I had first struck out. Opposite me was the local church and, a few doors down from this, the next pub on my list. Taking a slight left, and then crossing the road in front of the local Tesco, brought me to the Royal Oak. 

First recorded as a public in 1855, when the publican was S. Haynes, the Royal Oak is now operated by Stonegate as part of its Craft Union Pub Co. arm and was listed as an Asset of Community Value in October 2016. The pub has previously been owned by both Ei Group (formerly Enterprise Inns) and the Moleface Pub Co., before passing into the current ownership. The main entrance is central to the front facade, which also features two curved bay sections. Inside, the interior is divided into different spaces through the use of internal partitions and pillars. TVs feature prominently throughout, showing either news or sport. An area to one side has a snug-style feel with the central space being more open. Furniture is primarily of traditional scrubbed wood. To one side, there is a door leading out to a raised beer garden area, with rattan tables and chairs and access to a car park. The large bar curves along one wall and features a bank of 5 hand pumps. At the time of my arrival here, 3 of these were in use, another was in the process of having a beer prepared on it and the fifth was undergoing cleaning. This helpfully narrowed down my options. The available beers were Castle Rock Bold as Love and Adnams Southwold Bitter. The remaining hand pump featured a pump clip for Lilley's cider and a polite note to ask about available flavours. I was pleasantly surprised that the beer choices here were other than the Stonegate staple core beers and ultimately settled for the one provided by my employers, a beer that I've become familiar with in recent weeks. Bold as Love (4.5%) is a session IPA with El Dorado and Centennial hops. This leads to citrus and fruity flavours, a smooth mouthfeel and a soft finish. The aroma is very much of stone fruits. The beer was brewed by Castle Rock to commemorate Nottingham Pride and has gone down a storm across local outlets. I'm not here to hit you with the sales pitch though! I again ventured outside here, hoping I'd be able to find some shade. I would proven to be mistaken in this endeavour, but I did manage to at least sit somewhere where the sun's glare wasn't quite so intense. Having a delicious beer to hand certainly helped! By the time I'd finished my beer, and returned my empty glass to the bar, I noticed that another beer had become available. This turned out to be a pale offering from Bang the Elephant but, alas, I didn't think I'd have the time for a second beer here so instead I continued on my merry way.

To reach my next location, I would need to make my way a little bit further out of the village centre, back along the main road along which the bus had earlier entered the village. Taking a short cut through the nearby, mercifully shaded, churchyard, I emerged a few yards further along Main Road, almost opposite the sadly closed and boarded up Manvers Arms which, according to some locals I spoke to later on, struggled after lockdown, closed and subsequently never reopened, citing too much local competition. I would soon see what exactly that was referring to. A few yards on from the Manvers Arms, pub number 3 had not long flung open its doors to the day's trade. I had now arrived at The Chestnut.

Originally known as the Cliffe Inn, the pub was renamed to The Horse Chestnut following a major refurbishment in 2006. In 2015, the current moniker was adopted. A nomination for the pub to be listed as an Asset of Community Value in 2015 was rejected the following year by Rushcliffe Borough Council, although thankfully the pub is still thriving and is now operated as a freehouse. The interior is smart, with 1920s-style decor, including original brewery mirrors on the wall opposite the entrance. A combination of scrubbed wood furniture and banquette seating dominates the first room with further seating up a small flight of steps. The overall interior is split-level with a single bar serving the whole area. The split-level layout continues to the rear, with a door leading outside to a flight of steps that leads to a raised drinking area, as well as a covered smoking shelter. A corridor to the side of the main room leads to the toilets. The Chestnut is one of two pubs in the village to be featured in the 2023 edition of the Good Beer Guide. It's very easy to see why. There are 7 handpulls on the bar here, all but one of which was in use when I arrived. Beers from near and far were featured, specifically Brewster's Hophead, Timothy Taylor Boltmaker, Marble Manchester Bitter, Vocation x Brew York New Zealand Pale Ale, Titanic Huell Melon and Thornbridge DDH Jaipur. As tempted as I was by the DDH Jaipur, a 5.9% beer in 28 degree heat sounded like a recipe for disaster, so instead I opted for the Huell Melon, part of a single hop series of beers from Stoke-on-Trent-based Titanic Brewery. At 4.4%, this is billed as a session IPA with the eponymous hops coming from New Zealand. All-in-all, it's a zesty and pillowy beer with melon and citrus on the nose and an earthiness on the palate. I began enjoying this beer sat at a drinking ledge under a brewery mirror, just around the corner from the bar, and observed by a curious dog. Following a toilet trip and a few minutes to ostensibly get my breath back from the walk down, I again retreated outside to take in the beer garden. It was much more shaded and cooler here, which I was thankful for, and the beer went down an absolute treat! It's clear that the ownership know what they're doing and their place in the GBG is well deserved. Someone did later remark on the absence of a dark beer option and I know, from experience, that some pubs won't put one on in summer due to difficulties in shifting them. Each to their own though.

I had one final stop to make on my whistlestop tour of the delights of Radcliffe-on-Trent and this would again involve retracing my previous route. Making my way back along Main Road, I returned to the Royal Oak but this time, I continued walking past it, past the neighbouring branch of Costa and then turned immediately right into Walker's Yard, where I would find the destination that, I must confess, I'd been most looking forward to all day. My excursion would end at the Yard of Ale.

The only micropub in Radcliffe occupies the site of what was formerly a coffee house and chocolate shop. The building itself is long and narrow, hence the name, with access through a door at the side. Now Good Beer Guide listed (2023), the Yard of Ale also includes a small gin bar, Gin Within, which is open on specific days. Inside, the pub lives up to its name. The door leads directly into the bar space, which features casks on stillage, served through hand pumps a short distance away. To the left, is a small seating area and a single, unisex toilet whilst, to the right, a small step leads up to a narrower space with stools and drinking ledges. Old beer adverts and old photos of the village are the primary decoration. The pub usually opens at 5pm on the 4 days of the week that it does trade so, upon my arrival shortly after 5pm, I was surprised to find that I wasn't even the first one in. In fact, during my stay, a steady stream of locals would continue to appear, along with one, very friendly, Labrador. The beer choices here were interesting. Of the 6 handpulls, 5 were being utilised. The choices at the time of my visit were Adnams Mosaic, Dancing Duck Nice Weather, Tiny Rebel Pixel City, Blue Monkey Cinder Toffee Stout and Vocation Bread & Butter. Despite the stick they seem to get from some beer drinkers, I'm generally a fan of the beers that Tiny Rebel put out and Pixel City was a new one on me so it seemed like the logical choice. This is a 4.4% hazy pale ale, double dry hopped with Ekuanot hops. The end result is a dank, citrusy and tropical treat with hop flavours packing quite a bunch! After paying, I initially tucked myself away in the raised seating area so I could collect my thoughts and take in my surroundings. Eventually though, having been engaged in conversation by the owner of the aforementioned canine upon my return from the loo, I ended up leaning against the windows opposite the bar area, chatting to the regulars and the owner, who was actually the gentleman that had served me. We discussed the general state of the beer scene, both locally and further afield, and I fielded questions about what had brought me to Radcliffe, where else I had been and what I did for a living. In general, they were a very friendly and pleasant bunch and I felt welcomed into their environment. The Yard of Ale was certainly my pub of the day and, at this point, Pixel City was winning in the beer stakes. That was about to change however. One of my newfound companions was waxing lyrical about the Cinder Toffee Stout from Blue Monkey. It would have been incredibly remiss of me not to have given it a go, which I did as my parting drink, much to his mock chagrin. I don't know where this beer has been all my life but I could have drunk it forever. This 5% stout is beautiful! Like bonfire toffee but a bit less smoky and smoother, it tastes like a Crunchie in a glass. The flavours are all caramel and the aroma is big with toffee and sweetness. I don't know how it manages to be so easy to drink without being sickly or cloying but it's a genuine work of art. 

My trip to Radcliffe-on-Trent was, for all intents and purposes, complete. I left the Yard of Ale with a heavy heart and a head full of thoughts. Having done quite a few of these sorts of trips over the years, and having been to all sorts of pubs in all sorts of places, it's a rarity to feel so genuinely welcomed as I did at the Yard of Ale. That's not to say that I've ever truly felt unwelcome anywhere but it's so deeply refreshing to feel like the regulars have made an extra effort to make someone they're never met, a complete stranger, feel welcome and a part of their proceedings. In general, my afternoon had been a great success. Shortly after leaving the final pub, I was back on the bus and making my way back home. I'd gone into the day's activities with high expectations, particularly from the two GBG listed premises, and I have to say, that these were not only met but genuinely exceeded. Although this trip was fairly short and certainly shorter than any I've done for a while, I can honestly say that I think it will linger long in the memory. If anything, my time in Radcliffe is proof that you don't have to travel for hours to find welcoming places to enjoy a cracking pint. Sometimes, they can be a few minutes away or right on your doorstep. 

Pub of the day: Yard of Ale. It was initially going to be a toss up between this and The Chestnut, but for sheer welcome and atmosphere, the Yard of Ale wins out.

Beer of the day: Blue Monkey Cinder Toffee Stout. More please! No further questions.

Biggest surprise: Royal Oak. I expected a rather generic, estate-style pub but was pleasantly surprised by the beer choice and general feel of the place.