In the Footsteps of Icons

I know what you're all thinking. Surely it's the right time of year for the obligatory and traditional beer festival blog? Dear reader, you would of course, normally be correct. However, this year, we decided to give the Nottingham beer festival a miss. The reasoning behind this is simple and I hope you'll understand. I've been to the beer festival every year since 2012 and blogged it every year since 2013. It's safe to say that I'm suffering from a spot of 'beer festival fatigue'. In a nutshell, I was unsure if I'd be able to keep the beer festival blog entries interesting after several years of coming worryingly close to repeating myself. Plus, with us already having a busy October planned, it would have been logistically and financially challenging to fit everything in. Rest assured though, things may well return to normal next year and the Robin Hood Beer & Cider Festival, to give it its full title, may once again grace these pages.

Instead, I'm here to regale you with some exploits from last week, when Amy & I finally got to visit a place that we've been wanting to explore for ages. Whilst we wouldn't be there for more than a few hours, it would turn out to be enough time to fall in love with the place and make a pledge to return for a more in-depth visit in the foreseeable future. We also returned to one of our absolute favourite places, a place that you would not expect to feature in a blog such as this. All will become clear in a short while though. The primary goal of last week was to celebrate Amy's birthday and, as part of our plans, we'd pencilled in a short overnight stay, back in London. We will always jump at the chance to visit the capital. As much as I can understand a lot of people's dislike of it, we absolutely love the hustle and bustle and the opportunity to explore it as much as possible. On this occasion, we intended to visit an area of the city that is absolutely iconic. As well as being a cultural touchstone and bohemian melting pot, it is a location steeped in musical history that we could not wait to immerse ourselves in. We would be spending a few hours in Camden. 

Camden Town, often shortened to Camden, is an area in the London Borough of Camden, around 2.5 miles (4.1 km) north-northwest of Charing Cross. Historically in Middlesex, it is identified in the London Plan as one of 34 major centres in Greater London.

Laid out as a residential district from 1791 and originally part of the manor of Kentish Town and the parish of St Pancras, Camden Town became an important location during the early development of the railways, which reinforced its position on the London canal network. The area's industrial economic base has been replaced by service industries such as retail, tourism and entertainment. The area now hosts street markets and music venues associated with alternative culture.

Camden Town is named after Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden. His earldom was styled after his estate, Camden Place near Chislehurst in Kent (now in the London Borough of Bromley), formerly owned by historian William Camden. The name, which appears on the Ordnance Survey map of 1822, was later applied to the early-20th-century Camden Town Group of artists and the London Borough of Camden, created in 1965.

The emergence of the industrial revolution in the 19th century meant Camden was the  North Western Railway's terminal stop in 1837. It was where goods were transported off the tracks and onto the roads of London by 250 000 workhorses. The whole area was adapted to a transportation function: the Roundhouse (1846), Camden Lock and the Stables were examples of this.

Camden Town stands on land that was once the manor of Kentish Town. Sir Charles Pratt, a radical 18th-century lawyer and politician, acquired the manor through marriage. In 1791, he started granting leases for houses to be built in the manor. In 1816, the Regent's Canal was built through the area. Up to at least the mid-20th century, Camden Town was considered an "unfashionable" locality. The Camden Markets, which started in 1973 and have grown since then, attract many visitors. A 1993 bomb blast injured 18 people on Camden High Street. On 9 February 2008, Camden Canal market suffered a major fire, but there were no injuries. It later reopened as Camden Lock Village, until closed in 2015 for redevelopment.

We arrived in this particular borough by way of public transport. Following a coach ride to Victoria Coach Station, we proceeded to the tube and then, following one brief change onto a particularly busy branch of the Northern Line, we emerged in Camden shortly after 11am. We had two specific missions at the heart of our visit: to visit Camden's vibrant and bustling market and soak up the atmosphere of a place that has become so important for alternative culture and, more importantly, follow in the footsteps of one of Amy's idols, the late, great and much missed Amy Winehouse, whose name and image have become synonymous with the area where she grew up and rose to fame. Leaving Camden Town tube station, we were instantly struck by the personality of the area. The independent shops, with their colourful and unique frontages were like beacons as we made our way down the high street, in the general direction of the lock and the Regent's Canal. There was a very specific thing we wanted to find to help us kick off our adventure. A short walk away, we swung left into the heart of the market and found what we were looking for: the life-size statue of Amy Winehouse, situated near one of the entrances to the covered market. We took some photos, happy that we'd found it without much effort, and then plunged into the market proper. What a place Camden Market is! We were fascinated by the sheer size and scale of it. The independent shops, food outlets, drinking establishments and much more seemed to envelop us. We'd only seen the market in videos and on TV so to be here to experience it in person was fantastic. We browsed for a while, making a mental note of things that we wanted to come back and try when we had more time at a later date. We'd had a very early start that morning and, before long, we were very much in need of liquid refreshment. This coincided with our timely arrival into Camden Lock Place, a rough square that acts as a good wayfinding spot and sits adjacent to the canal and near to the famous bridge with its punk aesthetic, and real life punks, standing high and proud. We had a small list of pubs that we would be visiting on our unofficial 'Amy Winehouse crawl' but we'd get to those a little bit later. Right now, we needed a sit down and a fortifying pint to shake out the cobwebs. Situated on a walkway, overlooking the square, is Lockside. 

Going in, I was well prepared for the fact that a lot of the pubs on our itinerary for the day did not serve real ale. This was one of those trips where the beer would be a secondary concern against the experience we would create. The Lockside was one such pub. This venue opened in 2013 and is a restaurant as well as a pub. The overall aesthetic is modern, with lots of reclaimed wood, lots of neon and lots of stools and benches. A pop-up kitchen provides food. The bar is long and takes up most of the far wall of the building. There is lots of outside seating, thankfully covered, overlooking the market and the canal. The toilets are to one end of the room. As mentioned, real ale is not available here, but 12 keg lines dispense a mix of national brands and more local craft beers. We arrived literally one minute after opening and spent a few seconds perusing the options. I opted for Camden Pale, whilst Amy chose a grapefruit flavoured beer from the Jubel range. The total cost of the round was £13.75. We would soon learn that Camden is not the cheapest and this would definitely not be the most we paid for a round on the day. The day of our visit was surprisingly warm and we ventured outside with our pints, where we could best look out upon the stalls below. Even after only an hour, we were both fully invested in how great Camden is and were buzzing from all that we'd already seen. Our beers went down suitably quickly and before long, refreshed and revitalised, we headed back down into the market.

A quick stop off to sample and purchase the wares of a local gin distillery later, and we were heading out of the market and slightly retracing our steps. Our next destination was a location that is almost legendary amongst the pubs in this area for its links to the local music scene. Located on Castlehaven Road, with the rumble of trains passing by overhead, is the iconic Hawley Arms.

The Hawley Arms dates back to 1851 when it was known as the Hawley Arms Tavern. In February of that year, a local brewer won a legal battle with a railway company who were attempting to acquire the land, ensuring that a pub could be built on the site. The pub was known as a biker bar throughout the 1980s and 1990s and did not feature live music. Harmony Leisure bought the pub for £500,000 in 1987. An article in Searchlight in 1995 reported that members of Combat 18, a neo-Nazi terrorist organisation had used the pub's telephone. Ruth Mottram and Doug Charles-Riddler bought the pub in 2002, installing a jukebox and later investing in an upstairs bar, before Greene King bought the pub in 2004. The Hawley Arms was severely damaged in the February 2008 Camden Market fire. The fire was determined to have been caused by a gas heater igniting clothing material at an unregulated market stall nearby. Reopening the pub proved difficult, with local regulators refusing to approve construction of a new building. Following significant fundraising by the licensees, the pub eventually reopened on October 31st 2008. In 2019, Greene King decided to sell the pub following changes in government legislation. Mottram and Charles-Riddler, decided to buy the pub to prevent it being snapped up by housing developers. They were successful and the pub was saved from permanent closure. The Hawley Arms is indelibly linked to the local music scene. Amy Winehouse was a frequent customer and invented her signature 'rickstasy' drink of choice (three parts vodka, one part banana liqueur, one part Southern Comfort and one part Baileys). During the 2008 Grammy awards, Winehouse famously shouted 'Camden Town ain't burning down!' upon hearing of the market fire. Her link to this pub is commemorated by a huge, and impressive, mural on the side of the pub. Other celebrities known to frequent the pub are Razorlight, Liam Gallagher, Kate Moss, Pete Doherty and the band Wolf Alice. Kaiser Chiefs and Arctic Monkeys have also been reported drinking together in the pub in the past. Would a pub that has hosted such illustrious clientele be as welcoming to the casual tourist? We were about to find out. Inside, The Hawley Arms is large, with high ceiling, tall, gilt mirrors, long windows, bare floorboards and sofas. There's a cosy quirky ambience, enhanced by nods to the pub's history and its famous customers. Old setlists are framed and mounted on the walls, alongside album covers, gig photos and magazine covers of Camden's most well-known sons and daughters. On the bar, there are also 3 handpulls. The options on our visit were Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter, the house beer Hawley Grail and Fuller's London Pride. I instantly went for the Sussex Best and Amy chose Beavertown Gamma Ray (total cost £13.10) and we took our drinks to a small table next to the bar. It soon became clear that The Hawley Arms is intensely proud of its music connections. It's a real treat to be sat in the same bar as so many modern music icons and to be made to feel so welcome. It could all have been so different had the developers got their way so it's a massive result that the pub is still around to be enjoyed and it's links to the area can be preserved. It also helps that their beer is cracking. The Sussex Best was excellent and it also came served in a jar, which was a nice touch. We whiled away a good few minutes here, revelling in the knowledge that we were sat in the same pub that Amy Winehouse, and so many others, spent so much time in. 

Our unofficial trail had started well and it was time for it to continue. Leaving the Hawley Arms behind us, we retraced our route back over the canal. Upon reaching the end of the bridge, we turned right and looped around the front of the local Spoons. Following the road, we reached a road junction, crossed over and continued down Arlington Road. Further down this road, at the junction with Inverness Street, you will find The Good Mixer.

The site on which the pub now sits was once occupied by the Cricketers, which was destroyed during WWII. The replacement premises was built in the 1950s and was known as the Good Mixer after the cement mixer that was absentmindedly trapped inside during construction. Whilst it started life as a working men's pub, it later gained notoriety as the preferred drinking hole of numerous Britpop bands. The Oasis vs. Blur feud started here, when Noel Gallagher met Graham Coxon for the first time and reportedly said 'Nice music, shit clothes'. Elastica signed a record deal here and the band Menswear formed in the pub. Amy Winehouse was a known regular, often playing other regulars at pool and it was here that she met her future husband, Blake Fielder-Civil. The pub closed in 2018 but has since reopened and is now owned by a Jersey-based company. The handpulls, once a feature, were removed in 2019. Inside, there are two bars, with a pool table in one side and a bar billiards table in the other. The right hand, larger, room features a small stage, with an upright piano,  where many bands have performed. The smaller left room is divided into small sections through the use of a partition wall and holds the pool table and old-school jukebox. Scenes from the recent Amy Winehouse biopic Back to Black were filmed in this very room. Can you guess where we decided to sit? As mentioned, there is no real ale here, so Amy and I contented ourselves with pints of Greene King Level Head (£12.40 in total) and made our way round to the smaller room. The fact that we'd seen this pub on film made it all the more awe-inspiring to be within its walls. It looks exactly the same as it does on celluloid. The feeling of being in the room where Amy Winehouse met the man who would, in many ways, become both her muse and her kryptonite, was equal parts poignant and poetic. 

We had one final pub to get to to complete our impromptu tour, after which we needed to head over to our hotel to check in. The next location would bring the Amy Winehouse story full circle but also see us learn even more about the area's musical history. Leaving The Good Mixer, we continued down Arlington Road to the end, where we then turned right onto Parkway. A few yards further on, on the right hand side, we came to The Dublin Castle. 

The Dublin Castle is a Victoria-era, ex-Watney's pub. Whilst primarily a music venue, it operates as a normal pub during the day. An apocryphal story tells that the pub was built to serve Irish immigrant labourers building the nearby railway. This same story also alleges that it formed part of a group of pubs that were each newly constructed and designed to segregate different nationalities to prevent fighting. The pub features in rates books as early as 1821 so may have been frequented by Irish navvies. The canal was completed in 1820 and the railway line to Euston was finished in 1837. There were no other pubs with 'Castle' in their name until the Edinboro Castle opened on Mornington Terrace in 1839. Music here was originally restricted to traditional Irish music sessions, until the emergence of other venues in the area, including Dingwalls, the Roundhouse and the Electric Ballroom, which brought an increase of interest in live music to the area. The most significant act to play here were Madness, who first attempted to secure a gig here in late 1978, when they were still known as the Camden Invaders. They eventually got their first gig here in January 1979, having pretended to be a jazz band to get the booking. They went on to establish a residency here and built their reputation. The Dublin Castle received a PRS Music Heritage award in January 2017, in reflection of its place in music history. Landlord Alo Conlon was instrumental in building the venue's reputation before his passing in 2009. Amy Winehouse performed here many times and even served drinks to customers. A signed photo of her stands proudly above the bar, along with a film poster signed by Marisa Abela, who portrays Amy in the biopic. Entering the Dublin Castle, we were instantly blown away. Whilst it appears as a traditional boozer, the sheer weight of its importance to the musical heritage of Camden practically oozes from the walls. The bar sits along part of one wall, with banquette seating and wooden furniture opposite. The central space is largely empty and, to the rear, a set of double doors leads through to the performance space. Again, no real ale here but a number of craft options. We opted for Beavertown Gamma Ray and Neck Oil respectively which, along with two packets of crisps, came to a combined total of £18.10 (!). We thought we'd be cheeky and ask if we could stick our heads into the back room. We needn't have worried. We are lucky enough to be shown around the gig venue, and given a lesson on its history, by Alan, a Scottish man who's worked here for many years as a cleaner and previously worked at The Good Mixer. Amongst the gems he provided was an extensive list of bands who played their first gigs here, not limited to Coldplay, Travis, Idlewild and The Killers, who played their first ever European show in this very building. Alan also knew Amy Winehouse personally and regaled us with tales about what she was really like and how she was adored by the locals. It truly was an unexpected and humbling experience. Barring the prices, The Dublin Castle had been well worth a visit. We were thoroughly pleased that we'd made the effort to come here and see what it was all about. 

Pints finished, we now, sadly, had to leave Camden. On our way back to the tube station, we passed several other pubs and a lot of Camden's renowned music venues. It was a shame that we'd only had a limited time here but we both knew that we'd be back to properly do the area justice. Camden isn't the sort of place you can only visit once. We made our way to Tower Hill, from where our hotel was only a short walk. Having checked in, refreshed and unpacked, we were soon straight back out again, this time heading back to Victoria. We weren't going home just yet though. We had a show booked for the evening so our plan was to head to where we needed to be, have some food and chill before the performance. What was the show? Only the best show we've ever seen and the same show we saw when we were down in February for my birthday: namely, Hamilton. The show is on at Victoria Palace Theatre, a mere stone's throw from the Tube station so we would be occupying ourselves in this area for a few hours, just as we had done 8 months ago. We'd already chosen a place for food and it would be a return to a venue we also visited in February, although much later in the day and not for food. The next few hours would be whiled away at the Victoria Taps.

This large, single bar pub was built in 1828 as the Warwick Arms and sits on the junction of Wilton Road and Gillingham Street. The pub was enlarged in 1898 and renamed in 2015, before taking on its current name in 2021. Inside, the bar is long and runs down the main room. Seating, in the form of wooden tables and chairs, occupies an area to the rear and a smaller snug-style space up a flight of steps to one side. Seating opposite the bar is primarily high tables and stools. We procured a table in the snug, away from the hustle and bustle of a surprisingly busy Wednesday afternoon, and quickly found some menus. We hadn't eaten since breakfast (not including the crisps) so were both rather hungry by this stage of the day. A short while later, we received the pizzas we'd ordered and tucked in. The Victoria Taps also has the advantage of providing real ale from 3 handpulls, which meant I could wash my pizza down with a decent beer. A pair of the three handpulls were active, giving me a choice between Fullers London Pride and Timothy Taylor Landlord. I opted for the latter which, with a Diet Coke for Amy, set us back £10.75. We drank our drinks slowly and enjoyed our food. Eventually, it was time to head to the theatre for the show. Hamilton had been sensational the first time and it was just as good the second time. It's very easy to see why people get obsessed with it and I, for one, have had the songs from the show in my head since we got back. It had truly been a day of icons. From following in the footsteps of a music legend to reliving the story of an American hero of freedom, it had been a fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable day. We both slept very well that night. The following day, Amy's birthday, saw us heading back to Victoria for the coach journey home. Our time in London had been all too brief this time but we all know it won't be too long until we're back in the capital. 

A couple of days after our exploits in the Big Smoke, we were off out again, this time to yet another place that we'd visited many times, most recently earlier this year. For Amy's birthday, I bought her a behind the scenes tour at Chester Zoo, a rare opportunity to be at the zoo before everybody else and see things that the public would not normally get to see during opening hours. This meant another early start and a two hour drive in order to get to the zoo in plenty of time for our scheduled slot. The early hour and the fact that it was a Saturday ensured that there were no hitches with our journey and we arrived a full 30 minutes before we needed to be on-site. You might be wondering what a zoo has to do with a beer blog but all will become clear shortly. For those who have never visited, here's a bit of the history. 

Chester Zoo is a zoo in Upton-by-Chester, Cheshire. Chester Zoo was opened in 1931 by George Mottershead and his family. The zoo is one of the UK's largest zoos at 51 hectares (130 acres) and the zoo has a total land holding of approximately 160 hectares (400 acres).

Chester Zoo is operated by the North of England Zoological Society, a registered charity founded in 1934. The zoo receives no government funding and is the most-visited wildlife attraction in Britain with more than 2 million visitors in 2019. In 2007 Forbes described the zoo as one of the fifteen best zoos in the world. In 2017 and more recently, 2024, the zoo was named as the best zoo in the UK and as also regarded as the third best in the world by TripAdvisor.

The Mottershead family's market garden business was based in Shavington near Crewe. George Mottershead collected animals such as lizards and insects that arrived with exotic plants imported by the business. A visit to Belle Vue Zoo in Manchester as a boy in 1903 fuelled his developing interest in creating a zoo of his own. Mottershead was wounded in the First World War and spent several years in a wheelchair. Despite this, his collection of animals grew and he began to search for a suitable home for his zoo. He chose Oakfield Manor in Upton-by-Chester, which was a country village then but now is a suburb of Chester. He bought Oakfield Manor for £3,500 in 1930. The house had 9 acres (3.6 ha) of gardens and provided easy access to the railways and to Manchester and Liverpool. There were local objections, but Mottershead prevailed, and Chester Zoo opened to the public on 10 June 1931. The first animals were displayed in pens in the courtyard.

An Ordnance Survey inch-a-mile map published in 1936 shows the area around as farmland and villages and marks the present Zoo area north of Oakfield as "Butter Hill".

Rapid expansion followed after the Second World War, despite the difficulty of sourcing materials. Mottershead had to be resourceful; the polar bear exhibit (1950) was built from recycled wartime road blocks and pillboxes. "Always building" was the zoo's slogan at the time. Mottershead received the OBE, an honorary degree of MSc, and served as President of the International Union of Zoo Directors. He died in 1978 aged 84.

Mottershead wanted to build a zoo without the traditional Victorian iron bars to cage the animals. He was influenced by the ideas of Carl Hagenbeck, who invented the modern zoo concept and by Heini Hediger, a pioneer of ethology.

At Chester, Mottershead took Hagenbeck's idea for moats and ditches as an alternative to cage bars, and extended their use throughout the zoo, often with species that Hagenbeck had not considered. For example, when chimpanzees were released into their new enclosure at Chester in 1956, a group of grassy islands, they were separated from visitors by no more than a 12-foot (3.7 m) strip of water. Nobody knew then if chimps could swim. It turned out that they could not, and today the chimp islands arcentrepiece of Chester Zoo.

In 1986 the zoo was enclosed with a fence, in line with the Zoo Licensing Act 1981.

Realm of the Red Ape, an Indonesian-forest-themed exhibit, featuring threatened Sumatran and Bornean orangutan, opened in May 2007.

In January 2009, Chester Zoo unveiled Natural Vision, a £225 million plan to transform itself into the largest conservation attraction in Europe. The first phase of the plan was to be a £90 million, 56-hectare (140-acre) enclosed African-rainforest-themed sanctuary containing a band of gorillas and a troop of chimpanzees, as well as okapi and a variety of tropical birds, amphibians, reptiles, fishes, and invertebrates, moving freely among lush vegetation. It included a water ride to take visitors through the exhibit. Natural Vision was to eventually include a 90-room hotel, a Conservation College, and a revamped main entrance that would link the zoo to a marina to be developed on zoo land, all to be completed by 2018. Plans went before the public for comment in June 2009.

The projected Heart of Africa bio-dome, along with plans for the hotel, were shelved in 2011 due to the loss of £40m potential funding when the North West Regional Development Agency was abolished.

In December 2012 planning permission was gained for a later phase of the Natural Vision masterplan. One of the largest zoo developments in Europe, Islands at Chester Zoo is a £40 million redevelopment project to extend the zoo's footprint and recreate six island habitats of Southeast Asia. As of 2017 it is now open.

A 600,000 square foot nature reserve was opened in April 2018. The reserve sits outside the boundary of the main zoo and is free for people to enter.

In October 2018, two Indian elephant calves (Nandita Hi Way, age 3 years, and Aayu Hi Way, age 18 months), died of elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV). From 1995 on this virus disease has caused many deaths of Indian elephants across the world in zoos and in the wild.

On 15 December 2018, an electrical fault caused a fire to break out at the Monsoon Forest Habitat. The zoo had to be evacuated and was closed. Fifteen fire crews attended the zoo along with two rapid response units and an ambulance. All mammals were accounted for and one person was treated for the effects of smoke inhalation. Some birds, frogs, fish and small insects were killed in the blaze. The zoo reopened on Sunday 16 December 2018.

Chester Zoo monorail was an internal transport system for visitors from 1991 to 2019, but was closed as it had become unreliable and covered less than half the zoo due to the zoo's expansion to over 125 acres (51 ha). Land from the monorail will be used for a new attraction called Heart of Africa, an open African savannah habitat and vulture aviary. The zoo are also at the same time developing The Reserve Hotel project, a collection of 51 lodges, restaurant and access into the zoo.

Accompanied by a small group of other guests, we were shepherded onto electric mini buses, which would be our transport for the tour. Guided by very friendly and well informed zoo staff, we spent 90 minutes being ferried around the zoo and stopping at various exhibits where we were given snippets of information about specific animals and had the opportunity to take photos. It was amazing to be in the zoo before other members of the public. It was quiet and relaxed and, even better, we were able to see lions and jaguars closer than we ever had, before they were inevitably driven into hiding by the squeals of excitable children. It was more than worth the money and, when the tour was over around 10am, we had the whole day to explore as zoo admission had been included in the ticket price. We made our way around the zoo, making the most of our early entry as much as we could. With such an early start, and subsequent long day, we needed refreshment. Luckily, Chester Zoo is equipped for just such an eventuality, in a way that other zoos are not. At the centre of it all, it has a pub. And that pub is called The Oakfield. 

Originally known as Oakfield Manor, this former country house was built in around 1885 for B. Chaffers Roberts, to a design by Edward Ould. The stables are of the same design and were built in 1886. In 1892, some extensions were made for Harry Beswick and other alterations were made in the 20th century. In 1930, the house was purchased by George Mottershead for £3500, equivalent to £280,000 in 2023. The house was originally used for zoo administration, with the west wing of the stables being used to house lions. As the zoo has grown, the house has been retained and is now used as a pub and restaurant, as well as a wedding venue, with the stables themselves now being used for storage. A pub at a zoo is certainly a novel concept and, whilst Amy & I have visited The Oakfield before, it was high time that it got a worthwhile mention in these pages. Inside, many of the original features have been retained. The front two rooms have been opened out to create a foyer style space with the bar beyond. The downstairs rooms have been converted into dining areas, with a modern extension to one side increasing the floor plan and the capacity. To the rear, a small of flight of steps leads down to the toilets. The overall decor is in keeping with the house's original appearance. Bare beams can be seen throughout, with bare brick in some areas. An original fireplace warms the entrance hall. Photos of the Mottershead family, old photos of the house and zoo and old advertising slogans and animal artefacts decorate the walls throughout. The modern, stylish conservatory overlooks a grassy area. Outside seating can be found around the conservatory. We'd booked a table here for lunch. Even though we'd arrived slightly early, we were seated quickly and efficiently by the friendly hostess. Our table was to one side of the conservatory. The place was busy when we arrived but there were a lot of staff on to help manage the turnaround. If a pub at a zoo isn't thrilling enough of a concept, this one serves real ale too! A bank of 4 handpulls sits centrally on the bar. Two of these were in use during our trip, featuring Cheshire Cat and Eastgate, both from local brewer Weetwood Ales. I went for the Cheshire Cat, a 4.0% blonde ale with citrusy and fruity aromas and a smooth, biscuity taste. Amy opted for Beavertown Gamma Ray and we set about ordering our food. We both decided on the chicken thigh burger, which turned out to be an excellent choice. The meat was tender, the sauce was a perfect accompaniment and the chips were 'proper' thick chips, slightly crunchy on the outside but fluffy within. Our total bill, including food, came to £45.10, not too bad a fee considering our location. There's something wonderfully surreal about drinking beer a short distance away from red pandas and snow leopards. When there's good food, good beer and better company, it's hard to find fault with anything. Please bear in mind however, The Oakfield is only accessible if you're visiting the zoo and is not open outside of normal zoo hours. 

Fully stuffed from our food and refreshed from our drinks, we spent another couple of hours exploring the remainder of the zoo until, feet aching and ourselves generally flagging, we called it a day and headed back to the car for the drive home. We thoroughly enjoyed the zoo, as we always do, and it had been incredible to see it in a different way. Our week had certainly lived up to expectations. I've said, on more than one occasion, during these blogs that, quite often, these trips don't have to be about the beer. Sometimes it can just be about the location, especially when that place is loaded with history and holds a pivotal role in culture and society. Camden is every bit as vibrant, chaotic and brilliant as we'd imagined and our all too short time there left us wanting more. Being able to walk in the shadow of music legends is quite the experience. Icons come in many forms, whether they be intertwined with music, synonymous with freedom or legends of conservation and animal welfare. In some cases, certainly with regards to Amy Winehouse and all the other artists that are inextricably linked to Camden, pubs are integral to the story. They not only nurture and awaken talent but often act as their own characters in a wider, extended narrative. To see and experience the roles that these venues play in the wider structure is a humbling experience. If you'll excuse me, I'm off to Google houses in Camden that I can't afford and find out how to become a zookeeper.

Pub of the week: The Oakfield. A pub at a zoo? What a concept!

Beer of the week: Weetwood Cheshire Cat is a bloody lovely drop!

Biggest surprise: The Dublin Castle. So much more than a traditional pub and such an integral part of Camden's story.   

Shipping up to Boston

Me again! We're well and truly into Autumn. The nights are drawing in, there's a chill in the air and is that a hound I hear baying on the moors? Either way, it's inexplicably October, officially spooky season and certainly as good a time as any to be out and about and exploring pubs, both near and far. I had hoped to have gotten another excursion squeezed in before now but the last month or so has been fairly chaotic as Amy and I finally bought a house and are now moved in and settled. As a result, September came and went in a blur but, now that things are more or less back into some semblance of a routine, it's business as usual.

I found myself back in Lincolnshire earlier this week, hoping to repeat the success of my last foray into this area, by exploring a town that had piqued my interest ostensibly because I knew very little about it before my trip. Apart from some knowledge of a prominent local landmark, more on which later, I had thrived in a state of blissful ignorance about my chosen destination and it seemed time to educate myself. The town of Boston was to be my stop.

Boston is a market town and inland port in the borough of the same name in the county of Lincolnshire, England.

Boston is the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Boston local government district. The town had a population of 45,339 at the 2021 census, while the borough had an estimated population of 66,900 at the ONS mid-2015 estimates.

Boston's most notable landmark is St Botolph's Church, colloquially referred to as 'The Stump', the largest parish church in England, which is visible from miles away across the flat lands of Lincolnshire. Residents of Boston are known as Bostonians. Emigrants from Boston named several other settlements around the world after the town, most notably Boston, Massachusetts, then a colony and now part of the United States.

The name Boston is said to be a contraction of "Saint Botolph's town", "stone" or "tun" (Old English, Old Norse and modern Norwegian for a hamlet or farm; hence the Latin villa Sancti Botulfi "St. Botulf's village"). The name Botulfeston appears in 1460, with an alias "Boston".

The town was once said to have been a Roman settlement, but no evidence shows this to be the case. Similarly, it is often linked to the monastery established by the Saxon monk Botolph at "Icanhoe" on the Witham in AD 654 and destroyed by the Vikings in 870, but this is doubted by modern historians. The early medieval geography of The Fens was much more fluid than it is today, and at that time, the Witham did not flow near the site of Boston. Botolph's establishment is most likely to have been in Suffolk. However, he was a popular missionary and saint to whom many churches between Yorkshire and Sussex are dedicated.

The 1086 Domesday Book does not mention Boston by name, but nearby settlements of the tenant-in-chief Count Alan Rufus of Brittany are covered. Its present territory was probably then part of the grant of Skirbeck, part of the very wealthy manor of Drayton, which before 1066 had been owned by Ralph the Staller, Edward the Confessor's Earl of East Anglia. Skirbeck had two churches and one is likely to have been that dedicated to St Botolph, in what was consequently Botolph's town. Skirbeck is now considered part of Boston, but the name remains, as a church parish and an electoral ward.

The order of importance was the other way round, when the Boston quarter of Skirbeck developed at the head of the Haven, which lies under the present Market Place. At that stage, The Haven was the tidal part of the stream, now represented by the Stone Bridge Drain, which carried the water from the East and West Fens. The line of the road through Wide Bargate, to A52 and A16, is likely to have developed on its marine silt levees. It led, as it does now, to the relatively high ground at Sibsey, and thence to Lindsey.

The reason for the original development of the town, away from the centre of Skirbeck, was that Boston lay on the point where navigable tidal water was alongside the land route, which used the Devensian terminal moraine ridge at Sibsey, between the upland of East Lindsey and the three routes to the south of Boston:

• The coastal route, on the marine silts, crossed the mouth of Bicker Haven towards Spalding.
• The Sleaford route, into Kesteven, passed via Swineshead, thence following the old course of the River Slea, on its marine silt levee.
• The Salters' Way route into Kesteven, left Holland from Donington. This route was much more thoroughly developed, in the later Medieval period, by Bridge End Priory.

The River Witham seems to have joined The Haven after the flood of September 1014, having abandoned the port of Drayton, on what subsequently became known as Bicker Haven. The predecessor of Ralph the Staller owned most of both Skirbeck and Drayton, so it was a relatively simple task to transfer his business from Drayton, but Domesday Book in 1086 still records his source of income in Boston under the heading of Drayton, so Boston's name is not mentioned. The Town Bridge still maintains the preflood route, along the old Haven bank.

After the Norman conquest, Ralph the Staller's property was taken over by Count Alan. It subsequently came to be attached to the Earldom of Richmond, North Yorkshire, and known as the Richmond Fee. It lay on the left bank of The Haven.

During the 11th and 12th centuries, Boston grew into a notable town and port. In 1204, King John vested sole control over the town in his bailiff. That year or the next, he levied a "fifteenth" tax (quinzieme) of 6.67% on the moveable goods of merchants in the ports of England: the merchants of Boston paid £780, the highest in the kingdom after London's £836. Thus, by the opening of the 13th century, Boston was already significant in trade with the continent of Europe and ranked as a port of the Hanseatic League. In the thirteenth century it was said to be the second port in the country. Edward III named it a staple port for the wool trade in 1369. Apart from wool, Boston also exported salt, produced locally on the Holland coast, grain, produced up-river, and lead, produced in Derbyshire and brought via Lincoln, up-river.

A quarrel between the local and foreign merchants led to the withdrawal of the Hansards around 1470. Around the same time, the decline of the local guilds and shift towards domestic weaving of English wool (conducted in other areas of the country) led to a near-complete collapse of the town's foreign trade. The silting of the Haven only furthered the town's decline.

At the Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII during the English Reformation, Boston's Dominican, Franciscan, Carmelite, and Augustinian friaries—erected during the boom years of the 13th and 14th centuries—were all expropriated. The refectory of the Dominican friary was eventually converted into a theatre in 1965 and now houses the Blackfriars Arts Centre.

Henry VIII granted the town its charter in 1545 and Boston had two Members of Parliament from 1552.

The staple trade made Boston a centre of intellectual influence from the Continent, including the teachings of John Calvin that became known as Calvinism. This, in turn, revolutionised the Christian beliefs and practices of many Bostonians and residents of the neighbouring shires of England. In 1607, a group of pilgrims from Nottinghamshire led by William Brewster and William Bradford attempted to escape pressure to conform with the teaching of the English church by going to the Netherlands from Boston. At that time, unsanctioned emigration was illegal, and they were brought before the court in the Guildhall. Most of the pilgrims were released fairly soon, and the following year, set sail for the Netherlands, settling in Leiden. In 1620, several of these were among the group who moved to New England in the Mayflower.

Boston remained a hotbed of religious dissent. In 1612, John Cotton became the Vicar of St Botolph's and, although viewed askance by the Church of England for his nonconformist preaching, became responsible for a large increase in Church attendance. He encouraged those who disliked the lack of religious freedom in England to join the Massachusetts Bay Company, and later helped to found the city of Boston, Massachusetts, which he was instrumental in naming. Unable to tolerate the religious situation any longer, he eventually emigrated himself in 1633.

At the same time, work on draining the fens to the west of Boston was begun, a scheme which displeased many whose livelihoods were at risk. (One of the sources of livelihood obtained from the fen was fowling, supplying ducks and geese for meat and in addition the processing of their feathers and down for use in mattresses and pillows. Until 2018, the feathery aspect of this was still reflected in the presence of the local bedding company named Fogarty.) This and the religious friction put Boston into the parliamentarian camp in the Civil War, which in England began in 1642. The chief backer of the drainage locally, Lord Lindsey, was shot in the first battle and the fens returned to their accustomed dampness until after 1750.

The later 18th century saw a revival when the Fens began to be effectively drained. The Act of Parliament permitting the embanking and straightening of the fenland Witham was dated 1762. A sluice, called for in the act, was designed to help scour out The Haven. The land proved to be fertile, and Boston began exporting cereals to London. In 1774, the first financial bank was opened, and in 1776, an act of Parliament allowed watchmen to begin patrolling the streets at night.

In the 19th century, the names of Howden, a firm located near the Grand Sluice, and Tuxford, near the Maud Foster Sluice, were respected among engineers for their steam road locomotives, threshing engines, and the like. Howden developed his business from making steam engines for river boats, while Tuxford began as a miller and millwright. His mill was once prominent near Skirbeck Church, just to the east of the Maud Foster Drain.

The railway reached the town in 1848, and it was briefly on the main line from London to the north. The area between the Black Sluice and the railway station was mainly railway yard and the railway company's main depot. The latter facility moved to Doncaster when the modern main line was opened. Boston remained something of a local railway hub well into the 20th century, moving the produce of the district and the trade of the dock, plus the excursion trade to Skegness.

Boston once again became a significant port in trade and fishing in 1884, when the new dock with its associated wharves on The Haven were constructed. It continued as a working port, exporting grain, fertiliser, and importing timber, although much of the fishing trade was moved out in the interwar period.

At the beginning of the First World War, a number of the town's trawlermen, together with some from Grimsby, were taken prisoner after their ships were sunk by German raiders in the North Sea. Their families did not know what had happened to them until late September 1914. The men were taken to Sennelager camp, then on to Ruhleben POW camp, where most remained until repatriated in 1918. A full report of their homecoming is in the Lincolnshire Standard newspaper, January 1918. During the war the port was used by hospital ships and some 4,000 sick or wounded troops passed through Boston. The town was bombed by a Zeppelin on 2 September 1916, injuring three adults and killing a child.

The first cinema opened in 1910, and in 1913, a new town bridge was constructed. Central Park was purchased in 1919, and is now one of the focal points of the town. Electricity came to Boston during the early part of the century, and electrical street lighting was provided from 1924.

During the Second World War, 17 residents of the borough were killed by enemy air raids. A memorial in Boston Cemetery commemorates them.

The Haven Bridge, which now carries the two trunk roads over the river, was opened in 1966, and a new dual carriageway, John Adams Way, was built in 1976–8 to take traffic away from the town centre. A shopping centre, named the Pescod Centre, opened in 2004, bringing many new shops into the town.

On paper, it was hard to know what to expect from Boston's pub scene. I had misgivings that it might be very hit and miss but there was really only one way to find out. For a change, I had chosen a location that is relatively easy to get to and well served by direct trains. I was on a tight timetable on the day in question and so had planned to arrive in the town close to mid-morning. Just over 90 minutes after leaving Nottingham, I was pulling into Boston station. There's something quite atmospheric about travelling through the fens by train, and a strange sense of liminality as hills and dales give way to flatness as far as the eye can see. I did enjoy the advantage of seeing a couple of Lincolnshire's railside landmarks, specifically, the hulking skeleton of the huge, defunct Bass maltings at Sleaford, and Heckington's windmill with its 8 majestic sails. What I'd really come here for was the pubs. The day of my trip was an unsettled, but not cold, Wednesday and I stepped from the train with equal parts determination and curiosity as my abiding emotions. Whilst the majority of my itinerary would involve pubs in and around the town centre, I had decided to begin my explorations in the suburbs, something which would involve a walk of half an hour in order to reach my first stop.

Leaving Boston station, I turned right onto Sleaford Road. I followed this for quite some time, marvelling at the strange combination of houses, some of which were large and clearly quite expensive whilst, on the same road, were boarded up and derelict bungalows. One had a horse statue in the front garden. Upon reaching the end of the road, I turned left onto Wyberton High Bridge, a not particularly high bridge that carried the road over the canal. I followed this road on, past a retail park and small shopping centre, until I reached a roundabout. I was now in the area of Wyberton Fen, where my first two stops are located. It was time to get stuck in. Immediately on the right, adjacent to the roundabout, you will find the Hammer & Pincers.

This community centred and family run pub is listed in the 2024 Good Beer Guide. Inside, there are two rooms, a lounge bar to the right and a larger public bar to the left. Beyond the lounge is a conservatory. Outside seating is abundant to the front, with a smaller area to one side and a children's play area to the rear. I entered the building, thought about turning right but then went left into the public bar, confusing the member of staff on duty in the process. The two areas are served from the same central bar. The decor gives the pub a 1970s feel, with carpet throughout, scrubbed wooden furniture, a pool table, two dartboards and a space for live music. Newspaper racks hold copies of the S*n and Daily Fail, perhaps reflective of a town that voted heavily in favour of Brexit and voted for Reform at the most recent election. A bay window protrudes from the far end of the room. High stools can be found at the bar and at a couple of tables inside the window. The overall space is quite large and spacious. A door to one side leads to a corridor where the toilets, and access to the garden, can be found. I was initially unsure that I was in the right place but the sight of two handpulls on the bar reassured me. Whilst the staff seemed confused as to why I was there, the pub had opened at 9.30 and it was now 10.45 so I wasn't intruding. At any rate, they were polite enough. My beer choices here were between Sharp's Doom Bar and Fuller's London Pride, the latter of which I settled on for £2.25 a half. I utilised one of the high stools inside the bay window, soaked up my surroundings and enjoyed the 70s rock tunes playing over the speakers. The Hammer & Pincers had certainly been an interesting place to begin. A lot of effort has been put into adding some unique touches, with bonsai trees in the gents an interesting addition and this elevates it above other such venues. Unfortunately, the beer wasn't as good as it could have been. It tasted ok but failed to clear, a sure sign that the barrel is coming to an end or the beer has been on for too long. For a GBG listed pub, this was a shame and, yes, I could have said something but, for the sake of a half and knowing I wouldn't be returning, it didn't seem worth it. I was hoping for better luck at the next venue.

Given the half an hour walk to get here, it was somewhat of a relief that my next stop was directly over the road. Pub number 2 on the trip was The Chain Bridge.

The Chain Bridge is a purpose built, food-led Marston's pub that opened in 2016 and primarily serves the nearby shopping centre with a heavy emphasis on meals. However, the casual drinker is also welcome. Anyone that's ever been in a 'new' Marston's pub knows exactly what to expect from the decor. A long bar, opposite the entrance, curves around the room. The layout is divided into sections by the creative use of partitions and pillars, resulting in several distinct areas, all laid out for dining. The general aesthetic is modern, contemporary and bright with darker shades and a mix of scrubbed wooden furniture and upholstered booths. A pair of handpumps grace the bar here too, unsurprisingly showcasing beers from Marston's portfolio. On this occasion, the options were Wainwright Gold and Pedigree. When I entered, it was approximately two minutes after the pub had opened and the member of staff on duty was busy laying out bar mats. I'm nothing if not patient and within a minute or so I'd been served. I went for the Wainwright Gold, priced at £2.45 for a half, and found a table behind a pillar where I could enjoy it. The beer was well kept, if a touch warmer than the optimum temperature, and went down very well. I often have mixed feelings about Marston's but their pub's are always welcoming and, in most cases, they can at least look after their beer. 

Two pubs in and it was a case of 'so far, so mediocre'. However, I was confident that things would improve as the day went on. Having finished at The Chain Bridge, I now had to retrace my route back to Sleaford Road for the slog back to the town centre. The return journey did at least seem to take less time and, as the spire of the Boston Stump grew closer, I was in good spirits. Reaching the point at which I had exited the train station earlier, I this time carried on, crossing the tracks and heading in the direction of the town centre. At this point Sleaford Road reaches a junction with West Street and the main A52. Continuing directly on sends you down the West Street branch and, just as this road begins, a pub sits on the corner: The Eagle.

Part of the Castle Rock chain, this Good Beer Guide 2024 listed pub is known as THE real ale pub of Boston. I think you'll find I'll be the judge of that. I must confess that I did nearly miss the pub entirely as its hanging sign is currently missing. However, no harm done, I had arrived and made my way inside. The Eagle is a two roomed L-shaped pub, with a small, cosy lounge to one side and larger, more square public bar to the other side. Both areas are served by a central bar, which features 10 handpulls divided into 2 sections. Seating takes the form of low tables and chairs, photos and pump clips adorn the walls and posters for upcoming events, many in the name of charity, are prominently displayed. Upon entering, I instinctively went left, into the larger room, which was empty but would at least afford me plenty of space and privacy. This being a Castle Rock pub (go team!), it's no surprise that the beers on offer are mostly from that brewery although there are a couple of guests accompanying them. On the day, the following Castle Rock beers were present: Sundown, Screech Owl (doubled up), Preservation (doubled up), Our House and Harvest Pale (doubled up). The guest slots were filled by Harvey's Sisters and 8 Sail Millwright Mild. As much as I was tempted by the presence of an 8 Sail beer, I wasn't in the mood for a mild at that point in time so went for the Sundown (4.3%), a recent special (£1.75 a half). Sundown is a pale ale, hopped with Citra and Cascade, meaning citrus and tropical aromas alongside floral and pine notes. It's a very refreshing beer indeed and certainly quenched my thirst after my long walk back. I found the Eagle a relaxing place for a beer, although I never managed to find the toilet. A mystery for another day!

Leaving the Eagle, I turned right and continued down West Street which then becomes High Street. Continuing on, I soon came upon Town Bridge, which spans the River Witham and leads to Market Place. Shortly before reaching the bridgehead, I turned left and found the imposing frontage of my next destination: the White Hart Hotel.

There has been a structure on the site of the White Hart since the 1200s, although the current facade is late Victorian. The earliest record of an inn here dates from the late 1700s when it was called The Unicorn, at a time of a great economic boom for Boston as a whole. The current name of the building dates from 1804 when the town centre was remodelled and a replacement bridge was built, leading to a subsequent reconstruction and renaming of the building. Whilst the White Hart functions primarily as a hotel, it also welcomes drinkers and diners. There are several entrances to the building, with one on the left leading to the Courtyard Bar. This is the direction in which I now steered myself. A former coachway, now covered, provides the entrance to this area. Inside, a long bar stretches down the side of a large main room, with sofas and comfortable chairs at one end. Beyond this, to the right, is a restaurant style space, laid out for dining. The toilets can be found in this area too. The decor is light and modern and was suitably festive for the time of year with Halloween decorations in abundance. A fine, reflective ceiling above the bar contrasts with bright but subtle lighting. Amongst the cocktail menus and extravagantly balanced wine bottles, you will find three handpulls on the bar. After enquiring with a member of staff whether casual drinkers were allowed (an affirmative yes), I made my way to the bar and perused my options, which consisted of two beers from Bateman's in the form of XB and 5G and a house beer, Coachman's Wheel, brewed by St. Austell for the White Hart and other hotels within its parent chain. It seemed rude not to partake in a Bateman's beer so I went for the 5G (£2.20 a half) and moved to a small table directly opposite the bar. The lunchtime rush was slowly building and there were several customers already seated throughout, either studying menus or enjoying hot drinks. This is a very relaxing and comfortable place to spend some time and I certainly enjoyed a few minutes soaking up the ambience of the place. The modern interior is a stark contrast to the age of the building but helps to give it a more homely feel. Plus, the beer is bloody brilliant! Bateman's 5G (4.2%) is billed as a session IPA. Brewed with Fuggles, Harlequin and Olicana, it's smooth and biscuity with aromas of peach, pineapple, mango and passionfruit. More than that, it's a delight. In and amongst the citrus and tropical notes is a real depth of flavour that I didn't get from another beer all afternoon. It is an absolute winner. I could easily have stayed for another if I didn't have to be getting on. 

Leaving the comfortable confines of the White Hart behind me, I crossed over the nearby bridge into Market Place. Needing a quick break for lunch, I made the most of the opportunity to explore the nearby churchyard, marvelling close up at the sheer scale of St. Botolph's Church A.K.A., the Boston Stump. At just under 267 feet in height, it's the tallest parish church in England to its roof. The tower can be seen for miles and stands out spectacularly against the surrounding flat countryside of the fens. Such is its scale, before the draining of the fens, fishermen would use the tower as a landmark and it is believed that the tower was lit internally at night to act as a lighthouse. Even today, on a clear day, the tower can be seen from as far away as Norfolk. More recently, it's also been identified as being a possible identity for a UFO picked up on radar by local airbases during a wave of alleged sightings in 1996. The churchyard itself also contains memorial stones to local residents who set sail for the new world and ultimately founded the namesake settle of Boston in Massachusetts. Lunch eaten and church grounds explored, it was back to the pubs. Sitting just on the edge of the Market Place is the Stump & Candle.

Managed by Stonegate, as part of its Craft Union arm, the Stump & Candle has recently had a complete refurbishment, which has somehow contrived to make the building less attractive and inviting. A purely wet-led pub, the layout is relatively straightforward. Upon entering, a curved bar sits opposite the main door. Seating is arranged immediately opposite the bar and around the perimeter of the main area with a smaller area to the back. Furniture takes the form of wooden tables and chairs, as well as banquette seating. There are TVs throughout as well as a dartboard and fruit machine. The lighting is subdued. When I entered the Stump & Candle, I was immediately struck by two things. The pub was the warmest place on earth and I was the youngest person in the building by a comfortable 20 years. However, not to be deterred, I turned my attention to the bar where 1 of the pair of handpulls was being utilised. In lieu of a pump clip, a cardboard sign informed me that the available beer was Ringwood Fortyniner, which I duly ordered for the very reasonable price of £1.65 for a half. I retreated to the back of the room, opposite another gentleman who was content to be by himself. The pub was moderately busy but the rest of the clientele were congregated in the front part of the pub, with some of them playing cards. A glance through the drinks menu confirmed that it's not just the ale that's cheap here. £3.70 for a large wine?? What madness is this?! As much as this sort of pub isn't my first choice in general, I can see the appeal of somewhere that can afford to price things like that. Besides which, the beer wasn't half bad. I've certainly had worse and that was just earlier in the day. With those sorts of prices, I was almost considering staying longer but the place was like a furnace so on I went. 

It took me a couple of attempts to find my next location and it turned out that I'd already been fairly close to it. Directly in the shadow of the Stump, I eventually found the Church Keys Wine Bar.

One of the oldest buildings still standing in Boston, the Church Keys sits virtually on the bank on the River Witham and its proximity to the river has given it its characteristic lean. Believed to date from around 1520, the Church Keys takes its name from a time when the keys to the church were kept at the site. In previous years, the building has had many uses including a Thai restaurant a photography studio and an antiquities shop. In 2013, the building was devastated after the river burst its banks, leaving the area around the Stump under four feet of water, leading to a significant and long winded rebuild. The character of this unique building has certainly been maintained. Stepping through its doors is like stepping back in time. Lots of original features, from beams to whitewashed walls remain. There are a number of rooms inside, of various sizes but all decked out with a combination of comfy high back chairs or wooden furniture. Bric-a-brac and various artefacts can be found throughout. Of course, most importantly, there is a bar. In the front most room, a small bar space occupies one wall. Whilst specialising in wines and 'craft' lagers, one handpump is present (an apparently recent return according to the local CAMRA branch). On the occasion of my visit, this was offering Bateman's XB so that was to be my choice. I took this into one of the other rooms, which felt for all the world like I was in someone's living room. At 3.7%, this is a classic pale ale with fruity and spicy notes from Golding and Challenger hops. It was worth the £1.70 I paid for a half. The Church Keys is quirky and atmospheric place but one senses a dark side. Justifiably so, if the stories are true. Sarah Preston, a local woman, is believed to haunt here. She was accused, rightly or wrongly, of bringing the Black Death into the town and was persecuted so harshly that, to end her own suffering, she flung herself from the church tower to her death. Depending on who you believe, she was clutching her infant child at the time. Regardless, Sarah's screams, in particular her cries of the word 'pestilence' are heard echoing around the church, and within the bar, to this day. The current owner has also reported strange activity taking place during restoration work, not an uncommon claim in general. There's certainly the hint of something dark and tragic lurking in the corners of this place. 

Leaving my riverside berth, I would now move on to my next destination. Heading back through the churchyard, I made my way around the church, parallel to the river and left the churchyard via Wormgate, a cobbled medieval street, halfway down which can be found Goodbarns Yard.

This 630 year old pub is listed in the 2024 Good Beer Guide. Inside, the front door leads directly to a T-shaped bar. Wooden beams and exposed brickwork dominate throughout. Furniture, in the form of traditional wooden tables and chairs, occupies the perimeter of the front room. To the rear is a restaurant area, separated by a dividing wall and snug. Goodbarns Yard was by far the busiest of the pubs I visited on the day but was by no means full. I walked up to the bar to find it unmanned but this did give me time to look at my options. Of the 6 handpulls, 4 were in use, featuring doubles of Timothy Taylor Landlord and Adnams Ghost Ship respectively. A member of bar staff soon emerged from the restaurant and I chose the Ghost Ship (£2.30 a half) before moving to an adjacent table. Goodbarns Yard clearly has a lot going for it. Notwithstanding the warm welcome and the excellent drop of Ghost Ship, the fact that the pub was so busy on a Wednesday afternoon speaks volumes. I felt comfortable, relaxed and grateful that I'd made the effort to find this place, especially given the mixed bag of pubs so far. I truly could have stayed here all afternoon. The warmth and friendliness of the staff. The smell of the food. The great beer. It all combined to leave me with a soft, fuzzy feeling inside. 

I was into the home straight now, which would include a bit more walking after the relative ease of the middle section. Just as I left Goodbarns Yard, the heavens opened. Thankfully, I'd come prepared and, one swiftly donned raincoat later, I was off again. Heading down Fountain Lane, I emerged on Strait Bargate which, a few yards further on, becomes Wide Bargate. Navigating a traffic island, I took a slight left onto Horncastle Road. Just up ahead, on the left hand side, I located The Kings Arms. 

Built in the mid-18th century, this red brick and pantile pub was built for workers digging the Maud Foster drain, a fen drainage route that runs down the middle of the road outside. Now owned by Bateman's, the internal layout has been much altered over the years. Two large but comfortable rooms are served by a round central bar. Seating is around the edge or at the bar itself. To one side, you will find a pool table, fruit machine and jukebox. The dining rooms are both used for functions. The original brick vaulted cellar, where beers are stored on stillage, still remains. An interesting additional feature is the still working windmill, with its unusual five sails, across the drain from the pub and open for visitors. Back inside, and I was given a surprisingly warm welcome. A small group of regulars were sat at the bar when I arrived. Having ordered my beer (half a Bateman's XB, the only beer available, served on 2 of the 6 handpulls, and costing £2.05 for a half) I was asked what I thought about the pub booking in a wake and a birthday party for the same day. My response was that it's a bold move, which failed to raise a smile from the stoic Irish landlord. Instead I scurried away to a table in the corner. The Kings Arms was nothing like I expected. Friendly locals, welcoming staff and a decent serving of XB made this a very nice surprise. I was even wished goodbye, which was nice.

I had two pubs left to go now. Turning right out of the pub, I retraced my route to the traffic junction from earlier but this time, upon reaching Wide Bargate, I turned left onto Pen Street. Following this on for a few yards, I soon saw my penultimate stop: the New Inn.

This is a former Home Ales pub with a mock Tudor exterior. Inside, a single L-shaped bar sits at one end of the main room. A covered conservatory/smoking area is to the rear. The main room features beamed ceilings and a large fireplace. Various photos of both regulars and the local area can be found displayed throughout. My first impression of the New Inn was that it's a bit rough and ready but also the sort of place that does a fine job catering for its regulars. Everybody seemed to know each other and the number of gifts addressed to the landlord and proudly displayed throughout certainly speaks to a level of affection and respect. It's just a same that he appears to be a Man City fan. Still, at least this place serves real ale. The solitary working handpull was offering Doom Bar (£1.90 a half) and, to be fair, it wasn't bad. I drank it whilst seated at a corner table trying to dry off a bit from the rain. It was becoming clear that pubs on the outskirts of Boston weren't the ones that tourists, of a beer variety or otherwise, would be flocking too. 

Just as well then, that my final pub of the day would again be on the edge of town, albeit on the southern flank. To get there, I made my way back through the town centre and headed straight down the High Street, which eventually becomes London Road. This took me down along the river, where seabirds lurked in the tidal shallows and where the Black Sluice has mastery over the flow of water to the fens. It's also where boats enter and leave the port along the river Witham. London Road eventually joins the A16 at a roundabout and from here I went left. A short distance away, my last stop appeared like a beacon in the Fenland afternoon. I would wrap things up at the Spirit of Endeavour. 

This is a large, modern pub, aimed primarily at families. The inside is large and spacious and very much indicative of the modern pubco style, with sofa style seating and wooden furniture. The bar is relatively large and occupies one end of the main room. Smaller sections can be found to the rear and an adjacent building houses a giant children's soft play area/infection ground zero. The toilets are located towards the rear. After a much needed comfort break, it was time to check out the bar. A trio of handpulls, standing proud, gave me a choice between Doom Bar, Kirkstall Three Swords and Weston's Rosie's Pig cider. The Kirkstall won the day and I parted with £2.15 for a half. I imbibed this at a nearby table, whilst pondering what I'd achieved and how my day had played out. The Three Swords (4.5%) was a suitable beer to finish on. This is an extra pale ale with three American hop varieties, resulting in clean and refreshing citrus flavours and a crisp finish. Before I knew it, it was gone and it was time for me to go too.

My 25 minute walk back to the train station helped me to get my thoughts in order and figure out what my overall opinion of Boston was. I was also able to hone in on my one major regret: that I wasn't able to visit the Good Beer Guide listed Carpenters Arms as it opened after my return train was due to depart. I was on a fairly tight schedule so couldn't afford to wait around. All in all, I think my initial fears about Boston were accurate. Hit-and-miss is probably as good a term as any to describe the beer scene in this area. Whilst there are a couple of genuine standouts, the alternatives are a mass of chain pubs with an, at best, unreliable and, at worst, indifferent attitude to cask beer. That's not to say that all hope is lost. The pubs that are worth visiting are doing things well and their neighbours would do well to learn from them. Boston as a destination has enough quirks and history to make things interesting but, as a beer hotspot, it can be said to be slightly lacking. This doesn't mean it isn't worth a second chance. All the pubs I've featured here do at least serve cask beer in one form or another which certainly puts them above other destinations in that regard. I think, if I'm being honest, Boston could be one to keep an eye on, with the hope that the cask revolution is slowly starting to pick up steam in this corner of Lincolnshire. 

Pub of the day: Goodbarns Yard. A standout.

Beer of the day: Bateman's 5G. Just wonderful.

Biggest surprise: Definitely The Kings Arms. A warm welcome, friendly locals and, more importantly, good beer to boot!