Every so often, an unexpected pub trip opportunity presents itself, quite often during the course of doing something originally unrelated. Such was the case with a recent day out, which once again involved a revisit to some locations that featured in this column many years ago. It's always good to have excellent friends and it's even more beneficial to have friends that are not only keen to spend time with you, but also happy to indulge your niche hobby in the process. So it was that, around a week and a half ago, Amy and I found ourselves making our way over to Giltbrook and Eastwood, to the north of Nottingham, to spend time with our good friends Dan and Lisa and their baby daughter Freya. Unbeknownst to us until a few days before, Dan had compiled a pub list for our trip, which we would more or less find ourselves sticking to, with a couple of worthwhile deviations, on what would turn out to be a fantastic afternoon out, on a Saturday no less. Both our planned locations first featured in my travels way back in 2015. Given the passage of time, it probably comes as no surprise that the pub scene has changed significantly in the intervening years. A virtual cornucopia of new and interesting venues have opened in the meantime and it's long been a plan to try and get back out this way and investigate the lay of the land. Whilst our main priority was spending time with our friends, the added opportunity to re-evaluate these locations and assess the current state of their respective drinking scenes was one that we could not pass up.
With both Giltbrook and Eastwood being located just up the road, and neighbouring each other, travel to the area is fairly straightforward. A direct bus from Nottingham city centre takes around half an hour to reach Giltbrook, whose most notable landmark is an enormous retail park that features, amongst its various delights, a branch of the notorious Swedish argument labyrinth that is IKEA. We had gotten on the bus just after midday and so found ourselves arriving in the vicinity of our first destination around 35-40 minutes later. Disembarking at the retail park, we made our way a few short yards up the road and took the next left. This took us onto an adjacent industrial park, which houses various businesses, including the one at which we had agreed to meet Dan and Lisa. We were a few minutes early of our agreed time but wasted no time in getting ourselves acquainted with our first destination: Blue Monkey Brewery.
The next step of our visit would see us continue further into Giltbrook, after which we would venture into Eastwood. We left the taproom, Amy, Dan and I on foot, Freya in her pram and Lisa in the car. She would be meeting us at the next venue for ease of location. Returning to the main road, we turned left and began to follow the road uphill. Bypassing the Caught & Bowled, a nearby micropub, due to lack to space, we continued on and then crossed over at a nearby pedestrian crossing. A short distance further up the incline, we were met by Lisa, who had beaten us to pub number two, The Hayloft.
This well-appointed brick building recently underwent a significant refurbishment, which was completed in 2022. The structure itself is much older. What was once the White Bull later became the Old White Bull following the opening of the New White Bull further down the road, although this pub no longer survives as such. The Old White Bull retained its pub status for much longer and was later merged with adjacent residential properties to form the current layout. Inside, the pub is open plan, though laid out in a rough L-shape, with the bar at the centre. Several smaller areas have been created through the use of internal support structures. The furniture is traditional scrubbed wood along with areas of soft furnishings. TVs can be found both inside and out, including in a large, partially covered beer garden to the rear. There is a split-level design to the main bar area, with the higher section including a pool table and dartboard. The pub is also rumoured to have a ghost, though the precise nature, along with any associated activity, is not clear. With the day warming up nicely, we'd chosen to sit outside and, having grabbed a table, we made our way back inside to see what was available to slake our thirst. There are 3 handpulls located on the bar here, and these were all occupied, offering Oakham Bishop's Farewell, Acorn Karma and Castle Rock Screech Owl. A Bishop's Farewell for me and a Neck Oil for Amy came to a preposterously reasonable £8.23. Dan and Lisa opted for lager and we returned to our table where conversation soon turned to music and sport. The Hayloft would be the only venue of the day that I'd visited on a previous occasion. Considering the amount of time that had elapsed, I think I can be forgiven for not remembering a massive amount about it. The refurbishment certainly seems to have been a positive decision. This is a welcoming and very homely Greene King pub with a decent crowd given the early afternoon, even though it was the weekend. The beer was in cracking condition on the day. Bishop's Farewell is a standout from amongst Oakham's formidable catalogue and the quality here was second to none. The Hayloft is another amongst the growing number of Greene King pubs that don't seem to rely on the portfolio of their parent brewery. This is a trend that I can steadfastly get behind.
The next leg of our afternoon would soon begin and this would involve a little bit more of a walk. Leaving The Hayloft, we turned right and continued to follow the main road up the hill. This levelled out after a few minutes, at which point we had officially entered the neighbouring settlement of Eastwood. On my last trip to these parts, Eastwood was a real mish-mash of more established traditional venues. In the 11 years since, its pub scene has noticeably blossomed. A veritable barrage of micropubs have opened over the course of that time, adding a more modern dimension to the town's pub dynamic alongside the more old school premises that are still operating. The rest of our afternoon would see us running the rule over a number of the newer locations as well as visiting a longer standing venue that we'd never been to before. Shortly upon entering Eastwood, it wouldn't be long before we reached the third stop of the day. Located on the junction of Nottingham Road and Dovecote Road, our next stop was the Pick & Davy.
The Pick & Davy opened in September 2018 and is now an established and much visited pub in the local area. Named after two pieces of mining equipment, the interior leans heavily into a coal mining theme. A substantial covered outside area leads into a cosy single room with a small bar to one side. The decor is rustic in feel but smart and modern in execution. Mining equipment is mounted on one wall, with information boards about the industry on the wall opposite. An adjacent wall is decorated to resemble a coal face and an alcove beneath this leads to the toilets. Furniture is wooden and simple in nature. Upon arrival, the pub was already busy but we were able to find a table with enough space to accommodate 4 adults and a pram. It also gave us a decent vantage point from which to view the bar. 5 of the 6 handpulls were in use at the time. The choices were Castle Rock Elsie Mo, Thornbridge Crackendale, Oakham Bishop's Farewell, Magpie Raven Stout and Stancill Barnsley Bitter. I'm a sucker for Thornbridge so the Crackendale was an easy choice. This and a pint of Castle Rock Session for Amy came to £9.10 in total. Dan and Lisa stayed on lager and we settled in for a few minutes. I was really impressed with this place. Not only was the beer fantastic but the whole atmosphere of this place is really unique. Micropubs come in all forms these days but this is undoubtedly one of the quirkiest. The mining theme is a great touch that, in my opinion, reflects a part of Britain' cultural heritage that isn't referenced enough. On top of that, the welcome and the service were top-notch. It's not hard to see why this has become a popular local destination for the folk of Eastwood and further afield. The memory of being here has stayed with me since we left. If you're out this way, please make sure you visit. It's worth your time and your well-earned cash.
The Pick & Davy was my pub of the day by this point but I was still eager to see what else we might discover. Our next location was only a short walk away. Further down Nottingham Road, another micropub was soon on our radar. Next up, the Tap & Growler.
This little place opened in September 2015 in a premises that was formerly a charity shop. It is now one of the longest existing micropubs in the immediate vicinity and celebrated a decade of trade last year. It is also listed in the 2026 Good Beer Guide. The name has a dual meaning. Whilst the 'Tap' is an obvious beer connection, the 'Growler' refers to both a container to carry beer and is also a reference to a pre-cast lion figure that was found during renovation work. He now takes pride of place in the bar area, overseeing proceedings. The interior of this place is one small room, with an L-shaped servery to the left. Seating is located around the edge of the room, in the shape of standard wooden furniture. A small corridor to the rear leads to the toilet. A fridge adjacent to the bar features bottles and cans but also holds the casks from which beer is drawn straight to the bar. Bare wood, exposed bricks, and a ceiling feature draped with fairy lights complete the look. We timed our arrival here to perfection, managing to nab a table and manoeuvre the pram in just before it started to fill up. There are 5 hand pumps on the bar here. At the time of our visit, 4 of these were in use, with a choice between Acorn Barnsley Bitter, Bang the Elephant Orange Boots, Pentrich Monster Hospital and another appearance for Oakham Bishop's Farewell. I'd recently become accustomed to Monster Hospital through work but had yet to try the cask version so that became an easy choice. Amy opted for a can of Pentrich Heavy Glimmer from the fridge, leading to the round still only coming to an inexplicably reasonable £10.00. I was very glad that we'd managed to get in here before it got too busy. It's a lovely place for a beer. Not only is it cosy and compact but it's friendly too and Freya got lots of attention from curious locals. The Monster Hospital had also turned out to be a good choice. This is a 4.5% hazy pale ale, brewed in Pentrich's instantly noticeable style. It's packed with big flavours of citrus and grapefruit, alongside mango, pineapple and pine, all from the use of Mosaic, Strata and Nelson Sauvin hops. I'm a fan of Pentrich beers, and this really is no exception, although I do wish they'd use actual artists for their pump clips instead of AI art.
It was well into mid-afternoon now and the hunger pangs were beginning to make themselves known. Lisa had brought chips into the last pub and, sorely tempted by the idea, Amy and I nipped to the adjacent chippy to avail ourselves of the same. This would suitably sustain us for the next stage and the remainder of our day. It was time for something slightly different now. We decided to wander down to the far end of Eastwood and then retrace our steps so that we were back in the centre as and when we were ready to depart. Continuing our walk along the main strip, we soon reached Church Street, where we turned left. A short distance further on, we arrived at the Old Wine Vaults.
Believed to be the oldest pub in Eastwood, this building dates to 1779 and began life as a private house before being converted to pub use. Some parts of the building are 19th century additions but many original features remain. Now Grade II listed, a sympathetic refurbishment was completed in 2018. As I was about to discover, this place is quite unlike anywhere else in the town and was something very unexpected indeed, although Dan did drop numerous hints that we would quite like the place. He would soon be proven correct. This is the rock and metal pub of Eastwood. If the Linkin Park playing on the jukebox when we arrived wasn't enough of a clue, there were plenty of other hints that this was definitely our sort of place. The front entrance leads through to the main bar area, with a long servery to the right. Opposite this, a mix of leather armchairs and upholstered settles provide seating, the latter accompanied by a mural of musical notes drawn across the back. A stained glass window overlooks this, itself overlooked by a wall-mounted guitar. Framed photos of music icons are on display and song lyrics are written on some of the exposed beams. Whilst the bar area is primarily comfy seating and a grandfather clock, an area behind this houses a stage and a part wooden, part carpeted dancefloor space. A separate room, behind the bar, is a games room-cum-snug. A rear door leads to a large garden complete with picnic benches, parasols, a children's play area and an adjacent function space in a detached annex, all in the shadow of the nearby church, and with views over the sweeping hills of Nottinghamshire. Straight off the bat, the pub is ace! The vibes are exactly what we look for. There are even outside speakers for the music, as we soon discovered. Clearly, the bar staff on shift recognised us as kindred spirits. If there was one negative here, it was a lack of cask beer. The bar is devoid of handpulls but does serve a keg version of Doom Bar, which I settled for whilst Amy contented herself with Alpacalypse, at the total cost of £8.80. The kegged Doom Bar wasn't actually half bad and the pub itself more than made up for the beer options. It will likely upset the purists but this was the stand out pub of the day. The Old Wine Vaults is testament to a pub that knows its intended target audience and ensures it makes them welcome. Did we expect to find a pub like this in this particular corner of near suburban Nottingham? Absolutely not. Are our lives better for not only being aware of its existence but having been able to visit? Hell yes! It's somehow both urban and rural and a complete surprise. We spent some time sat outside, enjoying the afternoon sunshine, before our glasses ran dry and we made the sad decision to move on elsewhere.
It was back to slightly more expected and predictable circumstances now. Retracing our steps back to the high street, we turned right and continued on. Back over the road and we were a few short yards from our next stop. Lisa made the decision to take Freya home at this point, leaving the rest of us to continue as a trio. Our next destination would be the Dog & Parrot.
Another micropub, this particular one opened in March of 2017. Effectively one large room, with a bar in one corner, it mixes minimalist decor with local touches. Bare wood flooring and a high whitewashed ceiling and walls surround a cluster of low tables and chairs. A doorway next to the bar leads to the toilets and to a covered outside area at the rear. Back inside and a display of old photographs occupies one corner, whilst the opposite wall is covered with British Legion memorabilia donated by locals. Large windows and string lights add brightness. The bar here is well-stocked with cask, featuring 5 handpulls and a variety of styles. Its keg selection is all macro brands including big name lagers. It took a while to decide what I wanted to drink here but the pub was busy, which at least allowed for more time. The cask options were Welbeck Abbey Cavendish, Milestone Sun of a Beach, Pheasantry Pale Pheasant, Bass, and Milestone Honey Porter. From amongst this preponderance of local produce I decided on the Pale Pheasant. Amy couldn't find anything that took her fancy from the admittedly scant keg range and so went for a Diet Coke. The total cost of the round was £7.60. We managed to grab a table in the middle of the room of what was a very busy pub at the time of our visit, and took in the surroundings. This very much plays into the micropub aesthetic but with a much more traditional vibe, particularly as far as keg beer is concerned. It might come across as a bit rough-and-ready but it has a character all of its own, something which can be said for all of the pubs we'd visit on the day. They can keep a cracking pint too. Pale Pheasant (4%) is, expectedly, a pale ale, with a touch of vanilla and a subtle floral aroma. The finish is slightly dry but the whole thing is thirst quenching and boasts big flavours for a weaker beer. Whilst this wouldn't be our favourite pub of the day, it's certainly a worthwhile member of the local pub community and is a good example of the spectrum that exists amongst micropubs. Further examples of this would soon follow.
We'd decided to visit two final pubs before calling it a day. Both of these were back in the direction of Giltbrook, whilst still in Eastwood and were also on the day to Dan's house which made them convenient stop-offs for everyone. Next on the list was Mellors Mews.
First a disclaimer: the pub in question was so busy when we arrived, with so many in their front outside space, that I was unable to get a satisfactory photo of the front of the building. The sign is the best I can do, so there. Originally opened in August of 2017, this was the first purpose built micropub (as in, not a conversion from an existing property) in the entire county of Nottinghamshire. Its name comes from Oliver Mellors, a fictional character from D.H. Lawrence's infamous novel Lady Chatterley's Lover. The pub later changed hands and was reopened by the current owners in September 2022. Accessed down a small slope from the main road, the main body of the pub is effectively behind the adjacent properties. A single-storey brick built structure, it features a small outside seating area between the entrance and the road. The interior is very much in the vein of a modern cafe bar with a nondescript industrial ceiling, neon lights and quirky artwork throughout. The bar occupies one corner, with various styles of seating throughout the single room. Banquettes and leather high-backed stools are around the edge, with high round tables towards the centre. A central partition divides the room up. A doorway to one side leads to a corridor where the toilets can be found. A bank of 4 handpulls graces the bar here and half of these were being utilised when we squeezed our way through, offering a choice between Pheasantry Dancing Dragonfly and Dancing Duck DCUK. A pint of the latter for me and an Alpacalypse for Amy came to £8.95. We just about managed to procure a table here. Once again, this is a very different interpretation of the micropub model and certainly feels more like a continental cafe than a pub. That's not a negative though. It's fascinating to see how people execute their ideas of what a micropub, or indeed any pub, should be. The beer here was also in good nick, exactly as it should have been.
We had one more stop in our sights. Another short walk back down the road brought us to the place where our Eastwood endeavours would come to an end. It would be one more before the journey home at the Gamekeeper's.
This Good Beer Guide 2026 listed micropub opened in 2017 in what was previously a shop selling mobility scooters. Upon entering, you will find the bar at the back and to the right, facing into an area of comfortable seating, mostly of wooden tables and low stools. A carpeted alcove area to the left features a small area of additional seating. To the rear, a covered patio area with benches leads to a paved garden area with more of the same. The bar is predictably well-equipped for the discerning drinker. 5 handpulls are present and there is also a range of craft keg beers. At the time of our visit, 4 of these handpulls were being used, with a choice between Lenton Lane American Candy, Thornbridge Crackendale, Grumpy Fish One Fin in the Grave, and Alter Ego Vigilante. As virtually all of the options, barring the Thornbridge offering, were new to me, I needed a moment to decide but eventually went for the American Candy (4.8%). This is a golden ale brewed with Azacca and El Dorado hops, meaning citrus, orange zest and great big zingy flavours. It's a bloody great beer! A pint of it, alongside a pint of a DDH from Cloudwater for Amy somehow came to just £9.00. Dan opted for a lager and we decided to make the most of the substantial garden. The Gamekeeper's is an excellent pub in a town that seems to be stocked full of them. The beer here was fantastic too. The GBG recognition is richly deserved.
Soon, our glasses would be empty for the final time that day which meant the only thing left to do was to say our goodbyes before we got the bus. The half hour journey back to town left much time for discussion and reflection. Without a shadow of a doubt, the beer scene in these parts has improved immeasurably in the last few years. The micropubs that have sprung up have made a world of difference and added a newer and grander dimension to an area that, not so long ago, could easily have been dismissed. The fact that so many newer venues can thrive alongside established premises is a reflection of the importance of community and locality. That this wasn't even a comprehensive return visit speaks volumes about how much is going on out this way. We were able to leave out older, more traditional boozers like Greasley Castle, Three Tuns and Sun Inn and still found many a great pub filling a niche and doing a remarkable job. It really is pleasing, and very heartening, to see this one small corner of Nottinghamshire not just ticking over but thriving. More than that, being introduced, and reintroduced, to these places by fantastic friends who you can spend time with here too, more than enhances the experience. After all, great beer, with great company, in great pubs is the very epitome of what all this should be about. Big thanks and much love to Dan, Lisa and Freya for inviting us on this most unexpected and pleasant of crawls. Don't sleep on Giltbrook and Eastwood. There's more here than you may expect. And that's what makes life fun.
Pub of the Day: The Old Wine Vaults. Controversial maybe but atmosphere counts for a lot
Honourable mention: Pick & Davy. Cracking little micro with excellent theming
Beer of the Day: Pentrich Monster Hospital at the Tap & Growler. Fantastic! Shame about the AI badge
Biggest surprise: The Hayloft. Nicer than I remembered and fiendishly cheap.
