Isle of Ales

This week's pub trip was notable for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it featured the first visit to the fair county of Cambridgeshire and secondly, it once again saw me travel to one of my former stomping grounds as I travelled to the city of Ely, where I resided for a year around 6 years ago. This was back in the dark days before I discovered real beer and so I must confess that I had not fully explored its pubs in the past. It was high time that this particular oversight was rectified.

Ely is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, 14 miles (23 km) north-northeast of Cambridge and about 80 miles (129 km) by road from London. Æthelthryth (also known as Etheldreda) founded an abbey at Ely in 673; the abbey was destroyed in 870 by Danish invaders and was rebuilt by Æthelwold, Bishop of Winchester, in 970. Construction of the cathedral was started in 1083 by a Norman abbot, Simeon. Alan of Walsingham's octagon, built over Ely's nave crossing between 1322 and 1328, is the "greatest individual achievement of architectural genius at Ely Cathedral", according to architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner. Building continued until the dissolution of the abbey in 1539 during the Reformation. The cathedral was sympathetically restored between 1845 and 1870 by the architect George Gilbert Scott. As the seat of a diocese, Ely has long been considered a city; in 1974, city status was granted by royal charter.
Ely is built on a 23-square-mile (60 km²) Kimmeridge Clay island which, at 85 feet (26 m), is the highest land in the fens. Major rivers including the Witham, Welland, Nene and Great Ouse feed into the fens and, until draining commenced in the 17th century, formed freshwater marshes and meres within which peat was laid down. There are two Sites of Special Scientific Interest in the city: a former Kimmeridge Clay quarry, and one of the United Kingdom's best remaining examples of medieval ridge and furrow agriculture.
The economy of the region is mainly agricultural. Before the fens were drained, the harvesting of osier (willow) and sedge (rush) and the extraction of peat were important activities, as were eel fishing—from which the settlement's name may have been derived—and wild fowling. The city had been the centre of local pottery production for more than 700 years, including pottery known as Babylon ware. A Roman road, Akeman Street, passes through the city; the southern end is at Ermine Street near Wimpole and its northern end is at Brancaster. Little direct evidence of Roman occupation in Ely exists, although there are nearby Roman settlements such as those at Little Thetford and Stretham. A coach route, known to have existed in 1753 between Ely and Cambridge, was improved in 1769 as a turnpike (toll road). The present day A10 closely follows this route; a southwestern bypass of the city was built in 1986. Ely railway station built in 1845 is on the Fen Line and is now a railway hub, with lines north to King's Lynn, northwest to Peterborough, east to Norwich, southeast to Ipswich and south to Cambridge and London.
The King's School is a coeducational boarding school which was granted a royal charter in 1541 by Henry VIII; the school claims to have existed since 970. Henry I granted the first annual Fair, Saint Audrey's (or Etheldreda's) seven-day event, to the abbot and convent on 10 October 1189; the word "tawdry" originates from cheap lace sold at this fair. Present day annual events include the Eel Festival in May, established in 2004, and a fireworks display in Ely Park, first staged in 1974. The city of Ely has been twinned with Denmark's oldest town, Ribe, since 1956. Ely City Football Club was formed in 1885.

Roswell Pits are a palaeontologically significant Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) one mile (1.6 km) northeast of the city. The Jurassic Kimmeridge Clays were quarried in the 19th and 20th centuries for the production of pottery and for maintenance of river embankments. Many specimens of ammonites, belemnites and bivalves were found during quarrying, in addition to an almost complete specimen of a pliosaur.
There is some scattered evidence of Late Mesolithic to Bronze Age activity in Ely such as Neolithic flint tools, a Bronze Age axe and spearhead. There is slightly denser Iron Age and Roman activity with some evidence of at least seasonal occupation. For example, a possible farmstead, of the late Iron Age to early Roman period, was discovered at West Fen Road and some Roman pottery was found close to the east end of the cathedral on The Paddock. There was a Roman settlement, including a tile kiln built over an earlier Iron Age settlement, in Little Thetford, three miles (5 km) to the south.

The origin and meaning of Ely's name have always been regarded as obscure by place-name scholars, and are still disputed. The earliest record of the name is in the Latin text of Bede's Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum, where Bede wrote Elge. This is apparently not a Latin name, and subsequent Latin texts nearly all used the forms Elia, Eli, or Heli with inorganic H-. In Old English charters, and in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, the spelling is usually Elig.
Skeat derived the name Ely from what he called "O[ld] Northumbrian" ēlġē, meaning "district of eels". This uses a hypothetical word *ġē, which is not recorded in isolation but thought by some to be related to the modern German word Gau, meaning "district". The theory is that the name then developed a vowel to become ēliġē, and was afterwards re-interpreted to mean "eel island". This essentially is the explanation accepted by Reaney Ekwall, Mills and Watts.
But difficulties remain. Bailey, in his discussion of ġē names, has pointed out that Ely would be anomalous if really from ēlġē "eel district", being remote from the areas where possible examples of ġē names occur, and moreover, there is no parallel for the use of a fish-name in compounds with ġē. More seriously, the usual English spelling remains Elig, even in the dative case used after many prepositions, where Elige would be expected if the second element were īġ "island". This is in
conflict with all the other island names which surround Ely.

The city's origins lay in the foundation of an abbey in 673, one mile (1.6 km) to the north of the village of Cratendune on the Isle of Ely, under the protection of Saint Etheldreda, daughter of King Anna. This first abbey was destroyed in 870 by Danish invaders and rededicated to Etheldreda in 970 by Ethelwold, Bishop of Winchester. The abbots of Ely then accumulated such wealth in the region that in the Domesday survey (1086) it was the "second richest monastery in England". The first Norman bishop, Simeon, started building the cathedral in 1083. The octagon was rebuilt by sacrist Alan of Walsingham between 1322 and 1328 after the collapse of the original nave crossing on 22 February 1322. Ely's octagon is considered "one of the wonders of the medieval world". Architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner believes the octagon "is a delight from beginning to end for anyone who feels for space as strongly as for construction" and is the "greatest individual achievement of architectural genius at Ely Cathedral".

Cherry Hill is the site of Ely Castle which is of Norman construction and is a United Kingdom scheduled monument. Of similar construction to Cambridge Castle, the 250-foot (76 m) diameter, 40 feet (12 m) high citadel-type motte and bailey is thought to be a royal defence built by William the Conqueror following submission of the Isle from rebels such as the Earl Morcar and the folk-hero Hereward the Wake. This would date the first building of the castle to c. 1070.
Following the accession of Mary I to the throne in 1553, the papacy made its first effective efforts to enforce the Pope Paul III-initiated Catholic reforms in England. During this time, which became known as the Marian Persecutions, two men from Wisbech, constable William Wolsey and painter Robert Pygot, "were accused of not … believing that the body and blood of Christ were present in the bread and wine of the sacrament of mass". For this Christian heresy they were condemned by the bishop's chancellor, John Fuller, on the 9 October 1555. On 16 October 1555 they were burnt at the stake "probably on the Palace Green in front of Ely Cathedral". In The Book of Ely published in 1990, Blakeman writes that "permission was not given" for a memorial to the martyrs to be placed on Palace Green. In 2011, a plaque recording this martyrdom event was erected on the northeast corner of Palace Green by the City of Ely Perspective.
Oliver Cromwell lived in Ely from 1636 to 1646 after inheriting a sixteenth-century property—now known as Oliver Cromwell's House—and the position of local tax collector from his mother's brother, Sir Thomas Steward. Cromwell was one of the governors of Thomas Parsons' Charity, which dates back to 1445 and was granted a Royal Charter by Charles I of England. The Charity still provides grants and housing to deserving local applicants.

There was a form of early workhouse in 1687, perhaps at St Mary's, which may have been part of an arrangement made between the Ely people and a Nicholas Wythers of Norwich in 1675. He was paid £30 per annum to employ the poor to "spin jersey" and was to pay them in money not goods. A purpose-built workhouse was erected in 1725 for 35 inmates on what is now St Mary's Court. Four other workhouses existed, including Holy Trinity on Fore Hill for 80 inmates (1738–1956) and the Ely Union workhouse, built in 1837, which housed up to 300 inmates. The latter became Tower Hospital in 1948 and is now a residential building, Tower Court. Two other former workhouses were the Haven Quayside for unmarried mothers and another on the site of what is now the Hereward Hall in Silver Street.
The diaries of writers and journalists such as William Camden, Celia Fiennes, Daniel Defoe, John Byng and William Cobbett illustrate the decline of Ely after the 14th century plague and the 16th century reformation which led to the dissolution of the monastery in 1539. In the 1607 edition of Britannia, chorographic surveyor William Camden records that "as for Ely it selfe, it is no small Citie, or greatly to be counted off either for beauty or frequency and resort, as having an unwholsome aire by reason of the fens round about". In 1698, Celia Fiennes was writing "the Bishop [Simon Patrick] does not Care to stay long in this place not being for his health … they have lost their Charter … and its a shame [the Bishop] does not see it better ordered and y^e buildings and streetes put in a better Condition. They are a slothful people and for little but y^e takeing Care of their Grounds and Cattle w^ch is of vast advantage". Daniel Defoe, when writing in the Eastern Counties section of A tour thro' the whole island of Great Britain (1722), went "to Ely, whose cathedral, standing in a level flat country, is seen far and wide … that some of it is so antient, totters so much with every gust of wind, looks so like a decay, and seems so near it, that when ever it does fall, all that 'tis likely will be thought strange in it, will be, that it did not fall a hundred years sooner". On his way to a Midlands tour, John Byng visited Ely on 5 July 1790 staying at the Lamb Inn. In his diary he writes that "the town [Ely] is mean, to the extreme … those withdrawn, their dependancies must decay". Recording in his Rural Rides on 25 March 1830, William Cobbett reports that "Ely is what one may call a miserable little town: very prettily situated, but poor and mean. Everything seems to be on the decline, as, indeed, is the case everywhere, where the clergy are the masters".
The Ely and Littleport riots occurred between 22 and 24 May 1816. At the Special Commission assizes, held at Ely between 17 and 22 June 1816, twenty-four rioters were condemned. Nineteen had their sentences variously commuted from penal transportation for life to twelve-months imprisonment; the remaining five were executed on 28 June 1816.

Ely Cathedral was "the first great cathedral to be thoroughly restored". Work commenced in 1845 and was completed nearly thirty years later; most of the work was "sympathetically" carried out by the architect George Gilbert Scott. The only pavement labyrinth to be found in an English cathedral was installed below the west tower in 1870.
For over 800 years the cathedral and its associated buildings—built on an elevation 68 feet (21 m) above the nearby fens—have visually influenced the city and its surrounding area. Geographer John Jones, writing in 1924, reports that "from the roof of King's Chapel in Cambridge, on a clear day, Ely [cathedral] can be seen on the horizon, 16 miles (26 km) distant, an expression of the flatness of the fens". In 1954, architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner wrote "as one approaches Ely on foot or on a bicycle, or perhaps in an open car, the cathedral dominates the picture for miles around … and offers from everywhere an outline different from that of any other English cathedral". Local historian Pamela Blakeman reports a claim that "Grouped around [the cathedral] … is the largest collection of mediaeval buildings still in daily use in this country".
As the seat of a diocese, Ely has long been considered a city: the caption to John Speed's 1610 plan of Ely reads "Although this Citie of Ely", and Aikin refers to Ely as a city in 1800. Ely, however, was not formally granted city status until 1 April 1974 by Queen Elizabeth II by letters patent. Ely's population of 20,256 (as recorded in 2011) classifies it as one of the smallest cities in England; although the population has increased noticeably since 1991 when it was recorded at 11,291.
Henry III of England granted a market to the Bishop of Ely using letters close on 9 April 1224 although Ely had been a trading centre prior to this. Present weekly market days are Thursday and Saturday and seasonal markets are held monthly on Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays from Easter to November. The city is situated on the River Great Ouse, which was a significant means of transport until the fens were drained and Ely ceased to be an island in the eighteenth century. The river is now a popular boating spot, and has a large marina.

The low-lying fens surrounding the island of Ely were formed, prior to the 17th century, by alternate fresh-water and sea-water incursions. Major rivers in the region, including the Witham, Welland, Nene and Great Ouse, drain an area of some 6,000 square miles (16,000 km²)—five times larger than the fens—into the basin that forms the fens. Defoe in 1774 described the fens as "the sink of no less than thirteen Counties". On 23 November of that year, Church of England cleric and Christian theologician John Wesley, wrote of his approach to Ely after visiting Norwich: "about eight, Wednesday, 23, Mr. Dancer met me with a chaise [carriage] and carried me to Ely. Oh, what want of common sense! Water covered the high road for a mile and a half. I asked, 'How must foot-people come to the town?' 'Why, they must wade through!'" Peat formed in the fresh-water swamps and meres whilst silts were deposited by the slow-moving sea-water. Francis Russell, Earl of Bedford, supported by Parliament, financed the draining of the fens during the 17th century, led by the Dutch engineer Cornelius Vermuyden; the fens continue to be drained to this day.

On what was a warm, but thoroughly unsettled, Wednesday afternoon I stepped off the train at Ely Station and my reacquaintance with this picturesque and hugely historical location began in earnest. With no time to waste, I headed to the first destination, a short walk from the station on the bank of the nearby river. My first stop was The Cutter Inn.

Situated next to the River Great Ouse, the pub overlooks a marina and boathouses. Its name comes from the cutting or diversion that brought the river closer to Ely. The outside area includes a narrow terrace with a handful of tables. Internally, there is a lounge bar to one side and a smart dining area to the other with a separate restaurant adjoining. The bar sits in the lounge area facing out towards the river and features 4 handpulls offering a choice between Theakston Hog's Head Bitter, Woodforde's Wherry, Doom Bar and Adnam's Ghost Ship. I decided to begin my day with the Ghost Ship, which proved to be an excellent choice as it was exactly as it should be and very refreshing after a train journey. I took a seat on a bench just inside the door to the bar, opposite a TV that occupies one corner wall. This was a suitably picturesque spot to begin the day's adventures and I can vouch for the quality of the view when the weather is less inclement. The weather plays its part in a strange story associated with the nearby river. On misty evenings, it is said that a group of spectral monks are seeing steering a barge down the river carrying the open coffin of a woman, whilst singing hymns. This is believed to be linked to the story of Saint Withburga, whose body was taken from her grave at East Dereham by monks acting on orders of the Abbot of Ely. Ely has a certain ghostly reputation, as will become clear later.

Back in the land of the living, it was time to venture and there was a short walk involved to get me to my next destination. Leaving the riverside, I ventured towards the city centre, eventually reaching Fore Hill, one of the roads that leads up towards the market place and cathedral. About halfway up this road on the left was my next destination: the Royal Standard.
 

Recently refurbished and now operated by Greene King, this is a large traditional pub with a split level dining area to the front and further seating throughout. Many of the traditional features have been kept, adding to an olde worlde ambience. The bar is accessed through a short corridor that comes out into the central drinking area and takes up a significant portion of one wall. The 4 handpulls on the bar offer a choice between Greene King IPA, Timothy Landlord, Isle of Ely Bitter and Oakham JHB. On this occasion, I decided on the Landlord and this was well kept with the familiar flavour and finish that has made it so popular, Being back in Ely, I was intrigued to see how the pubs had changed. Whereas The Cutter was relatively unchanged, the Royal Standard was significantly different to how I remembered it. My previous visits here had been to a pub that featured live sport and exposed timber beams, a thoroughly different interior to the pub I now sat in. The change appears to have benefited the pub though with a comfortable and pleasant feel to the building and the beer is good as well!

To reach my next location, I continued up Fore Hill and then turned right, crossing the market place, before walking through a small shopping precinct and crossing a car park behind a Waitrose. The next pub was accessed through a small alleyway where it sat on the other side of Newnham Street between a car park and a leisure centre. I had now arrived at The High Flyer.



The pub is named after a famous, undefeated thoroughbred racehorse from the 18th century which built a small fortune for its owners. It is alleged that the horse's spirit lingers on nearby as the sounds of thundering phantom hoofbeats have been heard in the vicinity on multiple occasions. The original pub has been extended to form a bar area, a large restaurant area and a separate function room for larger parties or private bookings. Memorabilia and breweriana, much of it dog themed, decorate the various areas and hotel accommodation is also available. This is another pub that has changed much since I was last here and the interior is quirky and comfortable with low seating opposite the J shaped bar and the restaurant to the rear. Operated by Inn Britain, a small local chain, the bar holds 3 handpulls which, at the time of my visit, provided Well's Eagle IPA, Bombardier Burning Gold and Courage Director's. The Burning Gold was my choice and it was delicious, smooth and fruity. It went down very well indeed.

The next few pubs benefited from being in close proximity to each other, in a smallish area in and around the city centre. The first of these is located in the main high street and goes by the name of The Hereward,

Formerly part of the Smith & Jones estate, this large sport-friendly pub is now operated by Stonegate. TV screens are on every wall, showing Sky Sports News whilst I'm there and the bar is large and runs almost the full length of one wall. There is a small seating area outside to the front and lots of seating throughout with some on a split level divided into booths. The beer choice comes from 6 handpulls proferring a variety of different things, in this case Fuller's London Pride, Wychwood Hobgoblin, St. Austell Tribute, Ghost Ship, Courage Best Bitter and Marston's 31 Deep. I'm always a big fan of Hobgoblin and so it didn't take me long to make my decision. The beer, when it arrived was as good as I've had with its malty bitterness and almost treacly undertones well represented. The weather had significantly worsened by this time and the rain was starting to really come down. Thankfully, my next stop wasn't far away.

Located directly opposite The Hereward, I now headed to the Townhouse.

This Grade II listed Georgian townhouse was converted to the Townhouse Pub by landlord Vince and Debbie in 1996. It is now a popular modern pub with a spacious conservatory, an enclosed garden and a separate pool and darts room just inside the entrance. There are 5 handpulls and the pub proudly displays its Cask Marque accreditation. The choice of beers here is known to vary often and on my visit I am faced with a decision between Wantsum 1381, Newby Wyke Summer Session Ale, Newby Wyke Kingston Topaz, Wantsum Dynamo and Abbot Ale. Wantsum isn't a brewery that I see much of in Nottingham so I decided on the Dynamo (4.3%). This is a crisp, light, golden ale, fruity and floral with an orange citrus twist. It's certainly a very heady and fruity concoction and I consumed in the light and airy conservatory, watching the rain come down. This is a very nice beer and a very popular and well run pub. If you're ever in the area, you can do a lot worse than to pop in!

I was hitting my stride now and thoroughly enjoying being back in Ely for a few hours. I continued my wanderings, heading just around the corner to where my next stop occupies a significant portion of space on Lynn Road. I was now at The Lamb.

Run by Greene King as part of their Olde English Inns brand, The Lamb stands 150 yards from Ely Cathedral. An inn has existed on the site since 1416 but the current hotel was built in 1828 as a popular stopping point for those travelling between London and East Anglia. The main entrance leads to a corridor that divides the drinking and dining area for visitors from the hotel proper. A small bar sits opposite this corridor and holds 2 handpulls. This is where I sit my first snag of the day as neither handpull was in use as both of the house beers had gone. A friendly barmaid offered me alternatives in the shape of a kegged version of Ruddles and bottles of Abbot Ale. I went for a bottle of Abbot in the end as this seemed the best option and meant I could still enjoy my surroundings at a table in the dining area. The walls in this area are decorated with photos of old Ely, adding to the age of the site.

Despite my slight disappointment at the lack of draught ale, I got the sense that this not a regular occasion as the beers were in the process of being replaced as I was leaving. I now headed over the road to a place that had been a particular favourite of mine when I lived here. In the shadow of the magnificent cathedral sits the Minster Tavern.
 

The building that is now the Minster Tavern is believed to have been standing since the 10th century when it was originally used by monks from the cathedral. It is now operated by Stonegate and has a quaint and homely feel to it. There is a plaque on a wall nearby in memory of 2 martyrs who were burned to death on the cathedral green in the reign of Mary I. The bar is J shaped and sits to the left of the room. 5 handpulls are present, 3 of which are in use at the time of my visit, with the options of Jennings Cumberland, Ghost Ship and Hobgoblin. Having had 2 of the 3 throughout the day so far, I went for the Cumberland, which was pleasant and well kept. I sat on a long table just inside the door, with my back to the mullioned windows and admired a nearby mural that talks about the ghosts that haunt the property. One of them is believed to be a monk who is heard banging around on the upper floor most nights of the week and is known for the disappearance of pints of bitter from the cellar at 4am. There is also a strange story regarding the outline of human figure that appears on the wall in one part of the cellar. No matter how often this is painted over, it always eventually reappears. Strange things are afoot here indeed!

I found it hard to leave the Minster as it is a place that I always enjoyed visiting. Needs must though and I mustered the strength to tear myself away and push on. I retraced my steps and turned left in front of the Lamb onto St. Mary's Street. My next location was on the right at The King's Arms.


This popular live music venue has 2 bar areas served by a central bar with separate doorways leading to both. There is a large TV in one area and seating is in the form of low tables scattered around both sides. The bar hosts 4 handpulls, 3 of which were in use on the day, with a choice of Doom Bar, Sharp's Atlantic and Milton Medusa. The latter of these was my choice as it was a beer with which I was unfamiliar. This special edition beer is a strong mild with an ABV of 4.6%. Cocoa, vanilla and fruitcake aromas are backed by a satisfying yet subtle bitterness. I'm not normally one for milds but this was certainly very drinkable and almost did enough to detract from the fact that Donald Trump was on TV.

I finished my beer and left before politics made me angry, wisely deciding to head to the next pub which required a short walk and a left turn into Silver Street. Located approximately halfway down this road is the first of 2 Good Beer Guide listed pubs on this trip, namely the Prince Albert.

This is a small, yet perfectly formed pub located near to the Cathedral car park. It was formerly the Officers' Mess for the local militia and has recently been refurbished to create a separate restaurant area for fine dining. There is no music and no games machines, providing a relaxing atmosphere with emphasis on old fashioned chit-chat. There is a walled garden to the rear. The small bar sits opposite the entrance and features an impressive 10 handpulls, 9 of which are in use during my visit. The choice of beers is interesting, with Abbot Ale, Greene King IPA, Greene King XX Mild, Castle Rock Harvest Pale, Black Sheep Best Bitter, Milton Sparta, Three Blind Mice Milk Worm, Robinson's Trooper and Old Rosie cider. With the last Milton beer going down so well, I chose the Sparta this time. At 4.3% this is a yellow/gold best bitter with floral hops, kiwi fruit and balancing malt softness which fades to leave a long, dry finish. The feel of this place reflects its prior use and it's easy to picture militia officers gathering here for their meals. This connection is extended by a connection to an alleged haunting that takes place on the street outside. On warm, sunny afternoons, the figure of a man in military uniform, resplendent with medals, has been seen walking silently towards the Cathedral car park, whereupon he disappears. Who this man is subject to debate but the story is an interesting one.

Continuing down Silver Street leads to the penultimate destination of the day's activities, which is opposite the Porta Gate of the Cathedral grounds. My travels had now brought me to The Fountain.


This attractive street-corner pub occupies a Grade II listed building opposite the monastic gatehouse. The interior is brimming with character, featuring an eclectic mix of furnishings, local historical photographs and paintings. The large and welcoming fireplace houses a log fire in winter. The large bar has 2 banks of handpulls, 8 in total with 6 in use during my trip. These are doubled up on Ghost Ship, Adnams Southwold Bitter and Landlord. It seemed a good idea at this stage to return to Ghost Ship and I enjoyed this at the bar whilst eavesdropping on the most middle class conversation ever as a girl explained how returning to the UK from LA was like being in a 3rd world country and the 'inhumanity' of learning to drive in a Lexus 4x4.

Returning to the real world, I had one destination left, delayed until last because of its opening times, and it was one that I was very much looking forward. Returning to Fore Hill, I located the building I was seeking, opposite the Royal Standard. My day would close at the Drayman's Son.

Formerly known as the Liberty Belle, this is a small and very welcoming micropub situated in former shop premises. The theme is nostalgic with old railway signs, posters and musical scores throughout. The pub is Good Beer Guide listed. Ales are sourced both locally and from further afield and served direct from the barrel in a temperature controlled back room behind a small till counter. The pub is very busy when I arrive with a small buffet set up for some kind of celebration, a few children running about and 2 very well-behaved Staffies under a nearby table. The beer choice numbers 10 from a variety of different sources. The beers on offer ran as follows: Elephant School Porter in a Storm, Fossil Fuel Amber, Three Blind Mice Drayman's Best, Baker's Dozen Electric Landlady, Black Pig Oatmeal Stout, Wolf Battle of Britain, Blindmans Mine Beer, Milk Street Funky Monkey, Bexar County American Pale Ale, Colchester Trinovantes Gold and Brandon Old Rodney. Amongst such an intriguing choice, the name alone drew me to Electric Landlady. Brewed by Rutland-based Baker's Dozen, Electric Landlady is a big hitting golden ale, brewed with Mosaic hops, giving a big hop flavour and a citrus kick in a package of 5% ABV. I managed to find a table to sit at on the lower half of the split level interior as I enjoyed this delicious beer and reflected upon the day I had had.

Ely has been excellent. It's pubs are numerous, welcoming and, in some cases, very old and quaint. The beers have been a combination of old favourites and new things and it's safe to say that the real ale scene is in very good shape. I wasn't sure what to expect from a place that I never really explored when I lived here but this second opportunity to immerse myself in the pubs and inns of this historic place has been much welcomed. In the wide expanses of the fens, sits an island. And that island is brimming with wonderful beer, good people, great pubs and excellent stories.

Just Say Ches!

Last week, I once again took advantage of the local rail network and headed north, this time for a slightly shorter journey than my previous trip to Sheffield. My destination on this occasion was 2 stops closer down the line in the neighbouring county of Derbyshire as I sought out the offerings of the town of Chesterfield.

Chesterfield is a market town and a borough in Derbyshire. It lies 24 miles (39 km) north of Derby and 11 miles (18 km) south of Sheffield, at the confluence of the rivers Rother and Hipper. The borough – which includes the settlements of Whittington, Brimington and Staveley – had a population of 103,800 in 2011. Chesterfield is the second largest town in the ceremonial county of Derbyshire, after the city of Derby.
Archaeological examination of the town has traced its beginnings to the 1st century AD and the construction of a Roman fort, which became redundant and was abandoned once peace was achieved. Later an Anglo-Saxon village grew up on the site. The name Chesterfield derives from the Anglo-Saxon words caester (a Roman fort) and feld (grazing land).
Chesterfield received its market charter in 1204. It still has a moderately sized market of about 250 stalls held three days a week. The town sits on a large coalfield, which formed a major part of the area's economy until the 1980s. Little visual evidence of the mining remains today.
The town's best known landmark is the Church of St Mary and All Saints, popularly known for its "crooked spire", which was originally constructed in the 14th century.
Chesterfield was in the Hundred of Scarsdale. The town received its market charter in 1204 from King John. The charter constituted the town as a free borough, granting the burgesses of Chesterfield the same privileges as those of Nottingham and Derby. In 1266, it was the site of the Battle of Chesterfield, in which a band of rebel barons were defeated by a royalist army.
Elizabeth I granted a charter of incorporation in 1594 (or 1598), creating a corporation consisting of a mayor, six aldermen, six brethren, and twelve capital burgesses. This remained the governing charter until the borough was reformed under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835. The borough originally consisted only of the township of Chesterfield, but it was extended in 1892 to parts of some surrounding townships. In 1920 there was a major extension when the borough absorbed New Whittington and Newbold urban district. Chesterfield's current boundaries date from 1 April 1974, when under the Local Government Act 1972, the Borough of Chesterfield was formed by an amalgamation of the municipal borough with the urban district of Staveley and with the parish of Brimington from Chesterfield Rural District.

Chesterfield benefited greatly from the building of the Chesterfield Line – part of the Derby to Leeds railway (North Midland Line), which was begun in 1837 by George Stephenson. During the work, a sizeable seam of coal was discovered during the construction of the Clay Cross Tunnel. This and the local ironstone were promptly exploited by Stephenson, who set up a company in Clay Cross to trade in the minerals.
During his time in Chesterfield, Stephenson lived at Tapton House, and remained there until his death in 1848. He is interred in Trinity Church. In 2006, a statue of Stephenson was erected outside Chesterfield railway station.
Chesterfield is located on the confluence and valleys of the River Rother and River Hipper at the Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Yorkshire Coalfield. The town also lies in the eastern foothills of the Pennines, and is also known as a gateway to the Peak District National Park or "The Gateway to the Peak" lying to the west of the town.

Chesterfield is perhaps best known for the "crooked spire" of its Church of Saint Mary and All Saints and is why the local football team is known as The Spireites.
The spire is both twisted and leaning, twisting 45 degrees and leaning 9 feet 6 inches (2.90 m) from its true centre. Folklore recounts that a Bolsover blacksmith mis-shod the Devil, who leapt over the spire in pain, knocking it out of shape. In reality the leaning characteristic has been attributed to various causes, including the absence of skilled craftsmen (the Black Death having been gone only twelve years prior to the spire's completion), the use of unseasoned timber, and insufficient cross-bracing. According to the curators of Chesterfield Museum, it is now believed that the bend began when the original wooden roof tiles were replaced by heavier slate and lead. The bend in the spire (the twist being deliberate) follows the direction of the sun and has been caused by heat expansion and a weight it was never designed for. There is also no record of a bend until after the slate change. The tower which the spire sits upon contains 10 bells. These bells were cast in 1947 by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London, replacing a previous ring. The heaviest weighs 25 long hundredweight (2,800 lb; 1,300 kg).

I was excited about this trip, particularly as I'd never been to Chesterfield and so would be discovering the town as I discovered the pubs and beers. I arrived just before midday and made my way into the town, using the aforementioned spire as a means to get my bearings. Luckily, being able to locate this imposing structure made my first pub for the day easy to find, as it sits opposite. My day began at the White Swan.

The first of 4 Good Beer Guide listed pubs on the trip, this is a contemporary twist on a traditional pub, affectionately known by locals as the 'Mucky Duck'. The interior is spacious and comprises a single room, divided into drinking and dining sections through the use of a partition wall. The décor is modern and bright with the bar along the back wall. The emphasis is on local breweries and the pub is the tied house for local Raw Brewing Company. There is also an upstairs function room that is available to hire. As well as the 12 handpulls, the bar offers a wide choice of bottled and international beers, ciders, perries and wines. The ale choice is varied and mostly local. Available on my visit were Raw Mucky Duck, Dark Star Espresso, Hartington Bitter, North Yorkshire Summer Ale, Kelham Island Pale Rider, Ashover Zoo, Raw Anubis Porter, Abbeydale Deception, Stockport Cascade, Magpie Thieving Rogue, Abbot Ale and Barlow Betty's Blonde. Regular readers will be aware of my appreciation for Abbeydale beers so Deception was my choice here and very good it was too! I took a seat at a high table facing the bar and enjoyed my first beer of the day as I had a quick perusal of Google Maps to determine the best route to my next couple of locations.

My next stop was not very far away at all, located as it is around the corner on the other side of the church. Another GBG entrant, this was the Rutland Arms.

Located, quite literally, in the shadow of the church with the graveyard next door, this popular pub is operated by Pub People and has the appearance of 2 buildings joined together with a partially castellated roof line. Inside, there are 2 rooms, divided by steps and the overall décor is one of traditional wood with low seating and tables throughout and a snug-like area to the right of the door. The bar sits almost opposite the main entrance in a corner of the first room and features 9 handpulls, 8 of which are in use whilst I'm there. On offer on the day were Old Rosie cider alongside Thornbridge Jaipur, Oakham Citra, Dark Star Hophead, True North Pale Ale, Stockport Crown Best, Hilltop American Pale and North Yorkshire Yorkshire Porter. I opted for the American Pale from Conisbrough based Hilltop brewery. At 4.5%, this is an incredibly easy drinking golden beer, with a creamy head and a nice bitter flavour that combats the big hit of American hops. I sat at a long table directly facing the bar and admired my surroundings. The day was only 2 pubs old and it was shaping up very nicely indeed.

It was another short walk to pub number 3 as I merely had to leave the Rutland and turn left to find it at the end of the road. Next up, The Burlington.

This large pub sits near the main shopping district and has recently been refurbished by owners Stonegate following a prior spell as a branch of Yates'. It has since been rebranded and boasts a large interior with a bar down one side towards the back of the room with lots of seating throughout. On the bar can be found 6 handpulls with 5 of them in use during my visit. The selection isn't too bad, offering Thwaites Wainwright, Wychwood Hobgoblin, Old Speckled Hen, Timothy Taylor Landlord and Adnams Ghost Ship. I hadn't had Ghost Ship on draught for a while so this was my natural choice and it was a good one, tasting just as it should. It was quite busy here, even given the time of day and I've no doubt this is helped by the location and the fact that the kids were still off school at this point. It definitely seems to have benefited from its change of appearance.

There was a slight change of plan with regards to my next stop. My original plan was to visit the Spread Eagle, a short walk away at the end of a nearby street. Upon entering though, the 3 handpulls were barren so I quickly made my way to the next place on the list. Somewhat off the beaten track and tucked into an old street known as The Shambles, my travels now brought me to the Royal Oak.

This Grade II listed building is the oldest pub in Chesterfield and believed to be one of the oldest in Derbyshire, with one of the earliest references being in a conveyance report from 1772, though a previous incarnation existed as part of a cattle market in the 12th century. The building has two entrances, both leading to a central bar which serves both sides. Unusually, there is no internal connection between the 2 sides and this is due to them previously being separate buildings with the top bar having at one time been a butchers. The pub was renovated into its current form in 1897 after being purchased by Stones' Brewery. The top bar and windows are largely untouched from that time. There is an extensive cellar below the bar floor with the butchers slab still extant, as well as a trapdoor that allegedly leads to one of Chesterfield's many underground passages. The building is also allegedly one of the most haunted in the area with the phantom of a murdered coachman believed to stalk the site. It's into the bottom bar that I wander. The bar area itself is quite small with the bar central to the wall and toilets in one corner. Beer-wise, this side offers 4 handpulls with a choice between Moorhouse's Spring Watch, Young's Special, Young's Double Chocolate Stout and Faversham Steam Whitstable Red IPA. The Whitstable Red has recently gone down rather well at work so I decided to give it a go myself and wasn't disappointed. This is an auburn coloured 4.5% beer with citrus and pine notes on the nose and a hint of sweet malt. The taste is of rich toffee and fruits and it goes down very well indeed. This is a lovely little pub and it's unusual layout makes it unique. It's definitely worth a visit if you're passing by!

My next destination took me across the market place as I headed for the customary local Wetherspoons, although this one was a bit more unusual than most as it is one of the hotels in the chain. This was the Portland Hotel.

Named after the Earl of Portland, whose estate used to include the land on which the hotel stands, this started life as a traditional railway hotel, serving passengers from a now non-existent line that used to run nearby. The interior décor is as you'd expect from a Spoons with its casual seating, a number of smaller areas off of the main room and photos of historic Chesterfield adorning the walls. The bar is long and takes the majority of the rear wall. All 10 of its handpulls are in use, offering an interesting choice of beers including the usual Spoons suspects, namely Doom Bar, Ruddles, Abbot Ale, Old Rosie, Black Dragon, Kelham Island Pale Rider, Little Critters Blonde Bear, Oakham Citra, Bradfield Farmers Brown and Derventio Eagle Porter. I'd never heard of Little Critters before so, in the name of further study, I decided on a pint of Blonde Bear. Little Critters are a Sheffield based small batch brewery that brew beers themed after animals. The Blonde Bear is their equivalent of a session ale and it's easy to see why. At 4.2%, it has a bready, slightly malty character that pays complement to the hoppy undertones. It's light body makes it drinkable, moreish and satisfying with hints of tropical fruit and earthy bitterness. It was a very enjoyable beer and I'll definitely be looking out for more of their brews in future.

There was another change of plan in the offing with my intention initially to now visit the Sun Inn, which sits virtually opposite. Again I was to be disappointed a none of the trio of hand pumps were in use, which was a mite disappointing in a pub that I'd previously heard good things about and has a reputation for being haunted following an incident in 1957 when bottles were smashed and barrels moved around by unseen hands in an otherwise locked cellar. A ghostly coachman who met his end in a nearby well in the eighteenth century has been blamed for this and continuing activity, including that of footsteps that are frequently heard around the building. Still, with no reason to stay in this pub, I quickly moved on. Just down the road from here was my next stop, a cosy little micropub called the Chesterfield Alehouse.

Chesterfield's first micropub opened in 2013 in a former furniture shop and is now a split-level bar with a seating area leading up to the serving area via a short flight of steps. In addition to regularly rotating beers, it has a reputation for bottled world beers, ciders and wines. A stout or porter is always available, something that has no doubt helped the pub's inclusion in the Good Beer Guide. It also won Town Centre Pub of the Year for 2015. The 6 handpulls offer a variety of local brews, specifically North Yorkshire Temptation, Great Heck Snazzy Beer, Great Heck Styrian IPA, Wantsum Black Prince, Pigeon Fishers Cuban Espresso and Pentrich Black Ale. I decided that I would try a pint of Snazzy Beer from Great Heck, based in the Yorkshire village of the same name. This is a very hoppy golden beer brewed with Chinook, Columbus and Topaz and then dry hopped with Nelson Sauvin. This provides a very bold hop character with plenty of fruitiness and a resiny quality. It's certainly a delicious brew and the temptation to stay for another is strong but I manage to force myself to move on.

I retraced my steps slightly now, heading back to the market place where I found the aptly named, and GBG listed, Market Pub.


This is a popular and friendly pub located on the market place. Inside, is a large L-shaped room with dark wood fittings, a flagstone floor and central bar. It's popularity and quirkiness are reflected in it securing the title of Town Centre Pub of the Year for 2011 and the fact that the staff are dressed as Star Wars characters and preparing to show A New Hope on what I'm fairly sure is the 40th anniversary of its release date. On the bar are 9 handpulls with a good mix of products, namely Abbot Ale, Daleside G&P, Blue Monkey BG Sips, Brunswick Black Sabbath, Acorn Azacca IPA, Castle Rock Harvest Pale, Kelham Island Easy Rider, Timothy Taylor Landlord and Rosie's Pig cider. I opted for the Azzaca IPA, from Wombwell based Acorn brewery. With an ABV of 5%, this part of the brewery's recent series of US hopped IPAs. This is a rich, golden beer with an intense tropical aroma and hints of citrus and mango. It's somewhat of a fruit explosion and very refreshing. It would have been easy to stay in this friendly and welcoming pub for longer and watch Star Wars for the rest of the afternoon but there was work still to be done so on I pushed.

The next pub was just behind the Market Pub in a neighbouring street. The penultimate stop of this adventure was the Barley Mow.

This is a traditional wood panelled pub located just on the edge of the town centre. The interior features lots of seating areas arranged around a bar that sits opposite the entrance. It's nice to see that all 3 of its handpulls are being utilised and all feature something different, with the choices between Bradfield Blonde, Black Sheep Best and Doom Bar. I swung for the Doom Bar on this occasion and this was as good as it should be. I took a seat under a window, facing across the bar as I psyched myself up for the final push before home.

The final stop took me almost back to where I'd begun, in the shadow of the crooked spire, and to a pub called The Rectory.

Formerly known as The Crooked Spire, this pub has not long reopened following an extensive refurbishment that has turned it into a modern gastropub with an emphasis on excellent food and great beer. As well as a strong real ale selection, craft keg beers are also available. The ales in question occupy 8 handpulls with the options during my visit being Ringwood Boondoggle, Thwaites Lancaster Bomber, Dancing Duck Ay Up!, Dancing Duck Dark Drake, Marston's Pedigree, Rectory Clericale and Thundering Molly and Lilley's Mango Cider for those of an appley inclination. With a few moments of pondering I was happy in my choice of Lancaster Bomber which was very nice indeed and certainly went down swiftly.

And that was that! My day in Chesterfield was complete! And what a day it had been. There had been a wide range of beers across an interesting variety of pubs. Give or take one or two disappointments (Spread Eagle, Sun Inn), my choices of pubs had thrown up a good cross section of what can be had in Derbyshire's second town. I went into the trip not knowing what to expect but came away pleased with what I had discovered and, more than that, also identified a number of drinking dens worthy of a visit for next time that just missed out on this occasion. The future of ale in North Derbyshire is certainly in safe hands.

Shef's Special

For my latest wanderings, I finally made the time to return to a place that I hadn't visited for 7 years, since I did my postgraduate study there. This was back in the dark days when I was a lager drinker and, as a result, I'd never really explored the large number of pubs on offer in a city that I will always remember fondly. I speak of England's 3rd most populated later city, the Steel City. This is the tale of a trip to Sheffield.

Sheffield  is a city and metropolitan borough in South Yorkshire. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. With some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely industrial roots to encompass a wider economic base. The population of the City of Sheffield is 569,700 (mid-2015 est.) and it is one of the eight largest regional English cities that make up the Core Cities Group. Sheffield is the third largest English district by population. The metropolitan population of Sheffield is 1,569,000.
In the 19th century, Sheffield gained an international reputation for steel production. Known as the Steel City, many innovations were developed locally, including crucible and stainless steel, fuelling an almost tenfold increase in the population in the Industrial Revolution. Sheffield received its municipal charter in 1843, becoming the City of Sheffield in 1893. International competition in iron and steel caused a decline in these industries in the 1970s and 1980s, coinciding with the collapse of coal mining in the area.
The 21st century has seen extensive redevelopment in Sheffield along with other British cities. Sheffield's gross value added (GVA) has increased by 60% since 1997, standing at £9.2 billion in 2007. The economy has experienced steady growth averaging around 5% annually, greater than that of the broader region of Yorkshire and the Humber.
The city is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines, and the valleys of the River Don and its four tributaries, the Loxley, the Porter Brook, the Rivelin and the Sheaf. 61% of Sheffield's entire area is green space, and a third of the city lies within the Peak District national park. There are more than 250 parks, woodlands and gardens in the city, with an often quoted estimated 2 million trees, and claims of Sheffield having the highest ratio of trees to people of any city in Europe.
The city has a long sporting heritage, and is home to the world's oldest football club, Sheffield F.C. Games between the two professional clubs, Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday, are known as the Steel City derby.

The area now occupied by the City of Sheffield is believed to have been inhabited since at least the late Upper Palaeolithic period, about 12,800 years ago. The earliest evidence of human occupation in the Sheffield area was found at Creswell Crags to the east of the city. In the Iron Age the area became the southernmost territory of the Pennine tribe called the Brigantes. It is this tribe who are thought to have constructed several hill forts in and around Sheffield.
Following the departure of the Romans, the Sheffield area may have been the southern part of the Celtic kingdom of Elmet, with the rivers Sheaf and Don forming part of the boundary between this kingdom and the kingdom of Mercia. Gradually, Anglian settlers pushed west from the kingdom of Deira. A Celtic presence within the Sheffield area is evidenced by two settlements called Wales and Waleswood close to Sheffield. The settlements that grew and merged to form Sheffield, however, date from the second half of the first millennium, and are of Anglo-Saxon and Danish origin. In Anglo-Saxon times, the Sheffield area straddled the border between the kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle reports that King Eanred of Northumbria submitted to King Egbert of Wessex at the hamlet of Dore (now a suburb of Sheffield) in 829, a key event in the unification of the kingdom of England under the House of Wessex. After the Norman conquest, Sheffield Castle was built to protect the local settlements, and a small town developed that is the nucleus of the modern city.
By 1296, a market had been established at what is now known as Castle Square, and Sheffield subsequently grew into a small market town. In the 14th century, Sheffield was already noted for the production of knives, as mentioned in Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, and by the early 1600s it had become the main centre of cutlery manufacture in England outside London, overseen by the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire. From 1570 to 1584, Mary, Queen of Scots, was imprisoned in Sheffield Castle and Sheffield Manor.

During the 1740s, a form of the crucible steel process was discovered that allowed the manufacture of a better quality of steel than had previously been possible. In about the same period, a technique was developed for fusing a thin sheet of silver onto a copper ingot to produce silver plating, which became widely known as Sheffield plate. These innovations spurred Sheffield's growth as an industrial town, but the loss of some important export markets led to a recession in the late 18th and early 19th century. The resulting poor conditions culminated in a cholera epidemic that killed 402 people in 1832. The population of the town grew rapidly throughout the 19th century; increasing from 60,095 in 1801 to 451,195 by 1901. The town was incorporated as a borough in 1842 and was granted a city charter in 1893. The influx of people also led to demand for better water supplies, and a number of new reservoirs were constructed on the outskirts of the town.
The collapse of the dam wall of one of these reservoirs in 1864 resulted in the Great Sheffield Flood, which killed 270 people and devastated large parts of the town. The growing population led to the construction of many back-to-back dwellings that, along with severe pollution from the factories, inspired George Orwell in 1937 to write: "Sheffield, I suppose, could justly claim to be called the ugliest town in the Old World".
A recession in the 1930s was halted by increasing international tensions as the Second World War loomed; Sheffield's steel factories were set to work manufacturing weapons and ammunition for the war effort. As a result, the city became a target for bombing raids, the heaviest of which occurred on the nights of 12 and 15 December 1940, now known as the Sheffield Blitz. More than 660 lives were lost and many buildings destroyed.

In the 1950s and 1960s, many of the city's slums were demolished, and replaced with housing schemes such as the Park Hill flats. Large parts of the city centre were also cleared to make way for a new system of roads. Increased automation and competition from abroad resulted in the closure of many steel mills. The 1980s saw the worst of this run-down of Sheffield's industries, along with those of many other areas of the UK. The building of the Meadowhall Centre on the site of a former steelworks in 1990 was a mixed blessing, creating much needed jobs but hastening the decline of the city centre. Attempts to regenerate the city were kick-started when the city hosted the 1991 World Student Games, which saw the construction of new sporting facilities such as the Sheffield Arena, Don Valley Stadium and the Ponds Forge complex.
Sheffield is changing rapidly as new projects regenerate some of the more run-down parts of the city. One such, the Heart of the City Project, has initiated a number of public works in the city centre: the Peace Gardens were renovated in 1998, the Millennium Galleries opened in April 2001, the Winter Gardens were opened in May 2003, and a public space to link these two areas, the Millennium Square, was opened in May 2006. Additional developments included the remodelling of Sheaf Square, in front of the recently refurbished railway station. The new square contains "The Cutting Edge", a sculpture designed by Si Applied Ltd and made from Sheffield steel.
Sheffield was particularly hard-hit during the 2007 United Kingdom floods and the 2010 Big Freeze. Many landmark buildings such as Meadowhall and the Sheffield Wednesday grounds flooded due to being close to nearby rivers that flow through the city.

Sheffield is located at

 WikiMiniAtlas

53°23′N 1°28′W / 53.383°N 1.467°W / 53.383; -1.467. It lies directly beside Rotherham, from which it is separated largely by the M1 motorway. Although Barnsley Metropolitan Borough also borders Sheffield to the north, the town itself is a few miles further away. The southern and western borders of the city are shared with Derbyshire; in the first half of the 20th century Sheffield extended its borders south into Derbyshire, annexing a number of villages, including Totley, Dore and the area now known as Mosborough Townships. Directly to the west of the city are the Peak District National Park and the Pennine hill range, while the lowlands of the South Yorkshire Coalfield lie to the east.

Sheffield is a geographically diverse city. The city nestles in a natural amphitheatre created by several hills forming the eastern foothills of the Pennines, and the confluence of five rivers: Don, Sheaf, Rivelin, Loxley and Porter. As such, much of the city is built on hillsides with views into the city centre or out to the countryside. Blake Street, in the S6 postcode area is the third steepest residential street in England, with a gradient of 16.6°. The city's lowest point is just 29 metres (95 ft) above sea level near Blackburn Meadows, while some parts of the city are at over 500 metres (1,640 ft); the highest point being 548 metres (1,798 ft) at High Stones, near Margery Hill. However, 79% of the housing in the city is between 100 and 200 metres (330 and 660 ft) above sea level.
Estimated to contain over two million trees, Sheffield has more trees per person than any other city in Europe, and according to Sheffield City Council, it is England's greenest city, a claim that was reinforced when it won the 2005 Entente Florale competition. It has over 170 woodlands (covering 10.91 sq mi or 28.3 km²), 78 public parks (covering 7.07 sq mi or 18.3 km²) and 10 public gardens. Added to the 52.0 square miles (134.7 km²) of national park and 4.20 square miles (10.9 km²) of water this means that 61% of the city is greenspace. Despite this, about 64% of Sheffield householders live further than 300 metres (328 yd) from their nearest greenspace, although access is better in less affluent neighbourhoods across the city. Since 2012 there have been disputes between the city council and residents over the fate of the city's 36,000 highway trees, with 2000 having been felled by October 2015 as part of the £2 billion Streets Ahead road improvement scheme.
Sheffield also has a very wide variety of habitat, comparing favourably with any city in the United Kingdom: urban, parkland and woodland, agricultural and arable land, moors, meadows and freshwater-based habitats. There are six areas within the city that are designated as sites of special scientific interest.
The present city boundaries were set in 1974 (with slight modification in 1994), when the former county borough of Sheffield merged with Stocksbridge Urban District and two parishes from the Wortley Rural District. This area includes a significant part of the countryside surrounding the main urban region. Roughly a third of Sheffield lies in the Peak District National Park. No other English city included parts of a national park within its boundary, until the creation in March 2010 of the South Downs National Park, part of which lies within Brighton and Hove.

My journey began on a dry but chilly Wednesday as I boarded a train at Nottingham station and arrived in the Steel City within the hour. I didn't even have to leave the station to get to the first destination on the day's itinerary. Conveniently located at Platform 1B of Sheffield station is the Sheffield Tap.

Opened in 2009, the pub is located in what was once the first class refreshment room, originally built in 1904. After years of neglect, the main bar area has been the subject of an award-winning restoration, retaining many original features and featuring in CAMRA's National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors. Further seating has been provided in the entrance corridor and to the right of the bar. There is now an on-site brewery, Tapped, which opened in 2013 in the impressive former dining room and visible through a glass screen. The bar also boasts a selection of over 200 bottled beers. I entered the pub, full of excitement and anticipation for the day ahead. The 11 handpulls that greeted, provided me with an interesting choice to begin the day offering a number of interesting beers, namely Thornbridge Jaipur, Wild Beer Co. Fresh, Thornbridge Galaxia, Kirkstall Black Band Porter, Hawkshead 5 Hop, Bristol Beer Co. Enigma, Tapped IPA, Tapped Pegler, Tapped Porter, Harbour Red & White and Thistly Cross Original Cider. Having never tried beers from Tapped, and being on their home turf, I decided to give the Pegler a go. I was not to be disappointed. At 4.4%, this is a very drinkable pale ale with strong hop notes and a delightful citrus kick. The finish is smooth, dry and refreshing and makes this an excellent beer to begin the day with.

Moving away from the station, I continued on my journey, heading up the main A61 road towards the Ponds Forge centre. Shortly before reaching this, I crossed the road and turned left onto Pond Hill where my next destination sat amongst construction work. I had arrived at the Old Queen's Head.

This fantastic-looking pub occupies the oldest domestic building in Sheffield. Originally the hunting lodge for Sheffield castle, it is believed to date from 1475, although the oldest written record of it is in an inventory compiled in 1582 of the estate of George Talbot, the 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, that included the furnishings of this building then called 'the hawle at the Poandes'. As part of the earl's estate, it was used as a banqueting hall for parties hunting wildfowl in the nearby ponds. These ponds are now gone but commemorated in local names such as Pond Street, Pond Hill and Ponds Forge. The building was being used as a residence by the beginning of the 19th century. In 1840, a pub called the Old Queen's Head (believed to be named after Mary, Queen of Scots) was opened in the building next door and, sometime after 1862, the pub expanded into this building. Given Grade II* listed status in 1952, the pub was refurbished in 1993 as part of the Tom Cobleigh chain but is now served by Thwaites brewery. This atmospheric little pub has a comfortable feel to it and the interior layout retains original features in the older half and more modern features in the newer part. There is a U shaped lounge around a central bar and this adjoins a beamed dining room with an upstairs function room for hire. The bar itself has 6 handpulls, 5 of which are in use, with the majority offering beers from the Thwaites stable, namely Lancaster Bomber, Wainwright, Original and Nutty Black. There is also Salvation from Abbeydale available but it is much, much too early in the day for a rice pudding stout and so I opted for the Lancaster Bomber, which was in excellent condition. I took a seat a one of the tables facing the bar, close to the boundary between the 2 areas, and soaked up the atmosphere of this little place. Perhaps unsurprisingly for the oldest building in Sheffield, there are many ghostly tales associated with the Old Queens Head. It's believed in some quarters to be one of the most haunted pubs in England and has been investigated numerous times by local ghost groups. One particular strange piece of phenomena is that of activity reported in the ladies toilet. Someone has been heard in the cubicles by witnesses who have known they are on their own. The same presence tries to unlock cubicles and has also been known to unroll toilet paper onto the floor. Another spirit is believed to sit at a table in the snug. A pint of beer would often appear at the end of the night, leading the landlord to accuse his staff of failing to clean up properly. The staff furiously denied this and when the pint continued to appear night after night, the landlord tasted it and determined that it wasn't a beer he sold. One night, he decided to leave the pint instead of throwing it away. The following morning, the pint had been drunk. He decided to film the area with CCTV but the phantom pint has not appeared since. One spirit, believed to be one of the Civil War soldiers who helped to take the castle on the orders of Cromwell, has been seen sitting by the old stone fireplace, still clutching a jug of beer. There is also an alleged haunted cabinet on the property. This was removed from an upstairs room and relocated to a downstairs area. On more than one occasion, this was seen to have somehow moved itself away from the wall and to the bottom of the stairs that lead to the room from which it was removed. A former staff member actually reported the cabinet lurching towards her whilst she was in the cellar, causing her to flee in fright.

With thoughts of ghosts and beer fresh in mind, I left this pub and made my next move, this time to the north of the city centre, following the route of the main trunk road through the city to the area known as Kelham Island. My next few locations were in relatively close proximity to each other and the first of these was Shakespeare's Ale & Cider House.

After an 18 month period of closure, this former Georgian coaching inn reopened as a pub on July 20th 2011. Having been closed by Punch Taverns in 2010, it was rescued by real ale and music fan William Wagstaff of the New Beehive Inn in Bradford, extensively refurbished and returned to its former glory. In the first 6 months following the reopening, the pub had served over 300 different ales from near and far, always featuring locale from Sheffield's excellent breweries and others from further afield. The interior layout is simple with a central lounge bar with seating to both sides and two separate rooms opposite. The toilets are through a small doorway towards the rear garden which retains the original cobbles from its previous life as a coaching inn. The toilets also feature a Periodic Table of Beers on the wall which warranted a photo in itself. Back on the bar, 8 of the 9 handpulls are in use featuring an interesting array of beers, specifically Brew York Jarsa, Stancill Barnsley Bitter, Ridgeside Cascadia, Abbeydale Surreal Ale #3, Abbeydale Deception, Hopcraft Lucifer Juice, Bad Seed Hardwired and Hopjacker Lemon Powered Spaceship. The name alone drew me to the Lucifer Juice and this is what I decided to try. This is a golden American ale with a tropical fruit aroma and a heavy, malt biscuit note, pineapple and green apple in the finish and a slick aftertaste. Not bad at all for a beer weighing in at 4.5%!  My few minutes spent here made me very glad that this pub has been resurrected. It certainly is a gem!

Just down the road, tucked into a little side street, was my next stop, named for the area I'm currently in. I now reached the Kelham Island Tavern.

This former National Pub of the Year (2008 and 2009) and regular regional and local winner was rescued from dereliction in 2002 and previously known as the Old Hart. It is laid out as a two roomed free house with an impressive garden that regularly wins awards and holds regular folk music and quiz nights every week. There are 12 handpulls on the bar and 10 of these are in use during my visit featuring Abbeydale Deception, Acorn Barnsley Bitter, Holdens Black Country Mild, Acorn Old Moor Porter, Shiny Wrench Stout, Gadd's East Kent IPA, Blackjack Four of a Kind, Salopian Freeze Frame, Pictish Alchemist Ale and Allgates Pretoria. A stout, mild and porter are always available. I decided, after a moment's deliberation, on the Freeze Frame from Shrewsbury's Salopian Brewery. At 4.8%, this is an American pale ale hopped with Simcoe and Experimental 431 hops and packed with peach, berry, tropical fruit, citrus and herbal notes. It's a delicious beer indeed and I sat in the back room next to the garden as I enjoyed the relaxed and jovial atmosphere of this pub that operates a strict no swearing rule. It's easy to see why so many awards have been given to this little place. They are thoroughly deserved!

My next stop was in the neighbouring street, meaning a short walk around the corner was all that was needed to get there. Next up was The Fat Cat.

Opened in 1981, this is the pub that started the real ale revolution in this area of Sheffield. Beers from around the country are served alongside those from the adjacent Kelham Island Brewery. Awards given to both pub and brewery adorn the walls and beer festivals are held on a regular basis. The bar occupies a small room to the right of the main entrance with seating arranged around the walls and the toilets tucked into one corner. The bar features 12 handpulls providing a choice of Kelham Island Imperial Stout, Kelham Island Pale Rider, Kelham Island Best, Timothy Taylor Landlord, Salamander Sleight of Hand, Naylor's Gold, Sonnet 43 Abolition, Bunny Boiler, Burton Bridge High Spy, Harmony Amber Ale and 2 ciders, namely Farmer Jim's Rootin' Tootin' and Cornwall Lemon & Lime. I went for the High Spy (4.5%), brewed to commemorate early radar pioneer Robert Watson-Watt, as part of Burton Bridge's Gold Medal Ales range. Brewed with Flyer and Pioneer hops, this is an easily drinkable beer with a good hop and bitter balance and a good, clean finish. There were a few other people in the pub during my visit, mostly a large group of students but also a couple of locals and I took a seat with my back to the toilets, facing one side of the U shaped bar. Today was shaping up nicely indeed and more was to come!

I now headed back into the city centre proper, towards a pub that I had visited on a couple of occasions in my uni days, due to its close proximity to the uni library and one of the buildings I used to frequent. Located on Pitt Street is the Red Deer.

This is a genuine, traditional local in the heart of the city. The small frontage of the original three-roomed pub hides an open-plan interior which has been extended to the rear with a gallery seating area. The range of cask beers is impressive with several regularly ordered through SIBA and there is also a large selection of bottled beers. The pub holds a popular quiz on Tuesdays and live music on Saturdays, with an upstairs function room available for bookings. 7 of the 10 handpulls are available at the time that I'm there with another interesting selection to choose from including Weston's Old Rosie cider, Kelham Island Easy Rider, Moorhouse Pride of Pendle, Edinbrew 85 Shilling, Whitstable Bay Red IPA, Black Sheep Holy Grail and Brewster's Rutterkin. Having not tried a Kelham beer at this point of the day it would have been almost rude not to go for the Easy Rider which was as well kept as it should have been and went down very easily indeed.

There was another short walk involved to the next destination, across West Street and down to Wellington Street to where the next pub sits on a corner. I was now at the Devonshire Cat.

I was very excited about visiting here, largely due to it being operated by Abbeydale which is one of my favourite breweries. A recent refurbishment of this large premises has changed the internal dynamic somewhat and there is now an island bar with various seating areas all around. The bar is adorned with 12 handpulls and there is also a range of more than 100 beers from around the world available for the discerning drinker. The beer choice is excellent, offering Old Rosie as its cider alongside Welbeck Henrietta, Tring Pale Four, Raw Independence, Tring Death or Glory, Vocation Bread & Butter and a large number from Abbeydale namely Rat Trapper, Absolution, Moonshine, Daily Bread, Deception and Black Mass. Moonshine is one of my favourite beers ever so no prizes for guessing which one I chose. It was as excellent as I remembered and I was very pleased to have had the chance to visit this pub and taste one of the best beers I've ever had in the city in which it was birthed.

I had 2 more places left to visit before my train home and it was now time for the almost customary visit to a local Wetherspoons. This was a couple of minutes walk away from my current location and so it wasn't long at all until I was facing the Benjamin Huntsman.

This large, two storey pub sits opposite John Lewis and is named after the inventor of Crucible Steel. Artistic representations of the Sheffield steel industry decorate the walls inside. The general layout is as you'd expect from a Wetherspoons with a large bar serving an expansive seating area. The bar features 10 handpulls 9 of which were in use, featuring Doom Bar, Abbot Ale, Ruddles, Evan Evans St. David's, Robinson's Red & Black, Black Sheep Pathfinder, Brouwerij Flink, Bagby Back Garden and Butcombe Union. I opted on this occasion for Pathfinder, here sold as it's cask name Pathmaker, from Black Sheep. At 4%, this pale ale has an adventurous, fresh aroma, juicy hops and a malty mouthfeel with a moreish finish. I hadn't come across this beer amongst Black Sheep's normal range before so this was a pleasant surprise.

My last stop was now looming and this required walking a short distance back in the direction of the train station. Situated a short distance from this, not far from Sheaf Square, is the Rutland Arms.

This traditional pub occupies a corner site in the Cultural Industries Quarter and has operated as a free house since 2009, under the same ownership as Blue Bee Brewery. Formerly multi-roomed, it has now been converted into a single room layout with the bar in one corner. The exterior retains features of the now defunct Duncan Gilmour Brewery and a majority of the windows still carry this name etched into the glass. There is a beer garden to the rear and the pub also includes a juke box but take caution in your choices as the staff humour extends to a 'forbidden music board'. Disobey at your peril! Photos of old Sheffield are displayed throughout the interior. 8 handpulls sit on the bar with a choice between Steel City Pastor of Muppets (best beer name of the day!), Mad Dog Ancho-Chilli Cheescake, Magic Rock Common Grounds, Hopcraft Rudi in Orbit, Hopcraft Temple of Love, Blue Bee Hillfoot Best, Blue Been Reet Pale and Shaky Bridge Moonshine Cider. Rudi in Orbit was my unusually-named choice as my final beer for the day. With an ABV of 4.5%, this is Hopcraft's take on a New Zealand pale ale with a big hit of hops followed by a smooth, dry finish and a malty backbone. I stood at the bar to enjoy this final beverage before it was time to make my way back to the station for the journey back home. The Rutland Arms is a cracking little pub and it obviously appeals to local football supporters as well as there are a few Sheffield United fans around for pre-match beers. It's good to see pubs having such a mixed clientele in places like this.

Sheffield can only be described as a rousing success. Whilst this is only a handful of pubs, it acts as a cross-section of the wider city as a whole and I've already earmarked a few others that will definitely be on future lists as there's no way that one trip is anywhere near enough to do this marvellous city justice. There will be future visits and there will be so many more pubs in Sheffield that will one day feature in these pages. If the pubs in this entry are any indication of what's to come, I cannot wait!