So, back to London, via Clapham Junction, a
bit dark and dismal, with a little snow too, however… My original plan was to be
accompanied, but, sadly, alone again, consequently, rather than go straight
through to Victoria, I decided to walk to Hammersmith from the Junction, via
Battersea High Street, The Thames Path, and Parsons Green, first stopping at
the Candlemakers in Battersea High Street.
My having gone to school in Battersea High Street, and now living on the
coast of East Sussex, a pub in that road, that is linked to a Brighton brewpub,
well, it had to be a stop for me, yet again, and, yet again, Freddie was working
there, good to see a friendly face.
5 handpumps on the bar, usually serving 4
real ales and a real cider, which on Monday yielded their regular ale, from
their own brewery, The Laine Brewery Laine’s
Best, a 4% bitter described before here. Also, 3 guest ales, Sambrook’s Pumphouse Pale Ale, a 4.2%, slightly
sweet ale with a bitter aftertaste, and 2 from Dark Star, the excellent Hophead (3.8%), so often mentioned here,
and, as only very recently mentioned on this blog, their excellent 3.5% The Art of Darkness, which, despite being
near the end of the firkin, was still fresh, easy drinking, though maybe a
touch more bitter than my last pint of it, very nice, thank you.
Next, I wandered along the Thames, over
Wandsworth Bridge, past an old flame’s home to the White Horse at Parsons
Green, and served by the enthusiastic and very friendly Australian barmaid, Brook. They had 8 ales on, as usual, including their regular, Harveys Sussex
Best (4%), and… Milk Street Mermaid,
a 3.8% “malty nut brown beer” and Zig Zag,
a 4.5% “dark chocolaty stout”; Adnams Broadside
(4.7%); Moorhouses Black Cat (3.4%),
a very well known dark mild; Windsor & Eton Conqueror, a 5% “black IPA”; the always excellent Oakham JHB, 3.8%, pale and hoppy, another favourite
bitter of mine; and Hopfuzz Veteran,
a 4.2% very pale and refreshing ale. Oh yes, and they also have about 30
Belgian beers, and a good number of ‘craft’ beers on keg too…
Then? Well along to the Dove, another favourite
pub of mine (NB the close proximity to William Morris’s 19th century
home) which nestles by the Thames, just to the west of Hammersmith Bridge on
the north side of the river. Served by Lisa, who has been here for well over a
year, though I seem to have missed her on my more recent visits, and I had a
good chat to Matt, the manager here, the lucky lad having the opportunity to
live above the pub!
So, a Fullers pub of great history and
reputation, serving, ahem, Gales Seafarers,
Fullers London Pride, Honeydew, and a new Fullers ale for me,
the 4.2% Black Cab Stout. I was very disappointed I had missed their London Porter, only recently available
here, and probably my favourite regular porter, but the Black Cab was a very nice drinkable new beer for me, dark and quite
light to drink, so not too disappointed! Oh yes, a Guinness Book of Records
noted “smallest bar”, by the way, see above.
From here, it was a walk up to Stamford Brook
station, and the Raven, which had 6 ales on, that regularly change, but usually
from a short list of brewers. Monday, there was Sambrook’s Wandle and Junction,
Marstons EPA and Pedigree, and Ringwood Best
Bitter and Fortyniner, all in
good form. I also found out the Pope was
resigning at the end of the month, whilst drinking here (it was on the tv), I thought it was a
first, but my brother has since assured me it isn’t (pope to resign).
Before leaving West London for Putney, I had
to drop into the Bree Louise’s sister pub, at the Stamford Brook end of
Goldhawk Road, the Duchess of Cornwall, where they gladly offer a 50p a pint
discount to us CAMRA members, nice one, thank you muchly! I also met up with
Simon, the landlord, again, and had a great first chat to the landlady too, Ruth,
who has plans, though not yet fixed, to start brewing on the premises herself,
which has to be looked forward to.
As mentioned before, there are 6 handpumps
and the potential for 9 ales straight from the cask, though, being a Monday and
early in the week, just the 5 gravity fed beers available, plus those delivered
from handpumps. There were a number of rugby union inspired beers, including
Milestone Luck of the Irish (4.8%) and Scotland the Brave (4.1%), but I settled
for a pint of Plain Ales, a brewery I’d first experienced beer from at the Bricklayers
in Putney, Arty Farty Firkin, a good
3.9% pale hoppy bitter. As usual, I look
forward to returning to these pubs in West London very soon…
However, I then finished drinking at the
Bricklayers in Putney, and this day’s and last Thursday’s visits there, will
have a blog all of their own, very shortly… cheers!
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