Top 20 Pubs Part III

So, for numbers 6 to 10, and five pubs very much north of Watford, and all from different cities/towns, starting with... 

At number 6, The Wellington, close by Shalesmoor tram stop in Sheffield, and very much in the heartland of real ales in the city, a pub with a brewery next door and out back, well it's now moved site due to a disagreement with the landlord, I do believe, and is now situated in nearby Neepsend. Whatever, the brewery is still very much a going concern, ie Little Ale Cart, and, though they do vary their styles of ale now and then with the odd stout or mild, they are expert at producing exceptional pale hoppy ales (my preferred style, you may have guessed by now), which they brew quite a few barrels of. Another fine characteristic of this pub is that they do not sell keg beer, though they usually have a bottle of lager available for the desperate. 

Considering the glut of great pubs and excellent ales in Sheffield, why have I chosen this pub, and the only pub out of the 20 I have actually been banned from in the past, (I made a 'tasteless' joke, apparently, that the then landlady was not meant to hear, so said in her absence, but told to her out of context by someone who since became known as "The Shalesmoor Snitch") so high up on the list? I first found the Welly, in its previous existence as "The Cask & Cutler" in late 1995 or very early 1996, probably the latter. It is a 'bog basic' pub, no music, no machines, but plenty of character and characters! I love it, and recently returned 4 months ago, and had a great Saturday evening drinking there, following a bit of an early 'crawl', but I knew virtually every person in there really well, it was like I'd never moved away from Sheffield 3 years previous, it felt like home, so that is why. 

At number 7, and across the Pennines in Liverpool, is The Philharmonic (website), a grade II listed late Victorian art nouveau building opposite the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. I have visited this fine pub with friends before and after football matches, have been there on my own, and have met up with friends just to meet up there! I have even been sent a message 'on the spur of the moment' asking where a facebook friend should drink whilst in Liverpool, this was my immediate response, and I was rewarded by being linked into quite a few photographs of the interior, and generous thanks and plaudits! Well, it is pretty impressive and, being a Nicholsons house (though originally built for the local brewer, Robert Cain), you are assured of many good real ales, and it has a renowned restaurant upstairs too.  

Something else it has is an impressive interior, with stained glass windows, copper panels, wood panelling, stucco ceilings. and a mosaic bar counter. There are a number of different seating areas, and rooms, including a large lounge seating room with comfortable chairs and sofas you could live in. It also has a very famous mens marbled toilet, that women are invited to visit (though not to use), but with the proviso they ask a member of staff before they enter; presumably to avoid embarrassment... This is one of many excellent pubs in Liverpool, and the exterior isn't boring either!

Further up the country, at number 8, is the Bodega (website) in Newcastle. The Bodega has a long long bar, 2 Victorian stained glass domes in the ceiling, elaborately tiled flooring, and various seating and alcoves for those not wanting to stand at the bar. I've been here before and after football matches, to Sunderland as well as nearby St James' Park. The last time I visited with my mate, Teapot Dave, who had given me a lift (cheers Dave!) via Tynemouth, where we had had a few pints and left the car, he'd sensibly stopped drinking, quite right too. Anyway, I was enjoying the crackin' ale and company of the very pleasant young manageress, when Dave dragged me out of the pub! I'm not sure if he was more bored with not drinking, or with me chatting to the lass; you have to know the 'Teapot' to understand what I'm getting at...

Oh yes, 8 real ales are available here, including Durham Magus as one of the 2 regular ales, an ale I was really enjoying on that particular visit, an excellent ale, indeed, that I first experienced in 1996 at the Cask & Welly in Sheffield (see above); the other regular ale being the local Big Lamp Prince Bishop Ale. The also have 2 dedicated handpumps to the Scottish brewer, Fyne Ales, and one of my old favourites, Oakham; more of in the final part of this series of blogs. Consequently, you not only have the 4 great regular and semi-regular ales, but another 4 guest ales too. Why wouldn't I want to return to this fine hostelry, one of many decent pubs in Newcastle to boot?      

At number 9, and heading a bit southwards to Burslem, suburb of Stoke, is The Bulls Head (website), close to Port Vale FC, not really a benefit, unless going to the match, when this is well worth visiting before the match, if not afterwards as well. When I first came here I was amazed that they sold filled bread rolls for just £1 each, also that opposing fans happily stood side by side in the pub and chatted football and ale; whereas it is not always so friendly in other parts of Burslem post-match. Indeed, this is the only place to visit on match day, in my experience, also we've been here before matches against Stoke City too, catching a taxi to the Britannia Stadium from the pub.

From the doorway you can look over towards the Titanic Brewery, a wee way away, this being their 'brewery tap'. Consequently, regular ales include Titanic Steerage, Anchor Bitter, Iceberg, and White Star, and has been Everards Tiger when I visited last, though may be different now. With their own seasonal ales and guest beers, 9 different real ales are provided in total, plus up to 10 real ciders! The staff have always been reyt friendly, and the island bar is in the middle of a warm pub, split into 2 rooms. Despite the match day concerns, I so want to get back here, I really do!

 



Finally, for today, at number 10 is the Crown Inn in Stockport up in the North West. The Pub sits under a massive railway viaduct that dates back to the 1840s, and originally was 3 separate cottages dating back to the late 18th century that are now joined up to form the pub. Because of this history, there are 4 separate rooms radiating from the often very busy bar. This is quite a basic pub again, do not expect 'plush' here, just basic 'pub grub', up to 16 ever-changing ales from a well-managed cellar, real cider, and a warm, friendly, and well-informed bar staff.

I've been here before and after matches at Stockport County, and met up with friends who support The Blades before and after they'd gone to watch their match at Stoke, it's certainly worth returning to. Far enough away from the station that you have to know it's here, but near enough to catch a train within a short time, without having to rush! All the above, most notably the ales and warm atmosphere, add up to wanting me to return here very soon, cheers m'dears!

Pubs/Bars without lager/keg beers.

No doubt most of you will have read in the Metro recently (site) about the Queen's Arms ("Elsie's") in Cowden Pound, Kent, and how the only beer she sells is cask-conditioned Adnams Bitter.  Indeed, the pub has been in her family ownership for 100 years this year, and has never sold lager, not sure if they ever sold keg, but they certainly don't appear to now, nor lager in bottles for that matter!  Many thanks to www.geograph.org.uk for my borrowing their photograph, but I've never been here, a visit to which, I suppose, will have to be enabled sometime soon.

So I had a think, you could probably hear the cogs whirring in the North of Scotland, and I'm sure I have been in more pubs or bars without keg beers or lager in the UK, but I can only think of 3 today, the first of which was my local when I lived in Sheffield, though when I first visited the pub in 1996, they did sell Stella on draft, when the pub was called the Cask & Cutler. 

Now, however, under different ownership for quite a few years, the pub is called The Wellington (site) and is situated near Shalesmoor tram stop, not far away from my old employer at Kelham Island Brewery, and all the excellent pubs (genuine freehouses) and microbreweries in that area, including their own brewery, Little Ale Cart. The point being, they no longer sell lager or any keg beer at all, though I believe they still sell bottled lager, and a good selection of Belgian bottled beers too, another excellent type of 'real beer'.

 

The Wellington, which has been a pub since 1842, sells ales from 10 handpumps, usually at least one dark beer, ie a porter, stout or mild, a real cider, and  a few of their own very pale, and very hoppy, ales, which could be why I have grown to love pale bitters, the more dry and bitter the better; also many other, mainly pale and hoppy ales are served.  But no draft lager or any type of keg beer, and a better provider of ales I have yet to find, and I've been to a few!  But this is not a place for a swanky night out, this is a pub, and proud of the fact; indeed, I'm already looking forward to arranging my next visit...  

  

So, where else can I remember, ah, yes, the Bottle & Glass Inn (site) at the West Country Living Museum near Dudley, which I visited a couple of times a few years ago. This building, and built as a pub, is nearly 200 years old, and was transported, every brick, slate, floorboard, window and door, from nearby Brockmore and rebuilt in the 'village' here as a fine period building.  Have a look at the museum's site, because it is a very interesting place to visit.

 

When I was last here, they sold only 2 ales, no lagers, Holden's Black Country Bitter and Black Country Mild, though I believe they now sell other local beers, and not Holden's anymore (shame, because they're crackin' ales). Last I heard they were selling Banks's and a real cider (Thatchers) from 4 handpumps.  Incidentally, the beer engines they use are very old too, from a traditional London design, I believe

So my last memory of a keg and lager free pub is Ye Olde Cider Bar in Newton Abbot, Devon, and a good few years have passed since I lived in Devon, sadly. The name gives it away really, as they don't sell beer but only cider, and perry, fruit wines and mead may also be bought here.  When I first visited, they only sold 3 of their own ciders, dry, medium and sweet, and you needed a lemonade top to cope with the dry!  The bar has changed since, been extended, and many more varieties of cider and perry can now be bought here, but it was always interesting to spot those who had been imbibing here on the late trains back to Exeter, memories...

 

I cannot find a website for the bar, too 'olde worlde' maybe, but there are many references to this cider bar if you google Ye Olde Cider Bar. Now, if anyone who knows me can remind me of other non-keg establishments I have visited, I'd be glad to hear from you, and I shall rack my brains more over the coming months, no doubt.  Or, if you have your own memories of keg and cider-less pubs, please share with me and I'll enable a post or blog, many thanks and cheers!