Last stop - Coldred

Sorry to disappoint those who were eagerly awaiting my write up of the Red Lion at Snargate, but I’m short of time at the moment; a combination of too much work and not enough play. But on the premise of make hay whilst the sun shines, I’ll take the extra work while it lasts.

The downside has meant not as much time for writing as I would like, so with this, and the above, in mind, here’s a short article about the Carpenter’s Arms at Coldred. This was the final pub of last Saturday’s tour, and it was a real surprise.

Most of us had never heard of Coldred, but for the record it’s a tiny village situated in a fold in the North Downs, a few miles to the north-west of Dover. With a population of just over 100 individuals and 55 dwellings. Its main claim to fame is the Grade 1 listed church of St Pancras, which dates back to Saxon times. There is also a duck pond opposite the pub, although as it was dark when we arrived, I don’t think any of us noticed it, despite the coach pulling up alongside.

The Carpenter’s has 18^th Century origins, but is a relatively anonymous-looking, white painted building. It is sited slightly below road level, meaning customers have to negotiate  a flight of internal steps in order to gain access. The pub has been in the same family for over 100 years, and with  its simple furniture and  plain décor, has remained largely unchanged for 50 years.

WhatPub states that the Carpenter’s is one of “CAMRA's Real Heritage Pubs”, but as the Pub Heritage website is still closed for maintenance (after several months of not being available), I am unable to verify this. A few of us were discussing  the pub’s status, last Saturday, whilst sitting in the plainly furnished left-hand bar, and we concluded that whilst the pub still has two bars, it has been knocked about a bit and “modernised” in a slightly insensitive way.

None of this should distract from the fact the Carpenter’s is a proper, old-fashioned pub, and a real find as far as most of us were concerned. As I mentioned earlier, it was dark when we arrived, and the one external photo I took, doesn’t do the place justice at all, but you should be able to get a feel for the pub from some of the internal shots.

The Carpenter’s is very much the village local, and the assortment of over-sized and misshapen vegetables, laid out in readiness on a long table in the right hand bar, indicated that a contest was to be held later that evening (probably once we’d left).

It was quite cosy in the pub, as with just under 30 in our party, and the pub regulars gathered for a pint, plus the eagerly awaited vegetable growing contest, space, and seats were at a premium, but we all managed to squeeze in and settled down to enjoy some good beer and some equally good conversation.

There was an extensive range of beers on sale, although probably too many for some followers of this blog. A couple of the beers were dispensed through a vintage set of beer engines reputed to be nearly 100 years old. I went straight in on the Gadd’s, as did several of my companions, as I think you have to go a long way to find finer beers than the well-crafted brews turned out by Eddie Gadd at the Ramsgate Brewery.

Gadd’s No. 5 really hit the spot, and came in at 3.5 NBSS, but there was also a slightly stronger offering from the company in the form of a dark beer, brewed to mark the 100^th anniversary of the ending of the Great War. The beer isn’t listed on the Ramsgate Brewery website, but I’ve a feeling it was a 4.5% brew, called War Horse. It was dispensed direct from a cask, perched up on the bar. Other beers included Rockin’ Robin Reliant and Tropic Fiesta from Beatnikz Republic (never heard of them!).

The Carpenter’s is only open evenings, so a visit using public transport is virtually impossible. A pity really, as there is a daily return bus service Monday to Saturday. However, given Coldred’s proximity to Dover (approx. 6 miles), a taxi for a group of three or four persons shouldn’t prove too expensive.

Alternatively, the pub is just under a mile and a half’s walk from Shepherdswell station so given its 5pm opening, it would be possible during the months of high summer, to spend a couple of hours at the Carpenter’s and still make it back to the station during the hours of daylight.

So for those who appreciate something a little quirky, and out of the ordinary, an evening visit to Coldred, by train and on foot is not only feasible, but highly recommended.