Pubs of the Suffolk Coast

We will take a brief pause before continuing our exploration of the Surrey-Hampshire border area, whilst I tell you about a real gem of a booklet that I discovered during a spot of de-cluttering at home. This is a gradual process of parting with items I no longer need or require, but of course the odd piece of treasure sometimes comes to light. Tucked away, amongst a pile of maps, I came across an absorbing little booklet published in 1978 by the East Anglian Tourist Board, bearing the title, “Pubs of the Suffolk Coast". Researched and written by Michael Watkins, a respected local journalist and broadcaster. At the time, Watkins contributed to a number of publications including The Times, Sunday Telegraph, Evening Standard, and Homes & Gardens. He also produced content for the BBC. His other works included the restaurant guide, "A Taste of East Anglia.”

In this booklet, Mr. Watkins presents 26 of his favourite pubs. As he explains in his introduction, the coastal pubs of Suffolk are generally authentic and unpretentious establishments. The landlords he met were largely indifferent to their inclusion in the guide, as they were not focused on publicity, but rather on fulfilling their demanding role of serving the community by providing them with hospitality, warmth, and sustenance from early morning until late at night. Watkins concludes his introduction by assuring readers that while he cannot promise an idealised version of Suffolk, they will undoubtedly experience its true character and, he believes, they will appreciate it.

The pubs in the guide were selected due to them being traditional, ale houses, although 50 years ago, most pubs would have fitted this description, and whilst there are a few independent "free houses," the majority of the pubs featured are owned by local breweries, such as Tolly Cobbold or Adnams.  

The heritage of these two breweries is as longstanding, as many of the pubs. For example, the Tollemach family can trace its roots in the area back to 1080, and the Cobbold family began brewing locally in 1723. These two families joined forces as Tolly Cobbold in 1957. In Southwold, records refer to Sole Bay Brewery as early as 1641, and the present company, Adnams & Co, dates back to 1872. Sadly, Tolly Cobbold are no more, but Adnams certainly are, and these days, the company is known all over the country, rather than just in Southwold and the surrounding area.

My paternal grandparents retired to a small village near Saxmundham, so I have fond personal memories of this region, from both childhood visits, and trips to the area, in later years. I am therefore familiar with many of the places mentioned in the guide, and have also become acquainted with some of the pubs. The description, "nothing fancy" applies to the pubs like the Old Cross Keys, Aldeburgh, the Jolly Sailor at Orford, the Oyster Inn at Butley, the Old Bell and Steelyard at Woodbridge an unusual one this being a free house, the  White Hart Wickham Market,  the Bell at Walberswick, the Sole Bay Inn and the Lord Nelson in Southwold itself and finally, the Golden Key at Snape - a small Suffolk village on the the River Alde, and not a character in the Harry Potter series!

What I like about this book is that it describes what is now a lost world. A simple world where pubs concentrated on looking after their customers, serving good beer and, in many cases, good food. It provides a fascinating retrospective on the pub scene in a distinct and close-knit region of the UK, and although out of print, this lovely little book offers valuable insight into a bygone era and provides a fascinating perspective on the pub culture of fifty years ago. If I had more free time, I would be interested in revisiting some of these pubs, to determine how many are still operating today, and how much they have changed.

Two good pub towns, on the Surrey - Hants border. Part 1, Alton

Last Friday, I participated in an organised outing with a group of ten fellow beer and pub enthusiasts, including Retired Martin, Citra, and 'Prop up the Bar' Nick, all familiar individuals from previous excursions to locations such as Bath and Birmingham. The chosen destination for this trip comprised two towns in close proximity: Farnham as the primary destination, with the smaller neighbouring town of Alton as the secondary one. I had previously been to Farnham, having passed through en route to Southampton for a cruise. 

On that occasion, we stayed overnight, at a Holiday Inn,  near Winchester, prior to taking a taxi to the cruise port, but I also visited the town, back in October 2022, when I completed the North Downs Way, long distance footpath. Emerging from the trees opposite the A31 Farnham bypass, I enjoyed a much-needed pint at the Mulberry, close to the station before heading into town for a few more drinks at the Nelson Arms, which was one of the pubs on Friday's itinerary.

Anyway, on this occasion I would be seeing Farnham in a different light, but first before talking about the pubs, I want to continue travel theme and describe the journey I undertook to get there, from my home in Tonbridge. I travelled across country using the Tonbridge-Redhill line, before switching onto the North Downs Line at Redhill. This then took me to Guildford, where a further change of trains took me through Farnham and then on to Alton.  

 The Tonbridge-Redhill line acts as a useful diversionary route for London - bound trains, when the tracks north of Tonbridge are blocked by engineering works, or other issues affecting the line. This probably explains why it was kept open despite the infamous Beeching cuts of the 1960’s and early 70’s, but it wasn’t until 1994 that the line was finally electrified. Electrification continues as far as Reigate, the next stop after Redhill, but really the whole line should have been electrified, as today this stretch of the North Downs Line is operated by a fleet of noisy and diesel multiple units.

Despite the noise, and the rattling of the rolling stock, travelling back along this line brought back fond memories, from three or four years ago. This was when I was walking the North Downs Way between Redhill and Guildford, and where intermediate stations, such as Betchworth, Gomshall and Chilworth, served as useful staging posts. On each occasion it meant a steep climb after leaving the station, before reaching the top of the escarpment, in order to pick up the trail. Happy days, and with much of that particular stretch of the North Downs covered by beech-woods, pleasant memories as well. Journeying by this cross-country route saved me roughly half of the cost of travelling via London, and with my Senior Railcard, the return fare worked out at an affordable £22.35.

Alton is the end of the line, as far as regular passenger services are concerned, but until 1973, the tracks ran all the way to Winchester. I don’t think this closure can be blamed on the infamous Doctor Beeching, as this was a little after his time, but with hindsight it does seem rather short-sighted to have closed another useful diversionary route. The line did not completely close because a preserved railway currently operates a 10 mile stretch of track, between Alton and New Alresford. This route is referred to as the Watercress Line, as it was once used to transport freshly harvested watercress from the beds in the Itchen Valley, to markets in London. 

Alton is the birthplace of author, Jane Austen and also has a history as a brewing centre. Beer has long been part of its heritage - older drinkers may recall Courage Alton Bitter, Harp Lager also had a factory in the town, which was established by a consortium comprising Guinness, Courage, and several smaller breweries. The objective was to producing a home-grown lager brand, with Guinness's famous Irish Harp symbol used as its logo. 

Whether truncating the line at Alton is to blame for the slightly backwater feel to the town; that “end of the line” effect, but it wasn’t until we got back to Farnham that I noticed the quite striking difference between the two towns. For a start, Farnham has a population of just under 40,000 persons, whilst Alton can only boast around half of that figure. Nevertheless, the latter seemed a good starting point for our day out, even though we only visited three pubs in Alton, as opposed to five in Farnham.

My train pulled into Alton at around 11:40, which allowed sufficient time to walk to the first pub on the itinerary, prior to it opening its doors. Waiting for me at the station, as if he knew I was coming, was none other than Martin Taylor, aka retired martin, ace pub-ticker and GBG completist, as well as one of the most accomplished of pub men that one could wish to know. 

I’d taken the precaution beforehand, of printing off a town map, but with Martin acting as my guide, the pair of us made our way through the centre of Alton, past the hotel he had booked into for the night, to the first pub of the day. This was the Ten Tun Tap House, a craft beer and cask ale pub with its own onsite brewery, situated just off the Market Square.

Housed in a modern, brick-building, with a bare wood minimalist interior, TTTH is a pub with a bright and airy feel to it, along with something for everyone., This included a seat at the bar, a bench in the sun, big tables for large groups plus up to 15 different draught beers – 4 on hand-pump, plus 11 craft keg. Waiting for us at the pub, were the 10 or so other participants, including Citra Mick, plus Nick C. The rest of he group were local CAMRA members, most of whom were described to me as members of CAMRA Discourse.  I confess to knowing absolutely nothing about “Discourse” apart from it being a kind of “talking shop”  or echo chamber for CAMRA members to obsess and pontificate on various pub, beer and CAMRA branch related topics. I’m not going to say any more, as they all seemed a decent bunch, with a similar age to myself, and who am I to pass judgement? I was also their guest, in a manner of speaking. 

I chose a keg beer, called Sad Ken, produced in the brewery at the rear of the pub, primarily because I was in Untappd beer-ticking mode, and the two cask beers from Marble and Iron Pier, were ones I was already familiar with. It was a rather hazy American-style IPA, so I was pleased that I only ordered a half. I was also looking to pace myself over the course of what I knew would be a long day. 

Although I was introduced to the Discourse “mob”, I’m hopeless at remembering names, so apologies to anyone in the group whose name I might have missed – my memory has never been my strong-point!  Before moving on to the next pub, I took a peep through the windows, into the brewery, as well as several photos. Everything looked shiny and new, and in complete contrast to the next pub, which was as traditional as they come. The Eight Bells is a Grade II listed building dates from the 1640s and has been a pub since at least the 1840s when it was known as the Sawyers Arms. This white-painted and unassuming pub, is situated about 10 minutes walk away from the centre of town, amongst a maze of attractive back streets, and virtually opposite the attractive St Lawrence's church.

With a large main bar, plus a couple of smaller rooms leading off to the left of the serving area, the Eight Bells keeps old fashioned hours, with a closed period between 2 and 5pm. It was Local CAMRA Pub of the Year 2023 & 2024, a fact reflected by its interesting range of beers. With two brews from the Flower Pot Brewery at Cheriton, plus offerings from Bowman and Black Sheep, we were spoiled for choice, but I went for the Flower Pots Bitter, and old favourite, but one I hadn't seen for a long time.

And so, to the final pub in the Alton section of the visit, which was the Railway Arms, just a short hop from the station. The Railway is a tied house belonging to Triple fff Brewery, a small, but longstanding company based in the village of Four Marks, close to the Watercress Line. The company was founded in 1997, and in 2008, their Alton's Pride was awarded Supreme Champion Beer of Britain. I of course had to try a glass, along with Moondance, another Triple fff Beer. 

Most of the brewery's beers are either song or album titles, (Alton’s Pride aside), whilst the pub itself, looks like a couple of terraced Victorian cottages, knocked through into one. It is a very popular pub, with a strong local following, and is also the current CAMRA Pub of the Year. We departed shortly before 2pm, and caught the train back down the line to Farnham. It was only a 10 minute ride, but we'll leave the story here for the moment, and continue next time with the pubs of Farnham.  
 

Three Tuns Inn seeks a new licensee

The Three Tuns Inn at Bishop's Castle, Shropshire, closed suddenly on 11^th July due to "unforeseen circumstances." The pub is located next to the Three Tuns Brewery, established in 1642 and widely regarded as the oldest licensed brewing site in Britain. Although there has been no direct connection between the pub and the brewery for the past 20 years, visitors often visit due to its proximity to the brewery and its historical significance. This related to the Three Tuns being one of only four UK pubs left in the 1970s,  where brewing occurred on-site. This, of course, was around the time that CAMRA was formed and public interest in the brewing industry and its history increased. A spokesperson for the pub's owner, Heineken Star Pubs said "the previous temporary operator has had to close The Three Tuns due to unforeseen circumstances." However, the company intends to reopen the pub as soon as possible, and is currently looking to recruit a new licensee.  

 Copyright owned by Chris Gunns. Licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license.

Reports indicate concerns about the condition of the building both inside and outside, with statements from a local councillor noting issues such as damaged plaster, an unreadable pub name, and deterioration of the building. The councillor also stated that the Three Tuns was formerly a significant tourism attraction for the town and expressed support for efforts within the local community to reopen the establishment. The company hope that this historic pub will not be closed for long, and state they are keen to undertake a major transformational internal and external refurbishment of the Three Tuns once a suitable candidate has been identified to take the pub forward.  Following its abrupt closure, the Three Tuns has been advertised as available to let with an in-going of £57,999 and an annual rent of £47,997 pa.

The brewery is an historic tower construction, dating back to the 1640's, which was once under the same ownership as the pub; however, it became an independent operation in 2003. CAMRA notes that while the pub has been updated over time, efforts have been made to do so in line with the requirements of its Listed building status. The establishment features four rooms, each with distinct functions and atmospheres. The front bar has traditional decor, the main bar offers natural light with windows facing the brewery, the Snug Bar includes a low ceiling, wood burning stove, easy chairs, and various games, and the Conservatory Bar - Dining Room, that was added more recently. Until the summer of 2023, the pub primarily served Three Tuns beers with occasional guest options; currently, only one of the five cask beers produced by the brewery is available on tap.

So why should I be so concerned about a pub situated on the other side of the country, that I have only visited once? There’s a straight forward answer to that question, and it’s one that transcends the obvious appeal of the Three Tuns, and the adjacent brewery. The fact that it’s a survivor from a bygone age, should be testament enough, and yet as late as the first half of the last century, pub that brewed their own beer, were not uncommon. The two concerns, often went hand in hand, and what could be more logical than a small brewery with its own retail outlet attached?

Things slowly changed, over the years, and gradually the obvious appeal of economies of scale started to kick in. Brewing beer, is a time-consuming that requires specialised equipment, as well as its own dedicated premises, and the blinkers are off, selling beer that is brewed off-site, by a specialist team of brewers has its obvious attractions, the not least of which are the obvious economies of scale, coupled with the experience that comes from a dedicated brewing team. As the 20^th century wore on, the advantages of getting one’s beer brewed by specialist concern, out stripped the romantic appeal of brewing the stuff on the premises. Some home-brew pubs hung on, I’m pleased to report, possibly due to customer demand, but more often due to the tenacity or sheer bloody mindedness of their respective owners. Even so, by the mid 1970’s there were only four brew pubs remaining in the entire British Isles, and when I first learned about this, I decided it would be good to sample them myself.

These pubs were,  the All Nations, Madeley, Shropshire, the Blue Anchor, Helston, Cornwall, the Old Swan. Netherton, Worcestershire, and the Three Tuns, Bishop's Castle, Shropshire. I visited two of these pubs fairly soon after reading about them (Blue Anchor and Three Tuns), whilst I left if until last year before finally setting foot in the Old Swan. I’ve yet to visit the All Nations, as it was closed when I drove past it, with a work colleague on a visit to Shropshire, back in the mid-1980’s (a few year’s prior to the advent of all day drinking). Of all those four pubs, the two I’d most like to re-visit, are the Blue Anchor and the Three Tuns, so the closure (albeit temporary) of the latter, comes as a bit of a blow.

It's worth mentioning that I visited the above two brewpubs in the mid-70’s, as a student, and was driven to both of them by my friend Chris, from university. Chris shared the same interest in pubs as me, so a visit to the Blue Anchor, whilst staying at his parent’s caravan, down in Cornwall, shouldn’t come a surprise. The trip to the Three Tuns, took place a year or so later, with Chris once again doing the driving, this time from Rugeley, in Staffordshire. He also gave me my first taste of Batham’s, when we called in at the Lamp Tavern in Dudley. I mentioned this to Stafford Paul, when we rode past the pub, on the top deck of a bus, during last year’s tour of the Black Country, last year.

Just over two years ago, I posted an article about the Three Tuns, describing the above visit in greater detail. Despite the lengthy drive, that trip to the Three Tuns, and the few hours spent in it, still remain as one of my most memorable pub experiences of the past 50 years. It is for that reason alone, that I wholeheartedly wish to see the Three Tuns back open, and up and running again. Call it nostalgia, or even the desire to recapture a mis-spent youth, but the chance to sit once again, in that marvellous old pub, with its living sense of history, and to sample the equally marvellous Three Tuns XXX Bitter, is a desire that I wish to experience whilst I still can. I’d certainly like to do so before Heineken, or whoever, decide that the place needs a makeover, and turn it into yet another twee and chintzy, upmarket dining pub.

A Sarah Hughes surprise at the Nelson Arms

After the last, rather lengthy post, here is a much shorter one, not just for balance but more because the narrative can be told in just a couple of pages. What I'm going to write about, is how a slice of the West Midlands - Black Country came to Tonbridge last weekend and how, surprisingly, few people actually realised what they missed. Some of you may remember that, just over a year ago, I wrote a piece detailing my tour around a few of the Black Country’s finest and most characterful public houses. My companion and guide for that tour was local expert, Stafford Paul. Apart from the obvious candidate of the Vine at Brierley Hill, the pub which forms the brewery tap for the legendary Batham’s Brewery, there were several other standout pubs, and chief amongst them was the Beacon Hotel at Sedgley. This classic Black Country pub is made all the more famous by having its own brewery on site.

The Beacon Hotel & Brewery was built around 1850, with the first licence being granted two years later. Since then, the pub and brewery have remained virtually unchanged for decades. The Beacon is an English Heritage listed building with an historic pub interior, of national importance, and it really is a place where time has stood still. The traditional Black Country Victorian tower brewery and public house was bought at auction in 1921 by Sarah Hughes. Sarah Hughes was a legendary character who ran both pub and brewery, and she continued brewing beers at the Beacon until her death in 1951. Her son Alfred continued the tradition for a further six years, before brewing ceased, altogether, but rather than remove and demolish the attached brewery, the plant was mothballed.

Then, after a 30-year lapse, Sarah’s grandson John Hughes, lovingly restored the brewery, giving it a complete overall overhaul, by replacing any broken worn or missing parts, and in 1987 brewing re-commenced at the Beacon. In tribute to his legendary grandmother, John produced a strong, dark beer called Sarah Hughes Ruby Mild, weighing in at 6.4%, a strength that is far higher than your average mild. Today, this labyrinth-like pub has several drinking rooms based around a small central hatchway, that serves the beers brewed in the tower brewery, at the back of this Grade II listed pub.

It was a bit of a mad dash last year for Paul and me to get to the Beacon on time, because the pub is one of the few which still observe a period of afternoon closing time. Paul had worked out a bus route which ought to have got us to the pub, for at least one pint, before the start of the afternoon break, but a combination of roadworks and heavy traffic meant that we almost missed our window of opportunity. Fortunately, we have indomitable Good Beer Guide ticker Martin Taylor to thank for his efforts that afternoon. Martin had joined Paul and I at the equally historic Old Swan, at Netherton, a pub also known as Ma’ Pardoe’s after its former legendary landlady. We thought there would be plenty of time, but the road conditions seemed determined to thwart us. With the clock ticking, Martin left the bus and went on ahead, half walking and half jogging, leaving Paul and I sitting on the bus, wondering whether he would make it or not.

I'm pleased to report that Martin made it to the Beacon by the skin of his teeth, and when Paul and I arrived at this wonderfully unspoiled Black Country local, there was a pint mug of the legendary Sarah Hughes Dark Mild, waiting for each of us on the bar. The bar staff had just called time, so a massive thank-you to Martin for saving the day. At 6.4%, the home-brewed ale wasn’t one to rush, but interestingly enough the pub management seemed in no hurry to turf any of us out the door. So, having achieved my quest to sample this legendary beer, I was content to commit the Beacon Hotel to blessed memory.

Fast forward to last weekend, when I happened to notice a post, on social media, advising that the Nelson Arms in Tonbridge, would be featuring two beers from the legendary Beacon Hotel. Naturally, Sarah Hughes Dark Mild was one of them, but the second was a light-coloured, 5% bitter called Sarah Hughes Surprise. With this in mind I was determined to get along to the Nelson in order to sample both beers. As it happened, I wasn’t able to visit the pub until Sunday afternoon and not knowing whether either of these beers would still be on sale, I stepped inside the Nelson with a sense of trepidation.

My fears vanished, after seeing clips for both beers displayed on the pumps. The pub was surprisingly quiet for 3 o’clock on a Sunday afternoon, but a combination of inclement weather, plus the start of the school holidays was probably to blame. The cosy, snug bar to the far right of the pub, was empty, leaving me a choice of tables and comfy chairs. I got stuck into both of the beers, although largely reserving the stronger dark mild until last. The Surprise was a new one for me, and was a typical, West Midlands, light bitter, but as in March 2024, the Sarah Hughes Dark Mild was definitely the star of the show.

A Tunbridge Wells stagger

Last Thursday afternoon I enjoyed a long overdue catch up with my old walking partner, Eric. I say overdue because the idea of meeting up had been on the agenda, for quite some time, but somehow things always seemed to have got in the way. One would think that me switching to part time working, would have freed up a lot more time, but somehow, this didn’t seem to be the case.  

Friday might have worked, if my GP’s practice hadn’t booked me in for a shingles vaccination on that day. I could, of course, re-arranged the jab, but having known several people who contracted shingles – including Eileen’s late brother, who copped a particularly nasty bout of this “dormant” infection, I wanted to protect myself, now that I’m eligible. (David spent the Christmas of 2022, on a hospital trolley, waiting for a bed to become free. A few weeks later, he sadly passed away. Although the cause of death, wasn’t directly connected to shingles, we’re convinced that it severely weakened his immune system).

Thursday then, seemed as good a time as any, because although I act as a chauffeur for Mrs PBT's, in order to get her to and from her Thursday part time job, at a local scaffolding company, it meant that after 3pm I was a free man. We had tentatively looked at a late afternoon/early evening in Hastings, but with an hour's train journey, there and back, it would eat too much into our drinking and pub exploration time. Instead, we decided on a wander around neighbouring Tunbridge Wells, taking in a few of the pubs and bars on the way.

Now jumping on a bus at 3pm, just as the local schools were chucking out, probably wasn't the wisest of moves, and whilst we could have taken the train, both of us have bus passes, allowing us free travel. In addition, arriving at Tunbridge Wells rail station, would have meant a long walk back up the hill to reach the start of our planned pub walkabout. Our journey took us through Southborough and St Johns, and this was where we encountered significant congestion. Parents collecting their children in large SUVs and then trying to squeeze their vehicles through narrow gaps, didn’t help, and whilst many school kids do use public transport, the number of schools in this area has always been an issue, so far as traffic density is concerned.

Despite the congestion, we still reached the George, our starting point, just after 4pm. This former coaching inn, is situated opposite the site of the former Kent & Sussex Hospital (back in the day known as the “Kent & Snuffit.”)  The hospital has since been replaced by an unusual development of upscale houses and villas, which although commanding premium prices, fail to stand out architecturally, and offer little to write home about. 

I’d been meaning to visit the George for some time, especially as I can't even remember the last time I was in there. From memory that visit was for a CAMRA - related function several years ago. In 1739, the George was a coaching inn for those travelling between Tunbridge Wells and London, and with its graceful exterior, plus an interior full of exposed beams, brickwork, fireplaces, and oak floorboards, still exudes warmth and nostalgia from every corner.

When we reached the pub, we noticed a number of buildings to the left of the main building, one of which is home to the Fonthill Brewing Co, a relatively new establishment which supplies beer not only to the George but also to two other pubs belonging to the same group. (The Ragged Trousers, plus the Sussex Arms). The free trade is also supplied. 

Although the brewery has been operating for several years, I had not encountered their beers before, so stepping inside the George, we had the opportunity to try a couple. Actually, there were cask options from Fonthill, plus several of their keg beers available. We sampled two of the former, the first of which was rapidly consumed, due to the warm weather and the requirement to remain hydrated. So Good Morning Captain – a salute one should always give to a magpie, plus Creedence American Pale Ale. Weighing in at 3.9% and 4.6% abv, respectively, both beers were good, and it was difficult to choose between the two.

Whilst in the pub, we couldn’t help noticing a tall and rather stylish looking lady, striding around the bar. She was armed with a rather large and expensive looking camera, and after engaging with her briefly, we discovered that she’d just finished a photo-shoot for Fonthill. She explained that Fonthill was getting ready to launch its own taproom, housed in an outbuilding, adjacent to the brewery. 

She didn't know when the opening would be taking place, but she gathered it must be fairly soon. We agreed, as another watering hole for the good citizens of Tunbridge Wells, seemed like a good idea. Later on, noticing that the sky darkened I wandered out onto the top of the rear staircase, which overlooks the site below. You can see from the photograph, just how hilly this area of Tunbridge Wells is, and also how the pub management has fully utilised the available space. As the pub started to fill up, we decided it was time to move on and head off into the centre of Tunbridge Wells.

Our next port of call what's the Tunbridge Wells outlet of Fuggles, opened in 2013 and situated close to the main shopping area, this particular Fuggles is the original beer café. Personally, I prefer the company’s Tonbridge pub, but living in the town I would say that, wouldn’t I?  My preference isn't just based on location geographical location, but instead is because I find Tunbridge Wells one rather closed in. 

It is housed in a long and quite narrow former shop unit, with little in the way of natural light - apart from what comes in through the front windows. The Tonbridge outlet, on the other hand, is far more a proper pub, than a corridor, with plenty of natural light and a bright and airy feel to it. Don't get me wrong, as both are good, and both serving excellent beer. I also get the feeling that the two outlets have a certain degree of autonomy, regarding the beers stocked, and the food offering – see below. However, if the group manages to source a particularly interesting, or sought after beer, you will normally find it on sale in both outlets.

We arrived shortly after 6pm, and I found myself experiencing mild hunger pangs. Had I been more attentive, I might have suggested we dine at the George. However, I was aware that Fuggles, though not offering full meals, provides an interesting and extensive selection of snack foods. I inquired about hot dogs, but unlike its Tonbridge counterpart, the Tunbridge Wells location lacks the space and equipment for this option. Instead, they recommended a snack known as a "Reuben". The Reuben sandwich is a North American grilled sandwich typically consisting of corned beef, Swiss cheese, and sauerkraut. 

For context, I recall enjoying my first Reuben during a visit to the United States approximately eighteen years ago. At Fuggles, their version was a baguette filled with hot pastrami, accompanied by a generous serving of cornichons—those small, pickled gherkins. Priced reasonably at £9, I decided to try one, and seeing my choice, Eric opted for the same. My food arrived first, and due to limited seating, we ate standing at the bar, enjoying our meal alongside a well-crafted Larkins Pale Ale—a rare offering. True to its name, this beer is pale in colour, differing from the copper-bronze hue that is typical of the other Larkin’s beers. It is also notably well-hopped, as well.

We noticed local CAMRA member Taxi Dave, sitting in the pub, enjoying a pint. He left Fuggles at the same time as us and joined us on the walk down towards the Pantiles. He left us at the bus stop, and we hadn’t gone far when Eric said, we should have done the same. I declined, as I needed the exercise, as well as some fresh air to clear my head, so we carried on downhill, until we reached the historic Pantiles area of Tunbridge Wells. The pub we were making was the Ragged Trousers and as alluded to above is owned by the Fonthill Collective, the same group as the George and the nearby Sussex Arms.

Established in 2006, the Ragged Trousers was founded on a shoestring budget, by a group of five friends. The group were looking for a place close to the Forum, where people could gather for pre-gig drinks and again when the club closed. The Forum is an independent music venue that opened in 1993, and the building it occupies is a former public toilet! The vision that the friends had, extended beyond opening just another watering hole, to one that envisioned transforming the Pantiles from a sleepy shopping area to a bustling destination for events, food, and drinks. If the Pantiles was the slumbering heart of Tunbridge Wells, their pub would be the catalyst to bring the area to life.

Nineteen years later, the friends’ vision has extended beyond their wildest dreams, and today the Ragged Trousers is at the centre of the lively and bustling area that the Pantiles has become. We experienced some of this ourselves, on our way to the pub, and afterwards when we visited the nearby Duke of York. 

The “Ragged,” as the pub is referred to locally, offers a similar range of drinks to the George, with cask ales, craft ales, and signature cocktails alongside authentic French brasserie cuisine and traditional British pub classics. The “Ragged” takes its name from the semi-biographical novel, by Robert Tressell, who based the book on some of his own experiences of poverty and exploitation, during the early 1900's in nearby Hastings. Back in my student days, I remember the book being serialised on Radio Four, and it's  a book that is still on my reading list. Longman Best Bitter, plus Fonthill Good Morning Captain, were the two cask offerings at the Ragged, and we both found the Longman beer to be on good form.

Our final port of call was the nearby Duke of York an early 18^th Century pub, on a prominent corner site, close to the historic Chalybeate spring, that established Tunbridge Wells as a spa town. Its position, right at the heart of the Pantiles, makes the pub stand out, and as an added bonus, the DOY is owned by Fuller’s of Chiswick, brewers of London Pride and ESB (amongst others). 

Like the Ragged, the Duke was heaving, although most of the customers were sat outside, making the most of the UK’s third heatwave, in as many weeks. A bank of five hand-pulls adorns the counter, offering a range of Fuller’s beers that included Pride, ESB, Dark Star and Gale's Seafarers. I opted for the latter, as it’s a beer we don’t often see in Kent – although I did manage to track some down in Portsmouth, earlier in the year. We joined the throng of people sitting outside, most of whom were younger than us. We found out later, that the university summer term had just finished, meaning many students had headed back to their home towns, and villages. 

This snippet of information was relayed by a very pleasant young lady, who got chatting to me whilst Eric headed back inside, to buy another round. She was waiting for her sister, and a couple of friends to arrive, so rather than burying her face in her phone, took the opportunity to talk, instead. 

As a former university student myself, the experience brought back some pleasant, end of term memories. It was a good way to end, what had been a most enjoyable visit to Tunbridge Wells, and the opportunity to sample, and enjoy the whole "Pantiles experience” was certainly not one to be missed. The group of friends, who opened the Ragged Trousers, with that aim in mind, certainly succeeded, helped, of course, by the other similarly minded businesses, who were also attracted to this attractive area of the historic spa town.