Chichester, second time around

Right, here we go with an account of the day that Stafford Paul and I spent in Chichester, in the company of Dave and Joan Southworth. As alluded to in the previous post, the couple were spending some time in the UK, a country I discovered they have been visiting for the past couple of decades. Paul had arranged to meet up with the pair, and had asked if I would like to join the group for a couple of days exploring the pubs of both Chichester and nearby Portsmouth. The Fountain, in South Street, Chichester, was the pre-arranged meeting point, because of its proximity to the railway station. The Fountain is bright and airy, with staff that come across as welcome and friendly.  It is also the first establishment in Chichester that son Matthew and I had visited 15 months previously, and fortunately it seemed largely unchanged, and this applies to the separate bar at the rear of the building, as well.

My train arrived, shortly after midday, so after a brisk stroll through the chilly streets, I made my way to this pleasant, Hall & Woodhouse pub. Paul was waiting for me at the pub, and through the window, I could see him waiting in the front bar. He bought me a very welcome pint of Badger Best, a beer that is something of a rarity in Kent, these days. Paul explained that due to constraints of Progressive Beer Duty (a scheme originally introduced to assist small brewer, start-ups, to get a foothold in the market),  Hall & Woodhouse have stopped selling draught beer into the free trade, and now only supply their own pubs. (They still provide bottled beer to supermarkets, though).

Shortly after, Joan and Dave arrived, and following a brief introduction, we all adjourned to a nearby table, where we could sit and chat, whilst enjoying our drinks.  We also had a good view of the various comings and goings at the bar. The couple had been in England for a while, and had spent some time in Bath, before driving across to Chichester. They’d found an Airbnb place where they would be basing themselves for next part of this particular UK trip. Dave and Joan were amicable and engaging, and it was good to make their acquaintance. Before long it seemed as if we had known each other for a long time.

Paul had sketched out a loose itinerary for us to follow, which first involved finding a pub where we could eat. That was the point where I brought up the online “ribbing” I had received from Cooking Lager, a character that Dave is quite familiar with after browsing various UK based beer blogs. The Bell Inn, at the far end of North Street, and just beyond the northern boundary of the inner ring road, was the pub earmarked for lunch, but with the pub observing the once common practice of afternoon closing, we knew that we’d have to be quick. Paul and I led the way, as we headed up passed the Chichester Cross, before risking life and limb attempting to cross the busy ring road, although had we been a little more observant, we’d have noticed the presence of a handy, and much safer underpass.

The Bell prides itself on being one of the more traditional pubs in Chichester, although that description could easily apply to several other pubs in the city. Its white-painted exterior gives way to a cosy and comfortable interior featuring exposed brickwork, wood panelling, and plenty of oak beams, but its downside was the limited opening times, during the day. According to What Pub, opening times are very much linked to performances at the nearby Festival Theatre. Paul and I arrived some time ahead of Dave and Joan and ordered ourselves a pint each. British IPA from Bowman Ales hit the spot, although I have to confess, I had completely forgotten about this Hampshire brewery, who have been around since 2006.

Aware that the Bell closes for the afternoon, we thought it wise to order lunch. Paul chose a chicken curry and knowing my fondness for pies, brought the “Pie of the Day” option on the menu, to my attention. This was when the barman reminded us of the 2pm closing time. No pressure, then? I’m not a person who likes rushing his food, so taking into account preparation and cooking time, I opted for something that was simpler, and quicker to cook. A plate of cheesy chips was a poor substitute for a pie, but it was the right choice given the way the bar staff started clearing away plates and tidying tables, as the 2 o’clock deadline approached. Dave and Joan had arrived by this time, but unfortunately, they had missed the kitchen closing deadline and had to make do with a few packets of crisps. Obviously, the pub does what it knows will work best, but such an early, end of week closing didn’t make much sense to us. This was a shame, as the Bell had a nice, cosy feel to it, and it would have been nice to have stayed a while longer.

So, where to next? And the answer came in the form of the Park Tavern located opposite the city’s Priory Park. Matthew and I had missed out last time, on this attractive, white painted Fuller’s pub, with its cosy, and welcoming, bare board interior, divided into a number of more intimate, drinking areas. As well as beers from the Fuller’s and Gales’s stable, a guest ale from Butcombe took my fancy, especially as it was a new one for me to “tick” on Untappd. Adam Henson’s Rare Breed Pale Ale ticked all the right boxes, in spite of its modest 3.8% strength, and proved a perfect mid-afternoon pint. If you’ve watched BBC’s Countryfile over the years, you will know about Adam Henson, who has inherited his father’s passion and determination to help save some of the country’s rarest breeds of farm animals from extinction.

If the Park Tavern was a relaxing place to spend a chilly, mid-February afternoon, then the same, and more, could be said of the nearby Hole in the Wall. As well as a beer range drawn from a number of highly respected, independent brewers, the pub offers several beers from Esher (posh Surrey) based, Big Smoke Brew Co. I made the same mistake as I did on my previous visit, by failing to spot the other bank of hand pulls, plus the wall of keg taps, to the left of the brick pillar that divides up the bar counter. Missing out on a half dozen or so Big Smoke beers, I opted instead for a pint of Tacoma American Pale Ale from 360° Brewing.

The pub was ticking over nicely and was just the place for a late afternoon session, except that it wasn’t a session. I was increasingly conscious that I hadn’t yet checked into my overnight accommodation, which was the Chichester Inn, on the other side of the city. Actually, not far away, at all, and as I’d phoned the pub earlier that day, to confirm I was definitely coming that day, there wasn’t any real hurry.  Apart from the fact I was feeling a little peckish, because all I’d had to eat that day was a couple of slices of toast, plus that bowl of cheesy chips.

We took the decision to head off to the Chichester Inn so that I could check in, and get a decent meal down my neck, but this is where everything becomes a little hazy. I say that because I can’t remember whether Dave and Joan came with us or headed back to their Airbnb. I suspect the latter, but remain unsure, the beer perhaps having finally addled my brain. I’ve pieced together the rest of the evening’s events from the times shown on my photos.

To start with, check-in, go up to my room, unpack (not that there was much to do there, as I travelled very lightly), phone home and catch up with Mrs PBT’s, and then go back down to the bar where I joined Stafford Paul for a chicken burger and chips, plus a pint of Langham Session IPA. We both turned in early, and in my case, I was tucked up in bed before 9pm. I’m not sure why I felt so tired, although I had experienced a rather hectic few days at work, in the run up to this trip. 

My room was warm, cosy and comfortable, as the photo shows, and the following morning I was raring to go. We’ll leave things there for now, and catch up in the next post, which is all about Portsmouth – the second, and final destination on this two-day mini-break.