South Downs Way - Middle Leg, Day One

Having walked the first stage of the South Downs Way last year, my friend Eric and I have just returned from the next stage of the walk, which for us was four days' walking from Clayton to Buriton. Last Monday therefore, we caught the early morning train from our home in Tonbridge to Hassocks (near Brighton), which allowed us to re-join the trail at Clayton; the point where we had finished up at last year.

The weather was bright and sunny, but with a strong easterly wind blowing - something we would be glad of later. Despite each carrying heavy rucksacks, we made good progress and by lunchtime were at the well-known local beauty spot of Devil's Dyke. Our original intention had been to press on towards Fulking and then drop down off the escarpment in order to visit the Shepherd and Dog at the foot of the downs. A look at the map though showed us the folly of this plan, which would have meant a steep descent of several hundred feet, followed by an equally steep climb, after the pub stop, back up to the trail. The spacious, modern-looking, Devil's Dyke Inn at the head of the dyke therefore seemed a better compromise, even if it is the sort of place that appeals in the main to car-borne visitors.

Unfortunately the only cask beer on sale that lunchtime was Shepherd Neame Spitfire, as according to the barman the Harveys had only been delivered that morning. Having compromised on the pub we compromised a bit on the beer. Spitfire is definitely not my favourite pint, so I opted for Staropramen lager instead. Eric joined me, but at 5% we decided that one pint was enough before setting off towards our stop for the evening, the attractive small town of Steyning.

This section of the walk is across classic downland terrain of short springy turf, with very few trees, but with the strong easterly wind behind us we made good progress. We sheltered in the lea of a large barn to eat our sandwiches, before eventually beginning the long descent down into the valley of the River Adur. The South Downs are dissected by several valleys, some formed by rivers, whilst other, now dry valleys were formed by glacial melt-waters. These valleys, which typically run from North to South, form communication gaps through the downs and are usually occupied by roads and sometimes railways. The long descent down to the valley floor inevitably means a long ascent back up the other side. Although all three of our overnight stops were in settlements situated in the valleys, there are other places along the trail that involve these changes in altitude, and this we found was quite a feature of this particular section of the trail.

Once down from the escarpment, we crossed the Adur by means of a footbridge, and then switched footpaths: the Downs Link path, as its name suggests, is a path linking the South Downs with those in the north. For the approach into Steyning, the path follows the course of a disused railway line, one of many closed by Dr Beeching. We found our bed and breakfast accommodation without too much trouble, and after dropping our rucksacks and freshening up we set off to explore this attractive town.

The Good Beer Guide listed Chequers Inn proved the ideal refreshment stop. The Dark Star Best and the Timothy Taylor's Landlord were both excellent, as was the home-made steak and ale pie. What we especially liked about the Chequers was the fact that it has two bars. Thus the younger crowd in the larger bar could play pool and watch the football without disturbing the conversation in the smaller right-hand bar. After our meal, we got into conversation with a Belgian lad from East Flanders, who was walking the trail in the opposite direction to ourselves. As well as swapping travellers tales, he was able to confirm that our next night's accommodation stop, the Sportsman at Amberley, was everything we hoped it would be.

We left the Chequers shortly before closing time, a little weary and slightly footsore after our first day's walk. It had been a good re-introduction to the delights of the South Downs. A cup of coffee before bed, followed by a good night's sleep set us up ready for the following day's stretch of the trail, from Steyning to Amberley.

A Few Thoughts On Returning Home.

Well my companion and I have returned safe and sound, if a little footsore and stiff, from our short break walking on the South Downs. Despite the forecast the weather was kind (mainly dull and overcast, but dry apart from the last half hour on the last day!). The scenery (when we weren't engulfed in cloud) was superb, the places we stayed in were all first class, as were the pubs we visited. Between us there was not a single bad pint or a sub-standard meal to be had, and we met some really nice people over the course of the four days (both on and off the trail). In short, the break has restored my faith in the countryside and its people, and has given my friend and I an appetite to complete the final leg of the South Downs Way as soon as possible, and then to cast our eyes further afield.

Now we are back though, how different this all seems from our home town. Once a thriving market town, Tonbridge has been spoiled by its closeness to London. Not only has it increasingly become a dormitory town for commuters who work in the City, but its proximity to the capital has led to an influx of not just people, but more especially attitudes, that seem far more typical of "souf London" than a Kentish market town. This point was brought home to us when we compared the nice, characterful places we were visiting (especially the pubs), with what we have back home.

When we alighted at Tonbridge station last night, stiff and sore from over fifty miles of walking in the glorious Sussex countryside, neither of us could think of a suitable hostelry in which to toast the success of our walk. Instead we wished each other goodnight and wandered off back to our respective families. Although this could be viewed as depressing, the thought that there still are unspoilt pubs in picturesque small towns and villages, just a short journey away from here means that, for the moment at least, I'm going to keep on smiling!

South Downs Way

Next week I'm off for a few days walking on the South Downs. My friend Eric and I are planning to walk the next stage of the South Downs Way - a long distance footpath that runs from Eastbourne in East Sussex to Winchester in Hampshire; a distance of about 100 miles.

Last May we spent three days walking the first stretch from Eastbourne to Clayton, and this year we will be re-joining the trail at Clayton to spend four days walking to Buriton, near Petersfield in Hampshire. This will leave a two day stage to complete later in the year. We could, of course, have walked the entire trail in one go, but it seemed easier to break it up into logical sections, with departure and arrival points that can easily be reached by public transport.

Although we will be staying in bed and breakfast accommodation (including one pub), we will still have to carry our spare clothing and other bits and pieces on our backs. This should not be a problem looking back on last year's walk. The one thing we are hoping for though, is an improvement in the weather - it is not much fun walking across the exposed tops of the Downs in the driving rain!

The idea for this walk came about three years ago. I had just started my new job, but my wife and I were still owners of the Cask & Glass in Tonbridge. Eric was managing the shop for us during the day, whilst I was at work, but I then had the joy of running the business evenings and weekends. It was a bit of a stressful time, so by way of something to look forward to, once the business had been sold, we promised ourselves that we would walk the South Downs Way. I have walked most of the trail before, but that was many years ago. I was a teenager then, and belonged to a youth group that used to go off Youth Hosteling in areas like the South Downs and the Peak District. After a gap of almost 40 years though, I'm sure most of the walk will look new and unfamiliar.

I must admit I am really looking forward to next week's walk through the Sussex countryside. Our respective wives will no doubt be glad to see the back of us for a few days, and who knows we may even find the odd pub or two to pop into along the way!

Duff Beer

Although I've been served many indifferent pints over the years, the occasions where I've actually had to return a pint as undrinkable are, thankfully, few and far between. Unfortunately last weekend I had just one of those experiences; as did the friends I was with at the time.

The incident happened in a Shepherd Neame pub, in a nearby town. I was the only member of our group who had not drank there before; the others had, albeit quite a few years ago. I am not a great fan of Shep's these days, as to my mind they appear to have changed the recipe of their beers some time around the late 1980's. Prior to this Shep's Bitter had a wonderful, almost floral hoppiness that when served in tip-top condition was one of the finest beers around. Nowadays, that taste seems to have been replaced by a harsh bitterness, which I find particularly unpleasant, especially as the beer seems to be fermented right out to dryness, with very little residual malt sweetness remaining. I may be a fussy old so and so, but there are plenty of other drinkers who share my views on Sheps.

This aside, having previously visited two other nearby pubs and enjoyed beers of the highest quality, I went with the flow and decided to give this attractive looking Sheps pub a try. On entering we were surprised to see four cask Shepherd Neame ales on sale.

My friends and I all plumped for the seasonal offering, which I believe was called "Dragon's Fire" (I'm not 100% certain of this, and the beer is not listed on the company's website). We retired to a comfortable corner of the pub and sat down to enjoy our beer, only to find to a man (plus a woman) that it was pure malt vinegar. Undeterred, we returned to the bar and pointed out this unfortunate fact to the lady behind the bar. She may have been the landlady, or she may just have been a barmaid, but when she ventured the old chestnut that she had been serving that beer all day, without complaint, then the alarm bells started ringing.

She asked if we wanted a different beer. My friend and his wife opted for Bishop's Finger. Myself, plus our other companion decided to play safe and go for the Master Brew. Surely the pub must sell enough of Shep's bog-standard bitter to avoid it sitting around and turning sour we surmised. Wrong! It too tasted like the stuff you put on your chips, as did the Bishop's Finger. My friend's wife had already asked for her half of Bishop's Finger to be changed, as it was the first glass pulled from the pumps, so when her replacement beer came back tasting equally vile it was the final straw. The barmaid/landlady was viewing us now with outright hostility, as were some of the lager-swilling locals.

We should have course demanded our money back, but up until that point had had an excellent day out and really did not want to spoil it with a slanging match. We decided to cut our losses, plonked our glasses down on the table, and without saying a word turned round and walked out.
Hopefully this action was not lost on the bar-person, but as she was "quids in" on the transaction I don't suppose she really cared.

I ought to name and shame the pub concerned, but a letter to the brewery might be a better idea. I can accept that a pub with a slow turn-over of cask beer might have trouble keeping it in good nick; if so why have four on sale? The only beer we didn't try was the Spitfire, but if three out of four were bad I wouldn't want to take the risk.

To restore our faith in Sheps, we enjoyed a couple of well-kept pints of Master Brew in the Nelson Arms, when we returned to Tonbridge. This back-street pub, where again many of the locals were drinking lager, sensibly had just the one cask beer on sale - I rest my case.

Drinking in the Medway Towns

After visiting Nelson Brewery in Chatham the other Saturday, myself and fellow West Kent CAMRA members had the rest of the day in which to explore the Medway Towns. Before going any further I have to say that Chatham is a really run down and depressing place, with an awful mis-match of different architectural styles, including a hideous 1970' shopping centre. It is also very unfriendly towards pedestrians. Nearby Rochester, on the other hand, is a complete contrast with a bustling High Street full of interesting shops and crowded out with tourists and shoppers. The city trades a bit on its Dickensian connections, but that’s no bad thing. Rochester also has a cathedral and an imposing Norman castle, built originally to guard the crossing over the Medway.

Our first port of call though, after leaving the brewery, was the King George V pub in nearby Brompton. This former naval pub dates back to the 17th Century and still retains plenty of character. There was an interesting range of beers on sale, which included Harveys Mild, plus Wychwood Dragon’s Bite. In addition a selection of over 40 bottled Belgian beers was available, together with a large range of single malt whiskies. Most of us took advantage of the excellent value for money lunches on offer, and it was a shame to have to leave this excellent pub. Brompton, despite its proximity to Chatham, has a village-like feel to it. By-passed by main roads it seems a quiet and pleasant place to live. I noticed two other pubs close-by, but unfortunately there wasn’t time to explore them on this trip.

We headed into Rochester, passing through the depressing centre of Chatham as quickly as possible. En route we were rewarded with a panoramic view of the Medway Estuary, before descending the hill into Rochester itself. Despite getting a little lost we managed to find our way to the Good Beer Guide listed Good Intent. Tucked away on a housing estate, the pub serves all its real ales by gravity, drawn direct from casks stillaged behind the bar. At the time of our visit, brews from 1648 Brewery featured strongly on the beer menu, along with a guest ale from Cotleigh. The Good Intent is run by an enterprising Greek landlord, and we marvelled as he single-handedly man-handled a new cask into place on the stillage.

The Man of Kent, with its attractive tiled frontage advertising Style & Winch Ltd - Fine Ales & Stout, was our next port of call, and is literally just round the corner from the Good Intent. The residents of this part of Rochester are fortunate indeed to have these two Good Beer Guide listed pubs in such close proximity to each other. As befits a pub with the name Kent in its title, the Man of Kent specialises in beers from Kentish micro-breweries; in fact it offers the widest selection of local ales in the county. At the time of our visit, beers from Goachers, Millis, Ramsgate and Whitstable breweries were on sale. There was also draught Paulaner Helles and Kuppers Kolsch from Germany alongside three draught Belgian fruit beers. The Gadds beers were very good, as was the Dark Lager, brewed by Meantime Brewery in Greenwich. I wasn’t brave enough try the 6.7% abv Goachers Old Ale, which was dispensed from a small pin on the bar, but one member of our party ordered a pint not realising at the time how strong it was!

What I particularly liked about the Man of Kent, apart from the excellent beer of course, was the good mix of customers, ranging from students to pensioners, and all ages in between. With its slightly off-beat, Bohemian atmosphere this back-street pub was for me the find of the trip on a day that had already highlighted two other excellent pubs. I will certainly be making a return visit next time I am in Rochester.

Eventually it was time to leave and make our way back to the station. We had one other pub to visit before the day was over, but this pub was quite a train ride away and much closer to home. Most of us had travelled to Chatham via the Medway Valley line. For the return trip we caught the London Victoria service, changing at Swanley onto the Darenth Valley line. Our destination was the Crown at Otford, which just happened to be holding a beer festival! This was taking place in the garden at the rear of the pub, and being the closest weekend to St George’s Day, beers with England’s Patron Saint as their theme featured prominently on the list. Other attractions included a barbecue (which was very welcome), a better than average pub band, (with a guitarist complete with leopard-skin trousers!) and a fire-eater!

Despite the respite of the train journey I was a bit “beer’ed out” by now, so limited myself to a pint of Hog’s Back St George’s Ale, plus a couple of burgers to help soak up some of the excess ale. We left in time to catch the last but one train back to Tonbridge, after what had been a long, but very enjoyable day out.

Nelson Brewery Trip

Last Saturday, along with 15 fellow local CAMRA branch members, I visited Nelson Brewery in Chatham. I’m not going to write too much here about the brewery, as there isn’t that much to write about. Suffice to say that Nelson are based in the Historic Former Naval Dockyard in the town and have been brewing since 1995.

The company started life as the Flagship brewery (Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar was, of course HMS Victory, and Victory was constructed at Chatham), but changed its name to Nelson in 2004 following a change in ownership. The current owners PiersMacDonald, and his partner Val, acquired the business in 2006, and since then have re-vamped some of the beers and have tweaked the recipes of others to ensure a more consistentproduct. No brewing sugars are used in the beers, and only the finest pale malt, produced in a traditional floor-maltings at Warminster, together with whole-leaf hops are used to brew the beers. All the Nelson beers have a naval theme to them, with names like Powder Monkey, Dog Watch Stout, England Expects, plus probably their best known beer Friggin in the Riggin.

There is never that much to see when visiting a micro-brewery and Nelson was no exception.The brewery is housed in one of the former workshops of this sprawling site. To say that the brewery looked rather chaotic would be an understatement, but Piers explained he was in the process of moving things around inside to allow the installation of a recently acquired 10-barrel plant, which will double the size of the brewery. His problem at the moment is finding the time to install this new equipment, as he is currently brewing flat out in order to keep up with the demand for his beers

Piers talked us through the brewing process, with particular emphasis on how Nelson brew their beers, and Val then explained about the importance of bottled beer to the company. She should know as she personally fills and caps each bottle by hand, and what’s more she hand labels them as well! Bottled beers account for some 20% of Nelson’s trade, with ASDA taking the lion’s share.

I am not quite certain of the time we left the brewery, but before we departed we were each presented with a souvenir glass. The rest of the day was spent visiting a few local hostelries - more about that in a later post!

Wetherspoons Beer Festival

Apart from last weekend I haven't managed to sample that many of the Beer Festival offerings at our local Wetherspoons. I popped in quite early last Saturday and typically, seeing as I needed to drive later on that day, there were several beers that I would have liked to have tried. These included Wild Blue Yonder from Oregon, Palm Steenbrugge Blond from Belgium and Sinebrychoff Porter from Finland.

I risked a half of the latter with the aim of popping back in the early evening. Unfortunately, this plan never quite materialised, and it wasn't until the following day that I was able to re-visit. Even more unfortunately, all three of the aforementioned beers had sold out, and the selection that Sunday included a few too many fruit-flavoured offerings for my liking. Perhaps it is just me, but I feel that we don't quite get these beers right here in the UK. Having said that whilst I may have the occasional Belgian Kriek or Framozen they are not the sort of beers I wish to drink a lot of.

I therefore gave the Sharps Red Sloe Ale and the Caledonian Raspberry Fool a miss. The Brains Dark and the St Peters Golden Ale were both good though, and it was nice to be able to sit outside and drink them. A glass of the Sinebrychoff Porter would have been really nice to finish up on, but I can perhaps understand the pub's management wanting to put some of the more exotic beers on for the Saturday. I just hope they weren't wasted on the Fosters-swilling crowd that frequents our Wetherspoons later on in the evening.

I'm off to visit Nelson Brewery at Chatham, this Saturday, along with other members of West Kent CAMRA. We'll possibly end up at a Wetherspons somewhere, I just hope there's some Sinebrychoff and Wild Blue Yonder on sale!