Spa Valley Railway

I've been out and about again today, trying to persuade outlets to take our new pub guide. I must say I'm glad I don't earn my living as a salesman as I'm not naturally a pushy person.

This morning I visited the Spa Valley Railway in Tunbridge Wells, as our CAMRA committee thought this prime tourist attraction might be interested in stocking the guide in their shop. They are, in principle, but it has to be done through the right channels. This means a formal written approach through their commercial director. OK I can understand where they're coming from, but why does everything have to be so dam complicated these days?

Speaking of which, I was talking to a couple of the staff in the railway's well-stocked shop, and asked them how the extension of the line down to Eridge was progressing. Well, nearly everything's in place now they told me; the infrastructure's all there, but because their newly-laid section of track runs alongside that of Network Rail. and because they are leasing one of the bay platforms at Eridge station from said organisation, the bureaucracy and red-tape is seriously delaying things. The railway had hoped to be running trains from Tunbridge Wells right through to Eridge, thereby connecting with the national rail network, by spring this year. It now looks as though this will not happen until October, just when things are starting to run down at the end of the tourist season and we head into winter. I really felt for the people who run this attraction. Like most heritage railways they rely almost exclusively on an army of unpaid volunteers. Despite all their hard work, it now looks like they will miss the all-important summer season, through no fault of their own. I wish them well; I don't want to sound like an anorak but if I ever win the lottery and can afford to retire early, I will go down and volunteer myself, as projects like this one really do deserve to succeed!

As a bit of background, the line from Tunbridge Wells West to Eridge only closed in 1985; a victim of the Thatcher government's obsession of trying to make British Rail turn in a profit. Although the West Station was originally constructed as a terminus, a short length of line was laid in the late 19th Century linking it with the town's other station, which used to be called Tunbridge Wells Central. When the line from Tonbridge down to Hastings was electrified in the early 1980's, BR used this as an excuse to sever the connection to the West Station and proposed closing the rest of the line. A severe backlog of maintenance on the Eridge line didn't exactly help either, but many cynics, myself included, believed that the main reason for closure was the substantial area of land occupied by the West Station. Sure enough this land was sold to developers following the line's closure, and a large Sainsbury Superstore now occupies much of the site.

As is so often the case, there was strong local opposition to the closure, but this counted for nothing so far as the then Transport Secretary, Nicholas Ridley was concerned, and he duly approved the closure order. Now, after a gap of over twenty years, trains will soon be running again all the way down to Eridge. This means that local CAMRA members will once again be able to travel by train to the Huntsman pub, next to the station. This former King & Barnes is well worth a visit, especially as Badger Beers are quite rare in this part of the country. It is also worth noting that the Spa Valley run special "real ale" trains, similar to those on the Keighly and Worth Valley Railway, alongside their "fish and chip" specials. The Crown at Groombridge is another fine pub, that is well worth travelling to by train, as is the High Rocks, set in its own spectacular location just outside Tunbridge Wells.

If you are in the area then, it is well worth checking out the Spa Valley Railway.

A Typical Saturday in Tonbridge

I've been out and about a bit today. I was supposed to be out trying to sell copies of our newly published "Gateway to Kent" pub guide. I did manage to sell a few, one to a friend who I met up with in our local Wetherspoons, plus several to the owner of MR Books, a fascinating and slightly quirky independent bookshop, tucked away just off the High Street, near the old market quarter of Tonbridge. I was glad I popped into the bookshop; not only did I have a lengthy and very interesting chat with owner Mark Richardson, but I also managed to pick up a copy of a book I had been looking for for ages. (Now I've got something interesting to read on holiday!)

As well as running his bookshop, Mark is also the author of the Tonbridge Blog, which is a very useful source of gossip regarding what's going on in the town. The comments and feedback also make for interesting reading, especially if they're a bit controversial. Being a former small-business owner myself, we compared notes and swapped a few tales - mainly regarding the incredibly long hours worked by most small-business owners, for very little financial reward.

I was going to pop into the Ivy House afterwards, but decided against it it in the end. The Ivy, as it is known locally, is an attractive old pub, at the top end of the town, that has recently re-opened after an extensive re-fit. It used to be a good "drinkers" pub, but now mainly caters for diners. As I still haven't been in there since the pub re-opened I don't really feel qualified to comment too much, except that I'd heard they are charging £3.50 a pint for their guest beer, and that the food prices are also a "little on the dear side". Quite what Tonbridge will make of the place remains to be seen, but it is either extremely brave or extremely foolhardy to be opening such an upmarket establishment in the middle of a recession. Nevertheless I am pleased that the pub has re-opened and wish the new owners well with their venture.

My main reason for not visiting the Ivy House though, was not one of tightness, rather the fact I'd already had a couple of pints in Wetherspoons. As I knew I would be driving later in the day, I did not wish to imbibe further, for obvious reasons. Having had to endure some of the clientele in Wetherspoons though, I can perhaps understand the Ivy House's new owners policy of charging higher prices; if it keeps the riff-raff, DSS (sorry, taxpayer)-funded underclasses out, then perhaps it is well worth paying the extra! This may sound rather elitist, but my friend and I had to queue for what seemed like forever at the bar to get served in Wetherspoons, as there were not enough staff behind the bar. This is nothing new for mid-morning on a Saturday, and may explain why Spoons manage to keep their prices so low. I can live with that, and the short measure pint I was eventually served with, but I can do without some of the more obnoxious characters that seem to be a permanent, all-day fixture. In the end though, like so many things in life, it boils down to paying your money and taking your choice.

Larkins Brewery

I nipped over to Larkins Brewery yesterday. It's only a short drive from where I work and I wanted to deliver in person the brewery's Trade Tickets for the Great British Beer Festival. Owner and brewer, Bob Dockerty was pleased with the tickets, but doubts he'll be able to spare the time to go. He told me that Larkins have just recorded their best June ever in terms of beer sales, and on top of the pub trade he has been kept busy supplying local beer festivals. The recent SIBA Festival, held in Tonbridge featured four of the company's beers, and Mick the drayman had been over to Canterbury the day before, delivering beer to the Kent Festival.

It is worth recording that this is the 35th such festival to take place under this name, making the Kent Beer Festival the second oldest such event in the country. As far as I am aware, Gill Keay has been the organiser for all 35 festivals, which is a pretty remarkable achievement! Unfortunately, due to family commitments, I will be unable to attend, but the festival, which is held on a farm just outside Canterbury, is one of the most popular and best attended beer bashes in the calendar.

Larkins will also be supplying their beer to the Great British Beer Festival; this year it is their Traditional Ale that has been selected. This 3.4% session beer packs in a taste way above its modest gravity. Bob poured me a pint which I enjoyed whilst we sat and chatted. He has recommenced growing his own hops; the harvest will not be particularly large this season as this is the first year that the bines will have produced a crop. The dry weather has not helped, and Bob told me he was out watering the hop garden the previous evening - by hand!

I love calling in at the brewery, as it is such a laid-back, easy going place. Office Manager, Guy's dog, Humphrey can often be found curled up asleep on a chair in the office, whilst Bob's desk always seems to be buried beneath a pile of well-thumbed Morning Advertisers and other such publications. Being a warm day when I visited, Bob had the rear door of the brewery open, affording a view right across the valley of the aptly named River Eden. This truly is a rural idyll if ever there was one.

Larkins, unfortunately, do not have a website, but the CAMRA Good Beer Guide gives full details of their range of beers. As they carry out their own distribution and do not use wholesalers, their beers are restricted to within a thirty mile radius of the brewery. This means you will have to visit this very pleasant corner of the Garden of England if you want to try them then. If I have tempted any of you, then drop me an e-mail and we can meet up for a pint or two of "Kent's Best Real Ale"!

Gateway to Kent Pub Guide

I had thought that there wasn't much to post about at the moment, but on reflection there's been quite a bit happening behind the scenes. Had a quiet weekend after the rather hectic one the week before. Attended a CAMRA committee meeting last night, held at the Sennockian - Wetherspoons outlet in Sevenoaks. The pub was packed, mainly with youngsters celebrating the end of their exams, but looking at some of the girls in particular. we had to wonder how many of them were of legal drinking age! Having said that, there was no trouble and no real signs of over-intoxication.

The meeting went on longer than intended, but we had a lot of business to get through. It's been an exciting time for the West Kent Branch with the publication of our new "Gateway to Kent" pub guide. Produced in conjunction with our neighbours from Maidstone & Mid-Kent CAMRA, the guide lists 500 real ale pubs across the region, with dozens of full-colour photographs. The guide is not just aimed at CAMRA members, but at the many tourists that visit the area - hence the name "Gateway to Kent".

To assist with this aim, there are articles on walking and cycling in the area - which happen to take in a choice selection of good pubs. Another article concentrates on travelling to the pub by bus or train, plus of course the usual campaigning articles about CAMRA, real ale and real pubs. At just £4.99 it represents terrific value for money.

My contribution to the guide was rather modest; consisting of carrying out some pub surveys and writing a couple of articles, but after the hard work put in by the editorial team and the guide committee, the equally hard task of selling the guide now has to be undertaken. Some members are off to Canterbury this coming weekend, where the 35th Kent Beer Festival is taking place. I will be visiting the Spa Valley Railway, in Tunbridge Wells, to try and sell some copies to this preserved Heritage Railway. That's apart from getting on with decorating the spare room, and finishing the preparation for our new patio - you know, all the domestic, but very necessary stuff that still needs doing!

By the way, copies of the guide will be available from CAMRA Headquarters, and will be on sale at the Great British Beer Festival. Copies can also be ordered through the branch.

Three Beer Festivals and a Trip North

It's been a very hectic seven days. Last week saw me making a whistle stop business trip to West Yorkshire, whilst back home there were three local beer festivals on over the weekend. This coupled with the long awaited publication of the "Gateway to Kent Pub Guide", meant that my feet have hardly touched the ground recently. Now that I've had time to catch my breath, it's worth looking back over these events.

I didn't get much chance for some serious ale-supping in Yorkshire. The two business colleagues I travelled up with are not really cask-beer drinkers, and by the time we found our hotel in the small pleasant town of Brighouse, checked in and enjoyed an excellent Italian meal in the adjoining restaurant, there wasn't much of the evening left. The local Wetherspoons though was quite a revelation, being a conversion of a Grade II listed, former Methodist Chapel. If you are ever in the area, then check out the Richard Oastler. They had a good range of local ales on sale, including offerings from Goose Eye and Elland Breweries. There just wasn't the time to sample as many of them as I would have liked! Our business visit the following morning, to nearby Elland, was also successful, and was well worth making the 500 mile round trip for.

As mentioned earlier, there were three beer festivals taking place back home. The first was the 3rd SIBA South East of England Beer Festival which this year was hosted by Tonbridge Juddians Rugby Club. The previous two events were held at the former Whitbread Hop Farm (now known as the Hop Farm Country Park), near Paddock Wood. Tonbridge, with its excellent rail connections is a much better place to hold such an event and whilst not actively invovled with the organisation of the festival, West Kent CAMRA were invited along to assist, where necessary, and to run a stall promoting both the campaign and our newly launched pub guide.

I was there on the Friday evening, which was perhaps a bit quiet for the opening night, but there was a good atmosphere and some cracking beers on offer. For the number of people who attended over the 3 days there were far too many beers (100 + from 30 different breweries) but it is worth remembering that these SIBA events are primarily run as competitions for their members, and with some eight different categories of beer to be judged many breweries will supply quite a range of beers in order to enter as many categories as possible. The beers are also supplied at the brewer's own expense, so any financial losses to SIBA, and the host organisation, are kept to a minimum. Even so, for a beer lover like myself it is heart-breaking to see so much unsold beer left over at the end of an event.

On Saturday, a number of us did a similar spell at a beer festival in nearby Sevenoaks. This event was organised by the local Lions Club, as part of the Sevenoaks Festival and, with just 30 firkins of beer, was a far more modest affair. As a CAMRA branch we had tried to disuade the organisers of this festival from holding their event over the same weekend as the Tonbridge one, but their hands were tied by the dates of the town festival. and the availability of the venue. As their first attempt at such an event though it was quite successful, and I understand is likely to be repeated.

A local pub was also holding a festival; the Beacon at Rusthall, just outside Tunbridge Wells ran their own, slightly more modest event. A couple of branch members were present at this do as well, once again promoting CAMRA and selling our new guide.

The three events did stretch our resources to the limit though, and I think in the end worked against each other by spreading the attendance of drinkers too thinly. We were quite pleased though in having sold around 100 of our guides, but next year please can the organisers of these events try and avoid clashing if at all possible?

Another Friday, Another Ramble, Another Pub

I've had one more day's leave to use up, and fancying another long weekend booked last Friday off. I arranged to meet up with two companions who I'd done the walk to Plaxtol with the previous week. The plan this time was less ambitious; we would walk across country, to the Dovecote at Capel.

There had been thunder overnight and the air was still very warm and humid when we set off. We walked up through the Somerhill Estate, crossing the bridge overlooking the ornamental lake, and then on through the park and up the hill towards Somerhill House. For non-local readers, the Somerhill Estate is the former manor house and surrounding parkland, which up until comparatively recent times, was the principal manorial estate, controlling a large part of both south Tonbridge and the nearby village of Tudeley. Today the imposing stone-built, Jacobean-style country house is home to a private school, but as various footpaths criss-cross the area, much of the estate is open to the public.

We passed the school by means of a sunken pathway, lined on both sides by a high stone wall. One of my friends told me that this type of structure was constructed to prevent livestock gaining access to the grounds of the house, without spoiling the landowner's view with a wall or fence. It seemed a pretty expensive means of keeping tabs on your cattle to me, but when you're Lord of the Manor, then I suppose money's no object! We passed through some woods and an orchard before crossing a field of ripening barley. We swore that we could detect a malty smell in the air, which may have been due to the effect of the high temperature and humidity on the maturing grain. It certainly had us anticipating the pint awaiting at the end of our journey!

We stopped en route at the tiny All Saints Church in Tudeley, to admire the contemporary stained glass windows which are the work of Russian emigre artist, Marc Chagall. The windows were originally commissioned by the then owners of Somerhill House, Sir Henry and Lady d'Avigdor Goldsmid, in memory of their daughter Sarah, who died tragically in 1963 as the result of a sailing accident. She was only 21.

The church was being decorated for a wedding, and it was nice and cool inside. We were tempted to linger, but the thought of that pint drove us on and we continued across another barley field, and then through a paddock. We crossed the busy B2017 road close to the George & Dragon, an attractive old weather- boarded inn. We would have popped in if the pub had been open, but as there were still some minutes to go until opening time we carried on. We walked through another churchyard, this time that of St Thomas a Becket at Capel. The church is no longer in regular use, although occasional services, such as weddings and funerals are conducted there.

Eventually we reached our goal, and passed inside for a welcoming pint. The Dovecote is not that much to look at from the outside. I was going to take a photo for the blog, but the pub's sign is currently being re-painted, and without this feature there is little to suggest that this row of white-painted cottages is home to one of the best pubs in this part of Kent.

The Dovecote serves its cask beers by gravity. The casks are housed in a temperature-controlled room behind the bar, and the special long cask taps pass through the wall into false wooden barrel fronts, mounted on the wall. The result is a perfectly served pint, kept at the ideal temperature. Harveys Best, Young's Bitter, Taylor's Landlord and Gales HSB were the beers on sale that day. I started with the Youngs before moving on to the Landlord. One member of our party stuck on the HSB for the whole session, but I find this beer a bit too malty for my taste.

We sat outside on the partially covered patio, at the rear of the pub, soaking up the hazy sunshine whilst enjoying our pints. We treated ourselves to a light lunch; my prawn baguette with chips was especially nice. The pub was bustling with a good mix of both diners and drinkers, proving that even in a recession pubs offering the right mix of good beer, good food and good service will continue to do well.

We walked back by a slightly different route, climbing up through orchards and then into woodland. Some of the sweet chestnuts had been copppiced recently, and we came across a workshop in a clearing, where the poles were being made into fencing posts and other useful items. Eventually we picked up the path again through the back of the Somerhill Estate. We noted, with some amusement, the wooden shelter built to protect the little darlings from the elements whilst they wait for mummy or daddy to collect them after school in the family Mercedes, or "Chelsea Tractor", but all joking aside I am glad the former manor house is being put to good use. (Just think, it could have become the headquarters of a religious cult, or a training camp for fundamentalist extremists!).

A short while later we were back in Tonbridge. Although it had only been a relatively short walk ( seven or eight miles at most), the high levels of humidity had made it seam a lot longer. It is a walk however, that I intend to repeat in the not too distant future.

A Good End to the Week

I managed to get away from work last Friday and enjoyed a glorious day's rambling in the Kent countryside. Four of us did the walk, travelling by bus to the village of Mereworth, and then climbing up through the woods that are named after the village. Despite having lived in this part of Kent for thirty odd years, this was the first time I had walked up through the woods which cover this section of the Greensand Ridge. What was particularly appealing was the number of isolated dwellings, set down narrow side roads seemingly miles from anywhere, that we came across. We were especially taken with the aptly named Keeper's Cottage, set in a clearing all on its own - like something out of a Brothers Grimm fairy tale.

Eventually we left the shelter of the trees passing through orchards instead. This small area of the county is the centre of the Kent Cobnut growing industry and it was good to see the trees already laden with small, immature nuts indicating a good harvest come September. Our destination was the Golding Hop, a wonderfully unspoilt pub, in an idyllic rural setting, which lies on the opposite side of the Bourne Valley. We reached our goal shortly before one o'clock, and entered keen to sample one or more of the gravity-drawn beers.

The choice that Friday included Adnams Bitter, Thwaites Nutty Slack Mild, Marstons Ashes, plus a beer from Springhead Brewery, who's name escapes me. For those not in the know, the Golding Hop is run by Eddie and his wife Sonia, and has been for the past twenty five years or so. The pub itself is built into the side of a hill, overlooking a narrow lane, and is over 300 years old. As mentioned earlier, the beers are served by gravity from casks stillaged in a room behind the bar. The Golding Hop is also famed for its cider, and as well as varieties like Westons the pub produces its own "rough cider", from a recipe that has been handed down over the years from one licensee to the next.

We sat outside on the small terrace in front of the pub, enjoying the late spring sunshine, but in winter the interior of the pub, with its low beamed ceilings and wood-burning stove is equally appealling. On the other side of the lane is an extensive garden, complete with swings and climbing frame for the kids, plus a large car-park; such is the popularity of the Golding Hop on summer weekends. A small, limited menu offers basic pub-grub of the chips and baked beans with everything variety. The food is good value though, as are the beers. The most expensive were the Adnams and the Marstons at £2.60 a pint; the Thwaites was the cheapest at just £2.20, with the Springhead somewhere in between. With these prices it is hard to believe towns like Sevenoaks are just a short distance away, whilst London itself can't be more than thirty miles distant!

We reluctantly said goodbye to the Golding Hop just after the 3pm closing time, and set off to walk into the nearby village of Plaxtol. On the way we passed some very attractive and expensive looking properties, and before entering the village were rewarded with some spectacular views across the Bourne Valley. Plaxtol itself is quite a large village but without an obvious centre. We passed the former Rorty Crankle pub, now sadly a private dwelling, before coming upon the Papermakers Arms.

We hadn't intended to stop for another pint at this stage, but the pub was open and looked very inviting. It is probably getting on for thirty years since I last had a pint in the Papermakers so a return visit was long overdue. Internally the pub has one large bar, divided into two distinct halves. The servery is to the right, whilst to the left is a carpeted area, complete with a red-beige pool table, plus some comfortable sofas. Leading off from here is the pub's dining area. Two cask ales were on offer, Harveys Best - dispensed from a cask behind the bar, plus Timothy Taylors Landlord. We opted for the latter, price £3.10 a pint, and in excellent condition.

We were the only customers in the pub that afternoon, but we had an interesting chat with the landlady, who told us she was planing to switch over to gravity dispense, using a system similar to that of the Halfway House at Brenchley. The food menu at the Papermakers looked good and reasonably priced, with fish cooked in beer batter their speciality. At the rear of the pub is an attractive and well-laid out garden area, with a" play cottage" for the kids. We were all impressed with the pub, and were glad we called in.

It was onwards, and in this case, downwards to our final destination, the Swan on the Green at West Peckhham. First we had to get there though, so we descended down towards the valley of the River Bourne. which in reality is nothing more than a stream. We were joined on this section of the walk by a mother and her two boys, plus the family dog, who were making their way home from school. The mother confirmed we were on the right path, and we walked with them towards their family home. When we parted company, we all thought how refreshing (and unusual) in this day and age of molly-coddling children, to walk home with them, across the fields through some very attractive countryside, instead of turning up at the school gate to whisk them home in the family 4x4!

Climbing up the other side of the River Bourne, we made our way along the Greensand Way, which follows the line of the ridge of the same name. We passed fields of both strawberries and raspberries, the latter ripening under large poly-tunnels. This is a renowned soft fruit growing area, being ideally suited with warm south-facing slopes and easy draining soils. Eventually, just before 6 o'clock opening time, we reached the tiny village of West Peckham. This really is a settlement on the road to nowhere; a turning off the Mereworth-Plaxtol road leads into the village and stops abruptly at the attractive village green. The latter has a cricket pitch, and is overlooked by the small church plus, of course, the village pub.

The Swan in the Green is a brew-pub, and has been so since the start of the millennium. A range of 10 different beers are brewed in the small micro-brewery at the rear of the pub, including a mild, a porter and a lager, which complement the various bitters and pale ales that are the pub's mainstay. What's more, the beers are all realistically priced. Having consumed a fair amount of beer already that day, I sensibly stuck to the weakest beer on offer the Fuggles, which as its name suggests is a well-hoped session beer at 3.6%, costing a very reasonable £2.50 a pint. My companions tried a couple of the stronger bitters, which included Cygnet at 4.2% and Bewick at 5.3%. The latter was still good value at £2.90. I can thoroughly recommend the Swan; despite having an accent on food at one end of the pub, it still functions as a village local. Drinkers are every bit as welcome as diners, and the pub-brewed beers are well worth sampling.

We left the Swan whilst it was still light, and walked back along the road to Mereworth. Here we were just in time for the 8.40pm bus back to Tonbridge, although we nearly boarded a bus taking a group of weary fruit-pickers back to their accommodation by mistake. It had been a truly excellent day out, and one that had taken us through some magnificent countryside. The fact that such unspoilt rural vistas are virtually on our doorstep made us realise just how lucky we are living in this part of the country. That there are still some wonderfully unspoilt and thriving pubs around, selling good beer at reasonable prices makes me feel that well-run rural pubs still have a future. I could go on to contrast the prices we found on our walk with those encountered just a couple of days previously, and only a dozen or so miles away, but I appreciate I have waffled on long enough. Thank-you for your patience; I hope you have enjoyed my description of our walk through the Garden of England.