No More "Disgusted - Tunbridge Wells". Pt. Three

Royal Oak - well worth making a detour to visit

Looking back at previous posts I realised I have yet to finish my series on the pubs of Tunbridge Wells. So without further ado, here is the third and final part. We will be starting from the same place as last time; namely the town’s railway station.

The main focus of attention for this post is the Pantiles area of Tunbridge Wells; the historic area around the Chalybeate Spring from where the town gets its name and from where the town originally grew and expanded out from. However, before heading down the High Street towards the Pantiles, there is a pub, slightly off the beaten track which we need to visit first.

The Royal Oak is an attractive pub which stands on the crossroads of Prospect Road and Calverley Road. It is well worth the 10 minute hike up the hill from the station to reach this tardis-like Victorian era pub with its island bar, secluded areas and comfortable seating, as not only does it offer an excellent range of interesting beers, but it is also quite quirky in nature with a character all of its own. The Royal Oak is ably run by Yvonne, who is also a fully qualified chef. As well as the excellent beer, the Oak regularly stages live music evenings featuring local bands and musicians. Another feature is the popular"film afternoons", which normally take place on a Sunday.

Sundial - King Charles the Martyr

Harvey’s Best is the regular beer, but Yvonne often has beers on from the likes of Larkins, Dark Star, Whitstable, Turners and various other brews drawn from either  Kent or neighbouring Sussex. Traditional ciders from Biddenden or Dudda's Tun, are also available.  Mini-beer festivals, often complemented by live acts, are another feature well worth looking out for and another good reason to visit the pub.

From the Royal Oak, head back down towards the station and then turn left and continue along the High Street. Alternatively, if you are feeling confident try your luck at navigating through the maze of narrow, but rather charming back streets which make up the “Village” area of Tunbridge Wells. Either way we are making for the Pantiles, and if you follow  these routes downhill you will reach this historic part of the town. On your way down, take some time out to look at the Church of King Charles the Martyr; the town’s oldest church and also the oldest permanent structure in Tunbridge Wells. It is the only church in the country to be named after  the hapless Charles Stuart , who of course least his head following defeat in the English Civil War.

Pantiles on a summer's evening

Formerly known as The Walks and the (Royal) Parade, The Pantiles is a Georgian colonnade which leads along from the well that gave the town its name. The area was created following the discovery of a chalybeate spring in the early 17th century and is now a popular tourist attraction. The Pantiles today includes a variety of specialist shops, art galleries, cafés, restaurants and bars.

The first pub you will come to is the Ragged Trousers; a former shop which only became a pub in 2006. Housed in one of the historic colonnaded building which line the upper side of the Pantiles Walk, the “Trousers” is a long narrow building with an entrance at both ends. Majoring on well-kept cask-ale, the pub is a keen supporter of the South Downs based Long Man Brewery, but also regularly features local legend Larkins. 

The Ragged Trousers

The pub is really popular and can get very crowded, particularly at weekends. During the summer months it is nice to sit outside, under the veranda-like colonnade which runs the length of the parade of shops and businesses; indeed I can think of few better places in Tunbridge Wells to enjoy a beer or two, with friends, on a warm summer’s evening.

Almost opposite the Ragged Trousers is the Duke of York. Now owned by Fullers, this former Whitbread pub is an attractive Grade Two-listed building which fronts onto the square at the centre of the Pantiles. Quite a small pub, with an “L” shaped bar and a bright and airy feel, the Duke of York is a good place to enjoy a few of the rarer beers from Fullers, and is also a good place to generally watch the world go by. If you want to get up right close to the action going on outside, then there is plenty of outdoor seating; a feature which is useful when the pub gets really busy.

Duke of York

In the centre of the aforementioned square, and overlooked by the Duke of York, is one of the newest drinking establishments in Tunbridge Wells. Housed in the former South East England Tourist Information Office, Sankey’s  Champagne & Seafood Bar is not strictly a pub, but is nevertheless a welcome addition to the local drinking scene. Said to be based on traditional London-style Oyster bars, the bar features marble table tops and antique hanging lights. Drink takes the form of Champagne and wines by the glass, and food is defined by the finest lobsters, crabs and fresh wet fish. I haven’t visited myself, as I’m not a fan of champagne or oysters, although I am rather partial to crab.However, it is easy to see in to Sankey's through the large, plain glass picture windows, and the punters inside all seem to be enjoying themselves.

Sankey's Champagne & Seafood Bar

It’s a short walk around the corner to the Pantiles Tap, the penultimate pub on this tour, and although the newest one in terms of opening, probably one of the oldest in relation to its age. Sited in the former beer cellars of what was reputed to be Tunbridge Wells’s oldest hotel "The Gloster Tavern" , the Pantiles Tap is partly underground, and with its stripped-back, bare-brick walls, tiled floors and old original fireplaces, reminds me of a couple of pubs in Prague.

Despite some on-line research, I have been unable to discover anything about the Gloster Hotel; particularly when  it closed and why, but as the buildings above the cellars appear much more modern, I would imagine this subterranean section is all that remains of the original hotel. Last year, the Grade Two-listed cellars were turned into the current pub by Geoff Wentworth and his partner Jo, with the “Tap” opening for business late in November 2014. It appears to be doing well, with 6 cask lines, 6 keg lines and 2 ciders, to tempt local drinkers and beer enthusiasts, and is another welcome addition to the local beer scene.

Interior - Pantiles Tap

The final pub on the Pantiles is the Sussex Arms, tucked away down Sussex Mews behind the local auction house. I have written before about this once legendary pub, which thanks to its former licensees, Dennis and Barbara Lane, had a unique character all of its own.  Indeed up until 1987, when the Lane’s left the pub, no visit to Tunbridge Wells was complete without popping into the "Sussex Shades" as it was known locally.

The Sussex was a freehouse in the true sense of the word. Along with a variety of different beers, Harvey’s PA was always available, together with XXXX Old Ale in winter. During such times, a welcoming coal fire was kept burning in the grate. The pub wasn't a classic so far as architecture was concerned, although it did date back to the 17th Century. It was furnished with artefacts purchased from the nearby auction rooms; the collection of chamber pots was legendary. So too were the number of locks on the front door - alleged to number 27 in total!


In 1987 the Pantiles area was earmarked by the local council for what amounted to "gentrification", and with the redevelopment work going on all around them, Dennis and Barbara decided to call it a day, and sold up in the autumn of that year. The Sussex ended up by being completely gutted, and turned into a trendy pub aimed at the youth market. Plans for it to brew its own beer came to nothing, and eventually the pub was sold to Greene King. The area immediately surrounding the pub was opened up, and it is now no longer "tucked away" in the way it once was. Back in December 2012, I posted about the Sussex Arms, in some detail, here.

Sussex Arms

The re-developed Sussex has definitely mellowed over the last quarter of a century, and today the pub has a pleasant, covered outdoor drinking area, plus a rarely used basement function bar, reached via some rather steep stairs.  The toilets are down here as well.  The ground floor has a large U-shaped bar with a games area to the right. The latter includes a rare bar billiards table. The combination of three open fires and traditional wooden flooring makes for a very cosy feel in the winter months. The beer choice is from Greene King, plus a number of regularly changing guest ales, which typically include offerings from breweries such as Long Man or Ramsgate.

This is effectively the end of the tour, but a quick mention should be made of the Grey Lady Music Lounge, which is right at the far end of the Pantiles. If you’re a music fan, then this establishment offers jazz, blues and other music genres from top class professionals in attractive and interesting surroundings.I can't vouch for the place personally, but my wife has been there a couple of times and enjoyed both the food and the music.

An Old Favourite

The lad and I were over in Tunbridge Wells earlier this evening, for a spot of late night shopping. Actually it only involved popping into a well-known camera shop to collect a pre-ordered compact camera. That was enough shopping as far as I was concerned, but mission accomplished it was time for a bite to eat.

The town’s Wetherspoon’s outlet, the Opera House, is just a few hundred yards from the shopping centre, and today being Curry Night it seemed rude not to pop in for a quick ruby. We timed our visit well, arriving shortly after 7pm, as although the pub was starting to fill up, we still managed to find a table.

Food selection made (lamb rogan josh for me; chicken balti for the boy), it was up to the bar. Matthew opted for a pint of Carling (don’t say anything!), whilst I fancied a pint of the Dark Star American Pale. I hadn’t noticed that old  JDW trick of the  “Coming Soon” sticker on the pump-clip, so had to opt for something else. There at the end of the row of pumps, was a clip advertising a beer many of us went out of our way to drink back in the late 1980’s; Exmoor Gold.

I can’t remember the last time I drank a pint of it, but it must have been several years ago. However, I was glad of my choice and the beer went down very well with my curry. At 4.5%, this pioneering golden ale tasted every bit as good as I remember it. Its floral hop notes pitched against a soft underlying maltiness, reminded me as to why this beer was such a sensation when it was launched back in 1986. Straw-coloured bitters, such as Boddingtons, Stones and Shipstones had been around for many years, but most bitters back then were brown in colour. A golden ale was a real revelation, and Exmoor Gold set the bar for a whole host of imitators to follow.

Nowadays, Golden Ale is a recognised style, but if it hadn’t have been for Exmoor  Ales bold experiment, we might not have seen the likes of Hop Back Summer Lightning and all the other beers which followed. I am rather glad that the Dark Star beer wasn’t ready earlier; otherwise I would not have renewed my acquaintance with an old favourite from my younger days.

The Night Before

On Monday evening I attended the British Guild of Beer Writers Pre-Great British Beer Festival Reception. The event took place at the Loose Cannon, a large cavernous establishment, housed in three adjoining and rather imposing Victorian railway arches, directly underneath Cannon Street station.

This was the first such function I have attended, having only joined the Beer Writers Guild last year, and I have to say I really enjoyed it. I’m not sure how many years this reception has been held for, but it is traditionally regarded as the start of what for many is quite a beery week. With the trade session taking place the following day at the Great British Beer Festival, followed by the festival opening its doors to the public the same evening, the event is an obvious prelude to a hectic five days of beer sampling and enjoyment.

Unfortunately, unless I decide to pay an evening visit, I won’t be going along to GBBF. With two recent foreign holidays under my belt, and a couple of others in the pipeline, I am running low on annual leave. I am not too bothered though, as in recent years I have found the event to be just too large and way too crowded. With a reported 800 beers available at Olympia, it is difficult to know where to start. It may seem perverse to say so, but sometimes one can have too much choice!

The reception in full swing

Returning to Monday evening’s get together, I arrived shortly after the event opened its doors; having travelled up, by train, straight from work. There was already quite a crowd present, including several prominent people I recognised as representing the great and the good amongst the UK’s beer writing fraternity. Without wishing to name-drop too much, I spotted CAMRA Good Beer Guide editor, Roger Protz, Guild Chairman Tim Hampson, veteran CAMRA National Executive members, John and Christine Cryne, journalist, PR person and beer blogger, Sophie Atherton, plus Michael Hardman, one of the original four founders of the Campaign for Real Ale.

On a more personal level it was great to bump into fellow long-serving CAMRA member and veteran beer blogger, Tandleman, who was in town for his usual stint behind the foreign beer bar (Bieres sans Frontiers) at GBBF.  I also made my acquaintance with Dave Bailey, who as well as running the innovative and successful Hardknott Brewery, up in the Lake District, is a fellow blogger of repute. Later on, I spent some time chatting to Martin Kemp who, in partnership with Rob Jones, ran the pioneering Pitfield Beer Shop, and later brewery, in the Hoxton area of north London.

After the two won Champion Beer of Britain with Dark Star back in 1987, Rob went on to form the Dark Star Brewery, which began life in the cellar of the Evening Star pub in Brighton. The company are now one of the biggest breweries in Sussex. Martin stayed with Pitfield and in 2008 moved the brewery out to rural Essex, as rents in London were becoming uneconomic.He also runs a pub in Newmarket, Suffolk.

So what about the beer at the Pre-Great British Beer Festival Reception? There was cask in the form of Dark Star, Ilkley, Okells and Shepherd Neame, alongside an interesting collection of strong bottled beers courtesy of, amongst others, the Left Hand Brewing Company of Longmont, Colorado. Nitro, a 6.0% ABV milk stout looked interesting, but I plumped for the excellent Black Jack Porter. At 6.8% ABV, it certainly packed a punch, but alongside this was a rich, dark chocolate porter, with bags of flavour.

Packing a real punch - Black Jack Porter

I didn’t start on these strong beers; instead I worked my way up through several of the cask ales. Foremost was Summer a 4.0%, refreshing dark golden ale from Ilkley Brewery, bursting with tropical fruit flavours. This was the perfect beer to start on. I then moved on to The Invader, a 4.0% Rye Pale Ale from the same brewery. This was another excellent beer which, as its name suggests, includes a proportion of rye in the grist. I also tried two beers from Isle of Man brewers, Okells; Saison 4.5% and Manx Pale Ale (MPA) 3.5%. Shepherd Neame had a golden version of their best-selling Spitfire Ale on sale, but I gave that one a miss.

An excellent, hot finger buffet was provided to help soak up the beer, so all in all it was a really good evening. It was especially good to meet up for a chat with Tandleman, and also with Dave Bailey and Martin Kemp. I left shortly before 10pm, and caught the train home from nearby Cannon Street station. My thanks to the Cask Marque; the organisers and sponsors of the function, and to the Guild members who helped stage the event. I will certainly be booking my place for next year.

A Quiet Start to August

It’s been a quiet start to the month, with not much to report on the local beer and pub scene. Last Saturday saw my wife, son and I heading down to the coast; to Bexhill on Sea to be precise for a family get together at the well appointed and even better situated Cooden Beach Hotel.

Literally on the beach - The Cooden Beach Hotel

As the name might suggest, this establishment is literally on the beach, or as close as physically possible without being in the sea. The function was scheduled to start at 5pm. We arrived just before 4pm, and after parking the car, headed to the bar for a drink. I t was a hot day, so we took our drinks outside and, as I hinted earlier, the tables were at the top of the shingle bank overlooking the beach and the English Channel. It was nice sitting there soaking up the sun and watching the waves crashing below us. I was driving so stuck to lime and soda water; a soft drink which I find perfectly acceptable, as it is not too sugar-laden or worse still, loaded with artificial sweeteners.

Looking along the coast towards Beachy Head

We moved inside as the other members of the party started arriving; a shame really as I would much preferred to have spent the rest of the evening in the open air. When I accompanied my son to the bar, I saw, lurking in the corner, a hand-pump for Harvey’s Sussex, which I hadn’t noticed earlier. I treated myself to a pint; just the one because of the driving. It was surprisingly good, especially in view of the fact the pump was tucked away in the corner. I later noticed several people drinking it, including one group who seemed to be on first name terms with the bar staff. This was a good sign and further endorsement that the beer was being well looked after and, just as important, being turned over. 

Hotel bars have come a long way since the bad old days of keg only, but I couldn’t help think that a decent quality premium lager, such as Pilsner Urquell, or even one of the better class Italian brands, would have enhanced the bar and completed the line-up. My son is a lager drinker, but was happy to stick with the Carling. A shame, as he enjoys a decent pint of Czech or German pilsner.

Anyway, if you ever find yourself down on the south coast and fancy a little luxury, in a glorious setting, then you could go a lot worse than popping in to the Cooden Beach Hotel. We certainly enjoyed our brief visit.

I spent much of the following day in my garden. I have a couple of major projects on the go, so it was good to have a virtually uninterrupted day working on them. By late afternoon though, despite having drank umpteen cups of tea, I felt in need of something a little stronger and a touch more refreshing. I had arranged to pick our son up from the station, following his shift at work. I also had a stack of bottles, cans and paper to take down to the recycling banks, so deciding to kill two birds with one stone, I loaded the car up and drove the short distance into the centre of town. 

Recycling complete, as well as a bit of last minute shopping, I found myself with around 45 minutes to spare before collecting Matthew from the station. Calling in for a pint at the Humphrey Bean, our local Wetherspoon’s, seemed the obvious thing to do and, as luck would have it, there was an excellent range of beers on. Actually, seeing as I was driving, it wasn't particularly lucky as for reasons of legality and safety I was restricted to just the one beer.

Renowned London brewers, Portobello were showcasing a range of their beers in a “tap takeover” at the Bean. The beer which caught my eye was the 4.0% VPA (Very Pale Ale), and had I not been driving I would have been tempted by a couple of the others, (Pale and Market Porter). The pub was remarkably empty for a Sunday afternoon, so I was served more or less straight away. I soon discovered though that most of the punters were sitting out in the substantial garden at the rear of the pub which, of course was where I was heading.

A glimpse of the Bean's garden

The garden is one of the main attractions of the Humphrey Bean; especially at this time of year. It is “L”-shaped and extends back behind both the pub and  the car-park. A mesh-screen fence separates the garden for a path known locally as the “River Walk”, which runs alongside the River Medway. The ancient walls of Tonbridge Castle are visible on the opposite bank, and they are over-looked by the imposing bulk of the castle’s 13^th Century gatehouse. In warm, sunny weather, I can think of few more pleasant places to sit in the centre of the town. The sun was really fierce, so I found a shady spot to enjoy my cool refreshing pint of VPA, before receiving a text to say my son was on his way.

The following evening I caught the train over to Sevenoaks, in order to attend my local CAMRA branch’s bi-monthly business meeting. These alternate between the three main towns covered by West Kent CAMRA; namely Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells. A favoured location in Sevenoaks is the 16^th Century Chequers; at the top end of the High Street. The pub is relatively quiet on a Monday, and has the added attraction of cask ales being sold for just £2.50 a pint!

Amongst local favourites Harvey’s and Westerham, plus long-standing guest ale, St Austell Tribute, I spotted a beer from a brewery I hadn't come across before. Blonde from the Backyard Brewhouse, was a crisp, hoppy platinum-blonde beer, weighing in at 4.1% ABV, which made it the ideal session bitter. It was really enjoyable and was the best beer I sampled that evening.

Following the meeting, many of those present adjourned to the nearby Anchor, but a number of us stayed put in the Chequers, knowing full well that with work the following day, a visit to the other pub would not be a good idea on a Monday evening. I was pleased that I stuck to this, as the following day at work, a colleague told me that, as I suspected, it had indeed been a late night at the Anchor.

Two Fine Czech Brew-Pubs

There are now over 20 brew-pubs in Prague; I’ve visited just under half of them, which isn’t bad going, and the list includes, of course, U Fleků – the world’s oldest brew-pub. However, whilst one might expect the capital of the world’s greatest beer drinking nation to have a good sprinkling of such establishments, I was very impressed by two excellent brew-pubs I visited, in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. This area is some distance from Prague, so is unlikely to be directly influenced by what is going on in the capital. It was therefore all the more satisfying to find these two places which were unashamedly ploughing their own furrows.

The visits to these pubs took place as part of the trip I made, back in May, with a group of friends from Maidstone CAMRA. We were based in Jihlava; a city which is almost in the geographical centre of the Czech Republic, close to the historic border between Bohemia and Moravia. I have covered the trip in some detail in previous posts, but a look back on the trip, plus a spot of on-line research, made me appreciate just how good these two brew-pubs really were.

We actually visited both establishments on our first evening in Jihlava; the first was in the town of Třebič, which was a 45 minute bus ride away, whilst the second was in Jihlava itself. We had journeyed to Jihlava earlier that day, by bus from Prague, and after checking into our respective hotels (given the size of our group we were split between three different ones), we reconvened at the bus station in time to board the 17.15 bus to Třebič. Due to road works the bus was forced to detour down some rather narrow roads and into a wooded valley, so the journey ended up taking slightly longer. I was in no hurry, as the ride opened my eyes to the attractive local countryside with its rolling hills and winding roads, lined with fruit trees, in this area, known as the Czech Moravian Highlands.

Třebič

Eventually we pulled into Třebič, a largish town with an interesting, but rather tragic history. Like many towns in the region Třebič had a thriving Jewish community, but as with so many others in Central Europe this was virtually wiped out in WWII during the Nazi occupation. The Holocaust was obviously an act of pure evil, but the Nazi’s other poisonous legacy was the stirring up of hatred between the Czechoslovak and the German communities in the country; communities which, with their Jewish neighbours, had peacefully co-existed  for centuries.

At the end of the war the Czechs and Slovaks took revenge on their German-speaking neighbours, who they accused of assisting with the Nazi occupation; forcibly expelling around 3 million people of German descent. Many of these folk had been their neighbours prior to the war, and many were from families who had lived in Czechoslovakia for hundreds of years. Today, as in much of the country, there are few traces of these former communities, but in Třebič the Jewish Quarter and the Jewish Cemetery remain, and are included in the UNESCO list of world cultural and natural heritage sites.

Exterior Podklášterní pivovar Třebíč

The main part of the town lay across the river; on the opposite bank to the bus station, and it was here, on a hill in a semi-rural setting, that the Podklášterní pivovar Třebíč  Brew-Pub complex was situated. It was a bit of a hike up to there, but I was just following the rest of the group. Fortunately our tour organiser had done his homework in advance, and we arrived at our destination without any trouble. It was a pleasant evening for walking and as we ascended the hill, we turned off up a path and eventually came to what had once been a monastery. The brew-pub was just up from there; one of several buildings overlooking the former-monastery.

Across the courtyard was what appeared to be a car showroom, with some very impressive looking vintage Jaguars on display. The whole set up looked a rather incongruous and definitely out of place in this semi-rural setting. Looking later at one of the beer mats I picked up in the pub, I noticed an advertisement for Jaguar cars on the rear. I later discovered, from the Podklášterní pivovar Třebíč website, that the place was actually a Jaguar museum.  However, beer rather than cars was on the minds of most of the party, so we entered the pub, through a lobby, and found ourselves in a spacious building with a high ceiling. I suspect the building had once been a barn, but it had been converted to house a beer hall with a small bar in one corner.

Interior Podklášterní pivovar Třebíč

We sat down at three adjoining tables situated along the far wall of the pub, and here we were given menus (in English). Fortunately our tour leader spoke sufficient Czech to get by, but as we were later to discover, German, rather than English, is often the second language in this southern part of the Czech Republic; a legacy perhaps of pre-war days, although more likely due to the area’s proximity to the border with Austria.

Apart from our relatively large party, there was a handful of locals in the pub which, given its isolated setting on the edge of town was slightly surprising. People would have needed to walk there as it didn’t appear to be on any bus routes. Still, I know quite a few Biergartens in Munich where arrival on foot or by bike are the only options, and given the liking for beer which the Czechs have, surpassing even that of their westerly neighbours, I am sure a stroll up the hill in order to enjoy a few tasty mugs of beer at this excellent brew-pub, would be no great hardship.

Podklášterní pivovar Třebíč sells its beers under the “Urban” trademark. The regular beers are 11° Světlŷ Ležák “Urban”, 12° Světlŷ Ležák “Urban”, 13° Polotmavŷ  Ležák “Urban”, 12° Red Ale “Cornel”, plus various specials brews. I tried the 12° and the 13°, and both were excellent. One member of our party spotted a Rauchbier as a “special” on the beer menu, but unfortunately there was insufficient time for me to sample it.

What I particularly liked was the efficiency of the pub. There were 13 people in our party and yet the food all arrived promptly and the beer flowed freely. Like the beer, the food was excellent, and I really enjoyed my meal of pork steak and chanterelles with tagliatelle.  I would have been more than happy to have spent the whole evening there, but the last bus back to Jihlava left at 8.15pm and unless we fancied spending the night in Třebič, it was essential that we were on it.

The bus ride back to Jihlava was basically the outward journey in reverse, although by the time we arrived back it was dark. Our beery evening was set to continue though with a visit to Jihlava’s own brew-pub, Radnicni Jihlava, which forms part of an up-market restaurant overlooking the town’s main square. The actual brewpub is situated in an old cellar, in the basement of the building, but primarily because of the loud music being played down there, we decided to remain upstairs.

Radnicni Jihlava

Over the course of our stay in Jihlava we managed to visit this establishment on three nights out of four, and ended up trying virtually all the beers. Like its counterpart in Třebíč, Radnicni Jihlava was also quite innovative, with a core range of beers which were complemented by occasional brews. The latter were available in bottle form, rather than draught, and one evening we managed between us to clear out the restaurant’s entire refrigerated stock of Radniční speciál: IPA 15°. The fridges had been replenished by the following evening, but the waitresses got the message that we really liked this Czech interpretation of a traditional British beer style.

We ate at Radnicni Jihlava on our second evening in Jihlava, and I have to say my Schnitzel with potato salad was really good. The regular beers were Ignác - světlý ležák 12° (Pilsner) and Zikmund - polotmavý speciál 13° (Semi-dark).They were complemented by a quite bitter-tasting, single-hop ale. A look at the brew-pub’s website (Czech version, as the English language site is very basic), shows the brewery produces an extensive range of different beer styles, including Porter, Biére de Garde, Oatmeal Stout, plus various single-hop ales. On our last evening in the town, we tried the bottled Radniční speciál: Maibock 15°, which was excellent.

Both these brew-pubs demonstrate an astonishing degree of innovation and an impressive range of different beers and styles. This is light years removed from the usual (German) model of a light (Helles), a dark (Dunkles) plus a wheat beer (Weizen), which characterises most European establishments. The local Czechs are certainly lucky to have such places.

As I said at the beginning, I don’t think any of us realised just how innovative these two establishments were. I hadn’t done any of the pre-trip research I would normally do, as this tour wasn’t my pigeon. Instead I was relying on our party leader who, it must be said, did a really good job in organising the accommodation and transport arrangements. I was just content, for once, to go with the flow. However, if I ever find myself back in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic, I will certainly make a point of returning to these two excellent brew-pubs.

The Kent Beer Festival plus a Surprise Meeting

There are now 32 breweries operating in Kent, and several more are reported as being on the way. All 32 currently operating breweries were represented at this year’s Kent Beer Festival; the 41^st to be precise, and last Friday I made the journey to Merton Farm, just outside Canterbury, where the festival takes place.

This Friday lunchtime visit has become an annual event for my local West Kent CAMRA branch, so in the company of five friends we caught the 10.51 train to the cathedral city and then, by means of a pre-booked taxi, travelled out to the rural delights of Merton Farm and its famous cowshed. The weather this year was quite a contrast to 2014’s searing heat. Heavy rain was forecast for later in the day, and whilst it didn’t materialise as early as forecast, it still made for a very wet end to our time in the city and for the walk home from the station.

This year the bars had been divided up into three, with one specifically for "Kent Breweries", one entitled “Dark & Fruity”, with the third reserved for “National Brewers”. The latter was perhaps an unfortunate term to use, as it brought back memories (bad ones), of the former “Big Six” national brewers; a more accurate heading would have been “Brewers from the rest of the UK”. Anyway, that’s just me being pedantic, as it was pretty obvious from looking at the programme what was meant by the term.

General view inside the cowshed

There was already quite a queue for glasses and tokens when we arrived; and that was before the first “free” shuttle bus had arrived from the city centre and disgorged its horde of thirsty punters. Fortunately, two friends had managed to arrive early, and had grabbed a table, plus eight chairs. We therefore had a base at which to park ourselves as we got down to the business of some serious supping.

I had downloaded a list of beers available on all three bars and, as in previous years, had made a decision to stick mainly to the Kentish ones. There were several new kids on the block, including Attwell’s (cloudy), G2 (very astringent), and Romney Marsh (rather good).Also new on the Kentish scene were Isla Vale and Gemstone, but I didn’t get to sample either of these.

My trip across to the Dark & Fruity Bar turned up the excellent Black Prince Porter from Bexley Brewery, the equally good Marmalady Orange from Grafton Brewery (the only non-Kentish ale I drank), plus a real turn up forth books from Shepherd Neame, in the form of Red Sails Cherry Porter. Although only 4% ABV, this dark beer was packed full of Kent Morello Cherries,  making a good combination with the porter, and proving that Shep’s can make a decent beer if they want to.

Beer of the Festival, for me, was Cattle Shed 4.5% ABV. This is a new beer, launched at the festival, from Old Dairy. It was a classic combination of biscuity English barley malt and citrus American hops; another winner from this Tenterden-based company. My only regret was their Dark Side of the Moo – a 7.0% Imperial Stout had sold out the night before.

The bar section of the cowshed

The festival was noticeably busier than last year; in fact attendances seem to be up year on year. This did mean the rows of tables were packed quite tightly together, making it difficult for anyone without a sylph-like figure to squeeze between the rows.We left the festival just after 4pm, when it closes in preparation for the manically-busy, ticket-only, evening session. 

Before leaving though I bumped into Erlangernick, who I had met in Nuremberg six weeks previously, and who very kindly took me on guided tour of some of Franconia’s best Bierkellers. It was one of those strange moments as we were literally standing next to each other at the bar, when we both turned round in recognition.

I quickly introduced him to my friends and he accompanied us back into Canterbury. Our first stop was the excellent New Inn; a Victorian terraced pub, situated down a back-street close to the city walls. This was my first visit to this excellent pub, although Erlangernick had been there before. A couple of my friends had as well, and as we gathered in the cosy front part of the pub, watching the rain outside growing heavier and heavier, we enjoyed some friendly banter, and swapped notes, with a drinker who had travelled down from Yorkshire specifically to attend the festival.

The excellent New Inn

The beer in the New Inn was excellent, and included Adnams Ghost Ship, Fuller’s Seafarer and Kent Beyond the Pale. I went for the latter; probably not the wisest of moves givens its 5.4% ABV. Later I tried a half of a beer whose name I am still trying to remember, but there was a bird depicted on the pumpclip.

The main part of our group departed for the Foundry, but I had visions of it being very crowded (it was apparently). Erlangernick and I decided to head for the Bell & Crown; a former Truman pub I have walked past on numerous occasions, but have never ventured inside. My companion recommended it, as he had been there the night before. It turned out to be a wise choice, with a good mixed crowd of people and a decent range of beers. Unfortunately, the drink had caught up with me by this point, and apart from the well-hopped and refreshing 3.8 % Gadd’s Festivale which I enjoyed, I cannot recollect any of the other beers.

Eventually, the time came for my departure; probably not a bad thing in view of the amount of beer I’d consumed, but a shame in another as I had been enjoying my conversation with Erlangernick. I said farewell, and left him to find the way back to his hotel, before trudging off through the rain to rejoin my companions and take the train home. It had certainly been a good day out as well as one with a surprise and totally unexpected meeting; confirmation, as if it was needed, of the saying  about it being “A small world.”

The Compasses - Littley Green

The Compasses - Littley Green

In my post about the former Essex Brewers, T.J. Ridley & Sons, I wrote about a visit I made to their brewery at Hartford End, to the north of Chelmsford, and to the company’s brewery-tap; the unspoilt Compasses at Littley Green, a tiny hamlet just a mile or so from the brewery.

That visit took place in 1990 and whilst I did make a short return visit to the Compasses, a year or so later, I have longed desired to make another one. Ridley’s, of course, ceased brewing back in 2005, following the takeover of the company by Greene King, but it wasn’t until I began the research needed to bring my article about the firm up to date that I discovered that whilst the brewery has long since closed, the Compasses is very much alive and kicking; and what’s more it’s now owned and run by one of the sons of the Ridley family who were directly involved with the company right up until its sale to Greene King. I also discovered that another son had started his own brewery, and although he wasn’t allowed to use the Ridley’s name directly, he named his company after the family’s most famous ancestor, Bishop Nicholas Ridley, who was burnt at the stake for heresy, in 1555 during the reign of Queen Mary.

A return visit to the Compasses therefore was crying out to be made, and I made my intention to do this quite clear in this article, posted back in April. I was finally able to make this visit last Friday, when I broke my journey up to Norfolk, where I was going to visit my father, in order to call in for a quick lunchtime pint, plus a bite to eat at this lovely old country pub.I was able to do this because of a change from my normal travel routine. Instead of making the journey early Saturday morning, I decided to leave shortly after midday the day before, as this would allow me to make a lunchtime visit to the Compasses, whilst still being at dad’s house in time for tea. Unfortunately I hadn’t factored in the traffic, which is often notoriously heavy on a Friday afternoon. The signs weren’t looking good when I joined the queue at the Dartford Crossing, and after the traffic ground to a halt in the tunnel itself for a while, I resigned myself to a long journey.

The brewery, in happier times

The traffic did clear the other side of the river, but I then learned of further problems ahead on the A12 Chelmsford Bypass; the very same route I needed to take before turning off to Littley Green. The pub’s website informed me that the Compasses was open all day on a Friday, but would not be serving food after 2.30pm.  This then was the time to aim for and, in the end, I managed it with about 15 minutes to spare. I had planned on stopping by the old Ridley’s Brewery and taking a few photos, but decided against this in view of the tight time schedule. However, as I drove towards Hartford End and the River Chelmer, I was rewarded with a view of the brewery buildings, still standing behind the bright blue-painted wooden hoardings which now surround the site, but looking very sad and forlorn. I understand they are due to be converted into apartments, so at least part of this historic country brewery will still remain for future generations to appreciate.

Drinking al fresco

I turned right, immediately opposite the brewery, and headed off towards Littley Green. I had forgotten what a narrow road it was, but fortunately I didn’t meet any traffic travelling in the opposite direction. I turned left at the T-junction at the top of the road, and there it was, on the left; the lovely old red-brick building that is the Compasses pub. I pulled up and reversed the car into one of the spaces opposite, and walked over to the pub.Being a hot summer’s day, there were a couple of groups of people sitting outside, and whilst I would normally have joined them, (I love al fresco drinking when the weather allows), I wanted to savour and experience the pub and see if it had changed much.

Interior

Fortunately the Compasses was more or less as I remembered it, even though my last visit must have been a quarter of a century ago. The bar layout follows the shape of the building which is a long narrow middle section with extensions at both ends, sticking out at right angles. The serving area is in the middle, and being a rural pub this area has a tiled floor. A step up to the right was an area more or less cut off from the rest of the pub. Clad partly in blue-painted match boarding, and decorated with some old posters and photos this is the section I remember sitting in with my CAMRA colleagues, enjoying our beer and food, all those years ago.

Main bar area

There is a further section at the opposite end of the pub, but this is more open and not as isolated. I am not sure if this area was open to the public 25 years ago, as it may have been part of the licensees’ living quarters. After my look around, I sat myself down in the main part of the pub, opposite the bar and waited for my food to arrive. I had already bought a pint of Bishop Nick Ridley’s Rite; a traditional light bitter with an ABV of 3.6%, which made it an ideal quaffing ale. There was also a stronger Bishop Nick beer on sale in the form of the 5.0% ABV Martyr IPA, plus Welland Valley Mild 3.6% from Great Oakley Brewery. In addition, there were beers from Box Steam, Tripple fff and Skinners (Betty Stogs). The latter is a regular beer in the pub’s beer range. A number of traditional ciders were also on sale.

Gravity dispense

All the cask beers are served by gravity, direct from casks stillaged in a temperature-controlled room out the back. A window allows the curious to pep in, so being nosey I just had to have a look and take a couple of photos. This chilled room is a new addition as, although the beer was served by gravity back in 1990, there was no temperature control or artificial cooling in place back then.

The food I had ordered came in the form of a "Huffer". Traditionally a Huffer was a half a loaf of bread that agricultural workers would take with them each day, stuffed with a selection of fillings. Today, Huffers take the form of a triangular bap filled with a variety of fresh local ingredients. My ham salad Huffer was certainly the perfect accompaniment to my pint of beer. Nice though the beer was, I decided against an additional half pint; a wise decision in view of the long drive ahead of me. Instead I bought a bottle of Bishop Nick Heresy; a 4.0% ABV golden ale, to drink later.

The famous "Huffer"

I was reluctant to leave the Compasses. Not only was my visit good from the nostalgia point of view, but it was also good to see a thriving and well-run country pub, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, bustling with customers, all enjoying good beer, and equally good food, in the plain and simple surroundings of an unspoilt rural alehouse.

For those contemplating a longer stay, it is worth noting that the Compasses offers overnight accommodation in five comfortable and well-appointed rooms in a building adjacent to the pub. It is also worth noting that the pub’s connections with its former owning brewery continues, as the Compasses is owned today by Joss Ridley, who bought the pub in 2008 and has tastefully expanded and improved it during the intervening years. Bishop Nick ales are brewed in nearby Braintree by his brother Nelion. Finally the Compasses website, and the pubs overnight rooms, have been designed by Joss’s sister Alice Ridley, making the whole operation a real family concern.

Do make a point of calling in if you are in the area or, like me, are able to make the detour to Littley Green. I promise you won’t be disappointed.