Ashdown Forest by Vintage Bus

Hundred Acre Wood - Ashdown Forest

On Saturday I joined a group of friends from Maidstone & Mid-Kent CAMRA on their annual Vintage Bus Trip. The branch has been running these trips for quite a few years now. They normally take place in the autumn and, as might be guessed, involve visiting a few pubs in a location outside the branch area.

This year’s trip was to the fringes of Ashdown Forest; a place which just happens to be on the edge of the West Kent CAMRA branch area. This was handy for me as I was picked up in Tonbridge, as the bus passed through.

Veteran CAMRA member, and vintage bus enthusiast, Roland Graves provided the transport in the form of a rather splendid 1960’s coach. He also acted as our chauffeur, along with another bus enthusiast friend. Our journey took us through Tunbridge Wells and Groombridge, and then across the border into Sussex. After passing  through the tiny hamlet of Withyam we turned off in a southerly direction and up onto the Forest itself.

Before going any further, a word or two about the area we were visiting: Ashdown Forest is an ancient area of tranquil open heathland occupying the highest sandy ridge-top of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It lies some 30 miles south of London in the county of East Sussex. Its heights, which rise to an altitude of 732 feet above sea level, provide expansive views across the wooded hills of the Weald to the chalk escarpments of the North Downs and South Downs which can be seen on either horizon. Ashdown Forest is the largest public access space in South East England, and the largest area of open, uncultivated countryside in the area.

Our trip only touched on the fringes of the Forest which, unlike the high ridges in the centre, have an extensive covering of trees, interspersed with the odd clearing. It was in such a clearing that our first port of call was reached, the Hatch Inn, at Coleman’s Hatch.

I had heard of this pub before, but had never visited it; however, as my fellow travellers and I got off the coach and walked towards it, I had that sixth sense feeling that this would be a good pub. I was right; the Hatch Inn is an attractive, part weather-boarded building under a tiled roof which dates back to 1430. It started life as a row of cottages, but has been a pub for nearly 300 years. In days gone by it was the haunt of the charcoal burners who used to work in these parts and the odd passing smuggler as well!

Inside there are the low sloping ceilings, supported by ancient beams, one expects from such an ancient building. The bar occupies a central location, with space opening up either side. At one end a log fire provided a warming welcome, but of more interest to me was the row of hand pumps on the bar; one of which was advertising Harvey’s Old.

Harvey’s XXXX Old Ale is one of my all time favourite winter beers, but in previous years I have struggled to come across it outside one of Harvey’s own tied pubs. The fact it was sitting here on the bar of a free-house was rather unusual then, but nevertheless very welcoming. Almost to a man (and woman), we formed a line to one side of the bar and ordered ourselves pints of this classic dark winter ale. It was every bit as good as I was expecting; so much so that I had to have another. There was also Harvey’s Best, Taylor’s Landlord and Larkin’s Traditional on sale (good to see Larkin’s reaching out into Sussex), but the Old was the only beer for me during our stop at the Hatch Inn.

I spent my time at the pub chatting to a couple of old friends. It is always good catching up with people you haven’t seen for a while, and being able to do so within the confines of a classic old English country pub, whilst supping one of the finest seasonal beers available locally, made the whole experience even better.

Anchor at Hartfield

We left the Hatch Inn at 12.45pm, and rejoined the coach to the next pub on our itinerary and the one where we had booked for lunch. The Anchor is one of three pubs in the nearby village of Hartfield; the others being the Hay Waggon (currently closed and up for sale) and the Galipot Inn. Hartfield is the main village in the parish of the same name. Its most famous resident was A.A. Milne; author of the Winnie the Pooh books. Many of the stories about Pooh Bear were set in or around Ashdown Forest, and the famous “Poohsticks Bridge”, and the "Hundred Acre Wood", are all close by. Milne, his wife and Christopher Robin lived at Cotchford Farm, which was later owned by Brian Jones, guitarist and founder member of the Rolling Stones. Jones was tragically discovered dead in the swimming pool there in July,1969.

I hadn’t been in the Anchor before, although many years ago I called in for a drink at the Hay Waggon whilst on a cycle ride through the area. The Anchor Inn is a friendly, family orientated 15th Century Inn, which for a period during the 19th Century housed the parish poorhouse. It became an inn in 1891, and today prides itself in providing a blend of traditional and contemporary pub cuisine. The pub has two bars; the one at the front is where the locals tend to gather and is much smaller than the rear bar. The latter is a large, comfortable open space with sofas set around the fireplace, books on the shelves to read from (rather than just on display), and a piano. During the morning it doubles up as a breakfast bar and café.

Lunch

Leading off from the bar is a spacious dining area, and after purchasing our beers we took our seats here for our pre-booked meal. Food wise I went for the battered cod and chips, which arrived in a gigantic portion and was both tasty and filling. So far as beer was concerned I opted for a pint of Chronicle Bitter 3.8%, brewed by the High Weald Brewery in nearby East Grinstead, but Harvey’s Best and Larkin’s Traditional were also available.

It was raining when we left the pub and boarded the coach for the ride to our penultimate stop; the Coopers’ Arms at Crowborough. Regular readers of this blog will have spotted that I have written about this pub before, and I will repeat what I said back then that it really is worth a visit if you are in the area.

The pub is an attractive late Victorian building perched on the side of the hill, in an affluent residential area to the west of the town. It is constructed out of brick and local stone, with a terrace at the front. Internally there is one long and quite narrow bar, which opens up at both ends. There are rooms leading off at either end as well. The Cooper’s Arms is a flourishing free-house which as well as supporting local breweries (in particular Dark Star), holds regular beer festivals. I have been to several of these, including a mild festival and a celebration of winter ales and, coincidentally, there is a festival taking place at the Cooper’s this coming weekend.

On Saturday there were four cask beers on sale; Dark Star Partridge Best Bitter, Kent Brewery Cobnut, plus two "green-hop" beers from Pig & Porter - Purest Green (a 5.2% Pale Ale) and Strangely Brown (a 4.8% Porter). I tried both offerings from Pig & Porter, preferring the Porter to the Pale Ale. I also tried, for the first time, Westerham Bohemian Rhapsody - a 5.0% Pilsner-style keg lager.

The coach party

We departed the Cooper’s at 4.45pm, and headed towards our final port of call. This was Groombridge Station; one of the stops on the Spa Valley Railway line between Tunbridge Wells and Eridge. As people may have noted from my previous post, the railway was holding its annual beer festival, so the idea was to allow people on the trip to sample a few beers from the bar on the platform, before heading back to Maidstone.

It was here that I jumped ship, as I had volunteered to do a stint behind the bar at Tunbridge Wells that evening. So after picking up my staff badge and grabbing a very welcome mug of tea, I said goodbye to my Maidstone CAMRA friends and hopped on the first available train back up the line. I arrived at Tunbridge Wells West in time to start my pre-arranged shift, behind a very busy bar.  I won’t go into any further details here about the festival, as I intend to write a separate post about it later on, but it was a good way to end what had been a most excellent day out.

Spa Valley Railway 5th Annual Real Ale & Cider Festival & Autumn Diesel Gala, 23rd - 25th October 2015

This coming weekend 23rd - 25th October, sees the 5th Spa Valley Railway Beer and Cider Festival taking place. This now annual event is a joint venture between West Kent CAMRA and the Spa Valley Railway (SVR), who operate the preserved railway which runs down from Tunbridge Wells West station, to Eridge. The latter station is on the mainline between London Bridge and Uckfield, and is jointly operated with Southern Trains.

This festival is more complicated than most because as well as there being beer available at SVR’s Tunbridge Wells headquarters, there  is also a selection of different beers further down the line at both Groombridge and Eridge stations. To complicate matters further there is also beer on sale on the trains which operate up and down the line.

Unlike previous years, when I was heavily involved with the organisation and running of the event; an involvement which included selecting and buying all the beers for the festival, I have taken a back-seat role. I haven’t been along to any organisational meetings, and neither have I assisted with setting up and looking after the beer. I will however, be going along on Saturday evening (normally the busiest session of the festival), to lend a hand behind the bar.

I therefore can’t tell you that much about the festival, apart from saying that the beer order has been increased to 100 different beers. The vast majority of these have been sourced from local brewers; and by local I mean Kent, Sussex and Surrey. There will be a strong focus on Green-Hop Beers, with this promotion carrying on from the recent Kent Green Hop Fortnight. I understand there will be around 20 of these special beers, all brewed using hops harvested fresh from the bines, and used within 12 hours of being picked.

One new addition to the festival, which is well worth mentioning, is that people, who operate the highly successful Fuggle’s Beer Café in Tunbridge Wells, will be taking over the refreshment car on one of the trains and offering a selection of craft keg beers, dispensed from Key-Kegs. This means even more variety and choice for visitors to the event.

Train enthusiasts too will be in raptures over the different diesel locomotives that will be operating up and down the line, because the festival is also billed as the SVR’s Autumn Diesel Gala. Diesels leave me cold; give me a living, breathing steam engine any day - but each to their own. The SVR people obviously know their stuff and diesels, apparently, are what pack the punters in.

Since its inception, this festival has always been a logistical nightmare, both in terms of ensuring all points of sale are adequately stocked and suitably staffed, but also extremely difficult when trying to forecast the likely demand for beer. Entrance to the main site at Tunbridge Wells West is free, which means the Spa Valley have no idea how many people attend each year. They know how many tickets they sell for the trains, but many of those enjoying the ride along the line are enthusiasts who have turned up because of their interest in preserved trains, rather than to enjoy the many and varied beers on offer. Those arriving at the other stations will equally not be counted, unless they have bought a ticket, but even then not everyone gets off at these stops, or wants to buy a beer. These factors all combine to make the job of estimating the amount of beer needed at these intermediate stops doubly hard.

Fortunately, none of this is my concern. Instead I will just turn up on Saturday evening, do my stint behind the bar, sample a few beers, if time allows, and then catch the train home to Tonbridge.

I appreciate this is rather short notice, but do try and come along if you can. Surely there can’t be many better ways of spending a damp, autumn weekend than sampling a few of the excellent range of beers on offer at the festival, especially when there’s the added attraction of riding up and down this preserved line, through the glorious Kent and Sussex countryside which lies between Tunbridge Wells and Eridge.

Further details of the beers and ciders, opening times, train timetables and fares can be found by clicking here on the SVR website.

Sennockian to stay as JDW

This post is primarily aimed at local readers, although it may be of some interest to those living further afield.

In a dramatic about turn, pub operator JD Wetherspoon has decided to take its Sevenoaks pub off the market. The Sennockian was put up for sale back in July, as part of a package of 20 pubs scattered throughout the country. Now the company has stated the pub will remain open "for many years to come".

Wetherspoons said there had been interest from a number of prospective buyers, but it had decided to take into account the views of local customers and townspeople, who wished to see it continue as a JDW outlet. Lobbying by former Sevenoaks Lib Dem parliamentary candidate Alan Bullion, also played a key role in helping to change the company's mind.

Wetherspoon's spokesman, Eddie Gershon said: "They made it clear that they wanted The Sennockian to remain a Wetherspoon pub and we have responded to that. The Sennockian has been a Wetherspoon pub since 1999 and we look forward to welcoming customers through its doors for many years to come. We are certain that the pub's loyal customers as well as our staff will be delighted with the news."

This is obviously good news for both local drinkers and Sevenoak's residents; many of whom have frequented the Sennockian since it first opened its doors. I am wondering though, whether this change of heart is purely a local phenomenon, or will other pubs on the "for sale" list also be granted a reprieve?

With thanks to the Sevenoaks Chronicle for breaking this story.

Something New Just Popped-Up in Tonbridge

The Old Fire Station

I’ve written about this before and probably on more than one occasion, but Tonbridge is crying out for a decent pub. I’ve lived in the town now for over thirty years and have seen the closure of several Tonbridge pubs and witnessed the slow decline of many more. Fortunately the south end of the town, which is the part where I live, still has a sprinkling of half-reasonable pubs which is more than can said for the north end of Tonbridge. Here just two remain from the six which once graced this newer part of the town.

The pubs which are left are, by and large, owned by one or other of Britain’s two main pub chains - Enterprise or Punch. As such they tend to stick to a “safe formula” offering tried and tested beers, quiz nights or Sky Sports.

There’s nothing wrong with that of course if it’s what people want, and whilst this may apply to the majority of the town’s remaining pub-goers there is a substantial minority to whom such a package holds little or no appeal. I include myself amongst this group, and the fact that a minority of disgruntled would-be pub-goers does exist in Tonbridge was demonstrated on three nights last week and three this week.

To elaborate; Tonbridge has a new venue in the guise of the town’s former fire station. Tucked away in the streets behind Tonbridge’s imposing 13th Century castle, the Old Fire Station saw the last fire engine depart back in 1986, when the Fire & Rescue Service moved to a modern and purpose-built facility on the town’s industrial estate. Now, after standing empty for the past three decades, and following extensive renovation work, the iconic building has been given a new lease of life, and opened its doors for the first time at the beginning of the month.

The Old Fire Station’s new owner is Richard Collins, a 42-year-old successful businessman who founded and runs Medischeme medical insurance brokers. Richard beat around 40 other bidders to buy the building after promising himself ten years ago that one day he'd own it. His idea is that the Old Fire Station will house a variety of pop-up bars, restaurants and shops, giving businesses which are new to the area the opportunity to trade in the town.

First to transform the disused space has been Tunbridge Wells based, Fuggles Beer Café; itself a recent and much welcomed addition to the local beer scene. Fuggles owner Alex Greig, hailed the move as a "great opportunity", stating “We've been quite keen on expanding the brand for a while now and this seemed like a great opportunity." He added “Tonbridge is very high on the list of places to move - whether that will be in a year or in five years. This is going to be something a bit different and I can't wait to bring a bit of Fuggles to the town."

Fuggles Pop-Up Bar

This opportunity came true a week ago last Thursday. Unfortunately I was out of the country that week so was unable to attend. I did see via social media, that the initial three nights were a roaring success, so with the same nights (Thursday, Friday and Saturday) planned for this week, I took a wander down to see for myself.

I arrived shortly after 7.30pm on Friday evening, to find the place buzzing. Some people were standing out in the yard, but the majority were seated at wooden bench-like tables in the attractively renovated interior space. I had a pre-arranged meeting with a friend, who had arrived a little earlier than me. He recommended I try the Ilkley Fireside Porter, but I thought it a little early for such a dark beer. Instead I opted for a swift half of Arise, a 4.4% extremely well-hopped IPA from Burning Sky Brewery.

We bumped into three neighbours of mine, who were about to leave. They kindly offered us their table; right in the corner of the room, adjacent to the bar and close to the rather small kitchen. This was lucky, as the rest of the tables were all occupied. Looking around the clientele all seemed to be enjoying themselves. There were a good number of women, getting stuck into the beers, the wine and the gin and tonics; the latter being something of a speciality with Fuggles. The customers were certainly not the usual Wetherspoon’s crowd, nor were they the football shirt wearing, Fosters-swilling blokes who are all too common in Tonbridge pubs. Instead they appeared to be the sort of discerning people who would appreciate an establishment such as Fuggles, which offers a wide variety of beers along with interesting variations on other drinks.

Saturday Afternoon

It all bodes well for the future. I managed a very brief chat with owner Alex Greig who, like the rest of his staff, was rushed off his feet. He was extremely pleased with the way Fuggles have been received in the town, and confirmed that he is definitely looking for suitable premises in Tonbridge, to give the company a permanent home here.

After the craft-keg, I moved on to a pint of cask Mary Jane, a 3.5% pale ale from Ilkley Brewery. Brewed using American Amarillo and Cascade hops; this was an excellent and thirst-quenching beer. I followed with a pint of 4.2% Fireside Porter from the same brewery. Smooth, warming and eminently drinkable, this was a good beer to finish on. We left just before 10pm; my friend had a train to catch and I was tired following a hectic week at work, catching up with things after a week away in the Czech Republic.

I popped back in briefly, late this afternoon, having just enough time for a swift one before picking my son up from the station. The Old Fire Station was less busy, but there were still quite a few punters sitting enjoying what was on offer. Before leaving, I took the opportunity of shooting a few photos.

I will definitely be back; Fuggles themselves return next month and Sankeys, the Tunbridge Wells based, pub, fish restaurant and champagne bar people, will be running a pop-up over two weekends in December.

It is believed that more shops and restaurants will get involved to transform the ground floor of this iconic building, with owner Richard Collins, stating "Everyone loves it in Tonbridge. My offices are still going in on the top floor, but we are looking for a range of different things for downstairs. It's basically a big community space. Since we have started putting stuff online about the development, everyone has been coming to say what they would like to do.” 

Rear of the building, showing the attached tower

"The building was built in 1901, it's been community owned for a long time I am just the guardian of it. This isn't about making a profit, yes great if we do, but it's about people enjoying themselves. I want to do something for everyone; I don't want just restaurants and pubs. I want to get the whole community involved.” 

For people like myself, not only does this development show that Tonbridge is finally starting to go places and become something which is a lot more than just a dormitory town for London-based workers. More to the point, it also demonstrates there is a demand for an innovative beer establishment, such as Fuggles (something many of us have known all along).

Pivovar Eggenberg - Česky Krumlov

The Eggenberg Brewery sits on flat ground, overlooking the Vltava River in the heart of Česky Krumlov close to the town’s massive castle. With roots that go back to 1560, Pivovar Eggenberg beers can be found both in the town itself and villages within the surrounding area.

Many commentators have described the beers as nothing to get excited over, and whilst that description may apply to the company’s Světlý ležák 5.0% light lager, but the 4.2% Tmavý ležák dark lager was eminently drinkable, and reminded me of an English Porter. Eggenberg also produce several other beers, primarily in bottle form, but a draught, unfiltered version of the light lager is available in a few outlets, and also at the large beer hall, attached to the brewery.

A recent addition to the range is the Nakouřený Švihák, a 5.2% smoke or "Rauchbier". I enjoyed a bottle with my meal in a restaurant in the centre of the historic town, and have also brought a bottle home. Whilst not as smoky as the classic Schlenkerla beer from Bamberg, the Eggenberg version is still very drinkable, and is well worth looking out for.

Brewery Beer Hall

A tour of the brewery had been high on our agenda, so imagine the disappointment when we saw the notice informing visitors that tours were suspended until December, owing to renovation works. Nevertheless we still enjoyed a meal in the large beer hall, attached to the brewery, and also a quick “morning beer” from the tiny bar in the brewery shop.

The Eggenberg Brewery in Česky Krumlov should not be confused with the Austrian brewery of the same name. As mentioned earlier, the brewery dates back to 1560, when a new brewery was built in the town to satisfy the demands of a growing population. In 1622 the Eggenberg family gained control of Krumlov and between 1625 & 1630, they relocated the brewery to where it is today. The town remained in the possession of the Eggenberg's until 1717 when the last male heir died aged only 13. The Eggenberg’s Bohemian possessions then passed to the House of Schwarzenberg which began modernizing the brewery in 1719.

Brewery shop & bar

Production volumes increased dramatically during this period, reaching almost 35.000hl at the end of the 19th century, and the brewery remained in the hands of the Schwarzenberg family until 1940, when it was seized by the occupying forces of Nazi Germany.

Adolph Schwarzenberg, the last owner, had been an outspoken critic of the Nazis but managed to escape occupied Czechoslovakia. Fully expecting the return of his property after the war, he found himself on the wrong side of the notorious Beneš decrees of 1945, which led to the expulsion of around 3 million ethnic Germans from Czechoslovakia. This was despite his strong anti-Nazi stance and his record of being a loyal Czechoslovak citizen. Back in 1937, he had even donated a million crowns towards fortifications for the defence of Czechoslovakia against invasion by Germany!

The brewery from across the river

After overcoming these preposterous allegations and proving, beyond doubt, his loyalty to the post-war state, Adolph Schwarzenberg still saw his estate confiscated by a Czechoslovak government, increasingly under communist influence. The final straw was the communist takeover of February 1948, which put an end to all hope for Schwarzenberg to return home or seek redress.

Today, the brewery is again privately owned, with its new owners naming it after the Eggenbergs; the founders and first aristocratic owners. Look out for their beers if you are visiting the Czech Republic, especially if you are fortunate enough to visit Česky Krumlov.

An Autumnal Week in Czech

My autumn Czech trip was, in some respects, similar to the one I made back in the spring. Prague was sunny and warm for the first couple of days, but this was then followed by a period of rain. I’m sure the receptionist in our hotel was pleased as she said that after an exceptionally dry and hot summer, the whole country was crying out for rain. That’s all well and good I replied, but if it was all the same to her I would prefer it if the rain held off for another week!

In the end we only really had one day of wandering around in the rain, as the second wet day was spent travelling, by coach, from Prague to Český Krumlov – the town where we spent the second half of our trip. The rest of our stay was characterised by sunny days, but increasingly cold nights. Autumn was definitely a week or two ahead of the UK, with some spectacular seasonal colours from the trees. Snow is forecast for the coming weekend, but I’m sure that’s not that unusual for a mountainous region of central Europe.

Basically, our trip was a tale of two contrasting halves; spending four nights in the big city atmosphere of Prague, followed by four nights in the delightful preserved medieval town of Český Krumlov. The latter wasn’t without its share of tourists; in fact the town is now the second most popular destination for foreign visitors to the Czech Republic. Český Krumlov is people sized though, and easily seen in a day, but for me it was the perfect place to relax and enjoy a few beers - after taking in some of the impressive sights of this beautiful medieval town.

More detailed reports to follow, of course, but I’m pleased to say that good and sometimes excellent beer is still available in what has become one of my favourite countries to visit.

An Evening at the Old House

Old House Ightham Common

 It was a rare treat for me last night, when I spent an evening at the CAMRA National Inventory-listed Old House at Ightham Common. Because of the isolated situation of the Old House, the majority of my visits to this unspoilt gem have been in daylight hours; the normal means of getting there being by bus from Tonbridge, and then a short walk down the lanes.

On this occasion, a friend’s son kindly offered to drive his father, a couple of friends and me over to Ightham Common. The reason for our visit, apart from to spend some time in this excellent pub, was that a few members from South East London CAMRA had got in touch with our branch social secretary, to say they would be visiting the Old House, and wondered if some of us would like to join them.

We arrived shortly before 8.30pm, and found the pub busy, but not quite bursting at the seams. There were three people from South East London sitting by the window, so after ordering our drinks, we grabbed some chairs and sat down and joined them. Their means of getting to the pub had been train to Borough Green, followed by a taxi to the pub. They had booked a return rip and we had done the same. This proves, as if it were necessary, that where there’s a will there’s a way to get to these isolated pubs.

We were all glad we did; the South East London contingent for the cider, and the four of us from West Kent for the beer; Dark Star Hophead, served direct from the cask, kept in a temperature-controlled room out the back. Later, some of us switched either to St Austell Tribute or Stonehenge Great Bustard. I opted for the former, but I understand from my companions that the Stonehenge was also very good.

I have written before about the Old House, which is situated to the south of Ightham village in Redwell lane. It is an attractive, part 17th Century tile-hung building, but there are few clues externally that it is actually a pub! There is no pub sign and the signboard on the right gable has faded beyond recognition! Internally there are two bars, with the main one on the left, and a much smaller bar, which looks more like someone’s front room, on the right.

It is definitely a case of “duck or grouse” in the main bar, due to the low-beamed ceiling and this is where the regulars gather and the real banter takes place. There is a large brick inglenook fireplace at the far end, which houses a roaring log fire during the winter months. We all agreed that it would be very atmospheric to visit on a cold January night, and enjoy a few pints whilst toasting our toes in front of the fire.

The Old House has limited opening hours, because owner and licensee, Nick Boulter has a full time job in the city. This means opening has to be restricted to weekday evenings and weekends. Nick's brother Richard had run the pub for 20 years prior to Nick taking over and it was the uncertainty over the succession that had called the pub's future into doubt for a while. Fortunately, things turned out fine in the end, and following some much needed renovation work, back in 2011, the Old House is well and truly back open again for business. For more details click the following link to CAMRA's National Pub Inventory website, which contains a much more detailed description of the pub.

Our respective taxis arrived shortly after 10.30pm. There were still a few regulars left in the pub, but most of the earlier crowd has vanished. It had been a good couple of hours in this classic old rural pub, with good beer, good company and pleasant and uncluttered surroundings. As Arnie once said, “I’ll be back.”