We bought a pub

Regular readers of this blog may remember a post I wrote at the start of the year, with the title “Swan looks to the village for salvation”.  The Swan in question, is the pub of that name, which stands on the green of the tiny, tucked away village of West Peckham, roughly half-way between Tonbridge and Maidstone. Dating back to the early part of the 16^th Century, the Swan has been a pub since 1665, although not always under that name. 

So, what about the pub itself, and the tiny village where it is located? West Peckham is certainly tucked away, and that is no exaggeration because it is a rare “no drive through” village, meaning that the road into the village is the same route out of it. In other words, West Peckham isn't somewhere you can drive through, on the way to another destination, instead it is a place you have to want to visit.

Fortunately, the presence of the Swan on the Green is ample enough reason to drive, or walk (Greensand Way) to West Peckham, and despite its relatively isolated position, the Swan enjoys a strong and loyal local following, and also attracts custom from further afield. Until very recently one aspect that drew in additional trade was the range of the Swan’s house-brewed beers, produced in an old coal shed, at the rear of the pub. Up to eight cask ales, all named with a “Swan” theme (Bewick, Cygnet, Trumpeter and Whooper), had been brewed since 2000, but sadly, brewing ceased in the spring of 2023 as the self-built plant was said to be approaching the end of its working life.

Even without the house-brewed beers the Swan is a destination pub in its own right, given its attractive location on the village green, at the crossroads of the Weald and Greensand ways. In addition, the pub’s kitchen offers everything from “lite bites” to full-on family dining. One other claim to fame, but possibly not for the right reasons, is the Swan starred as the village pub, in the rather dreadful remake the H.E. Bates classic, The Darling Buds of May.  This was the production that instead of David Jason and Pam Ferris, featured Bradley Walsh as Pop Larkin and Joanna Scanlan, as Ma. (The least said about it, the better!)

Despite this illustrious trading record, and in spite of the Swan remaining a successful pub and popular restaurant, the decision taken, just over a year ago by the current owner and licensee Gordon Milligan, to sell up and leave the trade after 24 years at the helm, sent shock waves through the tight-knit local community. Fortunately, rather than seek to convert it into housing, Mr Milligan approached the villagers and asked if they wanted to take the pub on. Their answer was a resounding “yes”, so a steering group was set up with the aim of purchasing the building collectively for the village.

The idea attracted a lot of interest, not just within West Peckham, but from the surrounding west Kent area as well, and with this in mind the group was given six month’s exclusivity to come up with a plan. After agreeing a purchase price with Mr Milligan, the group then looked at sourcing funding from the Community Ownership Grant scheme, as well as seeking donations from villagers and local businesses. The aim was to set up a Community Benefit Society, known as the Swan Community Project Ltd, which will then own the Swan and be responsible for its future. The society is a “not for profit” company with a mission to operate for the benefit the Community, and in order to achieve this, any profits will re-invested in the project.

I concluded my January article with the words, “I wish the group every success and might even chip in myself!”  Well, now I have, because after signing up to the project, I've been receiving regular updates. I’d been meaning to attend some of the meetings the group was holding, but never really seemed to quite find he time. Then, during the third week in October, I received an email saying that the offer had just a couple more days to run, and that more investors were needed to reach the investment target.

That plea provided the impetus for me step up to the plate and after purchasing the minimum investment of, I’m now the proud owner of 250 shares in the Swan Community Project Ltd. A couple of days later, I received an email thanking me for my purchase, and confirming that, along with others, my investment was sufficient to secure ownership of the pub. Furthermore, because that final push had raised more than the committee thought, there was a sufficient surplus to put towards other purposes connected with the pub – kitchen refurbishment for a start. Consequently, the share offer has been left open until 7^th November, with aim of reaching the magic, half million pounds target.

I'm not quite sure what happens next, although the group is holding a “pop-up” meeting, at the pub, on 5^th November. I shall be traveling back that day from a trip to Bath, with members of the Beer & Pubs Forum, so won’t be able to attend, but I’m sure to find out in due course. In the meantime, the following statement from the group, encapsulates nicely, what they are trying to achieve with the pub.

 "The Swan is the hub of our community, a place where locals and those from the surrounding countryside, villages and towns can socialise and take part in quiz nights, music nights and other social events. It’s at the heart of our Village Fête, Produce Show, Bonfire night and many other Community events. As the only full-time provider of hospitality, food, and drinks for several miles it brings money into the local economy, supporting local businesses and tourism. It’s also a major employer in the parish, providing five full-time jobs and the first work experience for many younger members of the Community."

 

 

 

 

5th November - time for a pint of Bonfire Boy

It was a case of “second time lucky” on Saturday lunchtime when it came to tracking down a drop of Harvey’s Bonfire Boy. The latter is the company’s seasonal offering for the month of November and was first brewed in tribute to the fire services who extinguished the fire which threatened to engulf the brewery in 1996. The beer is now brewed each year for the bonfire boys and belles who participate in Lewes's famous November 5^th celebrations. 

Described as "Bonfire Night in a bottle" Bonfire Boy is a dark amber, malty brew, with a smoky flavour and a slightly charred, bitter aftertaste. These are just the sort of attributes one might expect from a beer brewed as a tribute to November 5^th Bonfire Night celebrations. However, despite these obvious selling points, the beer isn’t that easy to come by, especially in the free trade, so it is here that the internet and social media play their part.

I am talking here about the availability of Bonfire Boy in cask form, as the beer is relatively easy to obtain in bottles – if you know where to look, that is. Last Tuesday I noticed on the Nelson Arms’s website that cask Bonfire Boy was on sale at the pub, a good sign for sure, but something with the potential to peak too soon, if you get my drift. By that I meant now that the beer was on sale and given that many other beer lovers would have looked on the Nelson’s website, as I did, there was a very real danger that the cask might run out, before I’d been able to get down to the pub and try it.

All too often the things we guard against have an unfortunate habit of coming true, and as I entered the Nelson late Thursday afternoon, my initial optimism and joy at seeing the Bonfire Boy pump clip indicating the beer was still on sale, quickly turned to disappointment as the beer an out, before my very eyes. I’d ordered a pint of this eagerly anticipated beer, and watched in eager anticipation as the barman pulled me a pint.“Oh, it’s gone,” he suddenly said, and not quite twigging what he meant, I foolishly responded, “What’s gone?” 

It was the Bonfire Boy of course, and the cask had obviously come to an end, even as the barman was pulling it. Talk about bad timing on my part! Had I been an hour earlier, or perhaps even just 10 minutes sooner, I might have been enjoying a pint of this elusive beer, but instead I had to have something else. Surrey Hills Collusion isn’t a bad pint, by any means, but when one is anticipating a beer that is full-bodied, malty and combining a smoky flavour with a well-balanced bitter finish, it was bound to be a disappointment. I stuck with just the one pint and made my way home. 

The following morning, an announcement on my phone, flashed up on the West Kent CAMRA Facebook page. It was from the Dovecote, at Capel – the pub where the recent Green Hop Festival had taken place, and it was sharing the good news that Harvey’s Bonfire Boy had just gone on sale at the pub. Good news indeed, but every reason to get over to the Dovecote and enjoy a pint, before it runs out at that pub, as well.

As luck would have it, that morning, I’d arranged to join son Matthew for a café breakfast – not quite a “greasy spoon” one, but one not far off it. So, after a cheese omelette, plus a couple of hash browns (Matthew went for the “big boy’s" breakfast), plus a visit to B&Q, I suggested we drive home via Capel. Matthew didn’t need much persuasion, especially as I was driving, so just after 1pm, we drove into the car park of the Dovecote and stepped inside. The pub was busy, mainly with diners, and I must admit the food looked pretty good, but I only had eyes for the cask end, which sure enough was displaying a pump-clip for Bonfire Boy.

I ordered a pint and made a comment to the landlord about how I’d narrowly missed the beer the day before. “You’ll need to be quick with this one,” he replied, "it only went on yesterday and as expected, is selling well". Mine host then confessed to having a sore head that morning, having sampled one too many the previous evening, before reverently placing the full, and attractive looking pint on the bar counter before me.

I’m sure you don’t need me t tell you that the beer was pure nectar, and as you can see from the photo, well-conditioned, and clear as a bell. Knowing I could only have the one, I savoured the beer, although I didn’t dally over it either. As Matthew and I sat there, the pub filled up some more, and the arrival of a party of lady ramblers, complete with accompanying pooches helped set the scene of this charming rural pub. The group had obviously pre-booked because a large table had been set aside for them, with space beneath for their canine companions. It was the perfect lunchtime intermission, and the end of a worthy quest – temporarily, as there must be more Bonfire Boy to enjoy before its availability slackens off, in favour of the next seasonal offering.
 

A few poignant reflections on visits to East Anglia

A few years after my late father retired from his job with the Royal Mail, my parents moved from their bungalow, located in a small Kent village, to a similar, but slightly smaller one floor dwelling, situated in a much larger Norfolk village. Dad had joined the Royal Mail, after completing his National Service, “playing soldiers, out in Germany”, as he like to put it.It was a fortunate posting though, as some national servicemen ended up in war zones (Korea or Malaysia), where it was very much the real thing and, sadly, not all of them returned. Following completion of his stint in the army, dad spent the rest of his working life employed in various parts of what was then known as the General Post Office (GPO).

His own parents had also retired to East Anglia, although in their case it was a small village in Suffolk, rather than Norfolk, where they spent their twilight years, and it was at their long, low and traditional looking bungalow, that my sister and I spent several happy summer holidays. It was the prospect of downsizing, and releasing some of the equity tied up in the Kentish family home that prompted my parent’s relocation to East Anglia, although I’m still not sure why they chose Norfolk over Suffolk.

Mum and dad’s move to Norfolk, took place a few years after Eileen and I started our own family, and with money being quite tight in those early years, the odd long weekend say at my parent’s bungalow provided a low-cost holiday, in a new location. Later on, when our financial situation improved, we spent more time in that part of the world, by renting a cottage on the Suffolk-Norfolk border. We did this several times, as the arrangement worked out better, than staying at mum and dad’s, especially as it curtailed much of the well-chronicled antipathy that sometimes occurs between a wife and her mother-in-law.

All these visits provided ample opportunity to become acquainted with the local pubs – a tradition that continued after my mother’s passing, dad’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis, and his subsequent move into a care home. My preferred option was to make a weekend of these visits, drive up either on a Friday or a Saturday, book into a convenient B&B, and combine the trip with a visit to the parental bungalow. Son Matthew would often accompanied me on these trips, as grandmothers in particular, love seeing their grandchildren, especially when they’re the first-born. Mum was no exception, although her interest waned a little after my youngest sister hatched a brood of her own.

Looking back, I probably made 3-4 such visits a year, to Norfolk, and those that involved visits to pubs, on the journey up, or whilst there, which must have been virtually all of them, have been chronicled on this blog. This was especially the case if there was a pub of special note. It’s therefore well worth taking a look back at some of these establishments, seeing what they had to offer, at the time of my visit, and whether they are worthy of a return visit. I’m going to start with five pubs, united by a common thread, as they all feature on CAMRA’s National Inventory of pubs with interiors of historic importance.

First up, we have the Cock at Brent Eleigh, in the south-western corner of Suffolk. I managed a brief stop there on a journey up to Norfolk, where I spent a couple of days visiting my father. The Cock is an attractive thatched and pink-rendered wayside inn which dates back to the 18th-century. The main bar with its quarry tiled floor, and 1930s brick fireplace is on the left and is accessed from a corner door. A coal fire was blazing in the grate, complete with a dog laying stretched out in front of it. Seating consisted of two basic bare benches, plus an assortment of chairs and bar stools. I enjoyed a pint of Adnam’s Southwold, which at just £3.10 a pint (2016 prices), represented good value.

The Cock is situated on the not terribly busy A1141, which runs down from Lavenham to Hadleigh. Alternatively, you can do what I did and follow your nose up from Sudbury; a route which takes you through some charming villages. The villages on the route I took northward, after leaving the pub, are if anything even more charming with Chelsworth and Bildeston absolute gems.

Next up is the Viper, at Mill Green, near Ingatestone, which is one of only two pubs in the country to be named after Britain’s sole poisonous snake. Situated on the edge of a wood, the Viper is a white-painted, four-room pub, which appears to be a pair of 19th Century cottages knocked into one. I didn’t get the chance to explore the pub properly, as my visit took place on a busy Sunday lunchtime. I was on my way back to Kent, following the weekend visit to Norfolk, described above.

I parked myself at a table in the small "tap room" which occupies the centre left of the pub and enjoyed a cheese sandwich along with a pint of the appropriately named Jake the Snake 4.5%, brewed for the pub by Mighty Oak. It is hard to believe this pub with its rural woodland setting and unspoilt plain interior is so close to both London and major transport links, as it seems a world away. It would be nice to return for a more leisurely visit, ideally after a walk in the woods.

Next, we have the half-timbered Green Dragon, in the picturesque Norfolk market town of Wymondham. I was on my way to visit my ailing parents, and after a lengthy drive up the M11motorway and A11 trunk road, I was in need of what the Americans would call a “comfort stop”. I was also feeling a trifle peckish and had marked Wymondham as a suitable lunchtime stopping place.  After turning off the busy A11, I made my way into the town centre and found a space in one of the municipal car parks and that all important “comfort station”.

The Green Dragon dates back to late 15th Century although much of its exterior is Tudor and half-timbered with a dormer window. It was lucky to have survived only superficial damage in the great fire of 1615 and there are still scorch marks on external timbers. The interior retains some of the old features such as beams and mantelpiece, and this is reflected in the bar, the cosy little snug with wooden pew type furniture and a small dining area on one side.

The pub was busy when I entered, with the right-hand dining room completely full and the main bar likewise, but on inquiring at the bar, I was told there were still a couple of tables spare in the tiny snug. This was situated off a corridor, leading off to the left of the bar. Before disappearing to grab one of these tables I ordered myself a pint of Horizon from Lincolnshire brewers, Newby Wyke along with a lunch of battered cod and chips.

I like old pubs, especially ones like the Green Dragon which have been serving thirsty customers for hundreds of years. The snug was simply decorated and simply furnished with a timeless feel to it, but one thing bang up to date was the free Wi-Fi; an important feature which more and more pubs are now providing, with the people sitting at the other tables all engrossed in their own conversations, a spot of web surfing helped pass the time until my food arrived.

It’s back to Suffolk for the next CAMRA National Heritage pub, and where better than the unspoilt King's Head at Laxfield The pub took a bit of finding, but this time I had the assistance of a recently acquired Sat Nav, plus the presence of son Matthew, for company. The pub took a bit of finding, as it is tucked away down a narrow lane, at the back of the church, but fortunately modern technology took us straight there.

The King's Head is also known as the “Low House”, probably on account of its long low profile, which is topped by a thatched roof. It is a timeless, multi-roomed pub, and is one of two hostelries in this attractive, mid-Suffolk village. We arrived, shortly before 8.30 pm and found the car park, and most of the lane outside already full of parked vehicles. Fortunately we managed to squeeze the car in just below the church, and soon discovered the reason for the pub’s popularity; the King's Head was hosting its annual May Bank Holiday Beer Festival. We made our way inside, keen to see for ourselves exactly why the Kings Head had made its way onto CAMRA’s Heritage Pub list. According to the website, “The main room at the King’s Head, features listed high back settles set around a small fireplace.”  The pub also has the added attraction of gravity served beer, which is kept in a small tap room to rear.

We found our way into this room, pausing for a look at the high-backed settle which takes up much of the space, before proceeding to the aforementioned tap room, at the end of the corridor. Here we could see a row of casks racked ready to dispense a range of Adnams beers. We asked about food, only to be told that all tables were booked, but fortunately there was some space in the smoking shelter, out in the yard adjacent to the taproom.

We grabbed a couple of spare seats then I went off to the serving hatch to order our beers and also our food. As I was driving, I opted for the ordinary Adnams Southwold Bitter. Matt, on the other hand, opted for a pint of Adnams Dry- Hop lager. To eat we both went for the steak and ale pie option, served with chips and peas. Service was quick, despite the crowds, and our food arrived promptly. The pies were not “proper” pies, but the steak was juicy and tender, and the gravy filling was suitably thick and tasty. After a two and a half journey, the end part of which was through a series of winding lanes, we were both famished, and our meals were gratefully appreciated.

Fourth on the list, is the Red Lion at Kenninghall. It was whilst looking for somewhere to lay my head, that I came across Kenninghall; a large village roughly halfway between Bury St Edmunds and Norwich. The Red Lion is a CAMRA National Inventory pub, which has been on my list of pubs to visit for some time, so when the pub came up on Bookings.com at a very good price, I jumped at the chance of an overnight stay.

I drove up early on Sunday afternoon, surprised that the traffic, particularly on the M25, was so heavy, although once past Stansted I made good time. With the aid of my sat-nav, arrived in Kenninghall shortly before 5pm. I made a brief stop at the well-stocked village store, and post office, before parking up at the Red Lion, which lies in the shadow of the imposing St Mary's church. I was shown to a cosy little room at the front of the building, with a door opening straight out onto the street.

I was aware that the Red Lion wouldn't be serving food on Sunday evening, so had carried out some prior research to see what the alternatives were. Kenninghall is large enough to support two pubs, and right in the centre of the village, opposite the post office, is the White Horse.  I discovered that Kenninghall was both a thriving village and a very pleasant place to live – facts I’d gathered from my walk down to the White Horse, and also from the parish magazine I picked up from the bar. I also learned that the Red Lion, was known for the quality of its beer and was much more of a locals' pub than its more contemporary counterpart.

As mentioned earlier the Red Lion is on CAMRA's heritage pub list and after being closed for approximately seven years, re-opened in February 1997, following a careful and extensive restoration. The building dates from the early 16th Century, and as well as a traditional public bar, has a pine panelled snug, which is one of only two of its kind in East Anglia. There is a 50-seater restaurant At the other end of the pub, laid out in the style of old stables. I enjoyed a satisfying full English breakfast there the following morning. In addition to the good, wholesome home-cooked food, the Red Lion has four guest rooms, and hosts regular live music sessions and other community events.

The final, National Inventory pub is the legendary Butt & Oyster, at Pin Mill, near Ipswich. The latter is a hamlet on the south bank of River Orwell, which is tidal at this point, and was once a busy landing point for ship-borne cargo. It was also a centre for the repair of Thames sailing barges and home to many small industries such as sail making, a maltings, plus a brickyard. Like my home county of Kent, the east coast of England has a long history of smuggling, and Pin Mill and the Butt & Oyster pub allegedly played key parts in this. Pin Mill has been the subject of many paintings and photographs and is a popular yacht and dinghy sailing destination.

The Butt & Oyster is best described as a traditional 17th century inn, famed for its riverside setting and the fine views it offers across the estuary of the River Orwell. To take full advantage of this, there is a substantial amount of outdoor seating to front of pub, and this is very popular on sunny days.  The Butt & Oyster can get very busy in summer and also at weekends. It was a pub I had wanted to visit for a long time, but despite making regular trips up to Norfolk, there never seemed sufficient time to divert across to the Orwell estuary, and the tiny riverside settlement of Pin Mill. It wasn’t until I looked at a more detailed map of the area, that I realised just how do-able it was to divert off the A12 - A14 junction at Copdock to the south of Ipswich. The acquisition of a Sat-Nav made the whole process even easier.

There are three separate rooms inside, connected by a corridor with flagstone floors, and along with the main bar, there is a small snug, plus a much larger dining room. There are some high-backed settles plus a large open fire in main bar area, making it very cosy on cold winter days. The pub has featured in a number of films, including an episode of the TV series Lovejoy. Back then it belonged to Tolly Cobbold who were the dominant brewery, not just in the Ipswich area, but across wide swathes of Suffolk. 

Tolly of course, have long gone to that great brewery graveyard in the sky, and their impressive Cliff Brewery, fronting on to the waterfront in Ipswich, is still the subject of a number of redevelopment plans. Today the Butt & Oyster, is owned by local brewing heroes Adnam’s, although it is leased out to Deben Inns who are a local pub group that run a number of similarly successful pubs around Ipswich/Woodbridge area

I was then going to move on to pubs I have stayed at, in the Norfolk- East Anglia area, that provide overnight accommodation. But as this article has already expanded to four pages, I shall save that part of the story for another time.