Portishead pubs - July 2021

 

Many people have heard of Portishead, perhaps from M5 motorway signs or from the eponymous trip hop band who released Dummy in 1994.

However, apart from Bristolians and sailing / boating types, not many people have visited the town on the Severn Estuary just west of Avonmouth, where the river Avon reaches the sea.

Thursday 1 July 2021

We arrived in Portishead after a mainly rural ride on the top deck of a bus from Bristol, passing Ashton Court with a slow ascent of Rownham Hill and later crossing the M5. After a walk from the bus stop we reached the Lake Grounds and then the Esplanade giving views of Portishead Point lighthouse and the yellow-painted walls of the Open Air Pool.

The Royal Inn

Instead of following Woodlands Road we opted for a walk on the quiet footpath through the woods which also leads to the impressive Royal Inn. A one way system was operating and after entering through the main door and signing in we were shown to a table in the spacious garden at the edge of the woods.

I ordered Butcombe Original from a choice of two cask ales where Doom Bar was the alternative. It's always nice to see a beer served in the correct glass but on this occasion my glass may either have been old or not entirely clean inside, judging by the line of air bubbles seen near the top.

However, the 4% abv beer looked and tasted good. Living in Bristol, Boak & Bailey recently eulogised over a pint of Butcombe in a blog post Pubs and beer all spick and span 'Leafy hop character, cracker-crust malt, a hint of rustic mystery from the yeast… A great way to break the cask fast'. This post was illustrated with a more recent version of the Butcombe glass etched with 'Truth in every taste'. With table service and its wonderful setting overlooking the Severn Estuary, £4.40 pint seemed reasonable for a pint at the Royal Inn which caters mainly for diners.

Portishead Marina

Heading down Pier Steps towards Portishead Lifeboat Station, there was an opportunity to get a photo of Portishead Pier and the dockside cranes of Royal Portbury Docks beyond.

A large lock separates Portishead Marina from the Severn Estuary and it was filling with water as a number of expensive-looking cruisers were raised to the level of the Marina.

At the north end of the Marina, there are several shop units housing Mokoko Coffee & Bakery, a Co-Op and a community pub - The Siren's Calling.

There were tables and chairs outside the Siren's Calling but unfortunately it was closed due to limited opening hours and we would be heading back to Bristol at 4pm, the Thursday opening time. There are usually four local cask ales, eight keg beers and lagers and nine bag in box ciders available at the bar.

Half way along the Marina lies Hall and Woodhouse, Portishead (built 2012). The bar / restaurant was designed by architects Mackenzie Wheeler and was awarded CAMRA Newbuild Pub of the Year 2013. 'Designed to be highly sustainable, the building comprises a two-storey, fully glazed, concrete-framed structure, flanked with 28 recycled shipping containers that accommodate the private dining and meeting rooms, toilets, staff accommodation and Marina facilities'. 

There is also a Wetherspoon pub next to Lidl, near the southern end of the Marina. The Posset Cup had seating outdoors on two sides but on our visit this area formed a wind tunnel and so we passed by and instead caught a bus back to Bristol. 

Although we did not make the most of opportunities to visit the pubs in Portishead, it was fascinating to learn about the history of the area from information provided by Gordano Civic Society on a board by the Marina. The Marina, now surrounded by modern housing, was once a dock handling timber and supplies for the Albright & Wilson phosphorus plant powered by cheap electricity from a local power station.

Bewdley pubs - June 2021

 

While staying at Kidderminster Travelodge we used local buses and walked to Bewdley via the Severn Way on successive days from Arley to the north and from Stourport-on-Severn to the south.

On a previous visit to Bewdley in March 2014, a visit to the Little Pack Horse Inn marked the end of a day in Bridgnorth and Bewdley with CAMRA volunteers from Oxford Beer Festival. For more details see my Bridgnorth & Bewdley post.

Thursday 10 June 2021

The 297 bus from Kidderminster to Bridgnorth via Arley passed the Bellmans Cross Inn at Shatterford before descending via Arley Lane to the river Severn where we got off.

The Severn Way, on the east bank, was quiet, except for the occasional passing Severn Valley Railway steam train. It goes through woods, around a reservoir and along empty lanes before reaching our destination - Bewdley.

The George Hotel

The George Hotel, a large Wetherspoon pub, was our first call and it was nice to find an outside table in a wide paved passageway where we ordered drinks using an app. 

The only local beer was Wood's Shropshire Hills Beauty which was served chilled.

The Mug House Inn

After a sandwich by the riverside we managed to gain admittance to the Mug House Inn and after signing in were led to a free table in the attractive patio garden which was busy with diners.

It was good to find Worcestershire Way by Bewdley Brewery served in the correct glass here. The pale 3.6% abv session beer was refreshing with citrus notes. Meg enjoyed a pot of tea.

With an interval before the bus to Kidderminster we headed east back over the bridge and then past the Black Boy Inn, under the Severn Valley Railway bridge and the Great Western to find a bus stop on the Kidderminster Road.

Friday 11 June 2021

Stourport-on-Severn

The 3 bus to Astley Cross dropped us at York Street in Stourport-on-Severn. The Severn Way on the east bank of the river provides a pleasant route along mainly flat ground, through a park, caravan sites, narrow stretches of footpath and wider tracks to reach Bewdley.

The Black Boy

Located at the top of the steep Wyre Hill, it was worth the climb to reach the historic Black Boy.

We were shown to a table in the large beer garden passing blackboards with details of drinks and food.

My first pint of Three Tuns XXX The Pale Ale was so good that a second one was necessary! Brewed in Bishops Castle, Shropshire, the 4.3% abv pale ale is 'a straw-coloured bitter with a light malty sweetness, the taste is completed with delicate floral flavours to release its earthy character.'

The Black Boy, Wyre Hill

Meg remembers staying a night at a Black Boy hotel in Bewdley as a girl when her parents took her on holiday. We had climbed the hill to see if this was the one but as the staff advised that it has not been a hotel in recent times then it must have been the Black Boy Inn, Kidderminster Road, that we passed on Thursday despite its changed outward appearance.

London Docklands - Thursday 27 May 2021

For a first stay away from home since December 2019, advantage was taken of a bargain flexible rate at the London Docklands Travelodge in the Republic Estate near East India DLR station.

Faced with the option of a £10 charge to check in early at 12 noon instead of 3pm, a decision was made to save the fee and spend it on beer instead!

Travelling with luggage by train from Newbury, the nearest pub to the hotel featured in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide and close to a station was Pepper Saint Ontiod, near Crossharbour DLR station.

This Antic pub is situated on the north west edge of Millwall Outer Dock and is approached via Pepper Street and Glengall Bridge.

Si BRAPA Everitt describes Pepper Saint Ontiod as looking like a NHS walk-in centre, in his 11/9/2020 blog post which includes more photos. Si also thanks ‘a kind Twitter person called Mr Bravery’ for explaining the pub name - ‘they’ve made Street into Saint’ and Ontiod is ‘On The Isle Of Dogs’. Now you know!

Outside tables give good views of the dock and a row of three cranes. Some tables next to the railings are in the sun while others are shaded.

Looking into the pub, there were three handpumps on the bar but only two had pump clips and these were for beers from Antic Pub Company’s house brewery - Volden Pale and Volden Session Ale.

Thinking that there might only be time for one pint I ordered Volden Pale (4.6% ABV) which was served in a dimpled glass with a handle. This had a fresh tangy bitterness and was refreshing in the sunshine, especially after the journey by bus, train, tube and Docklands Light Railway.

It turned out that there was time for another pint and an opportunity to enjoy Volden’s Session Ale, a 3.8% ABV bitter which is excellent value at £3.30 pint.

On 20 April 2021, Volden had tweeted

London prices

Got you down?

Try our beer

To fix that frown

Volden Session. A mere £3.30 at @AnticPubs up and down London #threepintsatenner #CraftBeer

Inside the pub there are two levels with a variety of mirrors and a quirky collection of items on display to add character to the functional stairway that leads to the upstairs toilets.

After a bus ride to Poplar from outside Crossharbour DLR station and a walk to check in at the hotel there was time to visit East India Dock Basin, Trinity Buoy Wharf and Virginia Settlers’ Monument before a 7pm table booking at BrewDog.

The Canary Wharf BrewDog is located at 2 Churchill Place, at the east end of the main Canary Wharf commercial district and near a bridge over Bellmouth Channel which links North Dock and South Dock.

The outside seating area has windows on three sides and the roof was open on our visit. We were given a warm welcome and shown to a seat at our table. It was a relief not to be seated at the central long high table. Customers are encouraged to use an App to order drinks but it proved possible to order from a passing member of staff who was very helpful.

It was Mikkeller Showcase week and two thirds of a pint of the Mikkeller Henry Hops (4.1% ABV) was pale, hoppy and refreshing.

Sticking with relatively low alcohol beers, my choice of a guest beer from Swansea, a half pint of Beer Riff Finger Gunzzz IPA was pale and clear with some honey sweetness.

After dining at Franco Manca, a wander around Canary Wharf led to The Ledger Building, a Wetherspoon pub situated near the Museum of London Docklands. Unfortunately the Wetherspoon App only offered a choice of Doom Bar or Greene King IPA and we moved on with the intention of visiting The Henry Addington, a Nicholson’s pub on the north side of Middle Dock. However we found ourselves on the south side of Middle Dock and ended up catching a bus to Poplar instead.

The D8 bus passed The Pensioner in Bazely Street so we got off at All Saints Church and walked back to it past the churchyard and Mountague Place. The traditional Taylor Walker sign and glazed green tiles looked attractive in the light from the pub’s lamps. Taking a peek inside through the pub’s high windows showed that several tables were occupied and it was obvious from signs at the bar that an interesting range of keg craft beers are served here.

There would be opportunities for cask ale elsewhere tomorrow!

Destination Bloxwich

A northbound bus from Walsall dropped me in Bloxwich on the evening of Wednesday 27 November, 2020.

I was keen to visit The Bloxwich Showman since reading about the Wetherspoon pub in Martin (retiredmartin) Taylor's 'A wet Wednesday in Walsall' blog post after his visit a week previously.

The photos I took, including one of the unique carpet (above), should complement Martin's to give a bigger picture of the converted cinema!

With plenty of space inside, this was a good place for a meal break with a soft drink after an afternoon of drinking beer in historic Walsall pubs as a member of Tony Lea's tour for the 'Farnham Trubbellers'.

A framed print shows the front elevation of the Grosvenor Cinema dated 1921. A Commissionaire is illustrated standing in a uniform at the entrance. Pat Collins (The Bloxwich Showman) had the cinema built to replace the Electric Palace Theatre which he had operated. The premises were purchased by JD Wetherspoon and opened as The Bloxwich Showman in January 2015.
The pub appears in CAMRA's Good Beer Guide 2020 (replacing the Wheatsheaf which was featured in 2019) and this explains the reason for Martin's recent visit as part of his mission to visit all the pubs in the Guide.

The Turf Tavern

Martin did not have time to visit 'the legendary Tinkie’s (the Turf Tavern)' but this is where I had arranged to meet up again with the 'Farnham Trubbellers' after its 7pm opening time.

28/11/2019 The Turf Tavern, Bloxwich - Crookham Travel's Gerald Daniels (nearest to entrance)

The exterior does nothing to dispel its reputation as 'the last truly unspoilt terraced pub left in the country' quoted in CAMRA's historic pub interiors entry which includes a few rare interior photos.

The weathered sign over the entrance refers to Doris Hiscott-Wilkes. 'Known as Tinky's, the pub has been in the same family ownership since around 1875.' Tony Lea's tour notes mention 'Zena the landlady asked us if I had been before and gave us the 'no photos' warning'. My Google search revealed a family announcement from the Express & Star that Doris Hiscott, nee Wilkes, 'Sadly passed away in the Walsall Manor Hospital on Sunday, May 3, 2015'. Zena is Doris's daughter.

Before I was served at the bar I was asked if I was with 'the group' and reminded that no photography is allowed inside the pub. There were boxes of small sheets of scrap paper (for betting purposes?)  and I used one to make a rough sketch of the interior room on the right of the entrance hallway which was the only room open. There is a central pole supporting a beam where a load bearing wall may once have stood.

I enjoyed a pint of Hobson's Town Crier (£2.90). Tony Lea enjoyed Beowulf Dark Raven and commented on Untappd 'What an absolute gem of a pub. It’s stuck in a time warp so glad I got to see it. 3 beers on and this ones another classic stronger mild.'. David 'Tankard' Bunyan also logged his beers at this 'Classic Grade II listed pub known as Tinky's served by Zena' on Untappd.

[Photo: David Bunyan]

Tankard obtained permission from Zena to take a photo of a certificate presented by Gerald Daniels of Crookham Travel after a previous visit to the pub in December 1998. I can't imagine that Gerald noticed many changes to the interior of the pub since this previous visit.
With no photos allowed my notes included: William Morris floral wallpaper on chimney breasts, varnished wood benches of wooden strips, red and black tiled floor, cream-coloured embossed wallpaper, two chimney breasts one mounted with a clock (C) and the other with a mirror (M), low bench in front of the bar.
The only lighting was from two bare light bulbs above each end of the bar. During our visit a lamp standing on the bar counter near the rear window was also switched on for some additional light.
Before leaving, a visit to the Gents toilets, reached via a dimly lit yard, was rewarded by the sight of the 'massive 100 year old urinals'.

A trip to Tinky's is recommended for anyone wanting to enjoy beer in the traditional fashion, with no intrusive music or TV. Don't leave it too long for an opportunity to travel back in time at Tinky's!

A 25 minute bus journey on the National Express West Midlands 60 service took us from the stop near the pub to Wolverhampton. We changed here for a bus to Stourbridge.
See separate post for details of Stourbridge pubs visited later.

Hammersmith rendezvous

Originally planned for Shoreditch, a rendezvous with Martin Taylor, to hand over copies of the winter Ullage magazine, was switched to Hammersmith to minimise travel. A first visit to the new Mikkeller and Goose Island bars in Shoreditch will now be the subject of a future post.

Old Suffolk Punch

From the Hammersmith roundabout, the Old Suffolk Punch is a short walk south along the busy Fulham Palace Road, a damp prospect on Wednesday 5 December.

Arriving before Martin, and being familiar with the cask ales from West Berkshire Brewery, I ordered Watneys The Cosmo and looked for a table that was not occupied or reserved by Tash for the weekly AdVenture quiz night.
When Martin arrived he ordered West Berkshire Brewery's flagship Good Old Boy bitter and joined me. I am grateful that he could find space in his bag for some copies of Ullage to distribute to fellow pub bloggers and perhaps even feature in his own retiredmartin blog posts and @NHS_Martin tweets. (Ullage magazine regularly includes Boak & Bailey and Curmudgeon columns.)

The pub was tastefully decorated for the Christmas season, mainly around the entrance, near our table. With large windows at the front and south side, this part of the pub might be compared to a goldfish bow. A tip for anyone requiring seating with less external distractions would be to head towards the deep red wall of the lower level rear section.

At 5pm, staff distributed menus to the tables. The left side of the menu has various chip based dishes. Veg, meat and fish main dishes occupy the centre. On the right are details of live music on Fridays, Saturday brunch and Sunday roast (with unlimited gravy).
After discussing the White Horse, Parsons Green, as a possible next stop we decided on a closer alternative, within walking distance, the Dove.

 Dove

After a stop for coffee at a branch of Leon in the Broadway shopping centre above Hammersmith station, we headed under the Hammersmith Flyover and along Hammersmith Bridge Road, towards the river Thames..

Shadows playing on the curved white walls of the Hammersmith Bridge Road Surgery merited a quick photo. Heading west along Lower Mall, on the north bank of the Thames, we passed The Blue Anchor and the Rutland Arms before reaching the Dove on Upper Mall, just beyond Furnivall Gardens.

After the damp walk it was pleasantly warm inside the bar area of the Fuller's pub but all the seats were taken. The handpumps are on a section of the bar that serves a small front room but the pumpclips are angled to be visible. Martin was pleasantly surprised to receive change from £10 for his round which included Martin's Bengal Lancer and my pint of Fuller's Off Piste IPA.

This was my first taste of the pale gold IPA brewed using lager malt and wheat and hopped with Saaz, Chinook and Citra. Although brewed for the winter I hope it will become a permanent fixture and made widely available as it matches my style and taste preferences.
An effort to find a table in the dining area of the pub, up a few steps from the bar area, was thwarted by a staff member who denied us access unless we were dining. We retreated and propped up the bar for a while.

We were then granted temporary access to a table in the dining area which was not busy at this early part of the eveing. The beamed ceiling, framed pictures, subdued lighting and log fire made this area feel rather cosy and sophisticated.

Plough & Harrow

After crossing the Great West Road, we walked to King Street and entered the Plough & Harrow, a Wetherspoons located underneath the Holiday Inn Express. This was a complete contrast to the Dove, with a busy clientele of mainly older men and some animated conversations. My round was much cheaper than Martin's as the £2.15 pint for cask ale was discounted by 50p by using a 50p CAMRA voucher. Here I enjoyed Enefeld London Pale Ale from Enfield Brewery. Most of the seating was stools and high tables so we settled for an elevated view.

My only photo here was to log the unique pattern of the carpet, one of the distinctive features of Wetherspoon pubs that can add some interest to a first visit. Like the Dove, the Plough & Harrow is also listed in CAMRA's Good Beer Guide 2019.
It would soon be time to say goodbye to Martin whose permanent exploration of places, pubs, people and new music would now take him to the End of the Road festival Christmas party at Corsica Studios, Elephant & Castle.

William Morris

As there was time for another beer, before I headed to Paddington for the fast 20.03 train back to Newbury, I left Martin on King Street, near the Lyric Hammersmith, and entered the William Morris.

The Wetherspoon pub is named after the designer who lived at Kelmscott House, Hammersmith, from 1878 until his death in 1896. This pub was also busy but with a more varied clientele, including  women and younger drinkers.

Happily, a pint of cask ale could again be purchased for £2.15. It was nice to find Razzle Dazzle, a seasonal golden ale hopped with Cascade, from Loddon Brewery on the bar.

From my stool at a high table by the bar I could see a blackboard at the side of the bar mentioning that 2,313 pints of real ale were sold in the previous week. This equates to 32 casks of ale and might explain why my pint was in good condition.

Before leaving to catch a Circle Line train from Hammersmith to Paddington, a visit downstairs to the Gents, involved passing an interesting artwork - 'Six Seconds' by Thomas Winstanley. In my view, it's always good to see artists' original work featured in pubs.

Cheers! to Martin for guidance around Hammersmith and for suggesting that a blog post to commemorate the evening would be worthwhile.