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.

Kidderminster pubs - June 2021

 

A three night stay at the Travelodge in Kidderminster provided an opportunity for a towpath walk along the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal (Wednesday) to Stourport and (after bus journeys) footpath walks from Arley to Bewdley (Thursday) and from Stourport to Bewdley (Friday).

Severn Valley Railway bridge over Staffs & Worcs canal

Once a centre of carpet making, Kidderminster still retains steam and diesel hauled Severn Valley Railway services to Bridgnorth via Bewdley and Arley. 

Wednesday 9 June 2021

The Travelodge is located facing the Watermill 2-for-1 pub by the canal and near the busy A451 to Stourport-on-Severn. 

We passed a few pubs on the late afternoon walk as we approached Stourport but they were either uninviting or closed.

The Castle Inn

After a bus ride back to Kidderminster's Travelodge hotel, it was soon time to head out again, this time walking north along Park Lane until we reached the Castle Inn. We went inside, after putting on our face masks and received a friendly welcome. We decided to sit outside where there are tiered patio areas leading down to the canal, with the towpath on the opposite bank. 

We enjoyed pints of the pale Wye Valley Brewery HPA with table service for £3.10 pint. 

The Weavers at Park Lane

The Weavers at Park Lane is only 50 metres further north. This is one of the two pubs named Weavers in Kidderminster.

On this occasion there was just time to sneak a quick photo of the pumpclips at the bar before we were ushered to a table outdoors, overlooking the canal. 

We enjoyed pints of Bromsgrove's Woodcote Brewing SPA here. Also spotted at the bar, Squires Gold is another beer supplied by this brewery.

From here, we crossed the bridge over the canal and followed the towpath opposite the Weavers towards the bus station and visited Tappeto Lounge, near the bus station for a meal. We returned to the hotel by walking along the towpath, passing The Weavers again and resting ducks.

By 9.30pm, when we reached the Watermill, the light was fading.

Thursday 10 June 2021

A fine day was spent walking along the Severn Valley Way footpath from Arley to Bewdley with several sightings of steam hauled SVR trains. Local buses provided the links from / to Kidderminster. 

Later, walking from the Kidderminster Travelodge to the station via Green Street, we passed the Museum of Carpet situated in Stour Vale Mill but it was too late to visit. We also passed the Weavers Real Ale House at 98 Comberton Hill.

The King and Castle 

The King and Castle is the pub located on the left side of Kidderminster Town station which is the Southern terminus of the Severn Valley Railway. 

The King and Castle was awarded Wyre Forest CAMRA 2019 Pub of the Year. 

There are eight handpumps on the bar and a choice of filled cobs (rolls / baps) in a display case.  The beer choice included beers from Bathams, Bewdley, Hobsons, Hop Shed and Purity breweries.

Having only recently enjoyed a couple of pints of Bathams Best Bitter at the Swan, Chaddesley Corbett, on Wednesday lunchtime, my choice of Hobsons Old Prickly, brewed in Cleobury Mortimer, proved to be another good one - pale and smooth with a thick head. Meg enjoyed her pint of Bathams Bitter after missing out on Wednesday.

The Station Inn

We were especially keen to visit the Station Inn as it has a large garden area. It was only a short walk away, in a quiet residential street on the east side of the Birmingham - Worcester railway line. 

We were ushered to a table in the pretty patio garden area. We could hear trains on the Birmingham - Worcester line passing but not see them.

Two pints of local beer served in the correct glass, looking and tasting cool and fresh, could not have been better anywhere this evening!

Based in Stourbridge since 1993, Enville Brewery advise that Enville Ale is 'based on a 19th century recipe, this traditional beekeepers ale is light in colour with fruity notes and a hint of sweetness to complement the dry hoppy taste. Brewed using our own natural well water, Maris Otter floor malted barley, specially selected honeys and pure English hops ...'. 

Butty Bach is Welsh for 'little friend'. Wye Valley Brewery advise 'We brew it using Maris Otter and Crystal malts together with locally grown Fuggles, Goldings and Bramling Cross hops'.  

Friday 11 June 2021

After a bus ride from a stop near the hotel to Stourport-on-Severn we had breakfast in the sunny and sheltered courtyard garden of The Windlass Cafe. We then walked north following the quiet Severn Valley Way to Bewdley and a pub break before catching a bus back to Kidderminster. 

The Castle Inn

Our Friday evening in Kidderminster would be an earlier and shorter version of Thursday's in order to be back at the hotel for the 8pm kick off of the opening fixture of the postponed Euro 2020 football competition (Turkey v Italy at Stadio Olimpico, Rome).

We arrived just too late to claim the last free table at the King and Castle but were relieved when we were again able to claim a table in the patio garden of the Station Inn, without a reservation. 

This time our first beers were Wye Valley HPA, brewed with Target and Celeia hops. Later a pint of Enville Ale would provide a slightly sweeter finish.

Although we only visited a few of Kidderminster's wide variety of pubs, in an era when drinking outside was preferable and the weather favourable, we think that we found the best places.

Bristol pubs - June 2021

 

With two nights in Bristol at the end of June 2021, there was a chance to visit some pubs near the Travelodge 'Bristol Central' in Mitchell Lane. 

The Cornubia

Good Chemistry 'Common Thread'

Where better to spend a Wednesday lunchtime than the pleasant garden space of  The Cornubia?!

The historic pub (c. 1775) prides itself on being hard to find but the effort is worthwhile! Many nearby buildings were bombed in WWII so it is surrounded by more recent neighbours. Lunchtime was not the quietest time to visit as a new steel-framed building was being erected just across Temple Street.

A blackboard near the entrance lists details of the cask beers available. With efficient table service and advice on the beers available I plumped for a pint of Common Thread from Good Chemistry brewed in the city. This was welcome refreshment after a walk from Bristol Temple Meads station via the Harbourside pedestrian route. 

The laminated notices on each table show the menu and an introduction to the protocols of the pub 'not a beerstro' that showcases 'the very best of only cask ale' and are signed by Phil and Jacki - Landlord and Landlady. They obviously know how to run a pub and were previously at the Crown and Thistle in Gravesend, CAMRA's 2003 National Pub of the Year.

Despite the noise from the building site, it seemed sensible to stay and sample a different cask ale before checking in to the hotel after 3pm. The Twisted Oak 'Cornubia SO' is the house session ale. We had spotted the Twisted Oak dray outside before arriving. The brewery, based in Wrington (North Somerset), used to supply 'Not So' to the pub as well but this has now been discontinued. 

There may be an artificial grass carpet in the Cornubia's patio garden but the flowers and shrubs are all delightfully real! We would return to this pub the following evening to sample further cask ale and cider.

A while later, revived by tea and biscuits, we would set off from the hotel to visit M Shed and see the Edward Colston statue, now retrieved from the harbour and displayed in a recumbent position after being famously dumped there in June 2020. 

Among the other exhibits at this part of Bristol Museums was a dray for George's Brewery and a model of the Llandoger Trow.

The Arnolfini Harbourside Bar, managed by Bristol Beer Factory, was temporarily closed, but provided a good spot to take a photo of M Shed, fronted by four dockside cranes, on the other side of the harbour.

LHG Brewpub

The evening would be spent at the Left Handed Giant Brewpub at Finzels Reach. There was a socially distanced queue on the curving Castle Bridge when we arrived. We hadn't expected a queue on a Wednesday but some people may have been going out to relax a day after the drama of watching the England v Germany Euro 2020 match on TV when apparently the brewpub had few customers.

A (2/3) pint always tastes better after anticipation and a further delay was necessary to navigate the brewpub's website in order to make and pay for our order. I enjoyed the Nelson Sauvin and Mosaic Pale and later 2/3 pint of Sky Above to go with my tasty vegetarian Mission Pizza.

We were glad to have a table in the exposed harbourside seating area and there was an amazing sunset 'lightshow'. Perhaps the huge opening in the wall of the building towards Castle Park on the other side of the harbour explains why one of the beers is named Sky Above!

Before leaving there was a chance to get a photo of the brewing vessels and beer tanks which are situated behind the bar.

The LHG Brewpub looks good at night viewed from Castle Gardens which are easily accessible via Castle Bridge.

Thursday 1 July, 2021

Returning to Bristol after a visit to Portishead, it was nice to find that a part of King Street has been pedestrianised. As well as the Bristol Old Vic theatre, there are several good pubs on King Street including Small Bar and the Beer Emporium. 

Llandoger Trow

At the east end of the street, opposite the Old Duke and the King Street Brew House, we spotted an empty table outside the Llandoger Trow and checked that we could sit there. The Old Duke had tables on the opposite pavement and in the road with music playing but only pavement space was left for the Llandoger Trow.

It was a relief to be able to order beers without the need to navigate an app. Under new management that also operates the Euston Tap, the Llandoger Trow has a focus on craft beer and continental lager but some cask ales are available and we ordered pints of QPA from Quantock Brewery. 

Other cask ales suggested were from further afield - Timothy Taylor Landlord and Adnams Brewery Ghost Ship. The extra pale colour and citrus tang of QPA reduced the disappointment of the beer being served in a lager glass. Perhaps the glass choice was limited due to the recent reopening or being busy in the evening sunshine. 

Bridge Inn

There was time to stop off at the hotel to brew some tea before venturing out again to find there was a free table outside at the Bridge Inn in a quieter part of the city. 

The landlord made us welcome and a new recruit took our order.  We chose a local cask ale - Hardings Pale Ale by Bason Bridge Brewing Co. 

This was a smooth and fruity pale ale and good value at £3.50 pint.

A pleasant walk along the north bank of the harbour via Castle Gardens and then past BrewDog led us to FiSH restaurant, located on a barge near Bristol bridge. We enjoyed takeaway fish and chips from there at a table by the harbour. We even managed to avoid losing any of our meal to seagulls who frequent the area. 

The Cornubia (2nd visit)

A return to the Cornubia would be our last pub visit of the trip. This time the noise was from a youthful group at the pub but we were able to sit at the furthest table away. A new cask ale had been added to the list and the Lenton Lane Brewery (Nottingham) Simcoe SM&SH (Single malt and single hop) was tasting fresh. 

As usual the service was excellent and assistance with choosing a cider nightcap was appreciated. Reader, the local Brislington Brain Twister dry cider is recommended!

Friday 2 July - Postscript

With checkout at noon, there was time for a walk to Spike Island and back. 

We passed the Ostrich, a Butcombe pub, that we had previously ruled out for a visit as it did not appear to serve any cask ale. However, it does offer plentiful outside seating with harbour views.

The massive almond croissants from Mokoko Coffee & Bakery at Wapping Wharf are recommended for anyone with a sweet tooth and make a good breakfast.

A harbourside walk passes near the SS Great Britain (Brunel's ocean liner) and the Orchard Inn, a freehouse with a good reputation for traditional cider, can be found nearby. To drink at the Orchard Inn is just one more reason to revisit Bristol!