Liverpool (Baltic Triangle) - June 2022

Returning to Liverpool in June 2022, provided an opportunity to revisit the Baltic Fleet and to visit Black Lodge Brewing and Cains Brewery for the first time. 

The Baltic Fleet

First visited on a night in January 2019, it was nice to revisit the Baltic Fleet in daylight hours, on Monday 6 June.

The paintwork on the chimneys make them look like a ship's funnels. The main entrance is on the side furthest from the narrow end with a side door allowing access to the chained off outside seating area.

Four cask ales were available and I chose Cascade Pale Ale from Carnival Brewing Company (Liverpool). After some walking and a visit to Radical Landscapes at Tate Liverpool, it was a delight to find a beer exactly to my taste and a chance to sit down. The 4.2% ABV session pale is brewed with wheat and oats making it soft, sweet and fruity. (£4.20 pint / card payment only).

Two days later I would return to the Baltic Fleet, after a visit to nearby Black Lodge Brewing, and enjoy a glass of Brimstage Brewery (The Wirral) Trapper's Hat, an award winning 3.8% ABV golden ale. (£1.80 1/2 pint).

Cains Brewery and Bar

On Wednesday 8 June, after a day in Chester, I ventured to Cains Brewery and Bar, at the southern base of the extended Baltic Triangle. My visit was only days after the opening on 2 June and too soon for any beers from the new brewery to be available.

My pint of Ossett White Rat, a 4% ABV dry and hoppy pale ale was enjoyable but on the expensive side (£4.80). I had to ask for the glass to be topped up (photo after) and was not offered a choice of a glass without a handle - hey ho!

There is no doubt that little expense has been spared in furnishing the new Cains Brewery and Bar to a high standard. I liked the bare brick walls and high ceilings in the main bar and the view of the brewery but had a few gripes apart from the price of the beer and glassware. There were liberal amounts of greenery as decoration and features but it was all plastic! The music, that was played quite loudly, was not recognisable classic tunes or even anything unusual and interesting.

Hopefully, the quality of the new Cains Brewery beers will make Cains Brewery and Bar worthwhile visiting in future.

In any case, the surrounding Cains Brewery Village is worth a visit. This area, south east of Parliament Street and Grafton Street, is the home for several bars and food markets including those in the collage above.

There's also an Abbey Road mural by Paul Curtis that is an invitation to step into the frame for a photo opportunity!

My walking route to Black Lodge Brewing was not the one recommended by Google maps but it did allow me to see some buildings, murals and a statue that would have been missed otherwise.

Black Lodge Brewing

Access to Black Lodge Brewing is only possible via Kings Dock Street unless you know your way around the tunnels of Liverpool, one of which has a (usually!) blocked entrance nearby.

There were only a few customers when I arrived soon after 7pm. As it was a warm evening, the outside bar, housed in a 10 foot container, was in use as well as the interior bar.

Hannah and Daniel made me feel very welcome and served me with a glass of Start the Parade. This 4.2% ABV American Pale Ale is hopped with Citra, Simcoe and Mosaic and made a perfect start to my visit. 

The Craft Beer Expo glasses are for the popular event held at Black Lodge Brewing and (adjacent) Sub Rosa with the next one scheduled for 16-18 June 2022.

The keg beers are sensibly priced, based on 2/3 pint servings. The regular Black Lodge branded glasses have lines marked for 1/3 pint and 2/3 pint. A couple of cask ales are often also available from the main bar. My second beer, A Better Land, 4.8% ABV, was hopped with Amarillo and Azacca and I was assured that the Liverpool water is part of the explanation for its excellent quality.

I had a quick look inside the main bar / brewery and noticed that there was plenty of greenery, with real plants, in contrast to Cains Brewery and Bar!

Looking away from the bar you notice an unusual fire basket that was fashioned locally but looks as though it came from outer space! 

There was just time to order a third half pint before Black Lodge Brewing closed for the evening. This was a good moment to persuade Hannah and Daniel to pose with copies of West Berkshire CAMRA's Ullage magazine that I had been distributing. No Condition is Permanent is a 5% ABV juicy pale ale brewed with Citra & Idaho 7 hops. 

I could not have asked for better beers or more friendly hosts than I was privileged to enjoy on this memorable evening. Cheers!

The Bridewell

After stopping for a half pint at the Baltic Fleet, I headed north on Wapping and then right into Liver Street, the northern boundary of the Baltic Triangle. Passing beyond Park Lane, the eastern edge of the Baltic Triangle, the entrance to The Bridewell can be found at the corner of Argyle Street and Campbell Square.

Formerly a Victorian police station (note the blue lamp and pub sign), the cells are now used as seating areas and there is an enclosed patio area.

At the bar, my half pint of  Kirkstall Brewery Jasper (£1.85) tasted sour. It was easily exchanged for Kirkstall Brewery Three Swords, a 4.5% ABV extra pale ale brewed with three American hop varieties.

It was a new experience to pass the heavy cell door and sit inside a cell with a beer! Perhaps not the best venue for anyone prone to claustrophobia though!

With good music being played (Moby, Bahamas, The Smiths) it was an easy decision to order another half pint and stay a bit longer. The Kirkstall Brewery Virtuous (£2.50) 4.5% ABV session IPA was pale and dry. 

Among the interesting items displayed on the walls of the Bridewell is a poster for the Cassius Clay v Henry Cooper bout at Wembley in 1963 framed together with a signed photo collage. This was the match that Our 'Enery would lose in the fifth round having knocked down Cassius Clay near the end of the fourth round.

Returning my glass to the bar and noticing that Ossett Brewery Silver King was available on cask resulted in an extended stay for another half pint (£1.85). This is a fruity American Pale Ale (4.3% ABV).

Congratulations to Fiona and Dominic Hornsby, who took over the lease in 2019, as The Bridewell was awarded Pub of the Year 2022 by Liverpool & Districts CAMRA. The Denbigh Castle is their second Liverpool pub and is featured, with the Lion Tavern, in a companion post - Liverpool (Moorfields) - June 2022.

Other pubs South of Liverpool Central

The Philharmonic Dining Rooms is famed for the marble surrounded urinals in the Gents toilets. The pub is now managed by Nicholson's. I enjoyed a pint of Timothy Taylor's Landlord (£4.85 pint) on my visit. 

It was quiet on a Monday evening but well worth having a look around the various rooms to appreciate the historic and ornate interior. Cheers to the person who suggested Brahms and Liszt for facing rooms! CAMRA's Pub Heritage database has more details and photos of the pub's historic features.

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The Grapes at 60 Roscoe Street, on the corner with Knight Street, is also in the Georgian Quarter and not to be confused with the Grapes, Mathew Street in the Cavern Quarter.  From a wide choice of cask ales, I chose Chapter Brewing (Sutton Weaver, Runcorn) Kandata. The 4.7% ABV pale ale was smooth and fruity (£3.70 pint). In contrast to the Philharmonic, the Grapes was busy on a Monday night, downstairs and in the sheltered patio, above a recent extension to the side of the pub, designed by Huge Architects. 

Open to the sky, there was only the sound of multiple conversations in this space surrounded by Buddhas and potted plants. The Grapes is a pub for the young and the young at heart!

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While the Lime Kiln may lack character, it makes up for this with value and convenience. The modern Wetherspoon pub is near lively Concert Square and overlooks Fleet Street. It is only a short walk from Bundobust on Bold Street and Kazimier Garden on Seel Street. I had no complaints about the beers at the Lime Kiln (eg Weetwood Ales Cheshire Cat, a 4% ABV blonde ale for £2.10 pint; Peerless Brewing Co Brit Hop, a dry 4.7% ABV golden ale - seen in photo) or the evening meals and the breakfast bacon butties with unlimited coffee (£1.20 extra). My only gripe here would be the lack of beer mats, leading to sticky table surfaces.

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My previous visit to Peter Kavanagh's was on a Sunday afternoon in January 2019 and resulted in some interior photos (including the one above) appearing in a post for Beer Europe. On Wednesday 8 June 2022, my only photo would be of the pub's exterior with groups gathered at outside tables (see map / photo collage above). Once inside, all the cask ale pump clips were turned round except for Abbot Ale which was the only one available on this occasion. I pledged to return another day and embarked on a walk down busy Parliament Street to reach Cains Brewery Village. My subsequent tweet about this lack of cask ale choice elicited a courteous reply from the pub: 'Only got our delivery in today so cask has to settle, sorry about that we like to make sure you get a good pint.'.

More photos of the historic interior of Peter Kavanagh's are featured in CAMRA's Pub Heritage database.

[NB Note that all beer prices quoted were from Tim's visit to Liverpool 6-9 June 2022.]

Greenwich, Poplar & Limehouse - Friday 28 May 2021

 

Another fine day in London Docklands. It took a little while to find the Leon in the Lower Mall of Jubilee Place at Canary Wharf but it was worth the effort. An interesting walk along dock sides and then via Roffey Street and St John's Park to Folly House Beach at low water. It was a surprise to find there were single bricks and rusty nails amidst the sand, shingle, flotsam and jetsam on the beach looking towards the Greenwich Peninsula. 

To find sheep grazing on the big field at Mudchute Park was another surprise and it was like being in the countryside for the walk from the Pier Street entrance to the exit near Mudchute DLR which leads to Millwall Park.

Once across Manchester Road it was on to Greenwich through the foot tunnel from Island Gardens (which overlooks the Thames with panoramic views towards Greenwich - photo above).

No visit to Greenwich is complete without a sight of the restored Cutty Sark and conveniently, the Greenwich entrance to the foot tunnel is very close to the historic sailing ship. After stops for coffee and lunch (The Andes Empanadas from Greenwich Market) it was time to return to the Thames.

Following the riverside footpath east in front of the Old Royal Naval College and past the Admiral Lord Nelson statue led to the side of the Trafalgar Tavern bedecked with flowers. The roof terrace was covered by tarpaulins but has previously been accessible to customers.

In May 2020, Boak and Bailey tweeted 'Reading about The Trafalgar Tavern at Greenwich, South East London, built in 1839. It seems to have closed at some point before World War I before being converted into a military hospital in 1915. It didn't reopen until 1965. That's quite a hiatus.'

Photo: wikiart.org

The view from the river frontage of the Trafalgar Tavern was painted by James Tissot c. 1878. Lucy Paquette writes 'The Trafalgar Tavern was one of four riverside inns operating at that time; all were known for their whitebait dinners – for diners with the means to enjoy them.'

The pedestrian route then goes behind the Trafalgar Tavern and the entrance to the Yacht is adjacent to the rear entrance of the Trafalgar Tavern.

The Cutty Sark

Continuing along Crane Street, one reaches Highbridge Wharf, giving river views again in front of the historic Trinity Hospital. Once past the front of Greenwich power station, with its disused coal jetty, you reach Ballast Quay, the location of the Cutty Sark, a Young's pub.

Andrew Grumbridge (Dulwich Raider) and Vincent Raison (Dirty South) describe the Cutty Sark in the Ales of the Riverbank chapter of their (recommended) book 'Today South London, Tomorrow South London': 'The Cutty Sark has it all. Several ales, a stone floor, a huge ancient fireplace downstairs and the Crow's Nest room on the third floor with superb views of the river - and there are plenty of tables by the water, across the cobbled street.'

On our visit, there was only one table by the river free so obviously we finally stopped for a beer. A half pint of Young's Ordinary, once brewed in Wandsworth, was £2.50 and disappointingly, served in a lager glass. However, it tasted fine and was served in good condition. 

After this refreshment we could have continued along the west bank of the Greenwich Peninsula to reach the O2 but instead we caught a 188 bus from Trafalgar Road towards North Greenwich as far the Millennium Village, Oval Square stop which is opposite the entrance to Southern Park.

A footpath leads to a boardwalk over wetlands with handrails through a wooded area with views of a lake at the edge of the Greenwich Millenium Village. This leads to the Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park on the eastern side of the Greenwich Peninsula. It is another green oasis worth seeking out in London. 

Thanks to John Rogers, author of This Other London, for sharing a video of his Greenwich Peninsula 'New London' walk on YouTube in April 2021. This was the inspiration for a holiday in Docklands and the chance to follow in his footsteps. 

Reaching the Olympian Way footpath and cyclepath, next to the river Thames, you can see the Thames Barrier to the east. We headed north towards the O2 with new residential tower blocks on the left and the Thames on the right with views across to Trinity Buoy Wharf. 

Quantum Cloud by Antony Gormley

There were sculpture artworks by the river to admire, part of  The Line, a dedicated public art walk. 

As we made a circuit of the O2 along the riverside path and then 'inland' to North Greenwich station, we saw more sculptures, including A Slice of Reality by Richard Wilson.

The Festival Inn, Poplar

Chrisp Street Market Clock Tower in distance

After some delay at North Greenwich bus station we boarded the first 108 bus bound for Stratford via the Blackwall Tunnel. Typically, two more 108 buses came along soon afterwards. We got off at Chrisp Street Market in Poplar.

It was 5.30pm and most of the market stalls had been packed away. There was a long queue at a bank cashpoint machine. It could have been a world away from Canary Wharf although it's only a mile away.

The reason for visiting this area, rebuilt as the Lansbury Estate for the Festival of Britain in 1951, was to see the Festival Inn, recently featured in a blog post by Boak & Bailey as 'the first significant post-war pub'.

Two of the side windows of the single storey section, fronting Kerbey Street, featured the Festival of Britain symbol. A Scotsman was involved in a lively discussion at the main entrance to this part of the pub, fronting the pedestrian precinct. The door of the Kerbey Street entrance was propped open allowing a view inside of floorboards, wooden furniture and wood panelling with pictures hung at a high level. Several interior photos and a plan are included on CAMRA's Pub Heritage website page for the Festival Inn. It would be nice to venture inside the pub on a future visit to East London.

The Grapes, Limehouse

The Travelodge hotel was within walking distance, east along the busy East India Dock Road, with stops en route to photograph Frederick Gibberd's Chrisp Street Market clock tower and Erno Goldfinger's 26 storey Balfron Tower. 

To reach the Grapes for an 8pm table booking, Google maps suggested a 115 bus to Limehouse Town Hall or Docklands Light Railway to Westferry but instead we took the D3 bus from East India station to Westferry Circus and then walked along the riverside path and over the footbridge at Limekiln Dock (where the photo above was taken) before reaching Narrow Street a short distance from the historic pub.

A blue plaque above the door of the Grapes shows the pub dates from 1583. A sign at the entrance asks customers to wait to be seated and we were welcomed by the friendly Sergio who showed us to a table between the bar and the door to the balcony that overlooks the river Thames. 

After Sergio feigned disappointment that we did not accept his suggestion of whisky to drink, we ordered pints of Adnams Ghost Ship instead. Athough our first pints may have been from near the end of the barrel, its taste and condition was better than my previous experiences of this beer served from cask or bottle. 

Each table had a small laminated mini tapas menu with tempting choices. The Fish and Chips, chosen from the blackboard, as a main course was accompanied by mashed peas and a creamy coleslaw. The chips had been salted already so the absence of a salt cellar was not an issue. Sergio or his efficient and tireless female colleague had to fetch all the dishes from the narrow staircase leading to the restaurant and kitchen upstairs. 

A vantage point, from the table beside the bar, provided the chance to take a photo of the bar counter and the small front area beyond now busy with customers. The prints and pictures on the claret coloured walls include portraits of past visitors to the pub including Charles Dickens. Further pints of Ghost Ship, now pulled from a fresh cask were the perfect accompaniment to an evening at The Grapes with its jovial atmosphere and memorably high standards.

After settling our bill with Sergio, it was easy to retrace our steps east along the river Thames to Westferry Circus and catch a D3 bus back to East India station and then a short walk to the hotel.