Wellingborough Crawl 21st June 2014

I have gone through Wellingborough too many times to say while going to London on train from Nottingham and back.
So i thought i would give the town a try and see what pubs it had to offer.
The train journey was only about an hour from Nottingham and the fare was the same if booked on the day,no cheaper fares for pre booking,this meant i could choose a really nice Saturday when the weather would be nice.
The 21st of June 2014 fitted the bill to a tee.
I was on a train from Nottingham just after 9am and in Wellingborough and off the station just after 10am for a nice early start,the station is sited on the East side of the town so the only way to walk was West and into the town centre.
I took a punt and walked just South of the station to see if a pub would be open,i was in luck as the the Crown was open and it was only 10.10am.

1: The Crown

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A large pub set on a corner plot.
There were two separate rooms inside,i went in the room to the right,which was quite a smart room with carpets and comfy banquet seating and normal tables and chairs.
I found out the reason why the pub was open so early was to show England play New Zealand at rugby,England got a good thrashing.
There were five real ales on the bar,i had a drink of St Austell Trelawny which was a bit too warm,probably the first pulled that day.
The other room also looked quite nice and there was a nice secure garden to the rear.
A good start to the day apart from the rugby score.

I now had to walk into the town centre which was not too far and find other pubs open or go into the Wetherspoons.
It did not take long to find another pub that was open before 11am.

2: The Horseshoe Inn

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

I liked the look of this pub from the outside,a decent looking town pub and just the sort i love going in.
It was just as nice inside being bare boarded and having comfy bench seating seating and some comfy looking chairs to the front near the windows,i had to sit there and watch the world go by,the rear area is larger and had a pool table and darts board.
There were two real ales on,i had a drink of Wychwood Full Brazillion which went down well.
I really liked this pub,one i could stay in for a session.

A short walk uphill and i passed the Hind Hotel that was not yet open,on the other side of the road and slightly further up the hill and i found my next pub.

3: The Red Well

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

 
I thought this was a decent looking Wetherspoons from the outside,with a long frontage and lots of flowers above the pubs name.
Once inside the bar faced in a pretty narrow room that extended slightly to the rear on each side,there were 10 pumps on the bar but the choice for me was limited to just two beers,the other beers were the Wetherspoons regulars Gk IPA and Doom Bar and the likes,plus four of those pump clips you see in Spoons with a flag on it and loads of writing,i never try those type beers,i had a drink of Lees Game on,which was a decent drink.
It was quite busy on my Saturday morning visit with very civilised drinkers.

A short walk further uphill and round a corner to my right and i was in what looked like the middle of Wellingborough and a few pubs to choose from.

4: The Cuttting Room

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

 
A decent sized pub on a corner plot.
There was a large single room inside with the bar running down the left side,the right side had a raised area.
The pub still sported its Smith & Jones signage,i was not sure if was still being run by that company as it was in trouble.
There were two real ales on,i had a drink of  Courage Best which was a decent drink and cheap.
The pub was fairly busy and looked like it had seen better days.

I had one pub to do that was a good walk to the North East of the centre area,but i had noticed a pub on the way which was a short walk from the Cutting Room.

5: The Cannon

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A basic two roomed pub.
The bar faced in what was a pretty basic bare boarded room,there was a pool table to the rear right and a secret garden accessed from a raised area to the right,the seating was normal tables and chairs.
There were four unclipped pumps on the bar,so i had to have a drink of John Smiths Smooth Crap,which was crap.
A pretty sad pub that had a few locals in on my Saturday dinner visit.

I now had to do a good walk to get to my next pub which was well away from the middle.
This is the type of walk i have to do when trying to do every pub in a town.

6: The Locomotive

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

 
A decent looking pub that had two separate room inside,the front room was the smaller and L shaped with the bar facing,this room was busy with locals,the room to the rear was larger and had a bar billiard table and Northants skittes.
I had a drink in the front room as it seemed more lively.
There was a good choice of real ales on the bar,six in all,i had a drink of J. Church Gold Testament which was a very nice drink.
A very nice pub and worth the fifteen minute walk there.

It was another fifteen minute walk back to get to the middle of Wellingborough to do a few of the pubs that were close to each other.

7: The Rising Sun

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

 
A strange pub in that you have to ring a door bell next to the door to gain entry,i rang it and was let in straight away.
I went into the room to the right which was smallish and quite comfortable and cosy,there was a larger room to the rear which was up a couple of steps,the room to the left was out of use due to a private party later in the day.
There were three real ales on,i had a drink of Harts Josh's IPA which was a very nice drink.
The room i was in was busy with older drinkers,the background music was decent and the food was simple and cheap.
I quite enjoyed my visit to this pub.

After a short walk and passing the Gloucester and Raffs which were both still closed i came to my next pub.

8: Fiddlers Elbow

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

 
I thought this looked like a decent enough pub from the outside,but once inside it was a very poor pub that was almost devoid of any character,crap seating and no real ales on,i had a drink of Worthington Cream crap flow,or something like that,anyway it was crap.
A very poor pub on my Saturday dinner visit,but live bands are advertised,so it may get better when they are playing.

I decided to have a bit of a walk round the middle of Wellingborough to see what pubs i could find open.
It was not long before i found one.

9: Fox and Hounds

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

 
A very nice looking pub that is close to the middle of Wellingborough.
The pub was even better inside with a single opened out room that had a low beamed ceiling,comfy bench seating and carpeted giving it a very cosy feel,there was also a pool table and darts board.
There were two real ales on and both from Wadworth brewery,i had a drink of Wadworth Henrys IPA which went down very well.
I really took to this pub.
I have since found out that it has closed down and going to be turned into housing,a great shame.

A short walk from the Fox and Hounds and i found another pub.

10: Queens Head
 

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

 
An unaltered pub inside and it still had its old Manns signage on the hanging pub sign.
There were three separate rooms inside with beamed ceilings and carpeted,the seating was comfy bench seating and chairs.
There were four real ales on,i had a drink of Black Sheep bitter which was a very nice drink.
My only gripe with this pub was the modern type music playing which really did not suit the pub one bit.

11: Kingfisher

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

There are steps to get into the main room which is fairly large and square shaped,the bar is to the rear and up one more step and most unusually there is a bench seat in the middle of the room which faces the bar.
There is a pool table and DJ rig,it all looked a bit worn and tired to me.
There were no real ales on,i had the settle for a drink of John Smiths Smooth Crap which was crap just like the pub.


I now decided to walk down the High Street passing some pubs i would do later in the day as was now going to walk to the South and see what pubs i could get done on a walk round the area.
I did pop into a pub on the way down there to quench my thirst.

12: Ye Golden Lion

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A really nice looking pub from the outside.
There were two separate rooms inside,i had a drink in the room to the left which had a beamed ceiling and a stone floor,the room to the right was being used for a kids birthday party.
There were three real ales on,i had a drink of St Austell Tribute which went down well.
Very busy on my Saturday afternoon visit.

I was now heading South and along a busy road,after about a ten minute walk i found my next pub.

13: Dog & Duck

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A large old looking roadside pub that had its front door taken out of action,this really bugs me and you see it far too often these days,so i had to walk round to enter from the right side. 
There was an L shaped room inside that looked quite small compared to the size of the pub,the room was carpeted and had normal tables and chairs,it seemed more like an hotel bar than pub.
There were two real ales on,i had a drink of Wychwood Full Brazillion which was a decent thirst quencher on a hot day.
I did find a costa coffee outlet in the rear area of the pub,but not sure what they are doing with the rest of it.
Not my sort of pub at all.

I was now walking to the very Southern edge of Wellingborough.

14: The Miller

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A pretty bland looking pub now it has a modern brick built extension added to its frontage.
The pub had a single roughly L shaped room which was carpeted and quite comfortable.
There were two real ales on,i had a drink of Hart No 9 which went down very well,so worth the walk.

I now had to walk back North but up another road to get to my next pub,there were a couple more pubs hidden away in estates that i did not have time to find.

15: Royal Oak

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

An estate type pub that is situated well away from the middle of Wellingborough.
There was a single opened out room that was T shaped,there was comfy bench seating and a pool table.
There were no real ales on,i had a drink of John Smiths Smooth Crap which was a crap drink.
The pub was busy with locals which is good to see in these types of pubs,i also had a good chat with some of the locals who told me about some pubs in the area that had closed down,this helped me quite a bit.

I now decided to head North and straight back into the middle of Wellingborough to do the last few pubs on my crawl.

16: Hind Hotel

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A large and decent looking pub with golden hind above its entrance.
There is a small bar room to the right that you can enter from the front or a separate entrance to the right.
The room is fairly small and split level,with some of the tables set aside for diners.
There were no real ales on,i had to settle for a drink of John Smiths Smooth Crap,this was a pretty poor drink.
The TV was showing music videos at a very loud volume.
A very sad pub to have a drink in.
But this seems to be the norm in most towns i visit,the largest hotel and pub always seem to now be the worst in town.

A short walk to the West and i found a decent pub.

17: Coach & Horses

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A really nice looking pub from the outside with lots of ivy on its right side and flower baskets.
The pub was just as nice inside,there is a single L shaped room with the bar facing,the floor is bare boarded and the seating was banquette type and normal tables and chairs,the ceiling is beamed and there were loads of pump clips on it.
There was a very good choice of real ales on,i had a drink of Nene Valley OZP which was a very nice drink.

Now my major gripe about this pubs customers.
This is a big real  pub so attracts what i call beer geeks who always tend to hog the bar,yes they were there with their beards hanging over their pints.
This is what really pissed me off,i ordered my half but noticed the landlady pouring a pint,so i quicky said "i only wanted an half and you can tip it into a half " beer geeks turn round and start sneering at me as though i am some sort of idiot who does no know what he is doing,i was very tempted to hit the big twat with an even bigger beard but luckily i did not.
This is what puts me off these types of pubs.

I now had to decide to stay in the middle of Wellingborough or do a quick walk North to get another pub done on its Northern edge.
My urge to do the more out of the way pubs got the better of me,so it was a good walk to my next pub.

18: Ock 'N' Dough

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A new build pub on the Northern edge of Wellingborough.
This is a Greene King tied house that is branded as an Hungry Horse pub.
There was the usual large room inside that was carpeted and had a mix of seating types.
There were three real ales on,i had a drink of Greene King IPA which was a decent enough drink.
The pub was very busy on my Saturday afternoon visit with people having meals,families having meals and a decent amount of drinkers.
I think these pub serve a purpose and i have no problem in going in them.

It was another walk back into town with no pubs to do along the way.

19:  Raffs Bar

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

I took a photo of this pub when all was quiet at dinnertime,by the time i got round to doing it,it was very different with loads of young people outside and just as busy inside.
There is a smallish single square shaped room with the bar on the right side,the seating was limited to some bench seating to the front and a few bar stools,there was a stage to the rear which was in the process of being set up for a live band,the music playing was very loud rock music which the young rockers loved.
There were no real ales on,which was no surprise,i had a drink of John Smiths Extra Cold Crap which was really crap.
I felt a bit on the old side having a drink here with so many in being under 20.

I only had two more pubs to do in Wellingborough and these were back street pubs on the way back to the train station.

20: The Volunteer

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

 
A large street corner pub that is just off the town centre.
The room had been opened out but was divided by a wall,there was a pool table and bar billiards table which i like to see,the seating was comfy bench type.
Sadly there were no real ales on,i had drink of Worthington Cream Crap which was crap.
I quite liked this locals pub,just a shame about the beer.

I now had to walk well into the back streets to get to my last pub of the crawl.

21: Ranelagh Arms

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

This looked like a really well kept pub from the outside.
Once inside the pub had two separate rooms,the bar room to the right was empty,so i went into the larger lounge to the left which was very busy with a good mix of drinkers.
The pub is a Charles Wells tied house,so i was well pleased,what happened to all of their tied houses that used to be in Wellingborough !
There were two real ales on,i had a drink of Charles Wells Eagle Bitter which went down very well.
There was decent background music playing at a decent volume.
I really took to this pub.

It was a fairly short walk back to the train station.
I had done most of Wellingboroughs pub stock,i missed two estate pubs to the South and a couple of pubs in the town centre that never opened while i was there.
A great day out in nice warm weather doing loads of pubs,what more could you ask for.

 












 

Elgoods Crawl 22nd May 2010

This was a pub crawl done in car,it was a birthday treat from my brother who drove me to some of Elgoods tied estate.
I had already done some Elgoods tied houses while doing other pub crawls and had made my own way to their home town of Wisbech to see the brewery and do the tied houses that were still open in the town,this crawl will no doubt appear on a later post at some point.
I had to plan the crawl to do pubs that were not open all day first and then do the all day openers.

It was a 9am start when my brother picked me up and then the drive down to Elgoods territory.
Luckily our first pub opened at 11am so a nice early start to the crawl.

Leverington

1: Rising Sun

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

 
A standard looking pub,but it was an Elgoods tied house,so i was well pleased,our first Elgoods pub of the day.
There were two separate rooms inside with a bar room that was decent enough and the other room seemed more like a dining room.
There were two hand pumps on the bar,i had a drink of Elgoods Cambridge Bitter which went down well after the long car ride down here.

A short car ride and we passed some pubs that were not Elgoods tied houses and we were in the next village.

Wisbech St Mary

2: The Wheel Inn

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

 
A really nice looking pub that was quite smart inside and also busy on our Saturday dinnertime visit.
I had a drink of Elgoods Cambridge Bitter which was on top form.
I really liked this pub,one i would have liked to stay in for longer.

Another short car ride and we was in another village that is quite small.

Tholomas Drove 

3:  The Chequers

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

 
A really nice looking pub in an equally nice looking village.
The pub had a single opened out room that had different areas and was really nice.
I had a drink of Elgoods Cambridge Bitter which went down very well.
Three Elgoods tied houses done,this was probably the best of the day.

My brother then did a bit of a drive skirting Wisbech to get to the East side of the town and into Norfolk for our next two pubs which were in the same village.

Tilney St Lawrence

4: The Buck Inn

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

 
A pretty standard looking pub that was just the same inside with a couple of rooms that looked like they had seen better days,i had a drink of Elgoods Cambridge Bitter which was average.

There was one more Elgoods tied house to do in Tilney St Lawrence.

5: Coach & Horses

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

 
A decent looking roadside pub that is on the old main road to Kings Lynn.
The pub had two separate rooms inside,we went into the left room which seemed to be more of a dining room that was empty on our Saturday dinnertime visit,we could sit anywhere in the room.
I had a drink of Elgoods Cambridge Bitter which was a decent drink.

Another drive and we was back in Cambridgshire and to the North of Wisbech.

West Walton

6: King of Hearts

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

 
A decent looking pub in a nice looking village and close to the village church.
Once inside the pub was a bit of a dissapointment,the room was decent enough,but the two hand pumps were out of use,the landlord said "there's no call for it here" well i was,i had to settle for a half of Elgoods keg bitter,not sure what it is called,but it was a poor drink.

We skirted Wisbech again to get to the South of it to get to the next few Elgoods tied houses.

Friday Bridge

7: Chequers Inn

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

 
A really nice looking pub that is in the middle of the really nice looking village of Friday Bridge.
The bar faced us on entry and the room looked a bit different with lots of different types of tables and chairs,there was a separate dining room as well.
There were two Elgoods real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Elgoods Cambridge Bitter which was a very nice drink.
Another Elgoods pub that i would be happy to stay in for longer.

We had a drive through the Fenlands to get to our next pub.

Upwell

8: Globe Inn

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

 
A pretty basic Elgoods tied house that was very busy with drinkers on our Saturday afternoon visit.
There was the usual Elgoods beers on the bar,the Cambridge Bitter went down well.
We had a good chat with the friendly landlord who knew a lot about the Elgoods tied Estate,so he saved us some time in looking for closed pubs,he was also a Nottingham Forest fan which went down well with me and my brother.
A proper drinkers pub,just the sort i like doing.

A short drive further South from Upwell and we was in the next village to do another Elgoods tied house.

Three Holes

9: Red Hart Inn

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

 
A large roadside pub in the small village of Three Holes.
The pub had two large separate rooms,we went in the room to the right which was a large lounge,the bar room to the left seemed unused.
There was one real ale on which was Elgoods Cambridge Bitter,this was a decent enough drink.
The landlord said this was the pubs busiest day with it being a Saturday afternoon,it was empty,he also said he was leaving the pub and going down to Kent.
I did not hold out much hope for this pubs future on this visit.
It is now sadly closed down.

We were driving further South to get to our next Elgoods tied house,and unsure which county we were in as we seemed to going into Norfolk then back into Cambridgeshire and back again.

Christchurch

10: Dun Cow

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A nice looking pub in a very rural area of Cambridgeshire.
The pub was very nice and comfortable inside and also quite busy with locals drinking,no sign of food on our Saturday afternoon visit.
I had a very nice drink of Elgoods Cambridge Bitter.

We were now heading North and went back through Upwell to get to the next village with an Elgoods tied house.

Emneth

11: Queens Head

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

 
A decent looking pub that is in the middle of Emneth.
Once inside it was a pretty ordinary pub,i had a drink of Elgoods Cambridge bitter,which was a decent drink.

My brother now drove up to Wisbech so i could pick up my last Elgoods pub that i had not done in the town due to it being in the process of a change of manager to run it when i went to Wisbech on another pub crawl.

Wisbech

12: Five Bells

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

Situated on a busy street in the middle of Wisbech.
I could hear the loud music before i went into the pub,my brother made the wise choice not to go in here and get a bag of chips,once inside there was a single room which was dimly lit and had lots of flashing lights,it was also empty,i asked for a half of Elgoods Cambridge Bitter,but was told it was off,so i had to settle for a half of Guinness.
I thought this was a pub in crisis.
The chips tasted better than the Guinness.

It was a decent drive to the West of Wisbech to get to the next village.

Murrow

13: Bell Inn

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A standard looking pub which had a village hall attached to its right side.
We went into the left side which looked more like a proper pub,but was nothing special.
I had a drink of Elgoods Cambridge Bitter which was a decent enough drink.

It was a short drive North to our penultimate pub.

Parson Drove

14: Swan Inn

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A nice Elgoods tied house that was very comfortable inside,i had a drink of Elgoods Cambridge Bitter,which was a very nice drink.
A pub i could well settle in for a few drinks.

It was a drive North and into Lincolnshire for our last Elgoods pub of the day.

Gedney Hill

15: Red Lion

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

 
A decent looking pub from the outside and fairly comfortable inside,but the big let down was the lack of any real ales,i had to settle for a drink of Guinness which was no replacement for a drink of Elgoods Cambridge Bitter.

A great day out and in really nice warm weather.
Fifteen Elgoods tied houses done and now over three quarters of their tied estate done.



 
 

 

Nottingham's Lost Pubs Part 1 Hyson Green

This is a sad list of pubs that i have been in many times in the Hyson Green area of Nottingham,many done with mates and all done with my wife at some point.
All are now closed down making Hyson Green an almost pub free zone.
For anyone who knows this area of Nottingham i will be listing the pubs going up Radford Road from its junction with Bentinck Road.

Langham

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A really rough and ready pub that had a couple of rooms.
This was a Kimberley tied house and did have Kimberley Bitter and Mild on the bar in real form.
A pub i have done quite a few times with the wife and mates,some of the customers were very dodgy and ladies of the night frequented the pub on our last few visits.
The pub is still standing,but long gone.
Pub first visited 2nd July 1982

Smiths Arms

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

Another very basic pub which was on the opposite side of the road from the Langham and a bit further down Radford Road
The pub had decent sized  bar room to the front which had basic bench seating,there was a separate lounge to the rear which we never went in.
The pub was an Home Ales tied house with a decent drink of Home Ales bitter and Mild on the bar
Ive done this pub loads of times and did it with my wife quite a few times after leaving Goose Fair.
I have seen some sights in this pub over the years.
Now sadly closed down.
Pub first visited 2nd July 1982

Radford Arms

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

The Radford Arms was a few doors down from the Smiths Arms,you can see its pub sign behind the Nottinghmam City bus on the Smiths Arms photo.
The pub had a single room which was long and narrow,the pub was an Ind Coope tied house and on my first few visits there were a couple of real ales on,the Ind Coope bitter and Burton Bitter were decent drinks.
This pub was very popular with the large black community who lived in Hyson Green.
The pub always had a rough edge to it.
The Radford Arms is now closed down and is operating as a restaurant.
Pub first visited 2nd July 1982.

The Cricket Players

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

This was a Shipstones tied house that was built to serve the notorious Hyson Green flats complex,some of the low rise flats can be seen behind the pub on my photo.
It was situated on the other side of Radford Road and a bit further down from the Radford Arms.
I have only been in this pub twice,the first visit with a mate found the pub full of rastas who seemed none to happy about us going in,but we did anyway.
The Shipstones Bitter seemed very fizzy and may have been the rare keg version of it.
All of the deck access flats have now gone due to too much trouble,but the tower block is still standing.
The Cricket Players is now closed and when i last passed it was being used as a car wash base.
Pub first visited 2nd July 1982.

Old General

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

This was an Home Ales tied house that was on the opposite side of Radford Road from the Cricket Players and a bit further down the road.
The pub had a couple of rooms inside with a basic bar and a more comfortable lounge,the Home Mild and Bitter were decent drinks in this pub.
I always thought this was probably the least rough of the pubs along this stretch of Radford Road.
This pub has now sadly closed down.
Pub first visited 2nd July 1982

Scotholme

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

This was a Shipstones tied house that was the last pub on this stretch of Radford Road,it was a sturdy corner pub which was on the corner of Gladstone Street.
The pub had a couple of rooms inside and was quite basic,the Shipstones Bitter and Mild were very nice here.
I am unsure of this pubs fate.
Pub first visited 27th November 1982

The next few pubs are still in Hyson Green but on other roads.

Carlton Hotel

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

This was a decent Shipstones tied house that was on Noel Street and just up from the notorious Hyson Green flats complex.
The pub had a decent bar room and a comfortable lounge,the Shipstones Bitter and Mild were very nice in this pub.
I have done the pub on many occasions and took my wife there a few times after Goose Fair.
The Carlton Hotel changed its name to the Frog & Onion but sadly it closed down a couple of years ago.
Pub first visited 2nd July 1982

The Albany

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

 
A large corner pub that was one of two pubs on Birkin Avenue.
The Albany was a Shipstones tied house,there were a few different rooms inside and the pub always had a rough edge when i went in it.
The Shipstones bitter was decent enough in this pub.
The pub is in an area which borders Radford and is very rough at anytime of the day.
Another pub to close down.
Pub first visited 10th September 1982.

This is a list of all know pubs in Hyson Green that i have done,the only pub not listed is the Clock which is on Craven Road and just off Birkin Avenue as this pub is still open.

A sad state of Nottinghams pub stock in Hyson Green will be repeated in other areas of the City in later posts titled Nottinghams Lost Pubs.

Wetherby,Boston Spa,Clifford,Bramham,Thorner and Leeds Crawl 20th August 2016

I have had this crawl planned for quite a while, but kept putting it off as it was taking some time to plan it properly.
To make matters worse National Express have rejigged the timings from Nottingham to Leeds meaning I now get into Leeds 50 minutes later than I used to.

It was the usual start from Nottingham on the later 08.40 National Express bus to Leeds which is now due to arrive at 10.50, luckily it was a bit early, so a quick walk to the main bus station and find out where the 770 and 771 services to Harrogate go from, I found the stand quickly and had to wait about five minutes for the bus to turn up,i got a day ticket so i could use the service during my pub crawl. I overheard the driver talking to another driver saying "these buses could not take the skin off a rice pudding". Yes, the journey was slow and on what is the most uncomfortable bus I have been on in a long time.

I finally arrived at my starting point for the crawl,Wetherby a town I have wanted to do for a while. There were pubs very close to the small bus station where the bus stopped. I got into my first pub just before 12 so I had to make haste to get all of Wetherby's pubs done before catching another bus to Boston Spa.

Wetherby


1: Bar Three

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

Bar Three had the modern looking battleship grey colour,but i was not bothered,i just wanted to get in and have my first drink of the day.
It seemed a decent enough pub with a modern look to it inside,there were two real ales on,i had a drink of Leeds Pale which was a decent drink.

Luckily Wetherby is a fairly small town and most pubs are quite close to each other,so not too much walking.

2: New Inn

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A really nice looking stone built pub with some nice hanging baskets outside.
This was a proper pub inside,just a single room which is carpeted,there was comfy bench seating which i like and small stools,food was being served but you could sit anywhere.
There were three real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Tetley Cask which was a decent drink.

3: Black Bull

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

The Black Bull is probably slightly better looking than the New Inn,another stone built pub and more hanging baskets outside.
It is carpeted and has comfy bench seating and small stools,there was also some normal tables and chairs.
Four real ales on,i had a drink of Copper Dragon Golden Pippin which was a very nice drink.

After a short walk i found a narrow street and a pub/bar that was not on my list to do,so i had to do it.

4: Sir Dukes

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A bar and Grill that looks like it was converted from two stone cottages.
It was quite nice inside with a single irregular shaped room which had normal tables and chairs,which i presume were for diners,there were tall stools to the front and around the small bar,so i sat at the bar.
There was only one keg font which had a beer called Dazed and Confused from Bad Beer Co,the abv was a bit higher than i prefer  as i was on a pub crawl,but i thought i would have a drink of it as this was a new pub to do,the drink was decent but the price was shocking at £4.50 for a two thirds of a pint glass,i now know why they call the beer Dazed and Confused,i was.

5: The Mews

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A decent looking stone built pub that is set sideways onto the road,it looks as though i could have been converted from other use at some point.
There is a single room inside which has a modern look,bare boarded,there is some bench seating.
There were six real ales on,i had a drink of Oakells Bitter which was a nice drink.
The pub was far too quiet for my liking,i like distractions like background music and TVs showing sports or music videos.

I was now going to take the short walk to Wetherby's furthest flung pub which was less than a five minute walk and i passed the Swan & Salmon along the way.

6: Royal Oak

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A standard looking town pub.
It was fairly nice inside with the room being carpeted and having bench seating and chairs,there was also background music playing.
There were four real ales on,i had a drink of John Smiths Cask which was a decent drink.

7: Swan & Talbot

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A nice looking pub with a long frontage,the hanging baskets also looked nice,shame about the pavement replacement works.
There was a single room inside which ran the width of the pub one half for drinkers the other for diners.
There were three real ales on,i had a drink of Collingham Blonde which was a decent drink,there were TVs on showing the Olympics.

It was a quick walk back to the middle of Wetherby to pick up the remaining pubs left to do.
I had been told the Angel is no longer a pub,i took a quick look through the windows and could not see anyone drinking,there may be a bar upstairs though,the Brunswick was also not open and was up for let,so i now only had two pubs to do,i had enough time to do both and get a bag of chips with scraps on.

8: Red Lion

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A decent looking pub situated at the end of the High Street.
It is split level inside and carpeted,there is comfy bench seating.
There were five real ales on,i had a drink of York Guzzler which was a top notch drink,this was the busiest pub on my tour of Wetherby.

9: Crown Inn

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A nice looking stone built pub.
The pub had two separate rooms inside,i had a drink in the lounge which was carpeted and had comfy bench seating and small stools.
This pub is a Samuel Smiths tied house,so i was well pleased,there was the one usual real ale on,which was Old Brewery Bitter,this was a very nice drink.

I was now almost done in Wetherby a town i really liked,it was time for my chips with scraps on while waiting for my bus to Boston Spa.


Boston Spa

A long strung out village with two pubs i really wanted to do,they just happened to be at the far end well away from the middle.

10: Admiral Hawke

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A decent looking stone built pub with a double bay window frontage.
It was quite nice inside one large L shaped room that was carpeted,the seating was comfy bench seating and chairs and small tables and stools.
This pub is a Samuel Smiths tied house,there were no real ales on which does not bother me,i had a drink of Keg Old Brewery Bitter which was a decent drink.
A nice comfortable pub.

A short walk further from the middle of Boston Spa and i found my next pub.

11: Fox & Hounds

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

I liked the look of this stone built pub from the outside,it may have been the pub sign that helped.
Once inside the pub had a decent sized lounge that was carpeted and had comfy bench seating and small stools,plus some normal tables and chairs,the bar was a lot smaller and had bench seating.
This pub is a Samuel Smiths tied house,so i was well pleased in doing it,three Samuel Smiths tied houses in a row.
There was one real ale on which was Old Brewery Bitter,this was a decent drink and very cheap.

I now had to walk back towards the middle of Boston Spa and see what pubs i could find there.

12: Stew & Oyster

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A small looking pub that looks like it was converted from other use.
There is a smallish single oblong shaped room which is bare boarded,the seating is some puff stools,Settees and normal tables and chairs and a few tall tables and chairs.
There were five real ales on,i had a drink of Thornebridge Lord Marples which was a very nice drink.
There was food being served,but you could sit anywhere and the background music was good.
More modern than old but i quite took to this place.

13:  Fifty 50

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A small bar that does some decent freshly cooked food,though i did not try it,as i was here for the beer,there is a small split level room which has a few normal tables and chairs and a couple of settees.
There was one real ale on which was Pedigree,this was a decent drink.
The background music playing was good and the food did look good.
One to take the wife to.

I now had to decide whether  to wait ten minutes for the 771 bus to Clifford or walk down Chapel Lane and do the Albion which is not on the bus route,i opted to walk and in just over ten minutes i was in my next pub.

Clifford

14: The Albion

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A largish looking stone built pub.
The pub has two separate rooms,i went into the front bar room which was empty on my Saturday afternoon visit,so i decided go into the rear room which was a lounge,this room was quite busy with a good mix of drinkers,the room is carpeted and there was comfy bench seating.
There were three real ales on,i had a drink of Copper Dragon Golden Pippin which went down very well.
A very pleasant pub to have  drink in.

It was a short walk into the middle of Clifford to get to my next two pubs.

15: Bay Horse

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A decent looking stone built pub that is just up from the Old Star pub.
The pub has a single room which is carpeted and has comfy bench seating and small stools.
There were three real ales on,i had a drink of Leeds Pale which was a decent drink.
There was a TV on showing the Olympics.

16: Old Star Inn

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A plain looking stone built pub.
The pub has three separate rooms inside,with two to the front and one to the rear,the room to the front right was carpeted and had comfy bench seating.
This pub is a Samuel Smiths tied house,there was one real ale on which was Old Brewery Bitter,this was a nice drink.
A decent pub that was almost empty and very quiet on my Saturday afternoon visit.

I got slightly lost in this small village and was not sure where my bus to Bramham would stop,i decided to walk up past the Bay Horse and to my luck the 770 turned up as walked round the corner to the bus stop,a short bus journey and i was in Bramham.
I walked past the Red Lion and did the uphill walk to get to the Swan.

Bramham


17:  The Swan

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A nice looking stone built pub.
This pub seemed unaltered inside with four small rooms,i had a drink in the room to the front left which had a small bar in it,the room was carpeted and had bench seating and small stools.
There were three real ales on,i had a drink of Ilkley Mary Jane which was a very nice drink.
The pub was fairly  busy and quiet background music was playing.
A really nice pub and worth the walk uphill.

It was a lot easier walking back downhill to my next pub.

18: Red Lion

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

The pub has two separate rooms inside,the lounge is the larger of the two and seemed quite cosy,it has a raised area and is carpeted,the seating is comfy bench type and normal tables and chairs,the bar room is a lot smaller.
This pub is a Samuel Smiths tied house,there was one real ale on which was Old Brewery Bitter,this was a nice drink.
This is a pub i could settle in for a few.

The bus stop is next to the Red Lion and i only had a couple of minutes to wait and the 771 turned up.
On the way up to Wetherby i had gone through Thorner a really nice looking village and i spotted three pubs so i decided to do this village that was not planned.
I had an hour to do three pubs so no rush here.

Thorner


19: Mexborough Arms

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A large pub that is at the top end of the village.
There are two separate rooms inside,i had a drink in the lounge which was the larger of the two,it was carpeted and had comfy bench seating and chairs,there was a TV showing the Olympics and background music was playing.
There were two real ales on,i had a drink of Leeds Best which went down well.
A decent pub that was fairly busy on my Saturday afternoon visit

20: The Fox

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A decent looking white painted pub that is in the middle of Thorner.
There is a single room inside which retains different areas,the floor is part tiled and carpeted,the seating is comfy bench type and chairs and normal tables and chairs.
There were three real ales on,i had a drink of Brewsters Hophead which was a decent drink.
A decent village pub to have a drink in.

21: The Beehive

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A white painted pub that says pub and restaurant on its outside walls.
The pub has been opened out into one large square shaped room which is divided into different areas,has different types of seating and is part carpeted and bare boarded.
The pub has had what looks like a big makeover and has probably made it worse in my opinion.
There was one real ale on which was Black Sheep bitter which was decent enough.
This seems more of a dining pub now,but it was empty on my late Saturday  afternoon visit,all very sad.
The worst pub of the day by a long distance.

After another short wait i was back on a 771 bus back to Leeds and hopefully time to get a couple more pubs done.
The journey back was not too bad and i had sussed out where the best seats were to get more leg room.

Leeds /Holbeck


 I got off the bus before getting to the bus station and walked towards the Calls.

22: Shears Yard

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A fairly new bar that is housed in an old building.
I had to go down some steps to get to the bar,the room was dimly lit and had a tiled floor,the seating was bench seats and chairs.
There was one real ale on which was Leeds Pale,this was a decent drink.
A very pleasant bar,one to take the wife to.

A short walk along the Calls and i found my last pub of the day.

23: Lamb & Flag

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A Leeds Brewery tied house that i thought looked quite nice from the outside,it was just as nice inside with drinking areas on two floors,i stuck to the ground level room which was fairly busy with Leeds bright young people.
There was a good choice of Leeds beers on the bar,plus a couple from Thornebridge brewery,i had a drink of Leeds Best which was a very nice drink and the last of this pub crawl.

It was a short walk back to the bus station for my National Express coach back to Nottingham.

This was a great day out pub crawling,i visited five different towns or Villages plus Leeds,i did five Samuel Smiths tied houses which i was well pleased with and all but two pubs did real ales.