Chesterfield and Matlock pub crawl

Appen,

   on Friday I was due on a raucous all dayer with my friend Christingpher, however a surprising and unsavoury blight befell him and he cancelled in the morning. Seeing that I had a whole day to myself, and knowing there were a few new venues I wanted to try, I threw together an unsophisticated poorly thought through plan, the details of which follow.

Full speed to Chesterfield

Perhaps not a title to set your pulse racing but there was a frenetic feeling to my dash out to the Derbyshire brewing capital (sorry Derby, but you only have four, whereas Chesterfield, if one includes Staveley, has five, so neurgh). I was so disorganised that I didn't leave home til gone half 1 but got into town, bought my Derbyshire Wayfarer, caught the train and got a bus out to Chatsworth Road in an hour, shortly after which I arrived at my first pub of the day.

Tramway

The Tramway Tavern is on Chatsworth Road, just far enough of a slog outside town to be an undesirable wander, but with the bus stops set just far enough apart to make a bus journey annoying as well, especially when the bus pulled up outside to get round a truck - then drove off five minutes up the road. And it was chuffing wazzing it down, which along with siling stair rods, is a meteorological term.

I arrived as the rain stopped (ha ha the weather....) in a rare burst of sunshine, and went inside to contemplate why I hadn't gone to the cash machine. I had five pounds. So I bought a pint, a delicious one of Brampton Impy Dark, from a choice which included their Golden Bud, a Jubilee Ale and a couple f guests from Ashover, St Austell and Peak Ales. This was a fairly exclusive pint, since I was the only person in the pub, and sitting in the left hand bay listening to a rather curious mix of tunes, I decided to try and formulate a plan.

This meant I got through my pint quite quickly (thinking makes yer thirsty see) and had to ask for cash machine directions from the barmaid before I left. I didn't fancy a half pint, since that's all I had money left for.

Rose and Crown Brampton

A short walk up Chatsworth Road and I reached the cash machines of Morro's then I walked up the road to the Rose and Crown, not before missing the turning and the guide marker of the Real Ale Corner. Clearly the persisting it down monsoon had seeped into my brain.

On the bar at the Rose and Crown were a selection of Brampton beers and a couple of guests which didn't seem to suit my tastes, but when I'm confronted with the Brampton Stout very little can match it. I sat down with a North West CAMRA mag and a local for company supping my pint in the near left of the odd shaped building. Shortly after sitting down a couple walked in and surveyed the range. The Wasps Nest pumpclip was facing the customer but had a sign on saying coming soon. Said the gent "Ow long before its going to be on, the Wasps Nest?" "Later" "Arr much later?" "Might not be on until tomorrow actually" "Orh, we'll leave it then".And off they popped!

As I remarked when I went back to the bar, its good to see a customer who knows what they like, but Christ, that's some restriction to put on your visit!

I tried a taste of the Tudor Rose but didn't really fancy it - new world hops according to the website but subdued and confused by pushy malt I found. Instead I went for a pint of the Best which was a very pleasant beer at £2.45 a pint, and dallied briefly with the idea of walking to Walton to get the X17 to Matlock, an idea my heavy soaking coat and sodden jeans quickly helped dispel.

Real Ale Corner

I headed back to Chatsworth Road and into the Real Ale Corner, my first visit. A stellar range of bottles surrounded the walls, and there were two pumps dispensing jubilee beers, Hoppy and Glorious from Kelham Island, and Leeds Brewery Jubilee IPA, but my eye was caught by the RAC's own brew, a mild, which was being served by gravity.

I made a bit of a balls up here am afraid. Listening to the helpful staff member's spiel about the beer's qualities and upcoming brews from her husband, I took a swig and noted it was quite tart. I pulled a face, and explained that it seemed a bit sharp, but persuaded myself that I would find this edge disappearing to reveal the wider and more mellow characteristics. I only had a half and taking a big swig to reaffirm my flawed premise it was well past half gone before I thought it might be off actually. So I pointed out it tasted wrong, and then bought another half. The lady behind the bar tried it, pulled a bit of a face and took the beer off, but didn't proffer a free replacement - whilst I should have said it was off and requested a replacement straight away, this seemed a bit mean - she'd just admitted it didn't taste right at all...

Grumbles aside I did stick around long enough, stood up instead of seating myself at one of the two barrel tables, to have a half of an excellent Leeds Jubilee IPA, a brilliant 4.8% fruity pale which had I been less embroiled in my adventure I would have liked to have had much more of.

Matlock bound

I caught a bus back into town and then noting I had a while to wait for the X17 I popped into the Royal Oak for a quick half - this was a tasty Northumberland Sovereign, which went down well, amongst a slightly less admirable range than last time, apart from the allure of the Jaipur.

MoCa Bar

Soon I was in Matlock and heading for Dale Road and Matlock's newest real ale venue MoCa Bar. This is a modern spacious and airy bar in an old building with 5 handpumps and key kegs. Since the bar was showing my favourite Derbyshire beer Blue Monkey BG Sips, it was no contest what I was having. I settled down in the window, listened to some very good tunes, read my copy of Inn Spire and enjoyed my ale.

In fact, I perhaps enjoyed it a little too much, as I was soon at the bar ordering a further half of BG Sips along with a half of Abbeydale Vespers, which I don't think I've ever had before. I had only intended to stop in Matlock long enough to visit MoCa, so soon had to be off back to the Bus station, but mission accomplished, and I had seen enough to want to go back for a return visit.

Spa

Back in Chesterfield I decided to go in another new venue, to me at least, and popped in the Spa Lane Vaults for a pint. Here I got a very nice pint of Springhead Dark Tom, by far my cheapest beer of the day at £2.00 a pint, and drinking it being a nice way to spend my first trip to the vaults.  

Coco

My last Chesterfield destination was Coco Bar and Bistro on Corporation street, which finishes rather haphazardly at the edge of the ring road where the footbridge to the station starts. This is really much more a bistro than a bar - there is a bit of seating at the bar in this modern shiny but tastefully decorated venue, but it seemed mostly tables for dining: unless my libations have skewed my recollections there didn't seem many places to sit for a pint.

Initially I was disappointed to find only one of four handpumps in use, with the Thornbridge Wye (Why?) which we have already established I don't like, but the barman assured me a Welbeck beer was coming on next, so I plumped for some keg instead whilst I waited. I had a half of the Freedom Pioneer or at least I started - in a bad few minutes for the bar manager (I reasoned he must have been in charge, he had a different coloured shirt on!) two ladies at the bar took back their Wye saying it tasted too vegetabley, and I asked to swap the Pioneer.

I couldn't really think of a quick way of explaining that it tasted of the worst and most astringent characteristics of Selby Brewery beer in the mid nineties without having to find other more identifiable comparisons of that strange musty taste you get from some breweries, but I got it swapped for a Thornbridge Kipling anyway (the Pioneer had been £1.95 a half), which really served only to remind me that beer which already tastes really good in cask rarely becomes better in a cold fizzy state.

Things looked up however with a half of the dry Topaz pale ale from Thornbridge, and a pint of the excellent Diamond Jubilee wheat beer (6.0%, £3.00 a pint) from Welbeck Abbey Brewery (above), which to my surprise, ended up being even nicer than the Blue Monkey BG Sips and Brampton Stout to be the best beer of the trip. Below is a picture of the bar manager gamely posing for what he no doubt mistakenly expected to be exposure in a high quality mass readership online beer guide. Sorry about that...

So, all in all this was an excellent appraisal of some of the Brampton, Chesterfield City Centre and Matlock pubs that shows the real ale "scenes" if that's the right term, in rude health in all three areas. And now that the opening of the White Swan on St Mary's Gate is imminent there is even more reason to go back for another look.

Cheers!

Wee Beefy

Big lad goes for a walk.......

Hello, here are the details of some White Peak pubs and beer.

Now that its, erm, well winter still I suppose, me and Dave decided to go out for a walk and visit some new pubs, and a couple of old favourites. Luckily, despite three solid months of snow and rain, we picked a day when the sun shone and it felt warm and spring like to go for our yomp.

It’s perhaps diligent to point out that whilst a walk it may have been, the main traverse finished in the afternoon, allowing us to spread our net further. It still made me and Davefromtshop sweat and nearly pass out and so was no doubt good exercise.

We started by catching the latest version of non-integrated public transport, the TM Travel 218 to Bakewell - or Buxton, depending on what you read and who you know. We were going to Bakewell so didn't care, but Buxton bound travellers were less impressed, especially since about 3 buses leave for Buxton or Bakewell at the same time, so it’s crucial you know which to catch. Instead of having a PMT ( yes, that was their catchy name ) coach taking you from Sheffield to Hanley in Stoke straight-through, you now need to catch 3 buses, the first 2 of which almost certainly don't connect.

Anyhoo, I digress, we were in Bakewell on time and set about our walk, heading up to the school and then taking the left hand lane towards Conksbury and turning off to Over Haddon. We walked up a lane that becomes a surfaced track up to an estate near the school, the precipitous steep ascent reminding us that there was exercise ahead, and almost all the first part of it walking uphill.

Once at the school we followed the road and admired the views looking out across the valley and guessing where the path across Haddon fields might have come out. At our first turn in the road requiring a decision, inevitably got it a bit wrong, what with my defiant yet simultaneously stupid anti map crusade being in place. I mistook the road to Over Haddon on our right for an earlier one and carried on downhill expecting to find it.

Seeing time creeping on and knowing the road ( especially if you miss it ) was likely a spot further round, we set off across the fields looking ahead to spot the white of the Lathkil Hotel ahead. Several unlikely seeming sightings followed, and only when a larger path traversed the field in front of us did I look right - to see we were 20 minutes downhill from the Hotel and had gone too far.

Spirits undampend we headed up the path along the side of the dale and were at the Lathkil Hotel for 11.20, a bit later than planned. The Lathkil, as well as having been in the GBG for ever and won countless awards, has the sense to open for morning coffee at some early time, meaning the gar opens at 11.00. We strode into the bar which was drenched in white sunlight to find the fire lit (although we didn’t need it () and 4 real ales.

Me and Dave both had pints of Whim Hartington Bitter and sat down to admire the view and catch our breath. Within a short space of time we were requiring more beer and took the bar staff’s recommendation that we try the Whim Schnee Weiss, which was fantastic.

As we continued slaking and trying not to get too heavily involved in talking shop, the time came for a last one, and although I wanted to try the Storm Brewery Red Mist the wheat beer was too good so we had another pint of that. At this point my primitive limbic brain began to suggest that there was a bus about 13.00 so we should wait for that and go to another pub by bus, but we were determined to drag our considerable forms around on foot at least as far as Monyash.

This unplanned but not surprising long stop at The Lathkil meant I abandoned my careful plan to walk to Youlgreave then Monyash, and instead we opted to walk along the lane along the top of the dale and then follow a path along the side and into the dale into Monyash. We set off at good speed about 12.45 and reached Haddon Grove, where the path takes you dale-wards and the road goes to join the main drag into Monyash.

Following the path through the farm we arrived at the edge of Lathkil dale overlooking a side dale and the sheep track that lay ahead. We followed this precariously until we dropped down onto the head of the side dale, and decided that we should continue our precarious tiptoeing along the top side for a bit longer. Where the path seemed to diverge down into the dale itself it looked somewhat off putting so mindful of the time we headed up a path out of Lathkil, then over a hill and out onto the main road for the last 10 minutes into Monyash.

Dave predicted we would make it to the pub at 14.35, conveniently securing 25 mins for a pint before the bus. I can't let him gloat at how close we came so will instead point out that we arrived at 14.33, making him erm, miles out.

We ordered pints of Bradfield Blonde and Dave went to wash his face in the gents whilst I snapped some rare empty Bulls head photos.

At 15.00 we went outside and saw the bus - which is really a school service - waiting outside, so got on before being whisked away for a brief tour of White Park plateau villages, with a load of admirably well behaved bairns. Having deposited the last ones at Flagg the driver then finished his route and dropped us outside the Duke of York at Pomeroy.

This was a new pub to us both, no doubt passed an endless number of times, an isolated, large roadside Robbie’s house selling Unicorn Bitter. Despite our odd time of arrival there were a few people I, and the sight of someone having their food made us hungry. We knew we had a good hour here so made the most of our time by having a look round, taking pics outside and then ordering what was probably the nicest chip butty I have had in years.

The landlord was friendly and chatty throughout and although the Unicorn was a tad chilly it was in good nick and we ended up at time to leave without realising it. We caught the 42 into Buxton and sought out the Old hall hotel, a second new venue.

This is a large and very old building with stylish 1920's style polished wooden revolving doors at the entrance, and then a brief walk through corridors to the tiny bar at the back, where there are 2 real ales on, and you have to ring the bell for service. The main attraction was the promise of Buxton beer in Buxton, and we weren’t disappointed - the Buxton Spa was on. At £3.00 a pint it might have wanted to be a smidgen stronger and maybe a bit more adventurously flavoured, but the surroundings were nice, and by hotel standards it was a surprise to see two real ales on in what is probably not a renowned stop on the Town's drinking circuit.

After this we headed across the park ( scene of dreadful inebriated confusion in the past ) to another hotel - this time GBG regular Ramsays at the Buckingham Hotel. There were about 6 beers on and we had halves of Deverentino Medusa and Howard Town Ramsays ale. The Deverentino beer was bit limp and lacked flavour , it’s a brewery that seems to promise much but doesn't always deliver, which is a shame because the beer styles are very interesting.

The Howard Town had a bit more bite, and this whetted our appetites for 2 more halves, this time the weaker Howard Town Longdendale Light. Careful to finish with some light still remaining we headed up into the Market Square to check the bus times and found a 66 to Chesterfield in situ.

Naturally the diver was happy for me and Dave to stand half on and half off the bus for 5 minutes unravelling the possibilities of our route, but having learned that there was no longer a 67 to Chesterfield from Tideswell late on we opted to travel all the way to Chesterfield in search of more local beers.

We alighted at Brampton near Morro's and Dave used his somewhat eclectic directional ability to deliver us safe and sound to attractions including a dead end behind some garages, a housing estate, a patch of grass, and a path to some bungalows. Luckily we returned to the main road to find where he had been when he and his friend parked up to visit the Rose and Crown, before leading us up Victoria Street West and round the corner to our destination, 1 minutes walk from where we started.

Still, it was worth the tour, and we compensated with two pints of Impey Dark from Brampton brewery, the tap of which the pub is. So excellent was this beer that I had another whilst Dave tried a Tryst brewery bitter, before we had Brew Co Midnight Stout and then 2 final pints of Impey dark. The helpful bar staff secured us a taxi to the station and we were on the train with time to spare. Just in time on arriving back in Sheff to catch a bus rather than invest in a taxi and arrive home safe and sate and sloshed.

All in all our Oliver reed fitness diet comprised walking about 7 miles but maybe less, and drinking 12 pints, the very best of which by a mile was the Brampton Impey Dark.

It might not be a healthy walk but it was bloody enjoyable.

Wee Beefy.