Afternoon
recent activity surrounding beer and pubs has been frantic so am going to give you a few small tit-bits to try and cover all that's been going on.
BrewDog vs Asda
Asda recently put up the cost of the reduced strength Punk IPA to over £2.30 a bottle. Responsible you might think - but its still in the 3 for £4.00 offer. Once more Asda's alcohol irresponsibility reigns supreme - the less you buy, and the weaker alcohol in the beer you buy, the more expensive it is. Genius.
Shakespeare Gibraltar Street Shalesmoor
Work continues on the interior and upstairs rooms in particular, bookings are now coming in for bands to play in the large upstairs function room, where a bar is hoped to be installed in the future. A good range of local beers has always been available on my 4 visits so far, last night I had Abbeydale Deception, Spire Dark Side of he Moon, and not so local but the best of the lot, Hornbeam Black Coral Stout. The new signage is half up - one is waiting to presumably go on the side wall; and this identifies the pub as Shakespeares Ale and Cider House.
Welbeck Abbey Brewery
Continue to get their beers into Sheffield, having been seen at the Harlequin, Shakespeares (to reflect their new signage and differentiate between them and the Olde Shakespeare on Well Road Heeley ) and the Old House. Their First Brew was very quaffable at the Harlequin, and their low gravity session beer Henrietta at 3.6% was the stand out beer of an evening at the Old House recently. Me and Davefromtshop caught a pint of the surprisingly heavy ruby biter Red Feather at Shakespeares last week as well. Although they have excellent mentors and distributors in the form of Kelham Island brewery, its noticeable how quickly they have created a recognisable brand, and found that crucial consistency and quality. See their blog on this site or follow http://welbeckabbeybrewery.blogspot.com/
Toad Brewery
The flip side of the Welbeck story is the demise of short lived Doncaster brewery Toad, who have gone into liquidation. I rarely found their beers and I have to say that when I did I was likewise rarely impressed. Perhaps their apparent intention to supply the unusual/one off guest beer market caught them out - an over ambitious beer roster maybe contributed to a lack of consistency and a prevalence at beer festivals. A shame for South Yorkshire to lose a brewery though.
Robin Hood
News of their impending conversion to luxury housing has drawn a few people together to visit - a friend of mine told me he'd met his now wife when she was working behind the bar there and was off for a final visit last week, meanwhile I have finally visited with Davefromtshop - his first visit, and let countless other people know through the debatable wonders of Facebook. Get to the Robin Hood before August Bank Holiday weekend and see what you'll miss.
Wick At Both Ends West Street Sheffield
Two recent visits have seen Sheffield Brewery Tramlines and Thornbridge Sequoia on hand pump, served in handled beer mugs as beer should be - top marks for that. As well as a decent range of music I was also able to experience some excellent bottles of Budels Alt and some offerings from Goose Island brewery. The only drawback is - no beer menu! Sort us a list out The WABe and more people will buy your range of beers.
Old House Devonshire Street
Table service is on offer at the Old House and some very very nice food at sensible prices for the quality provided. Flowers IPA, a beer enigma in that you can rarely be sure where its brewed or by whom, along with Bradfield Farmers Stout, seem to be regular features on the bar now, with the total number of handpumps increased to 5. Drinks offers on Weekdays until eight and large for small wines until nine mean it needn't be extortionate to drink their either.
Tramlines festival beers
I got to a few pubs at Tramlines - more pubs than I saw bands actually, and sampled some decent beer along the way. The Abbeydale Deception at Harrisons 1854 was in fantastic form, perhaps helped by its quick turnover with the venue 8 thick at the bar at times. The Red House was offering two beers including Hancocks HB and Marstons EPA, Shakespeares of course had the biggest range of those tried and I had a very nice pint of something low gravity and pale from Acorn, then there were about 5 beers at CADS in Shalesmoor for the blues and ale festival, including the Tramlines beer and Brimstone from Abbeydale. Our final stop was the Red Deer which was offering, from a range of 7, a very nice pint of Moorhouses Blonde Witch, and serving til gone midnight - showing you can get decent real ale after 11PM.
More news soon, and, I promise, more of my Scotland adventure...
Cheers
Wee Beefy
Showing posts with label The Robin Hood Little Matlock. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Robin Hood Little Matlock. Show all posts
Saturday, 30 July 2011
Saturday, 9 July 2011
The Robin Hood, Greaves Lane, Little Matlock, between Stannington and Loxley.
Last Chance to see
Hello
the above named pub will finally shut its doors this summer, after a long history of refreshing huntsman, hikers and Hillsborough folk out and about for a century and a half. No confirmation has been provided of the final date of trading yet, but this is set to be the last summer of trading at this venerable institution that has been a feature of my life for many years.
I used to go to the Robin Hood when I was a chab (note, not a chav, this was the late seventies/early eighties and a bling wearing social underclass did not exist ) - I clambered all over the garden, in particular a rock feature which was likely not intended for that purpose, whilst my Mum and Dad got refreshments inside.
In the 90's me and my friend Jon (R.I.P) walked out there one evening on a Crookes to Loxley walk and had a few pints before walking all the way home, I got the impression he liked the pub if not the slog back; and me and Carlos got out there a good few times before the noughties (this is an era, not a period of immoral actions ).
I worked at Gloystarne Distribution in Rotherham during the period 1996 to 2003 and one of the Wentworth warehouse managers at the time ended up with responsibility for the pub as his parents had owned and run it ptrviously. This was the start of an uncertain and likely real ale free period when I did not visit, other than once with Chala on one of our first walks together.
Then, about 7 years agop, the pub was taken over and started doing decent but simple British pub meals and offering 3 real ales. Wee Fatha used to go there regularly with his friend and I even went there with Chala's Dad, one of the last couple of meals out we shared before he died in 2007. A year or so after we went with Mum and Martin for a meal after they renewed their vows, and last year I went with Christingpher in a February hike from his Loxley gaffe, to find delicious olives as bar snacks and excellent dark Burton Bridge ale available.
This year I have returned to walking in Crookes, Rivelin Loxley and Bradfield and so have been may times to the pub, which has simultaneously offered excellent beers and hospitality whilst being a resolute feature in my ever changing social and family affairs.
To hear that it is finally to close due to lack of trade is a real blow. Any pub closure is bad news but such an interesting venue in such an eclectic location is a crying shame. On my visits this year I have seen a fantastic range of real ales including sometimes two dark from the range of 3, and this serves only to highlight the loss of this great building and pub business.
In order to try and come to terms with this disappointment, and to make use of the limited opportunities likely afforded to celebrate whats great about this pub, i am going on Thursday 14th July in the evening and hopefully Thursday 21st July in the day, to walk round, breathe in the atmosphere and take in the noble provenance of this hostelry before its too late.
Its not a protest, its not a resigned wake to mark a dreadful passing, not even a frustrated homily, just a good idea where people get to visit together, where otherwise their normal drinking patterns would mean they miss out on the opportunity to do so.
There are full details on my facebook page, which I am trying to make a link to - I am registered under Wee Beefy with full public access as far as I know.
So, in short, lets go to celebrate a history of public beer provision in the area of Loxley and Stannington which Mr Halliday all those years ago likened to Matlock, and raise a glass to all those who have drunk there before us.
Wee Beefy
Hello
the above named pub will finally shut its doors this summer, after a long history of refreshing huntsman, hikers and Hillsborough folk out and about for a century and a half. No confirmation has been provided of the final date of trading yet, but this is set to be the last summer of trading at this venerable institution that has been a feature of my life for many years.
I used to go to the Robin Hood when I was a chab (note, not a chav, this was the late seventies/early eighties and a bling wearing social underclass did not exist ) - I clambered all over the garden, in particular a rock feature which was likely not intended for that purpose, whilst my Mum and Dad got refreshments inside.
In the 90's me and my friend Jon (R.I.P) walked out there one evening on a Crookes to Loxley walk and had a few pints before walking all the way home, I got the impression he liked the pub if not the slog back; and me and Carlos got out there a good few times before the noughties (this is an era, not a period of immoral actions ).
I worked at Gloystarne Distribution in Rotherham during the period 1996 to 2003 and one of the Wentworth warehouse managers at the time ended up with responsibility for the pub as his parents had owned and run it ptrviously. This was the start of an uncertain and likely real ale free period when I did not visit, other than once with Chala on one of our first walks together.
Then, about 7 years agop, the pub was taken over and started doing decent but simple British pub meals and offering 3 real ales. Wee Fatha used to go there regularly with his friend and I even went there with Chala's Dad, one of the last couple of meals out we shared before he died in 2007. A year or so after we went with Mum and Martin for a meal after they renewed their vows, and last year I went with Christingpher in a February hike from his Loxley gaffe, to find delicious olives as bar snacks and excellent dark Burton Bridge ale available.
This year I have returned to walking in Crookes, Rivelin Loxley and Bradfield and so have been may times to the pub, which has simultaneously offered excellent beers and hospitality whilst being a resolute feature in my ever changing social and family affairs.
To hear that it is finally to close due to lack of trade is a real blow. Any pub closure is bad news but such an interesting venue in such an eclectic location is a crying shame. On my visits this year I have seen a fantastic range of real ales including sometimes two dark from the range of 3, and this serves only to highlight the loss of this great building and pub business.
In order to try and come to terms with this disappointment, and to make use of the limited opportunities likely afforded to celebrate whats great about this pub, i am going on Thursday 14th July in the evening and hopefully Thursday 21st July in the day, to walk round, breathe in the atmosphere and take in the noble provenance of this hostelry before its too late.
Its not a protest, its not a resigned wake to mark a dreadful passing, not even a frustrated homily, just a good idea where people get to visit together, where otherwise their normal drinking patterns would mean they miss out on the opportunity to do so.
There are full details on my facebook page, which I am trying to make a link to - I am registered under Wee Beefy with full public access as far as I know.
So, in short, lets go to celebrate a history of public beer provision in the area of Loxley and Stannington which Mr Halliday all those years ago likened to Matlock, and raise a glass to all those who have drunk there before us.
Wee Beefy
Sunday, 3 April 2011
Stout in Stannington - Crown and Glove, Peacock and Anvil
Good evening,
it may have been grim today what with rain and wind but yesterday ( Saturday 2nd ) was gloriously sunny. So much so, that I decided to wander off up Stannington to get some views, soak up the weak spring sunshine and try some new pubs.
I started at Crookes, easy for me to reach on the bus, and walked along Stannington View Road (it seemed apt), down the jennel, and out into the field at the end of St Andrews Road. Instead of heading towards Mark lane I went straight down and over the stile then made my way down a steep slope, through the woods and eventually out on to the road. I headed down to the allotments then picked my way across the stream and through more steep woods out onto Rivelin Valley Road.
I then headed through Rivelin park and left up onto Roscoe Bank - a good start so far, except I wanted to start at the lowest point and catch the bus to the top, so I had to walk downhill for 5 minutes or more to the Anvil.
This large corner pub has a car park and small outdoor drinking area, and two large rooms inside. The main bar room is on the left with a well lit seating area and a bar with lots of dark wood panelling. Most of the punters were in here watching the, for once, good football news rolling across the screen, and I sat behind them keeping an eye on the scores. I had a pint of Bradfield Blonde from a choice of that and Black Sheep, the Bradfield was well kept and a hard earned reward after my near sprint, albeit a needless one, from Rivelin.
I went out about half past the hour to catch the number 11 bus - I had seen it at Roscoe bank at 4 minutes past so assumed it would be on the hour, 20 past and 20 to. Alas, the bus stop suggested this was not the case and I had obviously just missed one, so I began walking back up the hill to where I had joined Stannington Road.
Once on the bus I kept an eye out for the turn onto Uppergate Road, and having spotted the sign hopped off expecting to espy my intended destination. Alas my eyesight was having an off day so I headed initially left past the closed Hare and Hounds opposite the church.
The pub looked as if it had been shut a while based on the tempest of encroaching undergrowth, and I wondered what may have occasioned its closure. Certainly in comparison to other Stannington pubs (perhaps with the exception of the Sportsman ) it looked as if it would have struggled to compete in terms of traditional appearance - it appeared to be a 1960's prefab stuck incongruously across from the church, on a site which surely would have had an older pub there if not next to the church.
Its fair to say I see a lot of closed pubs and think, surely someone could make a go of that. I saw a pub, stood almost on its own near Meadowhall the other day, on a street off Attercliffe Road after the Wentworth,a road I had never had reason to travel down before, all of a sudden in the wilderness of flattened industry a dirty brown and grey, once terracotta fronted Stones pub loomed up, forlorn and abandoned but not seemingly in disrepair. Alas my fleeting glance meant I did not see what its name was, but I immediately started to imagine what could be done to save it, assuming, as I am afraid I have to, that it closed years ago. No such thoughts however, accompanied my view of the sad edifice of the Hare and Hounds.
On round the corner back on myself (I was sure i could see a sign on a wall) i walked up the hill to the Crown and Glove. The impressive frontage is large, looking like 3 or perhaps 4 buildings encompassed into one, the part on the left being the only one that still resembled a cottage or house. There is a 1930's style jug and bottle as you enter, with rooms on either side.
No-one was in the left side so I ventured to the right and found a few locals in the bar and the pubs dogs readying themselves for a walk. On the bar were 3 handpumps, with Black Sheep, a Tetley seasonal and Kelham Easy Rider on offer. I opted for the Kelham, although I did try the Tetley offering, which was not to my taste, reminding me of the things I dislike about the Tetley flavour whilst hiding the facets that make it distinct. I also had a trip down memory lane in the form of a couple of bags of Frazzles to stave off my hunger.
After the dogs (and owners ) returned I sat at one of the tables thronged by the large windows which afford a fantastic view over to Staithes and Rails, and was joined by Bella the bull terrier for a while before parking myself at the quiet bar for a chat with the barman. We discussed at length the vagaries and injustices of renting a pub from a pubco and the state of beer in Stannington amongst other subjects. Overall I had a fantastic time and intend to go again soon.
Heading for the Robin Hood at Little Matlock I popped in the Peacock on the off chance this Thwaites house would have some dark beer - and was well rewarded. The pub was heaving with diners and drinkers sat outside catching the fading evening sun.
On the bar were three handpulls, dispensing a range of Lancaster bomber, Nutty Black and Black Magic, a dark porter style beer with a lovely cappuccino head and a robust malty finish. It was impressive enough to see them selling a dark mild but the porter was a revelation, so much so that i stopped for a pint despite being by now a little behind schedule.
15 minutes later I was walking down the path to the Robin Hood, which was quiet inside but a lot of people, mainly families were sat outside. This had been my first experience of the pub when we used to visit on summers evenings when I was a kid. We would sit outside or, more likely in my case, go on the swings or the climbing frame ( which may have been a pile of rocks, or indeed any structure, but was climbable nonetheless).
Inside there were two Bradfield beers on the bar, the Blonde and one which may have been called Decade, which is what I had, with some emergency olives to put me on - not a traditional beer accompaniment I know, but a change from crisps. Alas I could not linger for food so had to trudge back up the path and on eventually to Myers Grove lane where i caught the bus, making it all the way back on two buses to Handsworth in 45 minutes. So, a successful day of stout walking and almost stout drinking in sunny Stannington, where all the pubs I visited served more than one real ale, and were just reward for a weary walker.
Wee Beefy
it may have been grim today what with rain and wind but yesterday ( Saturday 2nd ) was gloriously sunny. So much so, that I decided to wander off up Stannington to get some views, soak up the weak spring sunshine and try some new pubs.
I started at Crookes, easy for me to reach on the bus, and walked along Stannington View Road (it seemed apt), down the jennel, and out into the field at the end of St Andrews Road. Instead of heading towards Mark lane I went straight down and over the stile then made my way down a steep slope, through the woods and eventually out on to the road. I headed down to the allotments then picked my way across the stream and through more steep woods out onto Rivelin Valley Road.
I then headed through Rivelin park and left up onto Roscoe Bank - a good start so far, except I wanted to start at the lowest point and catch the bus to the top, so I had to walk downhill for 5 minutes or more to the Anvil.
This large corner pub has a car park and small outdoor drinking area, and two large rooms inside. The main bar room is on the left with a well lit seating area and a bar with lots of dark wood panelling. Most of the punters were in here watching the, for once, good football news rolling across the screen, and I sat behind them keeping an eye on the scores. I had a pint of Bradfield Blonde from a choice of that and Black Sheep, the Bradfield was well kept and a hard earned reward after my near sprint, albeit a needless one, from Rivelin.
I went out about half past the hour to catch the number 11 bus - I had seen it at Roscoe bank at 4 minutes past so assumed it would be on the hour, 20 past and 20 to. Alas, the bus stop suggested this was not the case and I had obviously just missed one, so I began walking back up the hill to where I had joined Stannington Road.
Once on the bus I kept an eye out for the turn onto Uppergate Road, and having spotted the sign hopped off expecting to espy my intended destination. Alas my eyesight was having an off day so I headed initially left past the closed Hare and Hounds opposite the church.
The pub looked as if it had been shut a while based on the tempest of encroaching undergrowth, and I wondered what may have occasioned its closure. Certainly in comparison to other Stannington pubs (perhaps with the exception of the Sportsman ) it looked as if it would have struggled to compete in terms of traditional appearance - it appeared to be a 1960's prefab stuck incongruously across from the church, on a site which surely would have had an older pub there if not next to the church.
Its fair to say I see a lot of closed pubs and think, surely someone could make a go of that. I saw a pub, stood almost on its own near Meadowhall the other day, on a street off Attercliffe Road after the Wentworth,a road I had never had reason to travel down before, all of a sudden in the wilderness of flattened industry a dirty brown and grey, once terracotta fronted Stones pub loomed up, forlorn and abandoned but not seemingly in disrepair. Alas my fleeting glance meant I did not see what its name was, but I immediately started to imagine what could be done to save it, assuming, as I am afraid I have to, that it closed years ago. No such thoughts however, accompanied my view of the sad edifice of the Hare and Hounds.
On round the corner back on myself (I was sure i could see a sign on a wall) i walked up the hill to the Crown and Glove. The impressive frontage is large, looking like 3 or perhaps 4 buildings encompassed into one, the part on the left being the only one that still resembled a cottage or house. There is a 1930's style jug and bottle as you enter, with rooms on either side.
No-one was in the left side so I ventured to the right and found a few locals in the bar and the pubs dogs readying themselves for a walk. On the bar were 3 handpumps, with Black Sheep, a Tetley seasonal and Kelham Easy Rider on offer. I opted for the Kelham, although I did try the Tetley offering, which was not to my taste, reminding me of the things I dislike about the Tetley flavour whilst hiding the facets that make it distinct. I also had a trip down memory lane in the form of a couple of bags of Frazzles to stave off my hunger.
After the dogs (and owners ) returned I sat at one of the tables thronged by the large windows which afford a fantastic view over to Staithes and Rails, and was joined by Bella the bull terrier for a while before parking myself at the quiet bar for a chat with the barman. We discussed at length the vagaries and injustices of renting a pub from a pubco and the state of beer in Stannington amongst other subjects. Overall I had a fantastic time and intend to go again soon.
Heading for the Robin Hood at Little Matlock I popped in the Peacock on the off chance this Thwaites house would have some dark beer - and was well rewarded. The pub was heaving with diners and drinkers sat outside catching the fading evening sun.
On the bar were three handpulls, dispensing a range of Lancaster bomber, Nutty Black and Black Magic, a dark porter style beer with a lovely cappuccino head and a robust malty finish. It was impressive enough to see them selling a dark mild but the porter was a revelation, so much so that i stopped for a pint despite being by now a little behind schedule.
15 minutes later I was walking down the path to the Robin Hood, which was quiet inside but a lot of people, mainly families were sat outside. This had been my first experience of the pub when we used to visit on summers evenings when I was a kid. We would sit outside or, more likely in my case, go on the swings or the climbing frame ( which may have been a pile of rocks, or indeed any structure, but was climbable nonetheless).
Inside there were two Bradfield beers on the bar, the Blonde and one which may have been called Decade, which is what I had, with some emergency olives to put me on - not a traditional beer accompaniment I know, but a change from crisps. Alas I could not linger for food so had to trudge back up the path and on eventually to Myers Grove lane where i caught the bus, making it all the way back on two buses to Handsworth in 45 minutes. So, a successful day of stout walking and almost stout drinking in sunny Stannington, where all the pubs I visited served more than one real ale, and were just reward for a weary walker.
Wee Beefy
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