U.K Real Ale Tour 2003
This trip home to the Mother Country was a treat for my "hoppy" tastebuds !
I've listed the pub and its location first, followed by the ale (or ales) tasted there. A pub with "+" by its name indicates a
CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) recommended pub. If I knew the date of an historical pub, this appears in parenthesis
next to its name.
A few words from Terry Jones, ex-Monty Python, from the 2003 CAMRA Good Beer Guide -- "If you want to make money,
then you won't make beer -- not real beer -- you'll end up making something that looks like beer but that isn't really beer
at all. By the time you've filtered it to take out the yeast sediment, sterilized it, and put it under the pressure of CO2 you'll
end up with an inert, lifeless corpse of a drink, dolled up with gas to pass itself off as living. Making real ale demands
dedication and affection for the product. It's a real and alive thing. That's what makes it difficult to keep and that's what
makes it worth looking for. A society that can still produce real beer has still preserved some values that are not based
on greed and profit".
So to begin -- in chronological order…..
The Merrymouth Inn, Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire: Adnams Broadside Bitter.
The Royal Oak + (19th century), Gretton, Gloucestershire: Goff's White Knight Ale; Shugborough's Coachman's
Tipple.
The Eagle and Child, Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire: Timothy Taylor's Landlord Ale.
The Mount Inn, Stanton, Gloucestershire: Donnington SBA.
The Lower Lode Inn + (15th century -- licensed since 1590), Forthampton, Gloucestershire: Hook Norton Old
Hooky Ale.
The Prince of Wales + (16th century), Ledbury, Herefordshire: Bank's Bitter.
The Fleet Inn, Twyning, Worcestershire: Shepherd's Neame Spitfire Ale.
The Pear Tree Inn + (18th century), Hook Norton, Oxfordshire: Hook Norton Generation Ale; Hook Norton Best
Bitter.
The Black Bear (14th century -- built in 1308), Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire: Greenalls Bitter, a real ale brewed by
corporate giant Carlsburg-Tetley. The Battle of Tewkesbury took place in 1471.
The Seven Tuns, Lower Chedworth, Gloucestershire: Young's Bitter. Chedworth is close to Cirencester, once the
Capital of Roman Britain (known in those days as Corinium).
The White Hart Inn, Winchcombe, Gloucestershire: Stanney Bitter, the only ale brewed by Stanway Brewery, and only
available in a handful of local pubs. A rare treat !
The Halfway House, Kineton, Gloucestershire: Donnington BB.
Bath City FC Sports & Social Club, Bath, Somerset: Toby Bitter. The classic football club bar: Everyone decked out
in Bath City scarfs; loud football conversation; the air suffocating with cigarette smoke – brilliant !
The Hen & Chickens, Abergavenny, Gwent, Wales: Brain’s Bitter. This was our one excursion to a Welsh pub.
The White Lion Inn + (17th century), Upton-on-Severn, Worcestershire: Wye Valley Hobson’s Bitter. This Inn saw
action during the English Civil War.
The King’s Head, Upton-on-Severn, Worcestershire: Fuller’s London Pride.
The Farmer’s Arms + (15th century), Birsmorton, Worcestershire: Stonehenge Pigswill Ale; Hook Norton Best
Bitter.
The Swan Inn, Coombe Hill, Gloucestershire: Goff’s Jouster Ale.
The Gardener’s Arms +, Lewes, East Sussex: Harvey’s Best Bitter.
The Flask, Highgate Village, London: Caledonian Deuscher’s IPA (CAMRA Supreme Champion Ale 2002); Fuller’s
Chiswick Bitter.
The Prince of Wales, Highgate Village, London: Theakston’s Best Bitter.
The White Lion of Mortimer, Crouch End, London: Banks & Taylor Mad Hatter; Stonehenge Sign of Spring.
The Coach and Horses, Hampstead, London: Courage Best Bitter.
The Holly Bush Inn, Hampstead, London: York Brewery Yorkshire Terrier; Adnam’s Bitter.
And that’s it for my first Real Ale tour. Plans are afoot for a 2005 Real Ale and football tour, to celebrate my young 50th
Birthday ! I’d also like to partake in one of the regional CAMRA beer festivals, of which there are many. Till then, to your
good health – cheers !
This trip home to the Mother Country was a treat for my "hoppy" tastebuds !
I've listed the pub and its location first, followed by the ale (or ales) tasted there. A pub with "+" by its name indicates a
CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) recommended pub. If I knew the date of an historical pub, this appears in parenthesis
next to its name.
A few words from Terry Jones, ex-Monty Python, from the 2003 CAMRA Good Beer Guide -- "If you want to make money,
then you won't make beer -- not real beer -- you'll end up making something that looks like beer but that isn't really beer
at all. By the time you've filtered it to take out the yeast sediment, sterilized it, and put it under the pressure of CO2 you'll
end up with an inert, lifeless corpse of a drink, dolled up with gas to pass itself off as living. Making real ale demands
dedication and affection for the product. It's a real and alive thing. That's what makes it difficult to keep and that's what
makes it worth looking for. A society that can still produce real beer has still preserved some values that are not based
on greed and profit".
So to begin -- in chronological order…..
The Merrymouth Inn, Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire: Adnams Broadside Bitter.
The Royal Oak + (19th century), Gretton, Gloucestershire: Goff's White Knight Ale; Shugborough's Coachman's
Tipple.
The Eagle and Child, Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire: Timothy Taylor's Landlord Ale.
The Mount Inn, Stanton, Gloucestershire: Donnington SBA.
The Lower Lode Inn + (15th century -- licensed since 1590), Forthampton, Gloucestershire: Hook Norton Old
Hooky Ale.
The Prince of Wales + (16th century), Ledbury, Herefordshire: Bank's Bitter.
The Fleet Inn, Twyning, Worcestershire: Shepherd's Neame Spitfire Ale.
The Pear Tree Inn + (18th century), Hook Norton, Oxfordshire: Hook Norton Generation Ale; Hook Norton Best
Bitter.
The Black Bear (14th century -- built in 1308), Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire: Greenalls Bitter, a real ale brewed by
corporate giant Carlsburg-Tetley. The Battle of Tewkesbury took place in 1471.
The Seven Tuns, Lower Chedworth, Gloucestershire: Young's Bitter. Chedworth is close to Cirencester, once the
Capital of Roman Britain (known in those days as Corinium).
The White Hart Inn, Winchcombe, Gloucestershire: Stanney Bitter, the only ale brewed by Stanway Brewery, and only
available in a handful of local pubs. A rare treat !
The Halfway House, Kineton, Gloucestershire: Donnington BB.
Bath City FC Sports & Social Club, Bath, Somerset: Toby Bitter. The classic football club bar: Everyone decked out
in Bath City scarfs; loud football conversation; the air suffocating with cigarette smoke – brilliant !
The Hen & Chickens, Abergavenny, Gwent, Wales: Brain’s Bitter. This was our one excursion to a Welsh pub.
The White Lion Inn + (17th century), Upton-on-Severn, Worcestershire: Wye Valley Hobson’s Bitter. This Inn saw
action during the English Civil War.
The King’s Head, Upton-on-Severn, Worcestershire: Fuller’s London Pride.
The Farmer’s Arms + (15th century), Birsmorton, Worcestershire: Stonehenge Pigswill Ale; Hook Norton Best
Bitter.
The Swan Inn, Coombe Hill, Gloucestershire: Goff’s Jouster Ale.
The Gardener’s Arms +, Lewes, East Sussex: Harvey’s Best Bitter.
The Flask, Highgate Village, London: Caledonian Deuscher’s IPA (CAMRA Supreme Champion Ale 2002); Fuller’s
Chiswick Bitter.
The Prince of Wales, Highgate Village, London: Theakston’s Best Bitter.
The White Lion of Mortimer, Crouch End, London: Banks & Taylor Mad Hatter; Stonehenge Sign of Spring.
The Coach and Horses, Hampstead, London: Courage Best Bitter.
The Holly Bush Inn, Hampstead, London: York Brewery Yorkshire Terrier; Adnam’s Bitter.
And that’s it for my first Real Ale tour. Plans are afoot for a 2005 Real Ale and football tour, to celebrate my young 50th
Birthday ! I’d also like to partake in one of the regional CAMRA beer festivals, of which there are many. Till then, to your
good health – cheers !
| IAN'S 2003 REAL ALE TOUR AND REVIEW |
| DUNKLES & JAFFA CAKES |
| Return to Ian's Page |