The Never Ending Pub Crawl

Sunday, 10 July 2016

Donnington Crawl and Chipping Campden,plus one in Blockley 7th May 2011

This was a pub crawl done by car,it was a birthday treat from my brother who drove me round all of Donningtons tied houses,we also did a few more pubs along the way.
It was a fairly early start to get to Stow on the Wold for our first pub,i had already done most pubs in Stow and had already been in the Queens Head twice,but we wanted to do all of their estate in one day.

Stow on the Wold

1: Queens Head Inn

Photo taken by Alan Winfield 14th August 1988

I first went in this pub many years ago on the 14th August 1988,the pub seemed pretty much the same on my visit on this pub crawl.
The pub is a Donnington tied house with BB and SBA on the bar,i had a drink of BB which went down well after the drive down here.
The pub still has two separate rooms and it still seems like a proper pub.

It was a short drive to our next pub.

Broadwell

2: Fox Inn

The Fox Inn is in a great setting setting facing the village green.

This was another Donnington tied house and stone built like most of their tied houses are.
The pub had a decent bar room that had a stone floor and normal tables and chairs,there is a separate room which is for diners.
There were the usual two real ales on the bar BB and SBA,i had a drink of BB which went down well.
The toilets are worth a visit here to look at the postcards on the walls.

After another short drive crossing the A429 we was in the next village.

Longborough

3: Coach and Horses

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

This is another stone built Donnington tied house that is in a nice looking village.
This seemed more like a proper locals pub with a single bar that was carpeted,there were two real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Donnington SBA which was a decent drink,there was also BB on the bar.

It was now a drive up to Moreton in the Marsh,a village i have been two on a couple of occasions.

Moreton in the Marsh

4: Black Bear Inn

Photo taken by Alan Winfield 14th August 1988

This was my second visit to this pub.
Another decent looking stone built Donnington tied house that is in the centre of the village.
There is a decent single room inside which i quite liked,there were two real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Donnington BB which went down well,there was also Donnington SBA on the bar.

Having already done all pubs in Moreton in the Marsh it was another short drive to the next pub.

Little Compton

5: Red Lion

The Red Lion is a Donnington tied house that is in the small village of Little Compton,the pub is stone built.
Once inside the pub had two separate rooms,the lounge to the left looked very smart and comfortable but sadly this in now a dining room,we were happy enough having a drink in the bar which also had a pool table in it.
There was only one real ale on the bar,i had a drink of Donnington BB which was a decent drink.

It was now a decent drive back through Moreton in the Marsh to get to our next pub.

Snowshill

6: Snowshill Arms

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

The Snowshill Arms is situated at the top end of the village which has great views over the Cotswolds.
This is another stone built Donnington tied house.
There was a single room which was carpeted and very comfortable,one i could well settle in for a session.
There were two real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Donnington BB which went down well,the other beer was Donnington SBA.
This was quite busy with drinkers and a had a good friendly atmosphere.
There is a really nice garden to the rear which has a stream running through it.
This was the best pub of the day in our opinion.

It was another fairly short drive to the next pub.

Stanton

7: Mount Inn

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

This is another Donnington tied house that is in a really nice Cotswold village,the pub is situated at the end of the village which has great views over the surrounding area.
The pub has two separate rooms with a decent bar and a lounge that was full of diners on our Saturday dinnertime visit.
There were two real ales on here,i had a drink of Donnington SBA which went down very well,the other beer was Donnington BB.
The pub has an outside seating area which gives great views over the Cotswolds.
We thought this was another top notch pub.

It was a bit of a drive to the next pub and we also passed a Donnington tied house on the way,but some of the pubs did not open all day so it was a bit of a pain going round the pubs as we had to rush to do the ones that shut at 3am.

Guiting Power

8: Farmers Arms

This is a stern looking stone built pub that is a Donnington tied house that is situated in the middle of the village.
Once through the main entrance there were doors either side but the left door was locked so we went into the room to the right,this was a bar which was a fairly long and narrow room with a curtain hiding the rear area, not sure what was behind it.
There were two real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Donnington BB which was a decent drink,there was also Donnington SBA on the bar.
This seemed like a pretty basic and unaltered pub,but they were serving meals to normal tables.
This was one of the pub that closed early 2.30 am on a Saturday dinner.

After a short drive we was in our next pub.

Kineton

9: Halfway House

This is a really nice looking pub in a very small rural village.
This is a Donnington tied house with a single room which ran the width of the pub,the room was divided into two areas with a bar area and a dining side which was empty on our Saturday dinnertime visit.
There were two real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Donnington SBA which was a nice drink,the other beer was Donnington BB.
The pub had lots of pictures of horses on the walls and there were two real horses in the car park.

The Donnington tied houses in this area are quite close to each other,so it was another short drive to our next pub.

Ford

10: Plough Inn

This is a really nice looking stone built pub that is situated on a sharp bend,the main entrance to the pub is to the rear.
This is a Donnington tied house,so another one done on the list,once inside this is a really nice pub with quite a few rooms,there is a small bar which seems more like a snug,then there are more rooms some of which are for diners.
There were two real ales on here,i had a drink of Donnington SBA which was a really nice drink,the other beer was Donnington BB.
We quite liked this pub.

We were now heading back South after going North to do pubs that closed early,it was a fairly short car ride and down some very narrow roads to get to the next pub.

Naunton

11: Black Horse Inn

Another Donnington tied house that is stone built in the small village of Naunton.
The pub had a decent sized main room and a smaller room to the rear,there were two real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Donnington BB which was a nice drink,the other beer was Donnington SBA.
Another Donninton tied house done and a very pleasant one to boot.

The next pub was a good car ride and Donningtons most Southerly tied house when we did this crawl.

Great Barrington

12: Fox Inn

The Fox Inn is a really nice looking Donnington tied house,the pub has a single room which was quite smart and comfortable,there were two real ales on here,i had a drink of Donnington SBA which was a very nice drink,the other real ale was Donningtin BB.
There is a nice garden to the rear with the River Windrush running by it.
This is a proper drinkers pub,we really liked this pub.

We were now heading back North and through Stow on the Wold to get to our next pub.

Lower Swell

13: Golden Ball Inn

A nice looking stone built pub in an equally nice looking village which is quite close to Stow on the Wold.
This was another Donnington tied house,so we were well pleased.
The pub catered for both drinkers and diners,there were two real ales on the bar,i had drink of Donnington BB which was a decent drink,the other beer was Donnington SBA.

It was a fairly short car ride to our next pub.

Ganborough

14: Coach and Horses

This pub is situated on a busy road and set sideways on to it.
The pub has a single split level room and was another Donnington tied house ticked off the list.
There were two real ales on here,i had a drink of Donnington BB which was a decent drink,the other beer was Donnington SBA.
The pub looked to be in a bit of a mess when we visited,but i have been informed that was a one off.

We now had one Donnington tied house to do,so we decided to pick up a few pubs while heading North to get to it.

Blockley

15: Crown Inn

This pub is situated in the middle of the village and looks like an hotel,the pub had a very strange layout inside we had to go up steps and then down steps to get to the bar.
There was one real ale on which was Hook Norton Old Hookey,this was a decent drink.

After a another short car ride we was in the really nice village of Chipping Campden,the high street looks really nice and there is a decent amount of pubs here,but we did not have time to do all of them so only did three.

Chipping Campden

16: Noel Arms

A nice looking stone built pub situated on the really nice looking high street.
The pub had quite a few rooms inside with most for diners,but there was a really nice bar room which was very comfortable.
There were three real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Purity UBU which was a very nice drink.

17: Lygon Arms Hotel

This is another high street pub that is also an hotel.
There was a very nice and comfortable public bar inside,one of those rooms you want to stay in for a while.
There were three real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Hook Norton Hookey Bitter which went down very well.

18: Eight Bells

This is a very nice looking pub and the only one in Chipping Campden that is not on the high street.
This pub seemed more like a posh restaurant than a pub,all tables in the main bar room were laid out for diners and the other room had all tables fully laid with table cloths on them.
There were four real ales on here,i had a drink of Purity Mad Goose which was a very nice drink.
We felt out of place in this pub.

It was now time to leave Chipping Campden to do our last pub of the day and our final Donnington tied house.

Willersey

19: New Inn

This is a really nice looking stone built pub.
The pub had a very nice bar room and a separate pool room.
The pub is a Donnington tied house and there were two real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Donnington BB which went down very well,the other beer was Donnington SBA.
We thought this was a really nice Donnington house to end our crawl in.

This was a great pub crawl in visiting and having a drink in every Donnington tied house,plus visiting Chipping Campden which is a really nice Cotswold town.

I have since found out via Pub Curmugeon's blog that Donnington have now taken over three more pubs since our visit.

Sunday, 19 June 2016

Chorley,Preston & One in Blackpool Crawl 29th July 1988

The main pub crawl was to be in Chorley as we had already done three pub crawls in Preston picking up most in the town centre,so we would be doing pubs that are away from the middle of Preston for our evening crawl.
It was a train from Blackpool after our breakfast and onto Preston for a change of train to Chorley,we arrived just before 11am so had time to look round and see what pubs were there to do.

Chorley

1: Waggonmakers Arms

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

Our first pub of the day was a small Matthew Brown tied house that was fairly close to the train station,the pub was pretty basic inside with a single room.
There was Matthew Brown Lion Mild and Lion Bitter on the bar on electric pumps,we had a drink of Matthew Brown Lion Bitter which went down well.

After a very short walk we was in our next pub.

2:The Railway

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

This looked like a well kept pub from the outside,once inside the pub had two rooms with a decent bar and smart lounge.
This was another Matthew Brown tied house and had Lion Bitter and Lion Mild on electric pumps,we had a drink of Matthew Brown Lion Mild which went down well.

3: Gossips

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

This was a Burtonwood tied house so we had to do it despite the daft name.
The pub was fairly smart inside and geared up for young drinkers.
There was Burtonwood bitter on the bar on handpump,this was a very nice drink.

After a short walk we found our next pub.

4: The Crown

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

This was a decent looking Theakston tied house.
The pub was quite nice inside with a few different rooms,we had a drink in the main room.
I had a drink of Theakston XB which was a very nice drink.

A short walk from the Crown and was found the next pub to do on our crawl.

5: Prince of Wales

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

This looked a bit down at heel from the outside and in need of a new paint job.
Once inside the pub was decent enough,this was another Matthew Brown tied house with both Lion Mild and Lion Bitter on the bar,i had a drink of Lion Bitter which was a decent drink.

6: The White Hart

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

This was a really big looking pub.
The pub was decent enough inside with a large room which was empty on our Friday dinner visit,the pub was a Vaux tied house so we were well pleased as we had not done many of them.
We had a drink of Vaux bitter which went down well.

7: Rose and Crown

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

This was a decent looking stone built pub situated on a shopping street,the pub was decent enough inside.
This was a Matthew Brown tied house with both Lion Bitter and Lion Mild on the bar,we had a drink of Lion Bitter which was a decent drink.

After a short walk down market street was in our next pub.

8: The White Bull

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

I really liked the look of this pub,a proper town pub.
This was a Matthew Brown tied house with Lion Mild and Lion Bitter on the bar,we had a drink of Lion Bitter which went down well.

We took a short walk from the town centre to get to our next pub.

9: The Borough

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A Matthew Brown tied house on the corner of a busy road junction.
The pub had a couple of rooms inside,we had a drink in the bar which was basic but decent enough.
There was Matthew Brown Lion Mild and Lion Bitter on the bar,we had a drink of Lion Bitter which was a decent drink.

We were now walking away from the town centre to do some of the pubs away from it.

10: Cotton Tree

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

Another pub i liked the look of.
The pub had two rooms with a smart lounge and a more basic bar,there was Matthew Brown Lion Mild and Lion Bitter on handpump,we had a drink of Lion Bitter which was a nice drink.

We walked to the top of Lyons Lane to get to our next pub which was on the corner of Lyons Lane and Eaves Lane.

11: Seven Stars

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

This was a decent Matthew Brown tied house with two rooms inside.
There was Matthew Brown Lion Mild and Lion Bitter on here,we had a drink of Lion Bitter which was a decent drink.

A short walk along Eaves Lane and was in our next pub.

12: Shepherds Arms

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

This was a sturdy looking stand alone pub.
The was decent enough inside and it was another Matthew Brown tied house,there was Matthew Brown Lion Mild and Lion Bitter on the bar,i had a drink of Lion Bitter which was a decent enough drink.

We did a longer walk down Eaves Lane to get to our next pub.

13: Derby Arms

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

This was the first Wilsons tied house of the day and the first pub not to do real ales,i had a drink of keg Wilsons bitter which was drinkable.

After a bit of a walk along Eaves Lane we found our next pub.

14: Bretherton Arms

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

This was a smart looking Matthew Brown tied house.
The pub had a couple of rooms inside,we had a drink in a smart lounge.
There was Matthew Brown Lion Mild and Lion Bitter on handpump,i had a drink of Lion Bitter which was a decent drink.

This was to be our last pub in Chorley.
We walked back to the train station for a train to Preston to do an evening crawl to the North of the town centre.

Preston

15: Moorbrook Inn

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

This was a nice looking Thwaites tied house set in a row of run down shops.
The pub was fairly basic inside,but this did not bother us.
We had a drink of Thwaites Bitter which was a nice drink.

16: The Unicorn

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

This was a decent looking stone built pub that was very close to the Moorbrook Inn so not much walking.
This was quite a smart pub inside with a very comfortable lounge.
The pub was a Theakston tied house,i had a drink of Theakston XB which went down well.

We carried on walking up the North Road and found our next pub.

17: Mitre Tavern

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

This looked like a 70s built estate pub but it was not on an estate.
The pub had two separate rooms inside,we had a drink in the lounge which was fairly smart.
The pub was a Vaux tied house,i had a drink of Vaux Samson which went down well.

Another short walk up the busy North Road and we was in our next pub.

18: Moor Park

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

This was an unusual looking pub with four stone pillars guarding the entrance.
This was a Matthew Brown tied house with Lion Bitter on the bar,this was a decent drink,the pub was also quite smart and comfortable inside.

We now took a short walk off the main road into the back streets to find two pubs very close to each other.

19: New Welcome

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A pretty plain looking bare brick built pub.
This was a Thwaites tied house so we were pleased in doing it.
The pub was decent enough inside and had Thwaites Mild and Bitter on handpump,we had a drink of Thwaites bitter which went down well.

20: Princess Alice Inn

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A really nice looking pub with some brown tiles on its frontage.
The pub was also quite nice inside,it was a Matthew Brown tied house and there was Lion Bitter on the bar,i had a drink of this and it was a decent drink.

We took a short walk through the back streets to find our next pub.

21: General Havelock

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

This was a very basic locals pub with a small bar room and a larger main lounge room.
The pub was a Matthew Brown tied house,i had a drink of Matthew Brown Lion Bitter which was a decent enough drink.

A short walk down Plungington Road and we found our next pub.

22: Royal Oak

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

This was a very basic Boddingtons tied house,but with it being a Boddingtons house we were pleased to do it.
There was Boddingtons Mild and Bitter on electric pump,we had a drink of Boddingtons bitter which went down very well.

We now decided to walk back to the train station picking up any back street pubs we had not done before.

23: Tanners Arms

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A basic Tetley tied house with a couple of rooms,we had a drink of Tetley Bitter which was a very nice drink.

After a short walk we found our next pub.

24: Wellfield Hotel

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

Another basic corner pub with two rooms.
This was a Greenhall Whitley tied house and the second pub of the day to be keg only,i had a drink of Greenhall Whitley Bitter which was a pretty bland half.

After more walking through back streets we found our next pub.

25: North Star

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A very pleasant Thwaites tied house with a comfy lounge and a more basic bar room.
We had a drink of Thwaites Bitter which was a nice drink.

We was now back in the town centre for our last two pubs in Preston.

26: Boatmans

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A Matthew brown tied house with no real ales on the bar,i had a drink of keg Lion Bitter which was a pretty poor drink.

27: The Railway

Our last pub in Preston and another Matthew brown tied house and another with no real ales on,we had a drink of keg Lion Bitter.
Sadly no photo of this pub it was too dark.

It was a train back to Blackpool for our last pub of the day and a couple of drinks.

Blackpool

28: The Grosvenor

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A really large Bass tied house which was quite smart with a couple of rooms,we had two pints and two halfs of Bass which went down well after lots of walking.

This was a great day out pub crawling in two towns and ending up in Blackpool where we were staying for the week.
Of the 28 pubs we did only four were keg pubs so not too bad.

I know Preston is now a City but it was a Town when we did the pub crawl there.

The next pub crawl may be a new one from 2015,but i have loads of pub crawls to add so not sure what to do next