I have done lots of pubs in Kent over the years with my mates and wife. We even had our honeymoon in Folkestone, but I have never set foot in Rochester. My wife paid for the train fare as a birthday treat.
It was an early start and on a train from Nottingham just before 6:30am I got into St Pancras for about 8:15am. A quick walk to the South Eastern area of the station and I was on a high speed train to Rochester. I was off the train by 9:15am and in Rochester, all new to me. After a quick walk I found the High Street and it looked really nice, pedestrianised with flags across it.
(c) Photo taken by Alan Winfield
(c) Photo taken by Alan Winfield
I was lucky in that the Wetherspoons is situated at the train station end of the long High Street.
1: Golden Lion
(c) Photo taken by Alan Winfield
A decent looking Wetherspoons and very smart inside. The beer choice was a bit limited for a 'Spoons, but who am I to complain as I was getting my first drink of the day before 9.30am. I had a slow drink of Batemans XXXB which went down very well.
I had a walk along the High Street checking out the pubs which were on it. I then got to the end of the street and the large bridge over the Medway. I decided to walk across the bridge and take a photo of a pub I did back on 3rd August 1983.
The Steam Packet was a Ben Truman tied house when I did the pub with a couple of mates while waiting to change trains at Strood train station. It is nice to see the pub still up and running after all of these years.
(c) Photo taken by Alan Winfield
I then walked back across the Medway to find more pubs that opened before 11:00am. I fell lucky again and found pub number 2 open just after 10.15am.
2: Rochester Bar
(c) Photo taken by Alan Winfield
Not one of Rochester's better pubs, but it had to be done. It is quite big inside but of course no real ales on the bar. I had a drink of John Smiths Extra Cold which was cold and crap. A short walk back along the High Street and I found another pub that was open pre-11:00am.
3: George Vaults
(c) Photo taken by Alan Winfield
This is a large pub with lots of different rooms, most not open at this point of the day. I had a drink in the front bar which is oblong shaped and runs to the rear. The pub seemed fairly busy with lots of women chatting but not drinking. I then realised they were waiting to go into another room to do a zumba class. No real ales on here, so it was a drink of John Smiths Smooth which was served flat. This reminded me of the keg John Smiths bitter from the '80s. A short walk and I was in pub number 4.
4: Kings Head
(c) Photo taken by Alan Winfield
This is a really nice looking pub and also quite nice inside. There were pumps on the bar, but I was told none on, so once again I had to settle for a drink of John Smiths Smooth crap which it was. I was quite disappointed that this pub had no real ales on. It was still not 11:00am and I found my next pub open back at the train station end of the High Street.
5: City Wall
(c) Photo taken by Alan Winfield
A long-fronted pub and painted in a gawdy purple colour. It seemed decent enough inside but yet again no real ales on the bar, so I had a drink of John Smiths Smooth crap. I was now looking out of the windows of the City Wall to see if pub number 6 would open at 11:00am. It did, so I made a quick exit and across the road.
6: Two Brewers
(c) Photo taken by Alan Winfield
A Shepherd Neame tied house. This is what i like about Kent, I love Shepherd Neame beers so it was nice to find one of their pubs. The pub was very nice inside and my drink of Shepherd Neame Master Brew went down a treat. I took another walk along the High Street to the far end near the Medway Bridge to do pub number 7.
7: The Crown
(c) Photo taken by Alan Winfield
This is a decent looking pub with good views from the outside of it. Three real ales on here, and I had a drink of Sharps Atlantic which was quite nice. My next pub was to be the first off the High Street.
8: Coopers Arms
(c) Photo taken by Alan Winfield
This is a really nice looking pub and it was just as nice inside with an olde worlde feel to it. There were five real ales on the bar, and I had a drink of York Guzzler which went down very well. A cracking pub to visit if in Rochester., but soon I was back on the by now familiar High Street.
9: Ye Harrow
(c) Photo taken by Alan Winfield
This is a large pub that is situated just off the High Street. Three real ales on here, so I had a Doom Bar which was decent enough, but there was nothing special about this pub. A few steps along the High Street and I was in pub number 10.
10: Jolly Knight
(c) Photo taken by Alan Winfield
This is a nice looking pub that is joined onto the Kings Head and is also linked to the Ye Harrow by a corridor. This is quite a small single roomed pub but it had two real ales on. I had a drink of Greene King St Edmunds which was decent. Another walk down the High Street to my next pub.
11: Eagle Tavern
(c) Photo taken by Alan Winfield
A decent looking pub that is next to the City Wall pub. The pub is quite nice inside and has live bands playing, but not on my dinnertime visit. There were four real ales on the bar, so I had a drink of St Austell Tribute which was very nice. A bit further along the High Street and I was in my last pub on this street, and by far the worst of the many pubs along it.
12: Queen Charlotte
(c) Photo taken by Alan Winfield
This is a corner pub that looks decent enough from the outside, but once inside it is a very poor pub which is almost devoid of any seating apart from a drinking shelf and bar stools. There were no real ales on here so it was a drink of John Smiths Extra Cold crap. This summed this pub up - crap. I was now heading off the high street and into Rochester's back streets. A short walk uphill and I was in my next pub.
13: Rising Sun
(c) Photo taken by Alan Winfield
This is a pretty basic looking pub that is just the same inside as the Queen Charlotte. No real ales on here, so it was another drink of John Smiths Smooth. A short walk through more back streets and I found my next pub.
14: Carpenters Arms
(c) Photo taken by Alan Winfield
This is a decent looking pub from the outside, but the dog gate across the open front door was a bit off putting! It is a locals pub and quite basic inside. There were no real ales on the bar, so yet again I had to drink John Smiths Smooth, which was crap as usual.
15: Bell Inn
(c) Photo taken by Alan Winfield
This is a decent looking corner pub that was not too bad once inside. Again, no real ales on the bar, but I had a keg Guinness Dublin Porter which turned out to be a very nice drink. I was now walking further into the back streets and found my next pub.
16: Prince of Wales
(c) Photo taken by Alan Winfield
Painted in a striking blue colour and also had a car parked outside which matched the colour. The pub was decent enough inside but yet again no real ales on the bar. This time I had a drink of Courage Best which was drinkable. By now I was starting to lose any faith of getting any real ales in this area of Rochester. After a bit of a stroll I found my next pub and was not too hopeful of what I would find on the bar.
17: The Who'd A Thought It
(c) Photo taken by Alan Winfield
A pretty plain looking pub but the old Woodhams sign across the front of the pub looked very nice. The pub was just as nice inside and very busy with real ale drinkers. There was a good choice of real ales to choose from, and I had a drink of Gadds Seasider which was very nice. A very pleasant pub, and one I could have stayed in for a few if not on a pub crawl. More walking through back streets and I found my way to the next pub.
18: What the Dicks Inn
(c) Photo taken by Alan Winfield
A pub that looks different to most pubs I have been in and sited on a steep hill. The pub was quite nice inside, and there were two real ales on the bar. I had a drink of Doom Bar which was decent enough. More wandering through the back streets and I found a cracking looking pub.
19: Man of Kent
(c) Photo taken by Alan Winfield
A really nice looking pub with its old Style & Winch signage still in place. The front door was out of use, so it was in through the side entrance. It was very nice inside and a very good choice of real ales to go at. I had a drink of Gadds No 7 which went down really well. This is probably Rochester's top real ale pub. It is well worth the walk, though I didn't know until I went in the pub that it would be so good.
20: Good Intent
(c) Photo taken by Alan Winfield
This was a pretty ordinary looking pub, but it was decent enough inside and there were three real ales on the bar. I had a Harwich Battery Bitter which was a very nice drink. My next pub was to be a flat roofed estate pub, just the sort of pub i really like going in, but sadly the pub was boarded up. Another estate pub to bite the dust.
Mordon Arms
(c) Photo taken by Alan Winfield
I was now walking back to one pub that was not open when I tried to do it earlier in the day.
21: Granville Arms
(c) Photo taken by Alan Winfield
This is a decent looking pub with a brown tiled lower frontage. It was quite busy inside and decent enough. Three real ales on, though all mainstream. I had a drink of Doom Bar which was drinkable. It was now time to head back towards the train station and pick up a couple of pubs on the Chatham side of the station.
22: The Ship Inn
(c) Photo taken by Alan Winfield
This is a decent enough looking pub that is on a street that looks run down. The pub was quite basic inside, but there was one real ale on which was Doom Bar and this was drinkable. My last pub of the crawl was close to the train station.
23: Nags Head
(c) Photo taken by Alan Winfield
A good looking pub of the sort you only get in Kent or Sussex. The pub was a bit different inside with it being on two levels. I had a drink of London Pride which was decent enough. I thought this was a decent pub to end my Rochester crawl in. A short walk and I was back on the station and a waiting for the train back to St Pancras.
A great day out pub crawling in one town. I did almost all pubs in Rochester but actually missed about four.
A great day out pub crawling in one town. I did almost all pubs in Rochester but actually missed about four.
The next Pub Crawl up will be an old one. Some Stats may come soon, and I may do a pub crawl of Nottingham's lost City Centre pubs that I have had a drink in on many occasions before they closed for good.
