March & Peterborough Crawl, 2nd August 1989

This was our first pub crawl after my wife had our son, so we were looking forward to a good days pub crawling while my Mam and Dad looked after our two-month-old son. It was a really nice early August day and we took a train from Nottingham to Peterborough, then changed onto a train to March. Once off the train it was a bit of a walk to the town centre and straight into the first pub we saw open.

1: Coachmakers Arms

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A nice looking Greene King tied house situated on a busy road. We were quite excited to do a Greene King tied house as we had not done that many. How things have changed over the years! A decent pub inside and a decent drink of Greene King IPA and Mild. A short walk and we were in pub No 2.

2: The Ship Inn

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

The Ship is situated in a nice location next to the River Nene. It was also quite nice inside, another Greene King tied house and a decent drink of Greene King IPA. We really liked this pub. A very short walk back to the High Street and one of the pubs we really wanted to do. An Elgoods tied house with a small tied estate in a fairly tight-knit area. This was a good one to do.

3: Red Lion

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

The Red Lion  was a pretty standard looking town pub, that was fairly basic inside. We were not bothered about that, just having a drink of Elgoods Bitter was good enough for us. A very short walk along the High Street took us to pub No 4.

4: The George

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A decent looking pub that was part of the Watney/Norwich tied estate. Sadly, no crap Norwich Bitter on the bar from a keg electric pump. I actually really do miss drinking beer from electric pumps, especially the metered ones! So it was a drink of real ale in the form of Ruddles Best, which was a decent drink. Another very short walk and we were in our second Elgoods tied house.

5: The Cock Inn

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A nice looking Elgoods tied house, that was decent enough inside. We had a decent drink of Elgoods Bitter and were well pleased in doing another Elgoods tied house. Just along the High Street and we were in Pub No 6.

6: King William IV

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

Another Watney/Norwich tied house, and pleasant enough inside. We had a drink of Ruddles Best which was decent. A short walk back to the middle of March and where the midweek market was taking place.

7: Royal Exchange

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A small Greene King tied house situated next to the market. Very small and basic inside, where we had a drink of Greene King IPA which was decent enough. However, our notes rated this as a crap pub, but onto the next pub.

8: The Acre

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A really nice looking pub that was a Greene King tied house, very nice inside and a notably very good Greene King IPA. The wife did not want to walk to the last pub on our dinner time crawl, so had a look round the market while I took a quick trip to pub No 9.

9: Great Northern

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A nice looking white painted pub that is away from the middle of March, but well worth the quick walk as it was an Elgoods tied house. It was very nice inside with decent Elgoods Bitter. A nice pub to end in March.

I met the wife back in the town centre and then went back to the train station for a train to Peterborough for a late afternoon and early evening crawl. Straight off the train and into pub No 10.

10: Wortley Almshouses 

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

I think this was a new build pub situated in the middle of Peterborough. It was a Samuel Smiths tied house that was quite nice inside, and we had a very nice drink of Samuel Smiths Old Brewery Bitter. Note on my photo that Samuel Smiths still had their pub signage in place - all now gone, but I do have lots of photos of Samuel Smiths tied houses with their old signage in place. A bit of a wander round the middle of Peterborough and we found our next pub.

11: The Alderman

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A decent enough pub with two real ales on, and I think the pub was a Bass Charrington tied house. There was Charrington Bitter on the bar, but we went for the Adnams Bitter which was very nice. A short walk took us to a pretty dire pub.

12: The Lion

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

This pub looked pretty crap from the outside, but with us not being able to find that many pubs we had to do it. I noted this as a Norwich tied house and the drink as crap. Another shortish walk and we were in pub No 13.

13: The Royal

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

This was a smart looking pub that could well be an hotel as well,. The pub seemed to be a Whitbread tied house when we went in it, and we had a decent drink of Whitbread Castle Eden Bitter. Pub No 15 wasn't far away but was one of two pubs that I did not take a photo of on the day.

15: The Queens

This pub was a Free House when we went in it. The pub was smart enough inside, and we had a drink of Bass in this station bar. For our short evening session I decided to head north from the train station area.

16: The Norfolk

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

This was a decent sized pub that was quite smart inside, and I noted the pub as a Norwich tied house with real ales on the bar. Heading further north we bumped into pub No 17.

17: Tom Lock

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A food orientated Harvester pub that was smart enough inside with comfy bench seating, but not really our type of pub. There were two real ales on the bar we had a drink of hand-pumped John Smiths Bitter which went down well.

18: The Basant

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A street corner local that was as rough as dogs, very basic inside and no real ales. We had a drink of keg Ansells Bitter which was fizzy and crap. So a crap pub along with crap beer, but it was a pub we were pleased to do. Probably now long gone? We now headed back to the train station for our last pub of the day.

19 : Great Northern Hotel

A large pub and hotel and operating as a free house. We had a drink of Ruddles County which my notes say tasted crap. Sadly I did not take a photo of this pub.

A great day out pub crawling and all done on a Wednesday. I am pretty sure I could not do this now, with lots of pubs not opening during the dinner time session any more.