Kenilworth & Balsall Common crawl 18th April 2015

This was a pub crawl done with my brother who kindly drove down to Kenilworth,where we would do the main pub crawl

walking round the town which was quite nice with a decent stock of pubs to do,then a quick drive up to Balsall Commom to pick up a few more pubs.
Kenilworth does not have a Wetherspoons yet,but it does have a 10am opener which we took good advantage of,with it being the first pub of the day on our mission to do all pubs in Kenilworth.

Kenilworth

1: The Lion

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

The Lion is a typical town pub situated on the busy Warwick Road which is the main shopping area ,it was open when we got in at about 10.30am and busy with a mixed bunch having cheap breakfasts.
The pub has a single irregular shaped room with the bar facing,there is comfy bench seating to the front which we sat on,there were five real ales on,i had a drink of Black Sheep Bitter which went down well as the first drink of the day.
There was some decent background music playing.
I quite liked this pub and the breakfasts looked decent.

It was a short walk down Warwick Road to get to our next pub.

2: Bear and Ragged Staff

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A fairly large and decent looking pub that is just down from the Lion but on the opposite side of the road.
Once inside there is a large opened out room which runs to the rear,it looks very smart and has different areas and seating types.
The pub is a Greene King tied house with three real ales on,i had a drink of Gk Old Golden Hen,which was a decent enough drink.
The pub was almost empty when we first go in just after 11am but was starting to fill up with older drinkers and probably diners as we left.
A pleasant and comfortable pub.

Another short walk down Warwick Road and we was in pub number three.

3: Green Man

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A decent sized pub situated at the bottom end of Warwick Road.
The front door is out of use,the new entrance is on the right side,this takes you into a large opened out room which looked quite nice and was comfortable with it being carpeted and having some bench seating along with lots of normal tables and chairs.
The pub is Ember Inns branded,so we were expecting a decent choice of real ales,we were not dissapointed as there were ten different real ales on,i had a drink of Bragby Conway Beachcomber which was a very nice drink,my brother had Purity UBU which he said was also a well kept beer.
I know Martin will disagree with me on this but i thought it was a decent and pleasant pub to have a drink in.

We now had to cross the road and do a short walk up Warwick Road to get to the next pub.

4: Earl of Clarendon

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A smallish looking pub from the outside,but once inside it was larger than it looked.
We had a drink in the front room which was carpeted and had comfy bench seating,there was another room behind the bar and a corridor that was almost like another room and then a large pool room to the rear.
The pub is a Marstons tied house with two real ales on,i had a drink of Marstons Burton Bitter which was a decent drink.
This seemed like a proper unaltered pub that i quite took to.

We now walked back up Warwick Road to get to the next pub which was just off it to the right.

5: Pomeroys

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A Large pub that is housed in an old building that may have been a factory.
The pub had a modern feel to it with high ceilings and being bare boarded,the seating was normal tables and chairs and leather settees,the bar looked devoid of handpumps but on closer inspection there was one which was below bar level for some reason,this had Wadworth 6X on which was a decent drink but pricey at £2 a half.
Despite that we found the pub to have a decent laid back atmosphere that i like.

A short walk further up to the end of Warwick Road and we found our next pub which was part of a new building.

6: The Almanack
 

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A large modern pub that is housed under a modern building.
Once inside there is a very large single square shaped room with an island bar,the front area is for drinkers and the rear area for diners where there is an open kitchen,the seating was mainly normal tables and chairs plus some settees,lots of the chairs looked scruffy which is a bit off putting in my opinion.
There were four real ales on,i had a drink of Church Farm Harry's Heifer,which was a decent drink.
We prefered Pomeroys to this place despite a better choice of real ales and cheaper prices.

We now headed away from the shopping area and up towards the castle to get to the next pub.

7: Queen & Castle

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A nice looking bare brick built pub that is in a great location opposite the castle.
Once inside there is a long oblong shaped room which runs the width of the pub with raised areas at each end,there is an area to the rear which looked more of a dining area.
There were three real ales on,i had a drink of Purity Mad Goose which went down well.
The pub was very busy on our Saturday dinner visit with most people having meals,but it still seemed pubby enough for my liking.

A very short walk round the corner from the Queen and Castle and were in our next pub.

8: Clarendon Arms

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A nice looking pub that is at the end of a row of quaint looking shops.
Once inside there is a small room to the front,a corridor leads down to the main bar room which is oblong shaped,there are two more small rooms to the rear,all rooms were busy with drinkers so we sat on bar stools at the bar.
There was a good choice of real ales on,i think five,i had a drink of Church End Bad Rabbit which went down very well.
We quite liked this pub.

A bit of a walk along Castle Hill and High Street and we found two more pubs to do,but one was closed due to strange opening hours,
we had a look into the Old Bakery,but it was firmly closed on a Saturday afternoon.

9: The Famous Virgins & Castle

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A really nice looking white painted pub.
Once inside the pub had quite a few different rooms on different levels,all were smallish and had normal tables and chairs,there are two bars with the top bar unmanned,but a sign said if it is go to the lower bar which was.
The pub is an Everards tied house,which we really like doing,so well pleased,there were five real ales on,with four from Eevrards and one guest beer,i had a drink of Everards Beacon Bitter,which went down well.
A top notch pub well worth a visit.

It was a shortish walk up cross street to get to the next two pubs to do.

10: The Cross

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

What was probably a small proper pub in the past has now extended into an ajoining building which is used as a dining room,there is a small bar room to the front which has tall tables and chairs,there is a smaller area to the left with normal tables and chairs,the right side is for diners only and the rear area is down some steps where there is a small area for drinkers and the rest set aside for diners,there is an open kitchen to the rear of this area.
There were two real ales on,i had a drink of York Terrier which was a decent drink.
The dining areas were very busy with diners,the drinking areas were less busy.
This is now more a restaurant than pub.

11: Royal Oak

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A nice looking white painted pub and still a proper pub inside.
There were two separate rooms with a small square shaped bar room to the right and a more comfortable lounge to the left,where we had a drink,this room was carpeted and had comfy bench seating and small stools,just what i like to see in a pub.
There were three real ales on,i had a drink of Robinsons Dizzy Blonde which went down very well.
We quite liked this pub.

We now had to go down a couple of back streets to get to the next three pubs,we walked down Manor Road and Park Road where there was a pub on the corner.

12: Wyandotte Inn

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A decent looking pub that is at the end of a terrace of houses.
There is a single L shaped room inside which is carpeted,the seating in comfy bench type,there was also a pool table and darts board.
The pub is a Marstons tied  with three real ales on,i had a drink of Marstons Burton Bitter,which was a decent drink.
The pub was quite busy with drinkers on our Saturday afternoon visit.
A good locals pub.

There were two more pubs in sight along a short stretch of Stoneleigh Road which i like to see.
We walked past the Cottage to do the Engine which was a bit further down the road.

13: The Engine

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A decent looking white painted pub.
There was a single room inside which was carpeted and had comfy bench seating and small stools,very nice in my opinion,there were three real ales on,i had a drink of Woodfords Wherry which went down well.
We quite liked this pub.

14: Cottage Inn

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

Another nice looking pub and a Charles Wells tied house,so well pleased.
There is a single room inside which runs the width of the pub,it is carpeted and has bench seating and some American diner type seating.
There were three real ales on,i had a drink of Charles Wells Eagle Bitter,which went down well.
The pub is run by a proper landlord and landlady and caters for older drinkers.
Take a look and see how pubs used to be run.

A short walk along Stoneleigh Road and then onto Albion Road and we was in our next pub.

15: Albion Tavern

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A decent enough looking pub with a single room inside which runs to the rear,there was a pool table to the rear.
There was one real ale on which was Old Golden Hen,this was a decent enough drink.
A pretty standard pub that was ok for a drink.
I have since heard that the pub has closed and may be pulled down,which is a shame. 

There were a couple of pubs left to do in Kenilworth,both on estates,we decided not to do these and drive up to Balsall Commom which had a few pubs we could do.

Balsall Common

White Horse

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

 
A large roadside pub that caters mainly for people dining,but as a drinker i felt just as welcome,which is a good thing.
The pub is a Charles Wells tied house,i always like doing independent brewery tied houses,even if this one was more of a dining pub,there was a single L shaped room inside which had a mix of seating and was bare boarded.
There was the usual range of Charles Wells beers on the bar,i had a drink of Eagle Bitter,which was a decent drink.

A short drive off the main road and down a nice looking road with some decent houses,we passed the Brickmakers Arms to get to the pub at the bottom of the road.

Railway Tavern

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

This pub is situated very close the Berkswell  train station,not sure why it is called that when the pub is in Balsall Common.
There is a single L shaped room inside that is carpeted and has comfy bench seating,so i took to this pub straight away,there were two real ales on,i had a drink of Taylor Landlord which was a decent drink.
We both thought this was a very pleasant pub to have a drink in.

We decided to walk up to the Brickmakers Arms as it was not that far from the Railway Tavern and not worth getting in the car.

Brickmakers Arms

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

 
I quite liked the look of this pub which is set back from the road.
We went in the front entrance and found a pretty poor room that was basic and had no real ales on,so we decided to go up to the rear room which was up a few steps,what a difference,a smart lounge that was carpeted and had comfy bench seating and also fairly busy,there were three real ales on,i had a drink of Wye Valley HPA which went down very well,i seem to like all Wye Valley beers i try.

We was now going to the last pub of the day which was back on the main road and at the Northern end of Balsall Common.

George in the Tree

Photo taken by Alan Winfield

A large roadside pub that is branded as a Beefeater and also has a Premier Inn next door.
The pub is geared up for the dining trade,but as a drinker i was made just as welcome.
There is a decent sized single L shaped room which is carpeted and had comfy seating,there were two real ales on,i had a drink of Wadworth 6X which was a decent drink.
My brother opted out in doing this one,i wonder why!.

This was the last pub of a great days pub crawling,we both really liked Kenilworth and i now think we missed one pub in the town as the other estate pub may be closed. 
All pubs had at least one real on and there was a decent selection of different real ales i tried.