Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Category: UK

  • London – Ealing (Borough of) – Brewdog Ealing

    London – Ealing (Borough of) – Brewdog Ealing

    I am continuing on my little project to visit all the Brewdogs in London (and indeed, further afield, but that will take me a little longer) and this one is in Ealing and only opened a few weeks ago. The reviews so far are nearly all very positive, although I’m genuinely amused by the review which noted:

    “The beer is sad – need better flavours.”

    I assume that this is from someone who loves their Fosters or something. Anyway, that sounds sneery and isn’t really relevant (although I won’t let that stop me). As for why I keep visiting Brewdog bars, it’s because there is always something new to drink, the service is friendly and the locations have a bit of excitement to them. I also like their vibrancy and energy, it’s not something that a lot of pubs and bars can get right.. And, they also have a policy of showing football, but only showing it in a limited part of the bar to avoid annoying those of us who want to concentrate on the beer. A win-win compromise as far as I’m concerned, especially as they are doing deals to get football fans in, so they aren’t neglected.

    There’s a large interior and it’s all nice and shiny, as it should be since it only recently opened. I had reserved my Wings Wednesday extravaganza in advance as usual and I’m not entirely sure that they found my reservation judging by the confused looks, but it didn’t matter, they had lots of space. They offered me a choice of tables inside and outside (unlike the Roebuck and their shove him in the corner approach – although I note they’ve been picking up more bad reviews over the last few days and I suspect it’s the same staff member I experienced. But I digress….) before I announced that I liked inside and I could do with a power point if they had one. I’m a little surprised that a new Brewdog bar doesn’t have more tables with power points, but the staff member found one and that sufficed me perfectly.

    I’d add that the bar staff seemed quite young. That annoyed me because that made me realise I’m not 14 any more, but I don’t think I can really blame the bar for that. The staff were all well trained, engaging, knowledgeable and keen to help, so there were no issues in that regard. The service remained very impressive throughout, always attentive and polite, I was suitably impressed.

    My unlimited chicken wings and although it’s exactly the same dish as the other bars, the sauce seemed a little less harsh, with the chicken wings having that more crispy edge to them. As much as anyone can have a favourite Brewdog for their chicken wings, this is my preferred bar so far.

    Onto the drinks, of which I went for three. The Frog Gone Rouge from Elusive Brewing (on the left in the above photo) is defined as an “Hibiscus & Rhubarb Kölsch-style Lager”. A certain person, who I will begrudgingly admit slightly knows more about craft beer than me, would probably have been able to pull out the hibiscus flavour and tell me what beer he’s had that was similar (I struggle to remember what I had yesterday, which is one of the reasons that I have this blog to remind me). Unfortunately, I have no idea what a bloody hibiscus tastes like, so I’m going to define this as more of a fruit juice with a rhubarb kick. I’m not sure that this is the delicate phrasing that this beer deserves, but that’s about my limit of wording to it. I liked it though, refreshing and with an edge of tartness.

    My second beer (on the right of the above photo) is the 42|DDH Pale Ale – Citra & Sabro from Brew by Numbers. I like BBN beers (and thanks for the toast on Untappd, I’m easily pleased by such things) and it’s defined as “this double dry hopped pale ale delivers tooty fruity intense bursts of flavour, tropical fruit, grapefruit, coconut, melon and freshly cut spring grass”. Another refreshing beer with a tropical taste, certainly with the grapefruit and I think the coconut, but I’m a little less convinced by the grass. I liked the clean flavours and the lingering aftertaste, a decidedly lovely beer.

    My third beer (that I didn’t take a photograph of) was more complex, the Arcade City by Overworks (effectively Brewdog) and it’s noted that:

    “Black as a Ninja’s robe, an Origami of flavours unfold. Floral jasmine and sweet cranberries are layered over the indulgent big sour stout beneath. Poached prunes, deep notes of raisin and roasty chocolate flavours compete with the seismic sourness. Finishes with the complex malt and alcohol warmth expected of Tokyo. Jasmine creeps back again as mouth-watering acidity plays out.”

    These sour stouts do confuse me, it doesn’t provide me with the rich and decadent taste of chocolate, Bounty bars, coffee or liquorice, but it does offer, as they say themselves, poached prunes….. The beer is thick (is that proper beer describing language?) and I did wonder at first if I had ordered sump oil. But, after the sour hit of what is a 10% ABV and that strength is obvious from the taste, there was a richness of flavour that meant I really did like this beer. Very much a beer that can be sipped, there were a few different flavours there and I wouldn’t have picked out cranberries, but after I read they were there, I could get that fruitiness. I don’t know about the poached prunes and I’m not sure that it was actually that chocolately, but it was rich and felt like it was a beer for grown-ups. Although it feels its 10%, it was still smooth and these initially what seemed conflicting tastes and flavours blended nicely. I think I’m starting to write drivel now, so I’ll stop on the beer description….

    More chicken wings and these kept on coming nice and quickly. There were no delays with the payment process, but I had to confess to the bar staff that they had forgotten one of the three drinks that I’d had. The staff member told me that they couldn’t find that drink on the till, therefore they considered it didn’t exist. I’m happy with that decision, although if I had realised it didn’t exist, I might have had two thirds of it.

    I know that Brewdog have faced some criticism nationally this week, but their bars are being run with some considerable ability and management skill. The staff are knowledgeable, the locations are on-trend, the beers are excellent and I can see the juggernaut of Brewdog openings likely to continue around the world. It’s becoming apparent just how far behind some pub chains are getting as well and I wonder whether there might be some major crashes in the years to come as the beer market all realigns.

    As for this bar, I couldn’t fault it and I’m really rather impressed by the whole arrangement. Very lovely.

  • London – Westminster (Borough of) – White Swan

    London – Westminster (Borough of) – White Swan

    I’m having a rather lovely time meandering around Covent Garden this afternoon, an area that normally annoys me (and indeed a chugger has managed to annoy me by jumping in front of me and nearly causing a pedestrian traffic accident by trying to impede my progress – I have complained to the charity involved because I’m post-annoyed about it). Anyway, other than that, the atmosphere here is relaxed and, most importantly (for me), not too busy.

    This is the Good Beer Guide listed White Swan pub on New Row, operated by Nicholson’s. CAMRA note that this was once one of the many early morning pubs at Covent Garden when it was a market and had a special licence for the porters who worked there so they could get a drink. The building dates from the seventeenth century and it was at one stage a coaching house for visitors to London, so yet another pub with some considerable heritage. For several years, until 2012, it was an Irish themed bar operated by O’Neils and, to be honest, I’m not sure that this was an ideal usage for such an old building.

    I love a pub with a history sign outside, it suggest that some quite exciting things might lie within! OK, I accept that I might need to get out more…. Anyway, as this signage states, the pub was used in a novel written by Dorothy L Sayers.

    The interior of the pub and as can be seen, this is another pub not exactly heaving at lunch-time. It was a little busier outside, but it’s fair to say, this was a heavily under-used pub for the time that I was in it.

    The bar area which all feels quite traditional. I had a little bit of a wait to get in as the pub felt slightly understaffed, but the barman was friendly and helpful when I called out to check that I could just go in. It was a very comfortable environment, and also considerably cooler than the previous pub that I had just sat outside, so that was reassuring to me.

    There was a choice of four real ales available, which are seemingly the the same ones that are offered in nearly every other Nicholson’s pub, it’s not really very creative. But perhaps times are hard to get the appropriate supplies of beers flowing throughout the pub chain. This is half a pint of Wainwrights, a beer that was perhaps a little past its best, but I think it’s quite a bland beer anyway, so it’s hard for me to judge when that best was. The service though remained attentive and helpful throughout, although there were only two customers (including me) sitting inside the pub, so that likely made managing things a little easier. I purchased using the app, which gave me 25p off my half pint again, so the pricing was entirely reasonable and I didn’t encounter any issues with it today.

    Apparently the pub is showing the Euro football matches, but is leaving the volume low or not on at all, something which seems to me to be a perfect compromise. I understand that football fans might not entirely agree with that though, but there we go. The pub was serving food, and has a restaurant area upstairs, but I’m not sure they had many customers for that when I was there. A decent pub though, aided by helpful service, although I would ideally like a more decadent beer selection to keep me amused and to want to come back. For the heritage alone, I can see why it’s listed in the Good Beer Guide.

  • London – Westminster (Borough of) – Lamb and Flag

    London – Westminster (Borough of) – Lamb and Flag

    This is a bit lovely, one of the oldest pubs in the area, perhaps dating to as early 1688, but the timber frame is no later than the mid eighteenth century. Former customers include Charles Dickens, Karl Marx and John Dryden, so there’s some considerable history here. I partly treat the money I spend at these places (which is hardly a decadent spend as I’m only buying half a pint) as an entrance fee to see these remarkable buildings. For those who are craving my riveting comments on craft beer, I’ll be visiting other locations more suited to that later today, in a desperate attempt to cater to my huge audience of about three.

    Some have claimed that the pub is perhaps the oldest in London, although I’m quite sceptical about that. But, it’s heritage is undeniable, although as often with these things, the pub and its licence can move about a bit as buildings were reconstructed and developed. It’s known that there was a pub around here, and very likely this building, from 1772 and at that stage it was known as the Cooper’s Arms. The pub changed to its current name in 1833 and it was another location where boxing matches were held frequently judging from the newspaper reports. More recently, in the late twentieth century, there were theatrical performances that took place upstairs.

    There was another friendly welcome at the entrance to this Good Beer Guide listed pub which all complied with track and trace. I had a quick meander around the pub and took a photo of the beer options whilst I was walking by.

    I had a bit of a dilemma here and I looked very British and awkward in trying to find where to sit. There was a large group in the rear of the pub which I didn’t want to disturb, and it was a restaurant area upstairs. So I temporarily moved to the front of the pub, but didn’t want to take that table of four as that seemed greedy. But I didn’t like the high table that I had acquired for myself, so I placed my order and then faffed about a bit pondering where to go.

    I then decided to go outside, before realising all of the tables were reserved, so I shuffled back inside like some confused idiot. Actually, I’m sure the member of staff thought exactly that, but she didn’t show it. I mentioned that I hadn’t realised they were reserved, but she politely explained they actually weren’t, it was just to ensure that customers got the attention of a staff member before self-seating. So, I shuffled back outside and sat in the blazing heat. I didn’t feel that I could back inside without the staff member fearing for my sanity. My phone warned me it was over-heating, my trusty Chromebook switched off three times in some sort of part panic and part strop, whilst I just melted. I pretended to passing pedestrians and customers that I was enjoying the lovely hot weather, but I feel I made a bit of a mistake here (I’ll add that I’m currently inside another pub which is very cold, so myself and my devices are recovering fast).

    The beer that I ordered was Oliver’s Island from Fuller’s Brewery, which was average and unexceptional. It was well-kept and yet again at the appropriate temperature (I see little reason to say more than this for generic real ales) so I was suitably refreshing in the tropical London heat. The beer cost £2.50, but as I mentioned earlier, that’s sort of partly an admission fee to feel part of the heritage of a pub where I can sit where Charles Dickens sat. And since I kept moving about inside, I probably covered quite a few bases in that regard.

    Other than I nearly combusted in the heat, this was a clean and comfortable environment. Relaxed, informal and friendly, I liked this pub and find it remarkable just how quiet Covent Garden is at the moment. It’s a pub that is worth visiting though, a little bit of London history.

  • London – Westminster (Borough of) – Round House

    London – Westminster (Borough of) – Round House

    This Fullers pub is located in Covent Garden, in the heart of the tourist action. Or what would usually be the beating heart if it wasn’t for Covid, as everything is rather muted at the moment in terms of the number of people about.

    There was a friendly welcome from the staff member who was making an effort to be helpful and conversational with customers, so that was rather lovely. Table service was being offered and the process was well managed and the environment was clean and comfortable. I was offered a choice of tables either inside or outside, but on this occasion I went for inside.

    It’s an interesting and quirky building and it’s evident from its shape why the pub has its name. Fullers purchased the pub from Punch Taverns for £3.3 million in 2009, which is fortunate as if it was up to Punch Taverns it’d like be a Tesco Express or similar by now. CAMRA mention that the pub was built in 1863 and was known as the Petters Hotel until 1943.

    There were a couple of real ales on, although I only later realised that there was a Tiny Rebel beer on that I would have had if I had known. I went for half a pint of the Hophead from Dark Star Brewing, an acceptable and quite average beer. But, given the heat it was suitably refreshing and the pricing wasn’t unreasonable given the location. All absolutely fine, although there was nothing exceptional to surprise and delight me.

    It’s a pleasant little pub and food is served as well, the traditional Fullers menu being available, although I didn’t see anyone order food when I was there. The pub is well reviewed, so seems a safe option for tourists to the area when they finally start to return again.

  • London – Camden (Borough of) – The Craft Beer Co Clerkenwell

    London – Camden (Borough of) – The Craft Beer Co Clerkenwell

    I have visited this pub before, but I haven’t been to any from the chain this year and I did wonder how they were getting on.

    Everything was clean and organised, with the barman providing a friendly welcome. The menus on the tables have gone thanks to Covid, so when the barman asked what I wanted to order I said that I’d have a look at the menu that I had noticed a QR code for on the table. Apparently that’s out of date, which isn’t ideal, so the barman suggested going to the bar to see what they had.

    There’s still a considerable choice of beers available, but the knowledgeable and helpful barman said that the only dark option was Broken Dream from Siren Craft Brew. This is a very good beer, but I’ve had it before on numerous occasions and was looking for something new.

    Not that it bears any relation to dark beers, but I went for the Electric Mayhem from Cloak and Dagger, a pineapple sour. I’m glad that I was talked by someone a couple of years ago into trying more sours, as I’ve become something of a fan of them. Cloak and Dagger are a brewery from West Worthing, producing beers from a wide range of different styles. The beer had a pleasant pineapple flavour and sourness to it, although it didn’t feel full bodied and the aftertaste was more subtle than the zing that had been suggested by the brewery. It didn’t taste its 4.5%, it seemed a little weaker, and the reviews on Untappd seem to push this into just being an average beer. Interesting drink though and I’m glad I had it, even though I didn’t get a stout to end the evening off with.

    I’m surprised that the chain hasn’t rolled out on-line ordering, or at least more of an effort to keep their beer menus up-to-date since they’re on-line. Seems a bit of a waste of time if there are QR codes on the tables for beer menus that are out of date, and I can see this is a problem with other outlets in the chain. Perhaps things are difficult for this chain at the moment, especially given they are nearly entirely located in London. The barman was excellent though, engaging, conversational and knowledgeable, so I’m sure that things will soon be back to normal here with that professionalism.

  • London – Camden (Borough of) – Ye Olde Mitre

    London – Camden (Borough of) – Ye Olde Mitre

    This is an interesting pub to get to, I walked by these gates into Ely Place and this takes its name from when it was the site of the London residence of the Bishop of Ely. The road has its own Wikipedia page for anyone interested in the history of this area and that saves me writing about it here…..

    This is the little alley that the pub is located down, although I think there’s another entrance from the other side, but either way, this pub is one that has to be actively looked for rather than stumbled upon. That all makes it a little more exciting.

    There has been a pub on this site since around 1546, when it was used by the servants who worked at the Bishop’s house, and I can’t imagine that the bishop himself would have meandered along. Although who knows…. Anyway, the site was cleared when it was taken over by the Crown in 1772, which is when the current building dates from. It was renovated in the early twentieth century and it retains that layout today.

    The pub note on their web-site: (NB, I’ve changed hung to hanged, as I am still slightly [some may say very] annoying in believing meat is hung and dead human bodies are hanged, not that it really matters….).

    “The Ye Olde Mitre is famous for having a cherry tree, (now supporting the front) that Queen Elizabeth once danced around with Sir Christopher Hatton. The pub was actually a part of Cambridge (Ely being in Cambridge) and the licencees used to have to go there for their licence. Set in a part of London steeped in history, it’s near where William Wallace was hanged, drawn and quartered at Smithfield, along with martyrs and traitors who were also killed nearby.”

    This is unfortunately another pub that in non Covid times that I would have walked around a bit more to see the history and heritage. I did go and have a little look at the rear beer garden, and there’s also seating at the front. These areas were a little bit busier, but there were tables free in both sections so the pub was far from busy.

    There was a prompt welcome from a friendly and personable staff member when I arrived and I was offered a table either inside or outside. I prefer inside so that I can at least have a look at the pub’s interior (and outside is often home to wasps and other bitey things) and the staff member said “I think we can just about squeeze you in”. As can be seen from the photo above, he managed to fit me in….

    The beer selection wasn’t too bad, I went for a quick half of the Windsor Knot, an acceptable beer from the Windsor & Eton brewery that I had a few months ago as well. The staff members were all welcoming and there was a relaxed feel to the arrangements here. I suspect that this is one of those pubs that if you moved into a property nearby that you’d be made to feel welcome if you wanted to make this your local. The only downside is that this is a small pub, and it’s only these exceptional times that meant I found it so easy to get a table. Normally there would likely be more tourists, more city workers and just more visitors to the area.

    The pub is in the Good Beer Guide, so that’s another one visited. For its heritage alone, I can see why its listed, and I found it perfectly friendly and welcoming. I would have, as ever, preferred a slightly more decadent beer choice than that provided by Fuller’s, but it could have been much worse. Definitely one worth visiting.

  • London – City of London – Blackfriar Pub

    London – City of London – Blackfriar Pub

    I’ve never bothered trying to get in this Nicholson’s pub before, located near to Blackfriars Station, as it always looks heaving with people (the pub, not the station, although that’s just as bad). It was a little busy outside, but I ventured in and discovered that it was very quiet inside. As I mentioned when visiting the Old Bank of England pub last week, this is an ideal time to visit pubs that are usually too busy to get in, although I accept it’s hardly the ideal situation for the hospitality trade in London.

    Not that it much matters, but there’s a difference in opinion in whether this pub is the “Black Friar” or the “Blackfriar”. CAMRA and Wikipedia go with the former, but since the pub goes with the latter, I’m going with that.

    The pub has been here since 1875 and the flatiron style building was designed by the architect H. Fuller-Clark and artist Henry Poole, with John Betjeman being involved in a campaign to prevent its demolition in the 1960s. The pub is in a slightly strange position and I can imagine that a much bigger building would have made more money, but I’m glad that this piece of Victorian history has survived. The pub, as well as the area and the railway station, takes its name from the monastery that was here until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the sixteenth century.

    I was welcomed promptly and informally, so it all seemed a comfortable environment. I had no end of problems with the Nicholson’s app and with the menus not loading, but I persisted and got my drink ordered. There wasn’t a great deal of choice, three relatively standard ales, but at least there was that so I had a little bit of a selection.

    Some of the decoration in the pub, which I suspect has more character and atmosphere when there are more customers in it. There were quite a few staff, so I wondered whether perhaps it wasn’t as quiet as they’d anticipated. It’s difficult to walk around during these Covid times, otherwise I would have liked to have explored the interior a little more. I see that the listed building record notes:

    “Small, windowless extra rear vaulted room, known as the Grotto, excavated from a railway vault, designed by Clark in 1913 but not executed until 1917-21 owing to the war.”

    For anyone who is interested, CAMRA have a page on the pub’s heritage.

    I didn’t want to repeat the same drink I’d had earlier in the day in another Nicholson’s pub, so I just went with a Doom Bar. I know a beer that this is modelled on, but I won’t comment on that here…… The beer was fine, at the appropriate temperature and all that (someone will be glad to hear that I know). The pricing in the pub was a little expensive, although this is central London, but the app gave me 25p off as a little reward, so that was handy.

    The reviews for the pub are pretty favourable, there don’t seem to be any real issues here and I felt welcome. There wasn’t a huge amount of engagement from the staff members, but since orders needed to be placed via the app, that does restrict things a little. The pub has made its way into the Good Beer Guide, I suspect more from its heritage and character than necessarily the slightly limited beer range (although CAMRA suggest that there’s normally much more choice, and I understand that these are difficult times). Either way, I’d come back here again, and it’ll be positive to see it much more packed once again as that might just mean things in London are nearly back to normal.

  • London – Richmond upon Thames (Borough of) – Roebuck

    London – Richmond upon Thames (Borough of) – Roebuck

    This is the only Good Beer Guide listed pub in Richmond, worth the walk up the hill given the extensive views over the Terrace Gardens and beyond. It’s a Greene King operated pub and it has won a number of local CAMRA awards in local years, as well as attracting some rather influential customers. They certainly have an enviable location and there has been a pub here for over 200 years.

    The real ale selection, which is better than I had anticipated for a Greene King pub. The service was, well, unusual. I don’t intend for this blog to ever be a platform to criticise bar staff, but I did find the environment really quite strange. Visitors, including myself, were welcomed with a slightly abrupt “do you want a table?” which is a question I’m still not sure I entirely understand. Everyone replied yes and I can only imagine that perhaps some customers perhaps want to take food or drink away because of the lovely views. I’d prefer a more gentle welcome. Anyway, my confusion put to one side, I noticed a table that looked handy for my needs.

    I wasn’t given any of these nice tables (and nor the one that looked handy for my needs), I was given a table with no view that really wasn’t ideal. I found the situation quite humorous with how the staff member behind the bar told her colleague “give him table 3” rather than let him perhaps check if I had any aspirations to sit somewhere in particular in the nearly empty pub. Compare and contrast to the welcome at the pub I’d been to before…. I must admit that the staff member did provide me with quite a lot of entertainment, including her thoughts at times about other customers, colleagues and her housing situation. I’m not entirely sure significant chunks of that conversation were really for customers to hear, but I can’t deny that I like listening to gossip like that.

    It’s not entirely clear, but the views from these tables is extensive and really beautiful. The pub was very quiet, but it was clean and comfortable throughout. It’s had something of a modernisation recently, but it’s sympathetic to the character of the building and it all felt in order.

    The Citra from Oakham Ales, which was fine. Well kept, refreshing and as the name suggests, made with citra hops, which I’m rarely disappointed by. The server that I had was pleasant and helpful, he seemed keen to help and engage, with made things easier. The pricing was moderate, so that all really rather lovely.

    I’ll missing some of the story out for fear of looking too critical, but the staff member completed her show by shouting “can I help you?” as I was walking to the toilets. I did hear her say this loudly the first time, but I tried my best to ignore the situation as it was already inappropriate and I dreaded to think how she was planning to assist. It then seemed clear to me that she had managed to forget that I was a customer and thought that I was someone who had walked in when she wasn’t looking. My walking merrily onwards towards the toilets wasn’t the clue she wanted and the request was repeated. I did feel the need to comment that I had actually been in the pub all the time, had ordered and was going to the toilet before leaving, and she mentioned she was only seeking to show me where the toilets were. Given that I was nearly at the toilets, I wasn’t entirely sure how she thought I was at that stage going to miss them.

    There was nearly no-one in the pub, which struck me as fortunate because she had made quite clear to everyone that a customer was going to the toilet. I did note that at the previous pub the staff member saw I had a laptop and was keen to point me towards a table where I could plug it in. That’s the kind of pro-active service I’d rather have if I’m being honest.

    Anyway, I don’t want to sound too harsh as I think that the staff member was over-enthusiastic and it would seem churlish and unkind to be too critical of that. But, it’s not a pub that I would come back to because the lack of professional discretion about other customers wasn’t really appropriate and I feel that it would be remiss of me not to mention that. However, judging from the positive reviews, it’s clear that my experience isn’t necessarily one that’s widely repeated and the view from the windows is excellent and the beer selection is perfectly reasonable given it’s a Greene King pub. It probably just needed a manager present to ensure everything flowed beautifully, as the pub is clearly usually operating to a high standard.

  • London – Richmond upon Thames (Borough of) – Railway Tavern

    London – Richmond upon Thames (Borough of) – Railway Tavern

    There are no Good Beer Guide pubs in the centre of Richmond, so I thought I’d have a little visit to the Railway Tavern, which is run by Nicholson’s. Their web-site notes that this pub was opened in 1855 as the Railway Hotel, back when it offered overnight accommodation.

    The pub wasn’t very busy, but it’s a sizeable location with a large extension to the rear. There was a friendly welcome from a team member who let me in, as there’s a rope across the entrance to ensure customers are welcomed and comply with Covid-19 rules. I was told that I could sit anywhere, which was rather lovely.

    The rear section of the pub, all clean and perhaps a little generic in terms of its design.

    The real ales available were Nicholson’s Pale Ale, Sharp’s Doom Bar and Fuller’s London Pride, which isn’t exactly the height of decadence, but at least there was a choice. I went for half a pint of the Nicholson’s Pale Ale, which was well kept and at the appropriate temperature. As a beer it’s fine, although unexceptional. I paid using the app, which told me that the order had failed, but the drink was served about five seconds later anyway. That was fortunate, before I tried to go through the ordering process again. These apps still have some teething troubles, but I’m glad that they’ve been introduced.

    What was exceptional was the Irish barman who had got customer service down to a fine art. Friendly, engaging, conversational, pro-active and all the other epithets I use when I’m made to feel welcome. I liked how he suggested a spot which had a power-point, he offered more drinks but also made quite clear that I was “welcome to chill” for as long as I wanted. As the pub name suggests, it’s next to the railway station, which means they might get quite a few customers just popping in. His service was so friendly that I commented on it when I left the pub, and he replied “it’s takes nothing to be nice”. He’s right, and what a wonderful way to run a pub.

    Nicholson’s are a reliable pub chain, not too jazzy (not sure I’ve used that Inbetweeners quote for a while) but their food is consistent (not that I had any today) and the service is usually all fine. And as a pub, I liked this one, primarily because of that really rather wonderful service. I didn’t get chance to linger because I needed to move on, but this is the sort of pub that someone could linger in comfortably. The Pret down the road was packed with people with laptops, but they could do worse by moving down to the Railway Tavern.

  • Matlaske – St. Peter’s Church (Exterior)

    Matlaske – St. Peter’s Church (Exterior)

    As I was back in Norfolk for the weekend in between London visits, I took the opportunity to visit three churches with Richard all of which very much had their own character. This is St. Peter’s Church in Matlaske (also known in the past as Matlask), with its round tower which dates to the Saxon period. By any definition, that’s a remarkable survival, especially as sections of the nave are from the same period. More on the interior of this church in another post, there’s a fair amount to write about here as it is.

    I mentioned how rather lovely it is that this church’s tower and nave survive from the Saxon period. The chancel was less fortunate, as it fell down. And it didn’t just fall down, it fell down during a service on 19 March 1726. No-one was hurt, but that does feel like a message from God if you’re preaching and a chunk of the building collapses. A decision was made not to rebuild it (probably by the vicar who was likely considerably put off by the circumstances he faced), so it was just walled off.

    The join section is still visible, the section to the left and the buttress is original and the section to the right is the walled off part following the collapse.

    A really good decision was made, although I’m not sure when, to preserve some of the stone from the collapsed chancel. On top of the churchyard’s wall, which seems much more recent, are chunks of stone from the old building.

    There’s a section of lead which once held a piece of stained glass in the window. I very much like that these stones remain, a connection with the past.

    The southern side of the church, with a helpfully located bench for the tired to rest on. Or just the lazy, no-one will judge…. The south aisle was roofed in 1710, which was handily noted on the building, although the entire church was restored to some degree in 1878 and the current roof is more recent.

    This drawing is from the early nineteenth century (I think around 1825) and shows the building from the same angle as the above photo. Some things puzzle me, such as the window in the chancel end has been replaced, perhaps in the 1878 restoration. It looks quite a simple window here, perhaps as things were financially limited at the beginning of the eighteenth century when the repairs were needed following the chancel collapse. Also, at this point the south porch wasn’t blocked.

    The original Saxon tower has now been modified, but I still find it quite special to know that parts of this were here around 1,000 years ago. The top octagonal section dates from the fourteenth century. God was on the side of Arthur Boulton, a plumber from Great Yarmouth, in 1904 who was engaged in covering the church’s roof with lead. He managed to fall off the scaffolding, a distance of 41 feet, but was remarkably nearly unharmed by his little disaster.

    There were once three bells inside the tower, but financial issues (mostly relating to a fear that the tower might collapse) meant that in 1731 two of them were sold. In the little guidebook in the church, it notes that the remaining bell was cast in around 1480. I find that equally remarkable, that the bell was raised to the top of this church when it was still Catholic.

    The blocked up porch. I’m not sure why this was ever deemed necessary, as although I suppose the space was repurposed for clerical reasons, it seems a bit final to block the entrance up. Maybe a nice sturdy door would have been a little more attractive here.

    Anyway, more on the interior of this church in another post. It’s a beautiful building in such a quiet place and I’m very grateful that it was unlocked so that visitors could go inside.