#Pubruary Trip to Yorkshire’s Brewing Capital and catching up on some York icons

#Pubruary Trip to Yorkshire’s Brewing Capital and catching up on some York icons

Sunday 14^th February 2022

Half term holiday resulted in a chance for a MalTravAle Podcast face to face get together that could not be missed even if it was wet miserable February Sunday – the plan was to have a reunion with Tadcaster and put boots on the ground in a town we have mentioned a lot in our podcast episodes – especially the complex, ongoing legend that is Sam Smiths and its owner and then call in York on the way home to meet up with Bruce, try and catch some of the England Rugby match against Italy and revisit some of the fantastic pubs we covered in the York Podcast episodes – and to be honest one or two for me – a 1^st time visit now I’m exiled in Staffordshire.

An early drop off in Tadcaster – It was a free lift – meant we had a little time to spare (and it being Sunday so 12pm opening) so wandered up and down the high street in a steady drizzle – we were already aware that a number of the town’s Samuel Smiths (Sam’s)pubs were post pandemic closed – new managers being trained we had heard but the choice of pubs to visit was severely restricted – it was quite depressing to see a number of said Sam’s pubs (Bay Horse, Royal Oak, Falcon) looking sad, tired and dark – especially the flagship and unofficial Sam’s Tap the White Horse and Griffin which fronts the Brewery.

The John Smiths ( Heineken) Brewery was showing some forms of life – a delivery of malt being unloaded and various chimneys spewing – though no longer the impressive Magnet chimney – though there was no longer the satisfying smell of malt n hops that I always remembered from visiting Taddy in the past – maybe modern brewing methods – the John Smiths logo still dominates the brewery and to be honest the town – there is just one subtle sign announcing “Welcome to Heineken UK’ – but this is set back from the road – as you would expect this is in stark contrast to the non existent signage around the Old Brewery - we had to resort to looking through windows to determine if this was a bit of the Sam’s Brewery – the two breweries pretty much share Centre Lane – all was very quiet on the Sam’s side of the street. 

Tadcaster has a long history – though now a fairly nondescript small town – I can just about remember the days before the A64 Dual carriageway, when the main York to Leeds road went straight through the town – indeed its transport status dates back to Roman times when it grew up beside the Roman road to Eboracum – modern day York then Roman Capital of the North.

The Romans named the town Calcaria from the Latin word for lime, reflecting the importance of the area's abundance of Limestone which was used extensively for buildings in the area, including York Minster.

This abundance of limestone was also the reason why the town would be known as the Brewing Capital of the North. The local water is rich in lime sulphate after filtering through limestone, in the right conditions freshwater springs, known locally as popple-wells, still bubble up near St Mary's church. By 1341 Tax registers record the presence of thriving breweries and brewhouses in the town. One of the oldest wells is retained in the Sam’s Brewery – 85 foot   still used for brewing.

As mentioned for a smallish town is does have an impressive heritage. Tadcaster is first mentioned in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle written int h 9^th Century, where it appears as Táda, referring to the place where King Harold assembled his army and fleet before entering York and proceeding onwards to the Battle of Stamford Bridge (and then went on to lose the away leg at Hastings) in 1066. The second part of the name - Castra was anglo-sized Roman word for fort or walled settlement – so Tadcaster – the fort of Tada 

The town is also mentioned in the 1086 Domesday Book as "Tatecastre" and and was also later the site of a major Civil war and later, it is said, that the US of A founders, the Pilgrim Fathers met in a 15^th Century half timbered building on Kirkgate known as the Ark, so called as there are two carved figures on the exterior that are said to be Noah and his wife, but it was known as Morley Hall in the 17th Century. In 1992, Tadcaster Town Council purchased the building in 1992 and now use it as Council Offices and Council Chamber.

Tadcaster still has three breweries operating in 2022 – hence its title the ‘Burton of the North’:

 

The Tower Brewery is a little way out of town to the west – originally a York based brewery in the 18^th Century is now run by Molson Coors previously Bass – I did try to find out what is brewed here – but very illusive – guessing it’s a ‘needs operation’ now – brewing what every in the Coors range needs brewing to meet demand – Probably the ubiquitous Doom Bar – (having been to the Sharps Brewery in Rock cant see how that site could brew the scale  required to provide every other pub in the land with a handpull of the Doom) Though very much a modern brewery complex – if you look hard enough there are still a few remnants of the Victorian Brewery left – and there is still a tower of sort.

 

Interestingly and some thing new for me – having done a bit of background reading about Taddy Brewing cam across several references to Tower Brewery being know locally as the Snobs Brewery –Tadcaster History Tour’ by Paul Chrystal gives a good account and overview 

Tower Brewery earned its nickname from the aloofness of the original owners: affluent young men from fashionable York who rarely came to Tadcaster and remained somewhat mysterious to local townsfolk and even the workers. The owners were in fact Hotham & Co. – brewers of York in George Street since 1716 who also owned ninety of the 284 pubs in the city around 1870. In 1875 Hotham’s sold up for £36,000 to a consortium of York and London businessmen, who promptly bought Yates’s brewery in York for £12,000 including a further twelve York pubs. The new owners were in their late twenties, old Etonians, and shared a passion for horse racing, which they were able to indulge at the Knavesmire. The company changed its name to the Tadcaster Tower Brewery Co. in November 1882. 

Tadcaster History Tour’ by Paul Chrystal,  Amberley Publishing, ISBN: 9781445677309

 

It’s the John Smiths Brewery that dominates the town – irony is of course that it was John Smith that put Tadcaster on the map as a brewing megalith- like most good Yorkshire Brewing families – there’s a story of family fall outs and one-upmanship – the original John and Sam were brothers – though the real villain seems to have been the third brother William, who, on John’s death ignored is stated wishes took all the brewing kit from the original original Old Brewery (Sams) and set up stall next door in what was the Backhouse and Hartley Brewery – leaving Sam with an empty brewery.  In more recent time the JS brewery has been the playing think of the Mega brands – initially bought out by Courage in 1970, Scottish & Newcastle in 1995 and most recently Heineken in 2008 – with the recent demise of JS Smooth (When was the last time you saw a can of it?) – Im guessing Amstel and Kronenbourgh 1664 are keeping the Brewery busy – with a brewing capacity of 30 million litres it still one of the UK’s biggest breweries.

The success of the Taddy breweries at the end of the 19^th Century – owes much to the ‘bright’ water and the heights of the industrial revolution especially in the seething cauldron of the West Riding – Taddy Beer is ‘Pale Bright Bitter’ – refreshing and lowish ABV compared to the sweeter and heavier stouts and porters that had been the market leaders in the mid 1800’s – if you were working in a hot sweaty cotton, woollen Mill, Steel foundry or Coal Mine pale beers were the answer and like Burton it was this style that dominated not just the UK but world beers and still do – a lot of Craft Beer icons in the States talk of Sams being one of the main inspirations.

 

Side by side with the John Smith’s Brewery, though much more discreet – indeed you would miss it driving down the high street, is the Samuel Smiths Old Brewery, (the Angel & White Horse and Old Brewery Office are the brewery’s high street face – If open, the carriage arch in the Angel leads you to the Shire horses.The Old brewery is the oldest brewery in Yorkshire and only remaining independent brewery in Tadcaster – famous for its Yorkshire Squares and still using the Yeast strain first used for brewing in the 1880’s though, it visits and tours seem to be a thing of the past – which only tends to hype up even more the ‘Willy Wonka’ myths about Sams.  

                                       The Old Brewery Offices on Tadcaster High Street

A fourth brewery stood by the river on the site of the present central car park this has been difficult to track town but can find a reference to a Braime’s Tadcaster Breweries Ltd on Chapel Street – which links to the Car park – the Victoria Brewery was registered in 1895 to a Benjamin Braime and merged with Wharfedale Brewing Co Ltd in 1899 when it looks like all breweing wa moved to their exiting brewery in Wetherby. A brewery named Wilson & Cundall is also mentioned near to this Braime’s site.  

 

Tadcaster, also hit the news more recently with the flooding in 2015 which was so severe that the main road bridge connecting the east and west of the town was swept a way leaving a 13 mile detour – the supermarket on one side and the doctors on the other -the town council proposed a temporary bridge, but Mr Humphrey Smith of Sam’s fame, who owns much of Tadcaster objected – eventually a temporary footbridge was built whilst the road bridge was eventually repaired and widened, but the work took until early 2017, you can still see the new stone work in the middle of the bridge.

It would appear that flooding not a particular new feature of life in Tadcaster; the towns main lace of worship - St Mary's Church was taken down stone by stone and rebuilt 5 feet higher, in 1857 to avoid flood damage. 

There is also a beery legacy to the 2015 floods, the Leeds Arms up the road on the eastern side of town was renamed The Broken Bridge, its What Pub description suggests it does offer a range of cask beers, but the very large Sky Sports banners suggest it may specialise in locally brewed Amstel and Kronnenbourgh – however not made a visit so shouldn’t be to hasty in making any judgements – it is close to one of the Coastliner bus stops so maybe a future stop. 

                                    The Broken Bridge (formerly the Leeds Arms) 

                                                Pic Source: https://whatpub.com/pu

 

The Guardian in November 2015 in one of its regular ‘why move here’ features reported that Tadcaster, is a small market town not making much fuss. If you head there, you won’t need to look for it so much as sniff it out, since Tad has been dominated by its brewing industry for, ooh, about 800 years, thanks to the limestone water. As a result, the town may smell a little fruity, but it’s actually quite pleasant: the Sam Smith’s brewery (not to be confused with the pop star) still employs a cooper, a signwriter and an ostler, its shire horses making local deliveries five days a week. If this sort of thing was happening anywhere near London, they’d be spaffing on about their artisan values in a chunky hipster typeface and hoiking up their prices. As it’s the friendly people of Tad doing what they’ve always done, they just get on with it.

So, back to our visit one wet Sunday morning – after a saunter across to Sainsbury’s on the east side of the river to check on the beer range – no Tadcaster beers but a small scattering of Yorkshire fare mainly Black Sheep and Saltaire – but heavily outnumbered by Kent and south west beers? And a coffee and quick warm/dry out in Costa – housed in what look like a former Nat West bank but scenically directly across from the Old Brewery and Angel it was time for beer.

 

One of the Sams Pubs still trading in town is the Howden Arms on the west side of town – a modest wee pub right on the main road and directly opposite the posh entrance to the John Smiths Brewery – we arrived to gladly see the front door pen at 12:03pm – we ventured in – one regular already tugging in to a Taddy lager and a welcoming bar man – slightly limited choice of Old Brewery on cask, Taddy lager and Double Four lager – when asked if they had any bottle (I was particularly after a bottle of India Ale) the Bar man laughed and said “Wer’e not the bloody Angel you know” – I did respond “well at the moment no one is as they’re closed’– but he then pointed out that the only stuff he had been able to get in the fudge was a few bottles orange and lemonade – issues with the brewery – so Nick went for a OBB which he reported to be on top form and I went for a new one for me a Double Four (I’ve gone off OBB – you need to be regular drinker to enjoy the slightly chalky taste I reckon)  

 

Howden Arms – was a pub from at least 1891 its WhatPub description; Traditional pub with comfortable interior round a central bar with a blazing fire in the winter. Dogs are allowed in the side room off to the right as you enter the pub. Pictures of Tadcaster in the old adorn the walls all round the pub.

Though, we noted the stern message on entering that dogs as well as children were only welcome in the beer garden and not the pub and only if they were in the full control of their guardians- the no dogs rule is apparently a more recent directive from HS.

 

We obediently stuck to the no mobile etc rules so no piccys – we sat to the right hand side of the bar and were left to our own – just had the one and decided to head up to Coach and Horses and get the next bus to York in about 30 minutes – a few more regulars had joined the bar – when we returned our glasses and bid farewell – definitely worth a visit to the Howden

    The Coach & Horses - Free House (in Pretty tied town was a John Smiths House in a previous life)

 

Handily the Coach and Horses a former JS pub is next to the small buss station – with Coastliners going to a from York/Leeds once an hour on Sunday (more regular n the week) – now proudly announcing it’s a free house – though seems to have a Theakstones tie as does the Broken Bridge further up York Road. Quite a large pub looked like it was just gearing up for the Sunday Lunch rush – quite a large pub with a number of siting areas – but be warned it’s a bit blue – a group of happy locals looked liked they roosted in the rear right area – seemed friendly enough – a coupe of cask on offer we both went for the NailMaker Brewing Company Mosiac – which pulled hazy but then settled into a nice pint – neither of us could place the brewery – but logging into Untapped revealed it to be a micro brewery in Barnsley – a first check in for me. Nicely timed pint sat on a settee in the front right bar and then nipped out to the bus station to get on a busy Coastliner doubler decker to York.

Inside of the Coach and Horses

                                            A fine pint of Nailmaker Mosaic - ‘Crafted in Yorkshire’

 

Departing the bus outside York Railway station, rain still persisting – with a bit of encouragement Nick did agree that we should pop in the York Tap – he’s been a bit anti for a while – my premise was that we could just have a halve and plan a route and when and where to meet Bruce our 3^rd MalTravAle amigo – the tap was nicely buzzing – the usual vast range of cask on offer requiring a full circle of the bar – though the city side pumps mainly devoted to Timmy Taylors offer. I settled for a Marble Manchester Bitter, got to say both mine and Nick’s pints were on good form – we sat on the city side which is slightly more comfortable – did agree that it just feels a little like a waiting room (Which of course is what it is for many) – battle plan sorted with an agreement to meet Bruce at the Ackhorne and lift home arranged from the Maltings at 6pm 

                                                    Pints in the York Tap

 

A quick ramble across town past the Grand and up Micklegate with a quick detour to the Oxfam book ship opposite the once regular haunt – Walkers Bar once the one pub in town that sold Theakstones- now the Artful Dodger – and up the cobbled lane to the Ackhorne and busy pub in full Sunday lunch mode – heard that they have recently put these back on – lucky to get a seat in the far room/area opposite the bar billiards table – was hoping to break my Yankee duck for this year – Ackhorne normally a good shout – but out of luck so had to settle for a locally brewed Ainsty Ales Cool Citra – again a solid pint – Bruce shortly joined us and we spent a good half an hour catching up before heading off to the next stop.

                                                            Up the cobbles to the Ackhorne

                                               Not sure what’s Nick on about but Bruce is all ears!

                                    Novel addition to the gents in the Ackhorne - keeps your aim straight 

 

We talked a lot about the Golden Ball in Podcast Episode 9 – dating back to late 18^th Century, Grade II listed and possibly frequented by one Mr C Dickens its now York’s 1^st community Co-operative run boozer – it’s a cracking place to drink beer – multi roomed and enclosed beer garden – we got in the corner of the Bar room – fir lit with Rugby on the telly above again it was gently buzzing with a range of clientele throughout – locals in our bar – a few loners with the Sunday papers in the quieter rooms and a group of Americans out in the beer garden – only downside they had run out of the community pork pies and scotch eggs – so lunch was a bag of crisps each – again a wonderful range of tempting beers – an lIkley Promise for me and other 1^st – very nice set of lIkely branded pint glasses with Powered by beer slogan emblazoned on the side – another pleasant half an hour spent – England already 21 – 0 up in the rugby so time to move on.

The Golden Ball 

 Bruce in the Ball chair

 Fine Ilkley beer

Another favourite next up the Swan at the start of the finest independent street in England Bishopthorpe (Bishy) Road – again a pub featured in a number of our York episodes – a little quieter at around 3:30 when we arrived – nice corner seat in the rear room and a very agreeable pint of  Goose Eye Spring Wells Pale. Bruce very happy has Villa have their equalising goal against the Toon disallowed. 

 Off to the Swan

                                                        Newcastle 1 Aston Villa 0

                                                                    Sunday in the Swan 
 

Time to turn and head back into the city centre and 2 new checkins for me – time for a York Sams pub (we had initially planned to head out to the Wellington in Fulford – but the miserable weather and potential limited beer choice suggested leave it for another day) – The Seahorse must have a long heritage – it is still a hotel with a clear carriage tunnel – now a little marooned in an island on York inner ring road and just across rom the Barbican – very impressive frontage and gold leafed seahorse - more Victorian than Disney in style. A multi roomed pub which Bruce is always to happy remind everyone has four, yes four, open fires including a very impressive Yorkshire rage in the rear room – and very glad to report that all four fires were blazing away despite it being fairly quiet on a Sunday afternoon – again no joy with bottle choice – only Organic lager so a pint of Light Mild for me  and a very nice seat by the fire in the Parlour – which we had to ourselves – noted the big notice on the fire place forbidding swearing – and it was nice to keep phone sin the pocket and just chat (as you may see form the other photos we did look like a bunch of screen addicted teenagers in other pubs!) 

                                                    The Seahorse (pics from Samuel Smiths website)

                                                            Yorkshire range in full blaze in the back room 

 

Our penultimate pub was another new one for me, the Phoenix just inside the walls and very atmospheric and welcoming in the twilight – this pub had a couple of very un-woke names and pub signs in the 1800’s (google it) but was given its present name at the turn of the 20^th Century in honour of the once nearby Phoenix Iron Foundry – something of a York beer institution this place was buzzing and we were very lucky to get a spare table next to the fire in the main front room – and even better news they still had pork pies left! Pint of Turning Point Analog Odyssey for me.

 

To round off the day a visit to an old favourite – though haven’t been in enough over the last couple of Covid ridden years – The Maltings – for once a little quiet -think we were in that twilight zone between afternoon session and evening boozers – great welcome, seat and pint – for me a Kirkstall Jasper to round off my 8 pint Yorkshire beer journey (with 1 Lancashire thrown in as well – that’ll will be for my mother sides of the family!)

                                                                Pints & pies in the Phoenix

                                              Sunday night in the Maltings - Bruce full of chatter 

A great day – again spoilt a little by the weather – becoming a bit of a theme for our MalTravAle get togethers – but a day of fantastic beer and some simply stunning independent pubs - 3 new venues for me– a great #Pubruary day out.

 

Macc Micros - Saturday afternoon in Macclesfield

What was planned as a trip to Macc's Food Festival turned into a very pleasant tour around some of Macclesfield's growing gaggle of micro bars - the Food Festival that had already been moved from earlier in the year due to Covid was unfortunately cancelled (not sure exactly why?) after I had bought some well priced train tickets so we decided to take a trip anyway - Macc is a place we use to visit a bit when we had a canal boat but we had not been or some years and is a place you tend to wizz through on the train etc - its a valley based town where rail, river, canal and road all squeeze in along the bottom of the valley - but in terms of rail and canal make it a great place to visit as it is a matter of minutes to the town centre - there are three pubs directly opposite the railway station- didn't visit this time but all get a decent write up on What Pub Queens - Josephs Holts The Old Mill Stone which is adjacent to the Nags Head a Robinsons pub - the Nags is also next to Maccs Whitby like 108 steps up to the very prominent Church which dominates Maccs heritage skyline. There are also two very good newish micro bars with 5 mins walk of the rail station and the others are fairly close. This journey started off in Titanic's BOD on Stoke railway station - based in the former 1st Class waiting room this small venue has only recently emerged out of lock down

It was busy as Stoke City had an away game at Derby - God knows how all those fans got on the Bus on wheels that runs the Crewe to Derby service - but it was all good natured - Limited choice at the bar - sign of recent reopening or a wider beer shortage that still seems to be around (Brexit, Covid and lack of lorries) my Titanic beer of choice would now be a White Star unless its really dark and cold and them Plum Porter - went for my old favorite Iceberg which was on good form if not a little frothy - also took the opportunity to pay for my + 1 for the Titanic 1st Class day in October - normally a great day (mainly due to the free beer and food) Unusually, hadn't done a great deal of planning for this trip - quick look at What Pub highlighted that there were quite a few entries for Macclesfield - had hoped to be pottering around food and drink stalls at the Food Festival - The Rugby Club in Macc appeared to be running a mini food and beer festival so that could be a possibility - but having played there a few times knew it was a bit of a hike from the town centre - they only place i had looked up was the Treacle Tap a micro bar just down from the station so we decided to head their and then just how the fancy took us. Boarded a very busy train heading towards Manchester - lots of City fans (not from Manchester of course) off to their game with Southampton - its only 14 mins to Macc so we were soon heading out of the station and into a very Sunny afternoon

Treacle Tap is a great micro bar - unfortunately has had to remain pretty closed over lockdown as it is micro - a former Saddlery shop its good to see it open again - was quite quiet on an early Saturday lunch-time but looks to have a range of interesting events on throughout the week - book clubs and even a Stitch & Bitch session! A bit early for food for us but the only other couple in were having some very good looking pies which appear to be a house specialty. I started with a very nice pint of Roosters Buckeye - wasn't long ago that I was supping this at the brewery on one of our MalTravAle podcast away days and ten followed up with half of Bristol Beer Factory Fortitude - an English Bitter - seen quite a few of their beer around and about recently the beer rep must be doing good business. Got very excited for a minute when I spied a couple of local camra Ale guides - one of the other things that Covid seems to have killed off - however these were heritage copies both pre covid - still it was nice to have a quick flick through - just like in the olden days!

Really enjoyed our time at the TT - the name by the way relates to an old nickname for Macclesfiled - Treacle Town - though I always thought Silk men (as with the football team was the towns alter ego) ((and have also heard Nuneaton called Treacle town as well) - the legend suggests that a wagon full of treacle overturned at the top of the towns hill and treacle ran down the streets and was scooped up by the towns folk. Macclesfield's other claim to fame include the birth place of  bread makers Hovis, David Dickenson (orange TV Antiques expert) both Bryan Redhead and Nick Robinson of radio 4 Today fame, footballer Peter Crouch, cricket legend Aggers, Yachty Olympian Sir Ben Ainslie (Maccs a long way from the Ocean) and Mr Methane AKA Paul Oldfield the world's only currently performing flatulist! 

A bit more research identifies that the Treacle Tap is part of the Beer Parlours group and they have a second similar venue in a former Toy shop in Congleton - the Young Pretender - one that's gone on the top do list! From the TT we walked up into town and started to look for some lunch - had had a quick trip advisor search in the TT - Macc appears to have lots of small independent restaurants and hardly any chains - lots of tapas style places lookd good and we made our way initially to Tempranillo which unfortunately wasn't doing lunch but looked nice and a couple of 'authentic' beers on including Alhambra. Just across cobbles on Maccs Church Street (think the Hovis Hill) is Salt Bar - a Scandinavian themed cafe bar with some beery option - I plumped for a Swedish Back yard Brewery Shedhead - an American Pale and this very nicely washed down quite an interesting 

Scandi platter - very different but we did quite enjoy

Heading back up the cobbles - with a view down top the station on our right spied the Wet Led bar that looked a good place for a final drink before heading back to the station and home and next door a very inviting traditional butchers that had a fine display of pork pies in the window - of course one was duly purchased and I did very well of not eating till the following day.

Heading back up through the Treacle Market and ubiquitous classic northern town hall our next stop, on what was now a very sunny and warm afternoon was the Five Clouds Tap and Bottle Bar 

The Five Clouds Tap  is next door to the Beer Vault looks like both venues have clubbed together and persuaded the council to let them have an extensive run of outdoor seating - looked like you could sit anywhere and both bars were doing table service - as it was sunny all the out door seats were taken but we got a very nice window seat in the Five clouds tap - a good range of beers - so much choice that I could decide and plumped for two halves instead - a Polly's Pale and a North Brewing American Pale - an enjoyable half hour was spent people watching 

Final stop was back down Church Street to the Wet Led yet another shop converted micro - which was pretty rammed for a Saturday afternoon - where a fine pint of Ossett White Rat was downed, down the cobbles and back to the station and  Stoke where there was just time to tick one more off my pub must visit list -

A Yorkshire pint in a Cheshire glass at Wet Led 

This was Bru in Stoke town centre - you guessed it another former shop micro - this was a cobblers shop and now a tardis like  bar with range of beers, gins and rums - it was fairly steady - tried another brewery for me Six Towns and we had a very nice chat with the landlady 

All in all a top day - really worth a visit to Macclesfield - little bit under the radar but we were impressed with the range of independent food and drink venues - its a nice compact town centre and plenty of heritage around as well.

North Yorkshire Coast sortie

Half term day out with brother back in my old stamping ground - North Yorkshire - a fairly wet miserable February day we decided to make use of the good bus network across the North York’s Moors and sample a few fine ales and visit three of the north coasts fleshpots. An early start catching the 9:15 Coastliner from Malton to Whitby, impressed with these new double deckers - free Wi-fi and at seat charging we bagged a table with both three pin and usb charging - bus fairly quiet - mainly Flamingoland staff and a few walkers Having done a bit of research we decided to alight at Ruswarp - unfortunately too early for the Bridge Inn - we wanted to walk the river path to Whitby before the forecast rain arrived. We had been tipped off by Bruce that Jacksons Butchers produced some might pork pies - we planned to give them a taste test against a Bothams later. The Butchers was doing a roaring trade for 10:30 on a Tuesday morning - and they are indeed purveyors of fine if small pork pies.

The walk down the Esk following the railway line is a fine walk - a little clarty in places - quite a few families also had had same idea - so there were a few people jams on what is a narrow path in places - fantastic railway arches that carried the old Whitby to Scarborough line not sure you can still walk over this now (Yes you can it carries the Cinder Track all the way to Scarborough) - as we got to the boat yard - stopped to watch a few red shanks feeding at the low water mark.

The forecast rain did arrive just as we arrived at the big harour car park - as it was still a little early for opened get time decided to hike up to Old town and pick up some kippers at Fortunes (for me) and a visit to the sweet shop for brother and a 1/4 of Army & Navy Mix - just as it started to pelt down - the Duke of York wasjust opening, so in for first pint of day and a dry out. Ossett Yorkshire Blond on good form and spent a pleasant half an hour looking over the harbour.

Moved in what was now a fairly hefty downpour to the Black Horse - perfrect timing as they were just opening the front door - front snug soon filled up with visitors and resident Tex - Wainwright Golden beer one of three ales on this morning. Walked back across the bridge and down the main shopping street - picked up some cheap (£1) but very firm pork scratchings from Landers Butchers - we then moved back to the Bus station to sort out the ride onto Robin Hood's Bay - bit of time to spare so popped in the Sation Hotel - not been in here before - a good range of beers on and a very welcome open fire - quick pint then jumped on the bus to the Bay - weather had well and truley set in now so it was a bit of a damp waddle down the cobbled main street to the Bay hotel - which was very busy and steamy - managed to get a seat and a very odrinary pint of Wainwright

Back up the Hill and again a few minutes to kill before our next bus so into the very spacious Victoria Hotel bar and had a rather good pint of TT Landlord.

Then back on the Bus for the final swoop down into Scarborough

Weather not much better in Scarbrough so hot footed it up, to what was a new venue for us, the Stumble Inn - a small micro bar in a former solicitors with a very ornate verhanda on the left - this is a very small bar but we managed to get a table and had a couple of good beers and spend time ticking of beers via the beer mats all over the walls and ceilings.

Nick having a power nap! We then headed down to Spoons for a final beer of the day before getting picked up and poured into the car to head home back to Norton - An enjoyable if wet day along the North Yorks Coast

Chatsworth Ramble and Buxton Beers

We finally woke to a sunny day in what has been a pretty mediocre August - determined to enjoy while we could set out towards Chatsworth - could persuade any of the ofspring to join us so it was just me and the better half - made good time to Chatsworth - surprsingly quiet around Leek and Buxton - love the drive along the A6 which follows the Wye with the Monsall Trail flipping over head - turned off at Ashford - Hassop station looked busy with cars in the overflow car park Chatsworth was steady - meadow car park was already full - can no longer pre book parking so paid our fiver at the hut and actually managed to park very close to Carriage House and shops - we have normally walked by the river and then over the deer park to Edensor but i had read a couple of posts from people recommending the walks up to the Hunting Tower and top lakes someenset off towrds the farm yard and the sounds of happy kids on the adventure play ground - a fair few folk around but beyond the hunting tower we were pretty much on our own - we probably walked for 40 minute without seeing a sole. There are some useful downloadable maps on the Chatsworth website - to see the lake walks look at the bottom for the Stand Wood Walks

we completed the easy going route - around 3 miles whic took us about 90 minutes with just a short stop by the Emperor Lake We cut the corner a bit at the start and went up the steps towards the Hunting tower - these are quite going and as they are under woodland wet and a tad slippy - we met a couple coming down who were taking it very steady and we both said we were glad that we wouldn't be returning that way - must count the steps next time we did it The Steps!

The steps are in flights, with a few flats inbetween and there are a couple of seats on the way up as well - you do make some height pretty quickly - which us great for the rest of the walk as its pretty much down hill for the next 2. 5 miles At the top of the steps the trees thin out amd you start to get some great views quite a few folk up around the tower which i think is now a holiday let, a couple of guys artived by bike and i did wonder what was the crack re cycling around the estate - we didnt see anyone else on bikes - checking the website later it does say that cycling is permitted on tarmac roads across the estate - (most of this route is on tarmac roads)

From the back of the hunting tower there a couple of paths and a road moving up towards to lakes - you hit the corner of the Emperor Lake first - there looks to be a newish holding pond on the left if the path and where the feeder from the moors comes in - i remember seeing on piece about this on the tv show that looks behind the scences at Chatsworth

A short walk then get you to the Swiss lake - there is a very nice Swiss Cottage at the far end of the lake, which again is a very nice hoiday let - the Lake looks a bit forloorn and has been drained - not sure what they plan to do with - it all looks a bit terminal - but there are nice views up to the high moors - we then continued on a very quiet estate road that tooks us out and back - a nice mix of woodland and views over the moors - this is the bit where we didnt see anyone else for quite a while. The road begins to drop down towards the river and the woodland then start to fully enclose you - lots of Beech as you get back nearer to the Gardens the varity of trees on yur right starts to increase - as we got nearer to the old aqueduct met a few more people - think this is the quick road route up to the Huting Tower that misses out the steps - hghlight is a clearing just above famous cascade - unfortunately you don't get to the see the cascade just the top holiding pond - but he view out over the valley is very nice

Its then just a short drop back to the farmyard and main car park - we eat our butties on a bench enjoying the sun and peeple watching - with the sun out the park was now quite busy.

Mid afternoo now so time to make a decision about where to head for refreshment - considered Bakewell and another trip to the Thornbridge - but looking at the steady numbers pouring into Chatsworth, decided it would be very busy and parking a bit of a pain - parking at the Brewery is fine but a bit of a walk into the town - so we agreed on Buxton We have had a couple of nice visits to the pop up beer garden outside the brewery and pre covid had tried to get into the Brewery Tap behind the Crescent in Buxton town, but had never managed - the Tap had been closed pretty much through lock down so agreed that we woud start there - I was also aware of a couple of new micro crafty bars also opening that we hadnt tried - Monk only opens Wed to Sunday - but Red Willow Buxton was open and had an online booking faciity so pre booked a table there for 5pm (Though this wasnt really required) We took the longer quiter route back to Buxton through Baslow and Stoney Middleton - we had stayed in SM a while ago and really enjoyed thus quirky village - good Pub the Moon - Bradfield Beers - we dropped into Buxton via the Tideswell road - Tideswell is a larger village that we haven't really explored - looks very nice range of shops and 3/4 pubs - both agreed that we need to come back here - route through Millars dale very nice Parked up in Buxton - quick walk through town - rubber necked the new facy 5 star hotel in the Crescent - both felt that te entrance is a bit underwhleming - guess there were a lot of planning restrictions - arrived at the Tap - now called 53 Degrees @ Buxton Brewery Tap House - need to do a bit of research about this The place as always was busy - but managed to get a couple of stools just inside the door - in theory they were still doing table service though at times people were also ordering at the bar - great rage of beer on offer - mainly Buxton (See Below)

I started off with 2 halves of the cask on offer - Bonde and Right to Roam - both good - Right to Roam my favourite Mrs had a Raspberry Mjoito

As the sun was shining I also succumed and had a Omnipollo Original Double Blueberry Ice Cream - and opted for the soft serve - a slushy type machine behind the bar tops off your glass - Omnipollo are a Swedish gypsy brewery known for their inventive styles!

Enjoyed it here and glad we managed to get in at last - we then took the short stroll around the corner to Red Willow - housed in what I think was the old Midland or Natwest bank - nice refurb - lots of boths and a nice mezzanine area - but as it was quite we opted for what we took to be the old managers office in teh corner - creating a nice little snug - a large round table with seating for about 8 be a great space to have a session - even had its own hatch

New brewery for me- Redwillow are based in Macclesfied and have 2 taps one there and this one in Buxton - stuck to sampling halves and enjoyed them all and great service from the 2 ladies behind the bar. Sabro Simcoe Pale Ale - probable my top choice Witless - a whitbier 4.2% Wreckless - American Plae Limitless another pale

Unfortunately they didnt have Shameless on - have to come back for one of those - lancashire crisps on the bar caught my fancy especially the Black Pudding and Mustard flavoured - though a little dismayed to read on the back that they were suitable for vegetarians!

All in all - a proper good day out and one that we will do again possibly in Autumn