Beers to note - June 2017

Sadly June seemed to be quite a lacking month for standout beers. There were quite a few beers that were memorable for the wrong reasons, but the below are the ones that made it into my Beers to Note for June 2017.


Elvis Juice (BrewDog) - 6.5% | Can 330ml
Wonderful citrus grapefruit beer that doesn't feel anywhere near the ABV quote. Refreshing and enjoyable.




12th of Never Ale (Lagunitas) - 5.5% | Can 330ml
Very pale straw color. Great aroma and good beer with some nice bitter notes.




Summer Legend Easy IPA (Harviestoun) - 3.5% | Can 330ml
Sometimes at these ABVs the flavour fails but this really hit the spot. A session IPA that tastes amazing with its fruity body, and was a pleasure to drink.




Midhurst Mild (Ballards) - 3.5% | Cask Pint
Another low ABV beer during this hot weather and again it hit the right spot. A lightly smoky roasted beer.

Beers to note - May 2017

So I forgot to post my beers to note for May 2017, so here they are.

1936 Bière (Brauerei Locher) - 4.7% | Bottle 330ml
This is always a beautiful Swiss beer. It has a beautiful smooth taste, which may be due to the water filtering down through the Alps.




Gale's HSB (Fullers) - 4.8% | Cask Pint
This is a solid strong bitter which I consider miles better than the Fuller ESB. I understand Gales had quite a few good beers but it seems the only ones to survive were Seafarers and HSB.





Curiously Dark Mild (Millis) - 3.6% | Cask Pint
A wonderful dark mild that didn't have too much of a malt hit, but was smooth and tasty. Session qualities throughout even being a dark beer during a warm May.





Winter Welcome Ale 2016 - 2017 (Sam Smith) - 6.0% | Bottle 550ml
I'd been looking for this beer for a while and it took till May to find it. Though outside of the cold season I wasn't going to give this beer a miss. It was slightly chilled which enhanced the malts. Slight hop taste but none of the expected alcohol taste or burn you might expect from some strong winter ales.


Peanut Butter Milk Stout (Tailgate) - 5.8% | Can 330ml
I happened across this beer and though not normally a fan of anything peanut butter I thought, why not give it a go, and I'm glad I did. Has a peanut butter nose and the taste is spot on. Stout with peanut butter is amazing.


Velveteen (Dark Revolution) - 4.8% | Keg Pint
A sweet nose on this milk stout, with a slight bitterness to the taste. It doesn't taste so milk stout but its still good.

London Pub Tour 52 - Balgravia: Traveller's Tavern and Belgravia

There are pubs which I've been in before and their really not to my taste/style/suiting. Call it what you may but as part of the London Pub Tour I'm attempting to record visits to all pubs, so I have to return to those pubs I may not want to. So after work one day I decided to pay a visit to two nearby pubs which I generally don't go to. The first pub I visited was the Traveller's Tavern (SW1W 9RB) which is based right next to the arrivals terminal of Victoria coach station. The pub is a Greene King (Ex-Taylor Walker) and is of course popular with travellers before boarding a coach. There is a small outside seating area which is normally full of people smoking and drinking in the good weather. Entering through the front door the bar is towards the rear on the right left wall. The pub has lots of low tables aimed at dining, and the occasional large booth seating area and a few high tables on the outside. There is a wood floor that leads up to the bar area but the rest of the pub is carpet.

The bar had 4 hand pumps with three on offering up Sharp's Atlantic, GK IPA and Old Speckled Hen. On keg there was Camden Hells and Pale, Stella, Over Easy, Guinness, Hop House 13, Sharp's Pilsner, Fosters and Peroni. I went for old faithful, Stella, at £4.90. There were plenty of seats free so I sat down at a small table. Upon sitting down I noticed two more pumps selling beers from Curious Brew (Chapel Down) - Curious Brew Lager and Curious IPA, drat. The tables offer some space to sit down and have your luggage besides you without blocking up the pub. The walls have fake wood panel wall paper that I see so often in Taylor Walker pubs. An American couple sat down at the table opposite me and all credit to the bar staff member who came over and took their food order considering it's not a table service pub, but then again maybe they know American's tip, or is that me being cynical.

Now I have to explain why I don't like the Traveller's Tavern. For me this always feels a lonely and depressing pub. It's normally full of lone travellers taking up a whole table by themselves milking a soft drink whilst killing time. No conversation, no life, soulless. Add to this I seen the same old woman in here as I did when I last popped in here 8 months ago. Yes I recognised the elder lady. You honestly couldn't mistake her, and I guess this does prove they have at least one regular. Now as I seen they had Curious beer I had to stay and have one of them but the one I wanted to try, the IPA, was off, so instead I settled for a half of the Curious Brew Lager. I've had this beer in bottle before and it tasted much better then. This one tasted quite bland.

I left the Traveller's and walked to the top of the road, turning left at the Natwest and walking to the far corner of the coach station where the buses leave via. Opposite the petrol station here is my final stop the Belgravia (SW1W 9JL). The pub sits underneath a tower block, and is below street level. Walking down the steps leads you into the beer patio which has some benches, metal tables and an outside TV. Now the Belgravia was refurbished and rebranded a few years back as a Sports Bar. The pub doesn't quite meet the sports bar critieria apart from having this outside TV and a three TVs inside. Entering the pub through the cream doors and the bar is directly ahead. The bar itself is cornered in by support pillars so although it stretches slightly to the left and right, all the taps are contained within these support pillars.The pub had two hand pumps serving Landlord and Doombar. In keg there was Punk IPA, Thatchers Gold, Hop House, Guinness, Heineken, Peroni, Strongbow Cloudy, Orchard Pig Reveller, Estrella and Stella.

I bought a pint of Punk IPA which cost £5.80. The pub certainly does attempt to act up market and adding on Sports bar to its tagline, to charge people more for their drink, but it is just an estate pub near Victoria. The floor is wood and the bar is a pale green wood panel. There is a dart board area round to the right. Also on the right are some high tables with high stools. On the left are some larger tables with some cushioned seating running under the front window. There are some stools on the side of the bar which were in use by the regulars. If watching sports in this pub then truly the best place to watch it is outside as inside has too many pillars to disrupt most people's views. All this together leads onto why I don't like this pub. It's attempting to be something it isn't and hoping to charge a premium because of it. Alongside that one time I went in and they had run out of all bar one beer, which was at that time Carling, what a way to run a pub.

The Belgravia though unlike the Traveller's does have locals, so it at least can build up more of a community feel. When I was there an old Irish man was getting the barman to look up some long distance flight prices for him. Those are the little things that I like in pubs, but sadly its the marketing of this pub which I dislike.

London Pub Tour 51 - Victoria: Sports Bar & Grill and Wetherspoons

Passing through Victoria and with time to kill till my train I popped into two pubs in the station. My first port of call was the Sports Bar & Grill (SW1V 1JU) which is accessed from just outside the train station, where the stairs the from tube meet the station entrance. The entrance is very small and the staircase leading up to the bar doesn't give away too much. Once through the doors at the top you arrive in a large open plan pub with exposed fixings and air con on the ceiling. The windows look directly out onto the concourse below but the noise of the station doesn't creep in. The drinking section of the pub is entirely high tables with high chairs in rows of three. The bar is round to your right from the entrance, and is quite small. Where the bar ends is also where the drinking tables end and the low level dining tables begin. An open kitchen faces onto these tables and generally you can only sit here if eating, even if its just a bowl of chips.

The bar had four hand pumps will all of them off. Two of the beers they appear to sell normally are Pedigree and EPA, both by Marstons. The keg options were Heineken, Fosters, Strongbow, 1664, Guinness, Three Hop, Symonds and John Smith. The bottle selection appears limited to ciders and sol. I went for a pint of Heineken from the frosted dispenser and cool glass from the fridge (Might as well go all out), which came in at £5.50, ouch. Saturday rugby and tennis were on the screens and the pub wasn't packed but was busy. The screens are laid out all around the walls of the pub so that no matter where you sit you can see a screen. They also have the system setup so they can display different matches on different screens. Towards the far left hand wall there is a projector screen. A lot of the screens were marked with a reserved sign, but as no one was using them I jumped on and sat at one of the tables. A few of the groups that were in the pub seemed like they were waiting for the afternoon football matches to kick off, and perhaps the reserved tables were for like minded punters.

The pub does offer table service which is handy during big matches, as it saves fighting the wall of people stood at the bar watching screens. Sports Bar & Grill have certainly made a name for themselves as a destination to go at stations across London to watch sport. For big matches and title deciding games, the atmosphere is amazing, though the beer selection and pricing isn't, but you're paying for the sports bar surrounding. Their chain has also raised the level other Sports Bar should attain to, if they truly wish to make their pub a destination pub.

My second and final stop prior to my train was a pub that is a destination in its own right, not due to sports, but just due to proximity and pricing. Yes its the aptly named Wetherspoons (SW1V 1JT), by Wetherspoons. With such an original name  you can see what draws the crowd. This pub is always busy no matter what time of the day be it 9am, 2pm or even closing time at midnight. To enter the pub you can go up via the escalators by platform 11 and 12, next to Smiths. There are some stairs up from platform 10, and another set up right next to platform 7. When entering from the escalators you will see seating on the outside balcony. Entering through the doors the bar is straight ahead. One thing to note about this spoons is that there is a second bar to the rear which has a different selection of ales on, and is normally quicker at serving.

The pub is small for a spoons, and is quite light and airy. There is an impressive tiled curved wall opposite the bar, under which is a large single american style diner cushioned seating. The remainder of the pub is a mix of high tables and low tables. There is thankfully a screen displaying the train times and platforms, to help ensure you buy that additional half before running for your train. Out back is another balcony with even more tables. As standard the Spoons had more beer than I could attempt to mention, some of which were Bud Light, Stella, Roller IPA, White Riot and San Miguel. There were 12 hand pumps which included beers such as Pride, Swordfish, Roaring Meg and Wandle.

I decided to diversify and ordered 12 halves. The first half was Roaring Meg by Springhead Brewery. The beer smelt like a wet rag and didn't taste much better. I'm glad I only went for a half, but I think Spoons are probably at fault here and not the brewery, as they served it in plastic and mine was probably dirty and they wiped it. My second drink was Chalk Stream by Ramsbury Brewery. There wasn't much on the nose and it tasted very light. It was hard to put my finger on the actual taste. After those two disappointing drinks I thought I'd try one more, as odds are now in my favour it will taste good. I got a half of Exeter Old Bitter by Exe Valley, which oddly cost £1.78 compared to the £1.85 for the other halves. The beer was cold and in plastic and had nothing offensive about it, but nothing stand out. Sadly a poor visit at spoons which I'll blame on the plastic cups.

London Pub Tour 50 - Sidcup / Welling (Micropub Tour): The Hopper's Hut, The Hackney Carriage, The Broken Drum and The Door Hinge

For my 50th London Pub Tour I decided to head down to South East London, which I've yet to hit, and double up the tour to also be a Micropub Tour. I arrived in Sidcup and walked the 15 minutes to Sidcup High Street and to my first pub the Hopper's Hut (DA14 6ER). The Hopper's Hut is towards the far end of the High Street and from the outside still retains the look of a shop. Walking through the doors and the inside is very light and bright with low hanging dish lights with filament bulbs. One of the walls has a fake brick wallpaper whilst the other is painted dark blue. Blackboards are placed around the walls showing beers, wines, snacks and gift boxes. The pub is long and stretches back further than expected, and the bar is at the far end on the left. The cellar/cold room is situated behind the bar and is visible through the glass door.

It was early afternoon, around 1pm, and only the owner and myself were in the pub. The owner previously used to be a teacher who along with a friend decided to open their own Micropub. The pub is unlike the standard Micropub as it sells keg beers alongside cask, and also has a more upmarket looking interior with the bench seating raised off the floor running along either side with high tables. There are some large barrels which can be used also as leaning tables, and some plastic chairs in the corner for busy periods.

There was a large choice of beers and I had a long day ahead of me so I started with a half of Chocolate Stout (Pudding Ale) by Howling hops for £1.90. The beer had lots of roasted notes but not much of the chocolate came through. Whilst drinking I spoke with the owner who was more than happy to strike up a conversation about all things pubs, beer and brewery. By the time I finished my half two regulars had turned up. I wasn't ready to move on after the half so decided to mix it up a little and went for a 1/3 of DIPA v13 by Cloudwater for £3.50 and a half of Cherry Cider by Dudda's Tun for £2. The DIPA by Cloudwater lives up to its hype with an amazing citrus nose, hops coming through and a bitter orange taste. The cider was a little sugar kick and was medium sweet. With finishing the cider it was time to move on to my next stop.

I walked back to Sidcup station arriving at The Hackney Carriage (DA15 7AA). The pub again had a very ex-shop look but also had a dark feel with the black signage and low lighting inside. There was a small outside area where customers could drink or smoke. Again upon entering I was the only customer in the pub. There were high tables with high benches on either wall running down to the bar which stood in the middle of the back wall. The barman was getting beers ready for the inevitable Friday after work rush they were expecting. The walls are dark and there was a board on one wall showing all the ciders on sale. I understand this pub won CAMRA London cider pub of the year, though the Hopper's Hut seemed to offer a larger selection. The pub was wider than the previous pub but smaller in length. A large barrel stood in the middle of the floor.

Due to beers being changed there wasn't much choice on the boards. I ordered two halves of beer, the Golden Wobbler by Millis and Tutti Frutti Cider by Celtic Marches. The Golden Wobbler felt weaker than 4% and was quite a standard golden ale. The Tutti Frutti cider had a sweet smell but was slightly dry and not powerful in taste. The man working the bar was not the owner but a staff member and didn't strike up any chat as he was busy taking social media photos and updating his boards. I noticed that unlike most micropubs this one also sells spirits. Whilst sipping my beers two ladies came in and ordered cokes, but they were just the early arrivals for a work leaving do. I knew it was time to move on as the after works crowd were starting to turn up, and the buses were getting busy with the school kids.

I caught a bus down to my the third Micropub in my crawl, the Broken Drum (DA15 9PT). The Broken Drum sits up a ramp opposite an Asda car park, and doesn't particularly stand out. The story of the day continued with me being the only person in the pub. The pub interior is much more basic inside with small tables and chairs on either side. It's also not as wide or as long as the prior pubs. The pub had some cupcakes and balloons with the number 2 on, celebrating two years of being open. The bar again sits at the end with the cold room just behind and the pub offered a much reduced drink selection with only 2 ciders and 3 ales on. One of the ales was BBC1 by Brentwood Brewing Company which was only 1.5%. Considering the selection options I went for a half of the BBC1 which cost £1.50 and felt very weak. I also bought a half of Tankleys English Golden Strong which at 5.6% also only cost £1.50 and which was better but still not amazing.

I stood at the bar chatting to the owner who actually used to help out and work occasionally in my final Micropub I was due to visit. He's done 460 so far with 300 of them being non-repeaters. Pump clips were on the walls, much like you would expect to see as decoration in an ale pub. The pub had a carpet floor and plain walls. I know micropubs are generally done on a budget, you would have expected some investment by year 3. It was also strange with the 1.5% beer choice and add to that the fact a sink was on the side wall. By the time I was leaving 4 other people had come in, who appeared to be regulars and all knew the owner.

I got back on the 51 again, and after having to stare into the back of shirtless man for my journey, I was finally relieved to arrive in Welling and my last Micropub the Door Hinge (DA16 1TR). The Door Hinge was the first of the new micropub movements to open in London, though other pubs which meet the critiera have existed for longer, like the Rake. Unlike the other pubs, the Door Hinge actually has signs up banning mobile phones, which made it difficult for any photos and note taking. The Door Hinge unlike the other pubs has spent money on frosted windows which creates a more pub like feel. Thankfully upon walking into the pub there were others sat inside drinking. The pub wasn't too long but was wide. A see through chiller unit runs on the whole back wall, and in front to the side is a small bar which the barman stands at. The barman was the owners son who also waited on people at their tables.

It was good to see a nice selection of ales again, and I went for a pint of The Miller's Ale by Canterbury Ales. The beer was £3.30 and was a red ale with a bitter taste. I sat down on a bench and took in the conversation around me and the hops and badges on the ceiling.. I was barely half way through my pint when 2 of the guys from the previous micropub walked in. We acknowledged each other and they sat down with their drinks and chatted with me. They happen to be regulars at both pubs though prefer the Door Hinge as better beer selection which they say is kept better. The pub is busy on match days as it becomes an unofficial hang out for Welling FC. I didn't stay for another as it was turn to head back towards home after visiting four pubs and drinking a variety of beer.

The Door Hinge is very much a busy micropub that had a pub feel and vibe. I could certainly see myself going to the Hopper's Hut again with the excellent choice of beer and a solid interior. The Hackney Carriage is nice but I perhaps arrived too early and the Friday beers were yet to go on. Whilst the Broken Drum is perhaps slightly out of the way and didn't quite offer anything of appeal, and is certainly the micropub some people seem to conjure up when they hear the word.

London Pub Tour 49 - Battersea: Grove, Magic Garden and Paya & Horse

It was time to pay another visit to Battersea considering this area is just across the river from my work place and has a wealth of pubs around the park, though I should note that this visit took place on a Saturday. My first port of call was the Grove (SW11 4NE) which I would say isn't your usual looking pub, but I think all three in this visit actually meet that criteria.

The front of the pub doesn't give away much or seem that appealing at first glance. There is art work on the outside of the unassuming building and steps up to the entrance for the pub. Through the entrance you climb some further steps before popping out into a lounge area with sofas. Now you climb down some steps and your in the bar area. The bar is to your right, and to the left is a raised seating area. There are other doors into the pub (even though the door I entered in is from the main road) with the main entrance seeming to be the side door through the beer patio and out towards the estate behind.

The decor of the pub will immediately strike you. As can be seen from the picture to the side, the bar is peppered with movie cuttings from Star Wars to Disney Princesses. From Scream to Pulp Fiction. There are stuffed teddies mounted above the bar. Each pump even has its own decorations with ghosts and dinosaurs, which are unrelated to the brands, but is a different touch. One of the exits for the pub is painted as a TARDIS and even the tables have not missed the movie artwork make over. Even the bar stools are a slightly strange design with what appears to be one slanted supporting leg.

The pub was empty on this sunny bank holiday weekend, with only three other punters though I did note that there was a DJ later for a birthday party booking, which the bar man told me would be for 60+ people. The bar had three hand pumps, with only two on offering either Sharp's Atlantic or Ubu. On Keg there was Stowford, Guinness (extra and regular) Carlsberg, Longhorn IPA, Becks Vier, Sharps' Craft Lager and Budweiser. As it was hot I opted for a cold pint of Becks Vier which came in at £4.30.

The pub had so much on walls, you could never take it all in on one visit. The pub shows Live Sports and had table football available. They do offer meals though I didn't look at the pricing or what was being offered. A gentleman came in asking to use the toilet for which the barman said he could if he donated 20p to charity or bought something. The man stated he had nothing, to which the barman said he wouldn't be able to use the facilities without a donation. The man walked out and then mere seconds later walked back in and had amazingly found 20p to donate. I didn't stay to see if he made the most of his 20 and demolished the toilets.

I walked a few yards down the road to my second stop the Magic Garden (SW11 4LG). Considering the amount of times I'm in the Battersea area, I've never ventured in the Magic Garden. From the outside the building looks like a standard boozer which is quite dimly light inside. Walking in through the main entrance and the furnishing of the chairs and sofas on the side, with strange rugs thrown over them grab your attention. Following this along you see a raised area in the corner, which on this visit had a Chaise Longue, with two people uncomfortably sat on it. Now this piece of furniture looks out of place, maybe because it's meant to be slightly to the side with the other strange pieces. This raised area is actually a stage, for the Magic Garden is a Live Music venue which is open till late on Thursday to Saturday, though if you come after 9pm there will be a fee.

The bar faces inwards towards the pub, and is decorated with leaves, small garden creatures and gold paint. Much like the Grove there were three hand pumps but with only two on offering Doombar and Coaster. The keg options were Guinness, Sagres, Amstel, Birra Morretti, Heineken and Coast to Coast. Not liking any of these options I jumped at a bottle of Wyld Wood cider. In front of the bar there were about three tables, all of which were empty, so I settled on one and poured out my cider into an ice-less glass.

There is a conservatory area just beyond these three tables, and then beyond that is the Magic Garden aka the covered tent area. The outside area can seat more than the inside area and follows with the same mismtached furnishings as the inside, but also perhaps has a slight Moroccan feel. There are large bench seating with soft furnishings and there's even a taxi, yes a taxi. There were about 30 people in the pub, mostly young groups. I understand the draw of the pub to some people, especially with live music, but it's not quite my style. I understand the outside area looks quite pretty at night with the lights on. As I was leaving the band were arriving for setting up.

I didn't have to walk much further to reach my last pub the Paya and Horse (SW11 4LB). The outside of the pub is painted a light green and had a row of empty picnic benches. The first sign of what to expect from this pub can be obtained from the blackboard outside which reads:
'No BT & Sky Sport (too expensive) foras'. There's also an A board sign just before you enter which talks of a £6 hot dog & pint deal, though I think it might be best to avoid the food.

As I walked into the pub everything looks just like a normal pub should except no customers or staff. Then a man with a hat comes walking across from the far corner, where there is a raised section, which faces out the front window onto the road. As he walks to the bar, he asks what you want, and it's not too hard a choice to make with only the option of Guinness, Strongbow, Fosters, Heineken or 1664. I opted for my Heineken and handed over the £5 demanded of me. At this stage it's clear this man must be the owner as the pub is literally decorated with similar style hats all on the walls. After finishing serving he proceeds to go back to his raised seating area and continue watching the snooker, which I interrupted him from.

The pub is large with lots of seating, some high tables and even a sofa area with tables, which is what I take up. The floor is carpeted and everything looks old school pub, even the mahogany wood colours. Everything is strangely quiet and I start to think I've never seen anyone in or around this pub before. Thankfully another fella enters the pub on his phone. He orders a beer and then looks around shocked to see no one is here, and give's me the look of 'what's going on?' I just raise an eyebrow and leave it at that. There is a pool table in the pub which my expecting stranger goes over to check on. He looks down and see's no balls in the machine and walks away. The owner then walks up to the table and starts putting the balls in the machine, and empties out the cash, and checks the mechanism....which is a very strange way to run a business.

The door goes again, and this time two ladies with two kids walk in. The man in the hat sees them and immediately starts saying 'No'. 'No'. 'No, kids'. The ladies think he is joking, but he clearly isn't and asks them to leave. The two ladies look confused, and unsure what to do before a man walks in. The man is with the ladies and hat man recognises him. He's a family friend and everything is okay, and the kids and ladies are welcomed in. This is the pub that just keeps on giving. I wish I could stay for another but this is surely too much excitement in one day for one person. I can honestly say this is one of the strangest pubs and the eccentric owner makes it.

So three different pubs in their own unique way. The Grove doesn't seem inviting from the outside but is actually decorated inside. The Magic Garden has a grand outdoor covering with the draw of live music. And the Paya and Horse has a £6 hot dog meal deal.

London Pub Tour 48 - Potters Bar / Borehamwood: Duke of York, Green Dragon, The Mops & Brooms and The Old Guinea

It was Good Friday and as I had the day off work and no other plans I decided to head out and visit a few rural pubs which I'd never visited before. I headed out of London on the bus to Potters Bar. Just before heading the Potters Bar Tesco I turned and walked back towards London, under the M25, via a busy A road (Barnet Road). The road led directly to my first stop the Duke of York (EN5 4SG). This is an old coaching inn which is now owned by Brunning and Price and is very much reverted in style to a country pub which trades well on food. The pub sits on a T junction with a car park to the rear and lawn space both out front and at the rear.

I arrived at the pub just after 3pm and it appeared to be towards the end of the lunch rush. I entered via what appeared to be a side door, with some dinning space off to the right. Continuing straight ahead led to a choice in bar area, front or rear. The rear seemed more dinning so I went to the front, which turned out to be the correct choice. There were stools at the bar and I plonked down on an empty one and waited for the attention of the bar staff. The staff were busy rushing round delivering food to tables and dealing with a complaint on how long it was taking for food to come out. The bar man who was dealing with most of these issues, once sorted, came over to take my order. There were 5 hand pump with only 4 on offering up Marston's EPA, Hobgoblin, Brunning & Price Original Bitter and Off The Hook by Mighty Oak Maldon. Riverbed red by New River was the ale coming soon. On tap the selection was more standard with Peroni, Aspall Suffolk, Guinness, Carling, Becks Vier and Sambrooks Pale. As I was at a Brunning and Price pub it would be a shame to turn down one of their own beers, so I went for a pint of the Original Bitter. The beer I would assume was poured with a sparkler as it had a lovely head with a smooth texture. The beer wasn't strong in taste but was perfect as a first pint, and a steal at only £3.75. I also ordered a bowl of chips and garlic bread to line the stomach for the journey ahead.

A bit more detail on the inside of the pub. The pub had a few different sections for dinning, which was it main aim with tables scattered everywhere. There were a few log fire places dotted around, which were unlit due to the fine weather, but would make for comfortable drinking in winter. The bar was a large horseshoe which ducked round into the rear bar, but no service was offered in the rear and it was a collection point for staff to take orders to tables. There was a conservatory off the left, which again was setup for dinning. The floor in the pub varied between large black tiles and wood flooring. Gentle soft lighting is on throughout the pub, with neutral coloured walls. Throughout the pub there were artwork and photos of the local history, along with the occasional shelf with books. I would have loved to stay for another but that would have been dangerous and perhaps the end of the pub tour.

So after finishing my snack I left the pub and rather than carry on the A road I was, took the T junction turning down Dancers Hill. For the majority of this walk there were no real pathways and it was either walking against the traffic on the verge in slightly in the road. The roads were busy and cars passed frequently, meaning I had to give way quite a bit, slowing down my progress. My next stop was just under 2 miles away on yet another A road (St Albans Road).

I could actually spot my second pub on my walk due to the large white building standing out from the higher ground I was on. I arrived at the Green Dragon (EN5 4RE) just before 4pm and was actually unsure whether it was opened based on the deserted car park and the run down look of the pub from the outside. The pub was also an independent so the opening hours listed can also vary. Thankfully the pub was opened and looked in much better condition inside.

Upon walking through the door you are presented with the straight bar a few steps ahead of you. To the left there is a brick wall with a fire place, and behind this is a small dinning area. To the right there is a small room with extra seating and some large tables and the traditional dark red leather style sofas you only ever see in pubs. The bar actually felt quite dark which I put down to the dark green wood painted bar. There were fairy lights on one of the beams above the bar, which I think proves maybe the bar is meant to be dark. The floor was a nice solid wood, and there were some empty bar stools at the bar. On my count there were about 8 people in the pub, all eating, in the dinning area.

There were three hand pumps on the bar, but only two were in use offering Tribute and Trelawny. Printer by Upham was coming soon. The kegs on offer were Sam Adams, Thatcher, Truman Roller IPA, Camden Pils, Carlsberg, San Miguel and the ubiquitous Guinness. As can be seen in the photo I went for a pint of Trelawny at £3.80 which was in good form but just not a favourite beer of mine. The pub was quiet with music playing quietly in background. I took a seat opposite the bar and overheard the staff trying to pick someone up from a nearby station, only to find later it was the wrong station. It wasn't until I went to use the facilities before I left that I discovered the pub was actually larger than I thought. There is a rear dinning area which looks out over a field and the room was very light, compared to the rest of the pub. After using the facilities is was time again to make my way along some country roads.

I turned onto the brilliantly named Trotters Bottom which I followed down alongside Dyrham Country Club to the A1 pedestrian crossing.
Just as I got to the other side of the crossing it began to drizzle and having looked on my map I seen there was a closer pub, leading away from where I wanted to head, but in which I could seek shelter until the shower was over. I turned down Rowley Lane passing a scout brigade who were out on a walk and putting on their water proofs. I shortly arrived at The Mops & Brooms (WD6 5PD) a McMullen's pub with an interesting name and pub sign. It was exactly a 2 mile walk

The pub was large and painted white, and had the quite standard McMullen's country eatery look of rope barriers and benches outside in the car park. The main entrance is actually round the corner and upon walking in you are enter a very modern decor pub with pristine wood flooring, modern panels on walls up to waist height, pastel coloured walls and element light bulbs. You have to walk quite a few steps to reach the bar on the back wall and sadly it was a standard offering of beer. On cask we have AK and Country with the third pump off. On keg we have Guinness, Peroni, San Miguel, Fosters and Aspall's Suffolk. There wasn't much of a bottle selection either, as I could have really done with a bottle of McMullen's Hertford Castle, instead I went for a pint of Guinness. At £4.35 this was to be the most expensive of my walk, but reasonable compared to more central prices.

The right side of the pub was for dinning and the left side for drinking, though could see that the right would turn into dinning also on a Sunday. I took a seat next to the radiator on the front window, looking out to see if the sky was getting any darker. The pub was quite busy with a large group by the door, and about 15 others in the drinking area. I noted a picture of Nelson above the fire place, though couldn't figure out any connection to the pub, but later found out that this was actually the original pub sign for the pub in the cottage next door. According to WhatPub.com the strange name for this establishment comes from the instruments that gypsy's used to fight each other...

The rain actually held off and nothing more than a light drizzle took place, so I decided to venture on to my original final destination and pub in the town of Ridge which was, again, exactly 2 miles away. Though I was slightly amused when I had walked barely half a mile and come across my first sign for the pub. The first half mile of the walk was on a pavement, then on my turn to Buckettsland Lane it was walking in the road. Thankfully either the traffic had died down or these roads were less traversed, and I only encountered two cars. This part of the walk also provided the only off-road part of my journey, with a walk alongside and the through some of the fields, leading me up to Ridge. The path looked underused and as such was overgrown in areas with the plants and weeds reaching above my waist for some stretches. I could spot the village of Ridge about half a mile before I got there, and I thought I could spot the pub assuming it was again a white coloured building, always a good guess. I turns out that I was right as I arrived at the Old Guinea (EN6 3LH) to find a brick building with a white coloured top.

The Old Guinea looked large but turned out to be a one room small pub, with the rest of the pub being given over to a pizzeria. I arrive just after 6pm and the pub was packed with worker's who didn't have the day off, unlike me. Although this was a single room pub it was very modern in design with a lovely marble top bar, wood floor and a grey/white wall colour. It was standing room only, but considering the number of seats in the pub, this would probably be standard. There is an 8 seater table just to the left of the entrance and to the right are some stalls and smaller tables. Surprisingly there was a TV on showing sport and there was a dart board.#

The bar was a straight bar, and the staff serving were wearing the same uniform advertising the pizzeria. This is a freehouse pub, the second of my journey, but due to its size had a small selection. There were no bottle beers and two hand pumps serving up Tribute and Southwold Bitter. On keg there was Guinness, San Miguel, Pravha, John Smith, Fosters, Stowford, Becks Vier and Birra Moretti. I got a glass bottle of coke, a pint of Stowford Press and a bag of cashew nuts, all for £7. The pub was cosy and could definitely be a nice local but lack of seating prevented me from relaxing and enjoying my surroundings after a long walk.

I wasn't too tempted to stop at the White Horse

I left the Old Guinea with the longest part of my walk left, which was just over three miles to Potters Bar train station. I left the village of ridge, crossing over the M25 into South Mimms. I passed another McMullens on my way, The White Horse, which was completely dead. I avoided stopping for a drink as it was nearing 7pm and I had 2 miles still ahead of me on main road back to the station. Also the pub is outside of the M25 so doesn't count for my boundary of London Pub Tours.

A solar array outside Potters Bar

On my walk back to the station I reflected on the variety of pub I visited. I would certainly re-visit the Duke of York for either a drink or food, without hesitation. I wouldn't go out of my way for the Green Dragon or Mops & Broom, though perhaps could see myself stopping again at the Old Guinea due to it's location on further walks onto Shenly. All in all, four pubs ticked off, nice but overcast weather with the rain holding off, and a few nice drinks had, though only one of them new to me.