London Pub Tour 58 - Battersea: Powder Keg Diplomacy, The Beehive, Churchills and The Plough

The sun was shining, the weather was hot and it was Friday, we all know what that calls for, a few beers. I decided to make my way to Clapham Junction, as it's only one stop away from work on the train, and hit the pubs slightly further away from the station on St John's Hill. My first stop was the Powder Keg Diplomacy (SW11 1TQ) which is a Gastro pub decorated in what Whatpub.com describes as a colonial style. The royal blue frontage stands out from the surrounding shops and there were some tables and chairs outside to make the most of the beautiful weather. The front french windows had been opened up to allow more air to flow through the pub. Inside the pub the bar is situated against the right wall. I was greeted and then offered a seat at the front, but opted to stay out of the direct sun and took one of the large bench booths directly opposite the bar. There are about 5 of these booths alongside the bar area, with some more seating in front of the french windows. There were two hands pumps on the bar with the beer names written on tags which were hanging awkwardly, meaning I couldn't see what was on offer. On the back wall were 6 taps which again were hard to see and all looked the same badge. I ended up opting for a bottle as there were visible and easier than having someone run off all the beers and not knowing what I was purchasing. I selected a bottle of Paradise Pale Ale from Redchurch brewery. The beer came in at 3.7% was lightly carbonated, low fruit levels, smooth and gentle on palate. Not bad for first beer after work.

I decided to have a poke around and look at the rear of the pub which has a conservatory setup for their dinning. it does indeed look like something you might have seen in Colonial India, and in the sunlight looked beautiful. The white with dark wood and the green foliage certainly balance nicely. The front of the bar is decorated differently with worn wooden floor boards and hanging filament lamps but retains the dark wood look along with mirrors on lots of the walls. The wooden walls are painted white and there are some paintings opposite the bar which are woodland / forest themed. There were only 5 customers in the bar at this stage, though it was still early doors. The barman brought over a glass of chilled water for me, which came in handy for a bit of hydration. I tried again to look at the beers but gave up and decided to wander down to my next stop, The Beehive (SW11 1TH).

The Beehive is a small Fullers pub, probably one of the smallest I've seen of theirs. Again there was outside seating on the road, with three small tables, and the frontage was also a wonderful blue. Upon walking in you realise both the size and lack of seating/tables. There were two church pews opposite the bar, one high table with seats at the rear and thankfully stalls at the bar. Again the pub wasn't that busy with about 5 people inside, and by the time I had left 7 people outside.

Being a Fullers pub there was of course ale on, and all of it Fullers. There were five hand pumps offering across them Pride (x), Seafarers (x2) and ESB. On the keg front we had Frontier, Sierra, Honey Dew, Peroni, San Miguel, Fosters, Stowford Press and Guinness. Fridge wise there wasn't many options. I opted for a refreshing pint of Stowford Press at £4.95. The card machine was playing up and I ended up paying in cash, though I had withdrawn this cash for the next pub which I knew charge for card purchases, so this was slightly annoying. The Stowford went down a treat as you would expect in this warm weather.

The pub has a traditional pub decor with dark mahogany wood, some bee related prints on walls and the dark wood flooring. Sky and BT are both shown and food is served, though am not sure on the menu. There was a small fire place opposite the bar and also some lights hanging in birdcages. The pub was surprisingly cool inside considering there appeared to be no fans or air conditioning, which I put down to its darker appearance keeping everything cooled.

The Beehive seems a very traditional local pub but as stated wasn't that busy. My next stop the Churchills (SW11 1TQ) though is in every sense of the word a busy local pub. The pub has a distinctive yellow and black frontage. Again the width of the pub is very similar to the Beehive and Powder Keg, though it is far large in length and also houses a patio garden at the rear which was roaring with people. Upon entering the front of the pub was vacant and all the crowd were gather around the bar which is situated more towards the middle of the building. Frustratingly this was just your regulars crowd hanging around the bar drinking and talking, making it impossible to order. It's a slight pet peeve of mine people blocking up the whole bar where there is space elsewhere. I'm all for stalls at bar, but at least keep one section free for people to place orders. After finally managing to squeeze through and get attention I had to place an order greater than £10 to use the card machine, damn you Beehive for not having a working card machine. Due to reasonable pricing I ending up coming away with a pint of Becks (£3.95), a bottle of Courage Light Ale (£2.10), a pack of scratchings (£0.90) and a drink for the barmaid.

I walked further down the pub past the bar and took a seat on one of the side on tables situated against the wall. The seats are enclosed booths with a table and wood/glass partition, and some books in a rack above, very nice. Horse racing was on TV though not many paying attention to it. There was a good mix of men and women, and didn't appear to be your entirely after work crowd. I would say there were about 30 or more people in the pub. The floor is carpeted which helps keeps down any noises and the wallpaper was a patterned red/brown on bottom half and white on top. Fans on the ceiling were running and I noticed a sky light letting in the much needed light halfway down the pub. Like a lot of pubs, the food served is thai food, though I didn't see anyone eating at this time on a Friday. I note I hadn't mentioned the beer options so it's worthwhile mentioning ale is sold here, with three hand pumps which were offering up Golden Hen and GK IPA. Keg wise was small with Guinness, Becks, Stella, 1664 or Fosters.

After finishing my two drinks at Churchills I walked back towards Clapham Junction where my final pub laid in wait. The Plough (SW11 1SY) is a modern pub on a street corner under a new-ish development. Young's have gone for an industrial look with exposed brick walls, wood floor boards, metal pipes showing on ceiling and funky lighting. The pub is very airy and light, with plenty of space. It wasn't very busy with only about 10 people in the pub, the majority of whom were female. There is a large open space in front of the bar, and the bar is quite large. Air conditioning was on, and as there is neither an area outfront or in garden, I could understand why the pub wasn't so busy


On the bar there were 6 hand pumps, with only 4 on, which gave a repeated offering of Young's Bitter or Gold. Keg wise there was Meantime Brewery Fresh Lager (Supplied from the tanks to the side), Founders All Day IPA, London Pale Ale, Peroni, Estrella, Hells, Birra, Guinness, Neck Oil, Four Pure Pils and Waddlegoose Cider, so quite an offering. I went for a pint of the All Day IPA coming in at 4.7% at £5.20 which was okay, but nothing to rave about.

I must say the bar itself, for a modern pub, does look very slick. There are some sofa seats to the left of the entrance, which act as a divider before the dinning area facing the open kitchen. There are the chandeliers and element bulbs hanging down, but most importantly no high tables. There is a DJ booth which looked like was being prepared for later that evening, though it didn't stopped them pipping out quite loud music. Even a foosball table for the lads later on into the night. Though I did note a sign stating they show TV programs on certain days for joint viewing e.g. Game of Thrones, when new episodes are out.

And with that I had finished my pint and started to make my way back home. Four pubs, with two gastro and two local. Each had their own nice internal design whether going modern or traditional, though on this very hot day for some strange reason the customers appeared to be hibernating.

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.