swale ale spring 2013

Spring Issue 2013 1

The FREE magazine of the Swale branch of CAMRA

The Campaign for Real Ale

Local brewery invests in its heritage

In this issue…

Pubs at the extreme of Swale

Pub tour: A Canterbury Tale

Timothy Taylor visits Faversham

A village pub walk south of Sittingbourne Trips out: all within a day of Swale

Jolly boys tour to Sheppey

Swale Ale

A s many Swale Ale readers will be aware the

largest brewery in our area, and in Kent, is

Shepherd Neame. As well as its major brewing

arm, Shepherd Neame also own and operate a

total estate of 354 pubs, comprising 44 managed

pubs and 310 tenanted and leased pubs.

With many of its competitors failing to

invest in their tied estate and with vast numbers

of pub closures nationally, it is interesting that

we are currently seeing Shepherd Neame invest

heavily in the refurbishment of many of its pubs.

Swale Ale has reported on the great work

completed at The Fountain, Sittingbourne and

The Bear in Faversham to name a few. Pubs

have been given traditional new hand painted

signage by Eric Pollard, and often sympathetic

restoration of their interiors, which is a far cry

from the ‘Irish’ style pub chains of the 1990s.

This investment in its tied and managed pub

chain is always welcome, particularly at a time of national belt tightening, and shows a

commitment to local communities.

In the past year the brewery has

undertaken a number of high profile acquisitions

including four pubs from Enterprise Inns (The

Old Neptune, Whitstable; The Old City Bar,

Canterbury; The Kings Head, Deal and The

Zetland Arms, Kingsdown, Deal). The brewery

has also been expanding its hotel portfolio

following the acquisition of two prestigious

hotels in the first half of the year and a further

inn purchased in February 2012.

The story of Shepherd Neame pubs has

not always been bright. At their AGM in 2009

The Three Horseshoes,

Staple Street

the brewery announced the sale and/or closure

of 35 pubs over a two year period, and in our

own area we have already had to say goodbye

to the Mechanics Arms in September 2012 and

The Windmill on January 2nd 2011.

The question lies in what Shepherd

Neame will decide to do next. See page 3

Spring Issue 2013 2

Spring Issue 2013 3

Local brewery invests in its heritage

In order to answer

this question our

brewery liaison

o f f i c e r B o b

Thompson arranged

for me to meet with

John Humpherys and

Martin Godden and

came along to take

some exce l lent

photos for our

records.

Our meeting

began with a visit to

The Anchor in

A b b e y S t r e e t ,

Faversham. This

refurbishment has

only recently taken

place, and it was the intention that the building work should complement the pub’s historical

character. Work was done to remove the

shelving above the bar, making it easier to grab

glimpses of the back bar and ‘cosy seating areas’.

Extensive work has taken place in the building to

the left of the pub which used to be the Crab

Shack restaurant. The new space is intended to

be a coffee shop in the daytime and provide

additional seating to the main bar area in the

evening. This seems to be a diversification that

may appear in other Shepherd Neame owned

town centre pubs where additional space can be

found.

Like many pubs

t h a t h a v e b e e n

refurbished over the past

three years, The Anchor

has both a wet and dry

trade. However the

brewery were keen to

e s t a b l i s h t h a t

refurbishments were not

only intended for

restaurants or gastro

pubs, but rather any

premises that showed an

opportunity. Now that

many of the food

led houses have

had considerable

i n v e s t m e n t ,

a t t e n t i o n i s

moving towards

the wet trade.

The Imperial in

Southborough, for

example, a wet led

high street local,

has undergone a

refurbishment to

e n h a n c e i t s

t r a d i t i o n a l

features.

O u r

second visit in

Faversham was to

The Bear Inn. We were told about how during refurbishments the brewery were keen to

unearth and rejuvenate existing features. At

The Bear many changes were made to the

original refurbishment plans to take advantage of

the discoveries uncovered as wood chip and

layers of paint were removed.

Shepherd Neame were interested in

reinstating original features such as the dividers

in The Railway Hotel in Faversham, which were

particularly requested by the licensee Chris

Maclean.

However the biggest changes to each

pub during their refurbishment seems to be the

extensive effort that is

going in to the hand

painted signage. This

painstaking attention to

detail shows a keen

interest in the brewery’s

pub heritage, maintaining

its assets for people to

enjoy long into the future.

[KS]

Photographs courtesy of Bob

Thompson, Brewery Liaison

Officer and Shepherd Neame. Coffee shop at The Anchor, Faversham

New pub signage at the

Plough and Harrow Inn,

Bridge

The Three Horseshoes

Staple Street, Hernhill

Spring Issue 2013 4

Swale Ale © Spring 2013

Published by the Swale Branch of the

Campaign for Real Ale Ltd (CAMRA).

Circulation: 1000

Editorial Committee and Contributors:

Les Bailey, Suzanne Collins, Derek Cole,

Gary Holness, Simon Ing, Paul Irving, Gill

Joiner, Keith Joiner, Andrew Kitney, David

Selves, Keir Stanley, Bob Thompson, Jeff

Waller, Malcolm Winskill.

Print Liaison: Les Bailey

Advertising: Gary Holness

——————————————–————

All correspondence to:

Les Bailey

58 Wallers Road

Faversham

Kent

ME13 7PL

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 01795 538824

———————————————–———

Any opinions expressed within these

pages are those of the individual authors

only and do not represent those of

CAMRA or any of its officials.

The existence of this publication in a

particular outlet does not imply an

endorsement of it by Swale CAMRA.

———————————————–———

Printed by:

Abbey Print, Faversham

———————————————–——

Branch Details

Chairman: Simon Ing

Secretary: Les Bailey

Treasurer: Les Bailey

Editorial

Advertising rates:

Half Page £25

Full A5 Page £50

Minimum circulation 800

Visit our award winning website at

www.camra-swale.org.uk

W elcome to the latest edition of Swale Ale. As you read this the daffs should

be up and the lambs should be frolicking, or

alternatively winter has decided to outstay its

welcome and it is still freezing. Either way the

good people at Swale CAMRA have been

beavering away to bring you another packed

magazine. In this edition there are articles that

range in topics from ‘A Canterbury Tale’ to ‘A

few from the Few’, plus all the regular pub and

brewery news from around the area and a

whole lot more.

Many thanks to all of those that have

contributed to the magazine. We invite you to

settle back with a pint of your favourite ale and

enjoy and if there are some pubs you have not

yet visited that feature in these pages then we

urge you to seek them out and give them a try.

Spring Issue 2013 5

Chairman's Chat

Faversham’s hidden gem The Shipwright’s Arms, Hollowshore,

Faversham

A 17th Century traditional creek side free house. Selling up to five real ales

from Kentish brewers, and serving good food. Take a trip back in time and savour the delights of a truly traditional pub.

Rated by Jamie Oliver as one of the top 100 traditional

pubs in the country.

Please check website or phone to confirm hours of

opening.

Tel: 01795 590088

Web: www.theshipwrightsarmspub.co.uk

Directions: At Davington School turn into Ham Road and follow the signs across the marsh.

I would like to start by thanking everybody

that over the last year has helped with the

creation of this magazine. It takes a lot of work,

and is all voluntary. From writing the first article,

getting advertising, setting out and collating,

proof reading (and even when we do this the

odd mistake can still get through), going to the

printers and then distributing this magazine to all

the places you can find it. I won't list names, you

know who you are, so once again thank you.

Now to you the reader. We always need

articles, points (or even pints) of view, adverts

and your opinions. So if you have something you

can write about, we would like to hear from

you. If we can print it, we will, and you will be

credited as the author. It would be nice to have

opinions other than ours. Have you been to a

pub and had a good or bad experience? Could

you write about it? Have you found your perfect

pint? Tell everyone! Write it down and send it

to us. It is not as hard as you may fear, after all I

managed to write this and the spell checker is a

wonderful thing. I have even managed to write

the odd (or is that very odd) article and had it

printed. This magazine is free and everybody

involved is a volunteer, so no one gets paid. But

the magazine is covered by copyright, which

means nobody can reproduce your work

without permission. One more thing - we have

to send a copy to the British Library, so if you

do write something for us, you can claim to be a

published author and when people doubt you,

you can tell them where to find the proof!

So if you do have something for us to print

please send it to [email protected].

Simon Ing

http://www.theshipwrightsarmspub.co.uk/

mailto:[email protected]

Spring Issue 2013 6

37 Station Street, Sittingbourne, Kent ME10 3ED 01795 228971

SHEPHERD NEAME ALES SERVED Mon—Sat 11am—11pm

Sun 12—8.30pm

Thai Restaurant and Takeaway

Tue to Sat 12 noon—2:30pm & 5—10pm

THE FOUNTAIN SITTINGBOURNE

Spring Issue 2013 7

Kent Pub and Brewery News Shepherd Neame: The following beers have recently been

produced on the Pilot Brewery: Burns Extra

Special Ale (4.5% abv), brewed in a Scottish

80/- style; Holly Hop Ale (4.1% abv), brewed

for 3 pubs in central London to commemorate

the 54th anniversary of the death of Buddy Holly;

Triple Oat Stout (4.2% abv),

only available in our area at The

Bear, Faversham; Heart

Warmer (4.2% abv), brewed

for St Valentines Day and

containing red rose petals and passion fruit and Muddy Water

(4.5% abv), brewed for and supplied to pubs in

Broadstairs for the Broadstairs Blues Music

Festival.

The Main Brewery has or will produce

the following beers: Frosty Glow (3.9% abv);

Amber Ale (4.5% abv); for February; Early

Bird for March/April and Whitstable Bay for

May onwards.

The following beers are

being brewed for Wetherspoon’s

Spring Beer Festival: Red Racer

India Pale Ale (6.5% abv), with

assistance from Gary Lohin from

the Central City Brewing Co,

British Columbia, Canada and

New World Pale Ale (4.0%abv).

Hopdaemon: Tonie Prins continues to brew at

full capacity. His Green

Daemon was runner up beer of

the festival at the recent White

Cliffs Winter Ales Festival held in

Dover at the beginning of

February.

Mad Cat Brewery: A new brewery recently established by Peter

Meaney at Brogdale Farm, Brogdale Road,

Faversham. Peter gave up his previous life in the

Swale CAMRA Branch Diary Wednesday 10th April 2013

Branch Business Meeting: 8pm

Swan & Harlequin, Conduit Street, Faversham

Wednesday 8th May 2013


Brown Jug, Horsham Lane, Upchurch

Wednesday 12th June 2013


Bowl Inn, Egg Hill Road, Charing

Saturday 6th July 2013

BRANCH AGM: 7.30PM

The Swan, London Road (A2), Teynham

(10 minutes walk from Teynham Railway Station

- buffet provided)

April is Community Pub Month

Celebrating the Great British

Pub

Try and take a friend or relative to

one of your favourite pubs in the

area, perhaps one you haven't been

to for a while. They need your

business NOW!

Spring Issue 2013 8

Spring Issue 2013 9

Kent Pub and Brewery News paper industry in

May 2012 after

having worked for

A y l e s f o r d

Newsprint for

nearly twenty

y e a r s . H e

established his

brewery at Brogdale Farm, home of the UK

National Fruit Collection, with the intention of

producing “outstanding English ale from the

finest ingredients. Balanced, tasty and hoppy,

ranging from Pale Ales to Stouts and Porters”.

After refurbishing an old cold store the

plant was delivered and installed in the first

week of December 2012. The first brew of

Golden IPA (4.6% abv) was ready in cask and

bottle in time for Christmas 2012 and has been

supplied to the Red Lion (Sheerness); The

Elephant and Old Wine Vaults (both Faversham) and soon to other pubs in the Swale area.

His range of beers will also include

Platinum Blonde Ale (4.2% abv); Auburn

Copper Ale (4.2% abv) and Jet Black Stout

(4.8% abv).

We hope to provide a more detailed

update on this new brewery and the availability

of its beers in the next edition of Swale Ale.

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n s e e

www.madcatbrewery.co.uk

Faversham:

The Phoenix Tavern. As usual the Phoenix

continues to offer a wide range of national and

local beer. Recently they launched their

Timothy Taylor Appreciation Society which

seems to include a life size cut out of the man

himself!

The Mechanics Arms remains closed and as yet

Shepherd Neame remain silent on what plans

they have for this pub including whether they

will re-open it, sell it as a pub or sell for

conversion to a residential property.

The Bear regularly serves Shepherd Neame

seasonal and pilot brewery beers including the

excellent porter. The Bear has a general pub

quiz on the last Wednesday of each month

(booking essential) and also organises

interesting themed food nights on the first

Monday for each month. For more information

please access their facebook site.

The Elephant. Now that Jim and Kim own the

freehold on the pub, they are looking at making

a number of improvements to the back room

which is currently used for local functions

including beer festivals, parties and of course

CAMRA meetings.

The Sun. Shepherd Neame have put in a

planning application for the old shop to the left

of the pub. Although the plans are currently

unclear it is believed that the former retail

premises may become an extension for the bar area (and possibly a coffee shop) on the ground

floor and four additional letting rooms on the

first floor.

Selling:

The Sondes Arms is being advertised in the pub

trade press as being available for lease for a

negotiable term.

Sittingbourne:

The Fountain. Serving excellent Thai food the

Fountain also books live bands most Friday

nights. Their current line-up includes: Rat Pack

and Vegas evening on the 6th April and the Thai

New Year which is all day on the 13th April.

This is a full day and evening of Thai songs,

dancing and food tasting!

Globe and Engine. This Shepherd Neame house

is now being described as a Portuguese

restaurant but still also appears to be operating

as a pub.

Milton Regis (near Sittingbourne):

The Three Hats. Malcolm informs us that he is

holding another of his successful beer festivals

http://www.madcatbrewery.co.uk

Spring Issue 2013 10

75 Preston Street, Faversham

01795 591817 www.theoldwinevaults.com

The Old Wine Vaults is a 16th century pub set

in the heart of historic Faversham.

FOUR Cask Ales

TWO Cask Ciders

St Arnolds

Beer Festival Weekend

5th, 6th, 7th July 2013 CAMRA Discount off nominated local ale

and cask cider with a valid CAMRA Card

The pub is open Mon-Sat 11am to 11pm and

Sundays 12pm to 10.30pm.


Pubs at the extreme of Swale from East to West

R eaders of Swale Ale may not be aware of

how large an area the branch covers. This

article introduces you to two pubs at the outer

limits – in Selling and Lower Halstow.

The Sondes Arms, Selling. Selling is a

small village midway between Canterbury and

Faversham. Two minutes walk from the train

station (on the Canterbury East to London

Victoria line) is The Sondes Arms.

The Sondes has recently reopened after

being sold by Shepherd Neame. The pub itself is

an attractive red bricked building on the main

road through the village with a large garden and

an open fireplace. The curved bar currently

stocks three real ales. On a recent visit these

were Adnams Bitter, Adnams Lighthouse and

Shepherd Neame’s Master Brew. The landlord

wants to increase the number of hand-pumps to

up to six. He is also keen to extend the range to

include local beers from Gadds’ and possibly a

local cider.

Live music (mostly blues or jazz) plays on

every second Sunday and quiz nights are every

Wednesday. The pub also serves a good

selection of homemade meals and has special fish and chip nights (Thursday) and curry nights

(Wednesday). They also cater for private parties

The Sondes Arms, Selling

Kent Pub and Brewery News Upchurch:

The Brown Jug, Horsham Lane now regularly

has Harveys Best Bitter and Dark Mild and

recently had a Bellhaven guest beer.

Beer Festivals

Three Hats Post Easter Beer Festival:

Sittingbourne

5th, 6th and 7th April 2012.

Kent Beer Festival: Merton Farm, Canterbury

19th – 21st July 2013

Great British Beer Festival (GBBF) 2013:

Olympia, London: 13th – 17th August 2013

at the pub on the weekend after Easter. The

dates of this festival are 5th, 6th and 7th of

April.

Borden (near Sittingbourne):

The Maypole. This village pub is currently

serving four different cask beers as well as

providing excellent deals on lunchtime and

evening food.

Oad Street (near Sittingbourne):

The Plough & Harrow recently had Shepherd

Neame Porter and Gravesend Shrimpers Bitter

on sale and the Landlord reports increasing

interest and sales of real ale by his customers.


The

PHOENIX

TAVERN Abbey Street, FAVERSHAM

01795 591462

REAL ALES from Around the UK and Local

REAL FOOD prepared freshly daily on the premises

REAL ATMOSPHERE lovely garden and open inglenook log

fires

REAL TRADITION - 14th century oak beamed pub

Quality lagers and Quality Wine from Corney and Barrow

Good Beer Guide 2013 'Official home of the Timothy Taylor Appreciation Society'.

The Phoenix Tavern

Faversham

@Phoenixfav

www.thephoenixtavernfaversham.co.uk

ME13 7BH - 01795 591462


The Three Tuns, Lower Halstow

and functions. Future plans include a beer

festival and barbecue, possibly in June 2013.

The Sondes is well worth a stop of on the way back from Canterbury and you can

even pick up any groceries as they have a

village shop open from 06:30 to 23:00.

The Three Tuns, Lower Halstow

In the west of our branch is

the idyllic village of Lower

Halstow, a short walk from

Newington and with a regular bus service to

Chatham and Sittingbourne.

It is home to The Three

Tuns, a free house located

close to the Saxon Shore

Way long distance path.

The pub has been in the last

two editions of the Good Beer Guide and prides itself

on selling local produce.

There are three

K e n t a l e s o n t a p

permanently; regular brews

come from all the major

Kent breweries including

Hopdeamon, Gadds’ and Old Dairy. A

permanent cask cider from Kent is also always

available – on a recent visit it was Dudda’s Tun. In addition, five to six ciders are also

available in boxes from the cellar. The Three

Tuns also stocks Kent Curious Brew – a keg

lager/beer (and very tasty) from Chapel Down.

The Three Tuns is perfect on a

summer’s day with a large garden including

covered areas for when it’s slightly damp and

in the winter has an open log fire. Summer is a good time to visit, particularly for their August

Beer and Cider Festival which last year

featured around 25 beers and ciders and live

music. Some favourite beers were Old Dairy

Hop Top and Old Dairy Czar Top – the latter

a 10% Russian Imperial Stout – guaranteed to

put hairs on your chest! The food is excellent

– all locally produced and reasonably priced. The sausage and mash is particularly nice!

So next time you fancy a day out you

could do worse than The Three Tuns or The

Sondes....

[PI]

The Three Tuns

The Sondes

Pubs at the extreme of Swale from East to West

OpenStreetMap


The White Lion Selling

The White Lion is a restored coaching inn dating from 1703, in the village of Selling, close to the beautiful walks

of Perry Woods

A la carte menu

Lunch served 12 to 3, three course set menu £11.95 Tuesday to Saturday

~

Early bird Tuesday to Thursday 6pm to 7pm, three course £19.95 ~

Sunday Roast two course £14.95, three course £19.95

Opening Times Tuesday to Saturday 12:00 to 3:00 & 6:00 to

11:00. Sunday 12:00 to 3:00.

Check website for seasonal opening times.

www.whitelionselling.co.uk [email protected] 01227 752211


Taylor Appreciation Society

O n 19th November 2009, The Phoenix

Tavern, Faversham rose from the ashes

having been a dull run down pub which had

been closed for 8 months to become arguably

one of Faversham’s best pubs, winning awards and plaudits for its food, real ales, premium

lagers and Corney and Barrow wines. Cask

Marque accredited, the Phoenix has become a

mecca for good beer lovers and recently

founded the Timothy Taylor Appreciation

Society. Sam Grimston from the famous

Yorkshire brewery said, “To our knowledge

this is the first Timothy Taylor Appreciation

Society, and is a flattering testament to the

delicious beers that bear Timothy Taylor’s

name. Long may the beer and the Society thrive and develop more branches.”

Timothy Taylor was born on 6th

August 1826 at Bingley and died on 9th January

1898, aged 71. Rumours abound about him not

allowing his ales out of Yorkshire and certainly

not into Lancashire! Probably all nonsense but

today we are fortunate enough to enjoy these

fine ales all over the UK, and with the help of a

head and shoulders picture of Timothy Taylor

from the brewery and Abbey Print in

Faversham, Phoenix Landlord David Selves created a life size cardboard cut out of

Timothy Taylor for the launch of the Society

and is pictured here with him. Harold Goodwin

was elected President of the Society, a just

reward for his disappointment when at an

airport on the other side of the world he

received the Phoenix weekly email telling him

that Timothy Taylor Landlord was settling in

the cellar. No time to lose. From Heathrow

the flyer to Paddington, a cab to St Pancras, the flyer to Faversham, a cab to home behind the

Phoenix, front door open, case and coat

thrown in and a quick march to the Phoenix to

burst through the door in anticipation as the

badge was changed from Landlord to “I’m in

cleaning fluid”, the beer having all been drunk!

The Society will hold regular meetings

to sup the ales, the next being 9th April at

7.30pm when Landlord and Golden Best will be available with the famous Phoenix Picking Pots

featuring whitebait soaked in Landlord and

deep fried.

Landlord David Selves commented, “It’s

always been one of my favourite beers and we

had it on opening night, so it is appropriate that

it should be the first appreciation society we

form. It was good to see so many people and

although this time the furthest traveller was

only from Sittingbourne we expect that to change as word spreads and who knows we

might start an annual festival so that pilgrims

can come from far and wide to meet Mr Taylor

who is now enjoying his posthumous

retirement applause among friends!

[DS]

David and Timothy on a night out


Jolly Boys Tour

B attle bus at the ready our intrepid

explorers were chomping at the bit.

Passports in hand we could feel the excitement,

like Christopher Columbus before us we were

off to explore unchartered territories. As we

rose high into the sky we had no idea what we

would find when we landed back on dry land.

Then, there it was in front of our eyes - the Isle

of Sheppey. Left, right, which way to go?

The battle bus veered to the right,

swerving through tree lined windy tracks,

avoiding the chalets and mobile homes.

Eventually we came to a halt in a place the locals

called Eastchurch, Warden Road. Here we

found a watering hole, The Wheatsheaf, in

spacious grounds, with ample parking for what

we now realise is an all terrain battle bus (who

would have thought Nissan had it in them).

Entering the ale hostelry we passed a family

dining on the reasonably priced, traditional pub fayre. Approaching the bar, the innkeeper lady

offered us a choice of Shepherd Neame Spooks

ale or Greene King Abbot for the princely sum

of £3.20. Both well kept pints.

Back from whence we came in our

amazing vehicle, to a more populated area of

the island. Here we found a place where the

locals meet for social and community gatherings.

They named this centre Minster Working Men’s

Club, where you can purchase pints of Nelson’s

Pieces of Eight or an exceptionally good

Shepherd Neame Master Brew for only £2.90.

Next to Minster Abbey this club also appears to

be the Isle of Sheppey’s political hub. Our party

were introduced to political legend Mad Mike

Young, Official Monster Raving Loony Party,

who insisted on mentioning the luck one of his

political colleagues happened upon. Sheik

Mihand has invested his retirement fund in a

plot of land at the site of the proposed new

London Airport runway. When the land is

compulsory purchased he will make a killing, but

as Sheik Mihand is now short of the price of a

pint, he is open to offers for this land situated

in Grantham, Lincolnshire.

Off to the seaside. We fought through

wind and rain, climbing to the top of the Minster

cliffs where we found, overlooking the beach, The Playa Free House. Inside the spacious bar

our thirsty explorers ordered seven superb

pints of Shepherd Neame Late Red (£3.60), a

half pint of Master Brew and a non-alcoholic

beer for the driver. The smartly dressed bar

staff informed us they had a very busy food

trade and advance booking was required at

weekends.

Back inland, or as inland as you can get

on Sheppey, we ventured to the Harps Inn,

Minster Road. A large premises with ample

parking for our battle bus. The friendly bar staff

served us St Austell Tribute and Sharp’s Doom

Bar at £3.20 from a small bar. The friendly locals

suggested some other locations we should visit,

namely The Red Lion, Blue Town and the Royal

Hotel, Sheerness.

Sadly it was time for us to return back

to the mainland and get our passport stamped at

Jolly Boys headquarters. We discussed our trip

and voted the Late Red at The Playa and the

Master Brew at the Minster Working Men’s

Club as beers of the evening.

Can’t wait for our next trip over the

water and turn left! [MW]

The Playa Free House, Isle of Sheppey


Ever changing selection of cask ales

Large Beer Garden

Mobile Bar and Catering Service Available for Weddings, Christenings and Birthdays

No Function too big or small

Call Malcolm on 07764 842478

Three Hats, 93 High Street, Milton Regis, Kent, ME10 2AR

SWALE CAMRA PUB OF THE YEAR 2012

HIGHLY COMMENDED

THE THREE HATS MILTON REGIS


A Canterbury Tale

I f you mention Canterbury to anyone they

will undoubtedly comment on the Cathedral,

or perhaps the Archbishop (past or present), or

even the impressive stone wall that surrounds

the inner city, or possibly the famous

Canterbury Tales. Mention Canterbury to a real

ale fan, however, and they are likely to remark

on the quality of pubs, the micro breweries and

vast choice of ales available in this bustling city.

So with all this in mind I decided to

spend a couple of afternoons just before

Christmas (2012) doing a “rekky” of this great

city to actually see what is on offer to the ale

drinker. Having two train stations served by

Southeastern Rail (one in the East, one in the

West) the first decision I had to make was

where to start!! I went for West with the first

point of call being Murray’s General Stores

and the Bottle Shop. Both of these are

conveniently located within the farmers’ market food hall literally yards from the station

concourse. Opened in 2002 this converted

Goods Shed is a haven for fresh local produce

of great proportion along with these two

independently run real ale and cider outlets.

Both stock a very impressive, ever changing,

range of quality bottled ales from most of the

Kent breweries along with some of the more

popular national ones. The Bottle Shop also sells

mini casks and polypins subject to availability

and selection at the time. What makes both

places very appealing is that you can purchase

your desired ale and then enjoy it at a table

within the market while sampling the vast range

of food delights around you.

Dragging myself away from the market

my next stop was to be The Unicorn. Dating back to 1593 this charming Tudor fronted

building and its then owner, Isaac Buesden, was

granted a licence to sell alcohol in 1664, which

at first bore no title other than that of an ale

house in St Dunstan’s. From then on it passed

through many hands but still remained a popular

ale house right up to the present day. The

Unicorn offers a very welcoming atmosphere

and is very much a “locals” pub, being very

popular with the (mature) students from the

nearby university. It boasts a good selection of

ales – normally Master Brew and Doom Bar on

full time with the other two hand pulls as

rotating guests (normally from Whitstable

Brewery). The daily food menu promotes

excellent home cooked meals at a very

reasonable price. A very worthy starting or

indeed ending place depending on which train

station you choose.

Leaving The Unicorn heading towards

the town is the West Gate Inn owned by JD

Wetherspoon. This particular venue takes its

name from its proximity to Canterbury's West

Gate, one of the finest medieval gateways in

Britain. This pub is a Grade II listed building, and

dates from the 17th century. Over the years, it

The Bottle Shop at the Goods Shed

The Unicorn


A Canterbury Tale has been modified and rebuilt and has lost much

of its timber frame and original features, but still

keeps all the quaint “nooks” and “crannies”

inside. The ale selection is constantly changing,

offering both national and local breweries. The

food menu is simple but offers good fayre at a

very competitive price. As with most

Wetherspoon’s it does what it says on the tin!

Leaving here heading towards the High

Street you take a left turn into St Peter’s Lane

and walk the length until you reach St.

Radigunds St – here you will find The Dolphin.

This popular gastro/bistro venue was awarded

the 2012 Gold accolade for pub of the year by

the local CAMRA group. The pub offers up to

five real ales (and a cider) normally from Sharp’s,

Hopdaemon and Gadds’. The restaurant at the

side and rear of the pub is very popular and can

become full very quickly at peak times. The

pub’s décor and atmosphere is very comfortable

and welcoming. There is also a comprehensive

collection of board games and free internet

access. They also have a monthly “Dolphin” quiz

on a Monday which proves popular with the

locals and ale drinkers alike.

Walking two minutes from here along

St. Radigunds St towards Northgate you will find

The Parrot. This charming grade II star listed

building dating back to the 14th century has been

skilfully converted into a popular place to drink

and eat (Canterbury’s oldest pub - 1370!!). The

interior is just as stunning as the exterior

boasting low ceilings, original timber beams and

flooring and plenty of tapestry hanging from the

walls. Acquired by Shepherd Neame, they have

kept all the original features whilst adding a

touch of brewery memorabilia around. The beer

selection is obviously Sheps but they nearly

always support a guest ale, normally from

Hopdaemon. Unfortunately at my last visit the


The Swan Inn

Teynham

Two ‘LocAles’ including a

Wantsum pump

Award Winning ‘Duddas Tun’ Cider

Sky Sports

Free Quiz Sunday from 4.40pm

Live music Saturdays at 9pm

Karaoke Sundays and Tuesdays from 7pm

Sunday lunch 12-3.30

2 meals for £9

78 London Road, Teynham, Kent ME9 9QH

01795 521 218


A Canterbury Tale famous Parrot was no longer there – not sure

the reasoning behind this!! Nevertheless a lovely

historic place to have a drink and/or to eat.

Heading back towards the High Street

on the corner of Palace St and St Alphege Lane

you will find The Bell and Crown.. Capturing

the comments I have heard and read it can only

be described as a typical English pub - a very

affable and pleasant city pub

which clearly benefits from

passing trade from the

Cathedral and yields a good

mix of clientele. It offers up to

5 Kent ales selected normally

from Whitstable, Gadds’ and

Canterbury Ales. There is also

a local cider from Biddenden

on offer. A “no frills” food

menu is available offering good

value for money – definitely a pub to pop in en-route to the

next.

Within five minutes

walk you reach Sun Street/

Burgate and the Nicholson’s

o w n e d T h e O l d

Buttermarket . Located

directly opposite the entrance

to the Cathedral Gate, this

traditional pub is a welcome

site to tourists. As with many

pubs in the area it’s steeped in

history. There has been a

public house on this site for

over 500 years; a coaching inn called the Black

Boy stood here from the 1600s until 1908. A

butter market used to be held in the square

outside the pub. Flint pieces in the cellars

indicate it may stand on Roman remains and

that it used to be connected by tunnels to

Canterbury Cathedral. With regards to the ales,

as with all Nicholson’s pubs they offer a large

catalogue of changing ales from the national

breweries, occasionally promoting the local

ones. This is supported by their standard food

menu which you will see in all their outlets.

Leaving the cobbled market square

walking towards Burgate is Butchery Lane. Here

you will find The City Arms - one of the three

outlets run by ever popular Canterbury

Brewers and owned by Stoneset Inns. Housed in

a 15th century building this pub has been in

existence for over 300 years, being called

Morocco and the Angel and Castle. In 1892 it

was registered under its

present name. Fortunately the

pub escaped minor damage

during the wartime bombing

raids despite the opposite side

of the lane being completely

destroyed. Today, you will be

guaranteed a warm welcome

where you will be offered up to

four ales from their brewery

(normally one being from

Gadds’). Good value traditional food is available at certain times

of the day. They also support

CAMRA where they will

discount your final bill by 10%

when producing an active

membership card.

Continuing the Burgate

part of this crawl, if you go

back to the main street and

head in the opposite direction

of the cathedral you will come

across Canterbury’s other

Wetherspoon and the larger of

the two, The Thomas

Ingoldsby. Although the building has no real

historical interest being an ex-furniture store,

the name of the pub does! Richard Harris

Barham was born in 1788 at 61 Burgate across

the road. Using the pen name Thomas Ingoldsby

he wrote The Ingoldsby Legends, which first

appeared, in 1840, in a periodical edited by

Charles Dickens. Today this Wetherspoon’s

pub keeps up with tradition by offering an

impressive range of changing cask ales and

ciders along with their usual food menu. As with

the West Gate this place appeals to the young,

The Old Buttermarket


The Sondes Arms

Selling

Restaurant open Friday / Saturday Night 6:30 to 9:00pm Sunday Lunch 12:00 to 4:00pm

Curry Night Tuesdays Fish & Chip Night Thursdays

Booking recommended

Regular Sunday Lunch Music Blues/Jazz Quiz night every Wednesday

Kitchen run by two ex-RAF Chefs

One minutes walk from Selling station

Convenience store open from 6:30am until 11:00pm

Dog friendly/Children on leads Tel: 01227 752517


A Canterbury Tale tourists, shoppers and theatre goers alike.

Continuing you will now need to cross

Canterbury’s busiest road - Upper/Lower Bridge

St and head left towards Broad St. Here you are

looking for a small side road on the right called

Havelock Street and The New Inn. Tucked

away amongst a row of terrace houses this little

converted two up two down is a

real hidden gem! Here you will

find a friendly and warm

welcome from the owners and

locals. It sort of feels like a

mellow, relaxed front room

beerhouse, like those common

in Victorian times. The open

fires and the old juke box just

add even more character to the

interior. The pub offers a good

range of changing real ales and a

local cider, good value home cooked food and a quaint

tranquil relaxing beer garden to

the rear (once you have gone

through the extension and the

conservatory)!! Definitely worth

the 10 minute walk from the city

centre!!!

Retracing our steps for

the final furlong back along

Lower Bridge St and down the

main High Street parade just opposite Guildhall

Street is a small opening called White Horse

Lane. If you don’t spot this you will undoubtedly

see the board on the pavement advertising The

Foundry Brew Pub. This is Canterbury

Brewers’ flagship pub in the city and probably

the most popular real ale (craft) outlet in the

area to date. Owned by the Stoneset Inns (City

Arms and the Beercart Arms) this modern

looking yet industrial feel venue is a haven for

real ale and cider drinkers. The two storey

building, now the site of Canterbury Brewers

(opened in June 2011), was part of the Drury &

Biggleston’s Foundry from the early 1800s to

the late 1900s supplying the south east railway.

They even constructed one of the very first

torpedoes and their 19th century lamp posts can

still be found in Canterbury today. One of the

highlights of this place is that you can view the

brewing process from your table. The 4 barrel

plant is behind glass partitions literally next to

the bar. Along with the impressive selection of

cask ales available from the brewery there is

normally one guest from Gadds’. The food menu

is equally as impressive and very

good value – especially if you

hold a CAMRA card (10% off).

The final pub on this

extensive yet informative crawl is

about 10 mins walk from

Canterbury East station, near

Wincheap. The Kings Head is a

hidden gem and very much a

traditional pub. It has a log fire,

holds regular quizzes and serves

good value home cooked food. It

offers four real ales including one or two from Kent (particularly

f r o m G o a c h e r ’ s a n d

H o p d a e m o n ) a n d v e r y

r e a s o n a b l y p r i c e d B & B

accommodation. Quoted from

Trip Adviser “one of only a

handful of proper pubs left in

Canterbury.” I am sure this

speaks volumes when a tourist/

visitor is looking for that certain

type of pub away from the hustle and bustle of

the city. Certainly one to try if you have a spare

hour waiting for train – which with Southeastern

is quite likely!

Being a supportive CAMRA member and

a real ale fan I have tried to pick what I

personally feel are the best of the bunch in

Canterbury. Obviously this is not a definitive list

and of course it is just personal selection and

choice. Everyone has different views about the

pubs I have or have not included. However I

hope this article will help a little and assist the

reader when they are next visiting Canterbury

looking for that unique beer.

[AK]

The New Inn


Who said there are no ‘proper’ pubs left?

T rying to maintain a seventeenth century

pub, situated in the back of beyond, with

little passing trade other than the odd seal,

yachtsman or rambler is no easy task. We

endeavour to preserve it in as unique and

original condition as we can, aiming to keep it as

far away from ‘modern’ developments in the

licensed trade as possible, (complete with

miserable landlord, outside toilets and more

draughts than a tramps trousers), our aim being

to provide a glimpse of how things used to be.

This ambition often leads to problems.

One couple, (who were first timers), arrived in

a very large and expensive car, and on enquiring

about the men’s ‘facilities’, were told that they

were outside. This caused great amusement,

which rapidly turned to amazement when they

realised that I was serious.

Unable to resist the temptation, and not

sure if their description of ‘quaint’ referred to me or the pub, I added “and if the bucket is full,

let me know and I’ll empty it.”

They were out of the door and away

faster than a Morris man after a free pint, never

to be seen again.

Being a grumpy landlord comes naturally

after fifteen years of experiencing things like

people letting their muddy dogs sit on the

chairs, expecting their children to be allowed to

roam the pub like marauding pirates and

thinking that the purchase of two half pints

entitles them to hog the fire for two hours.

“Oh we believe in free expression”, one

couple said when I objected to their offspring’s

attempts to demolish a model ship. “They have

to learn you know.”

Those children were most surprised

when I asked them to leave and take their

parents with them. No doubt they are now

traumatised for life and not able to go into pubs.

(A good result if I say so myself)!

If being grumpy means that I expect

reasonable behaviour from people who respect

the environment they are in and the people

around them, then ‘it’s a fair cop Guv’.

Ours is thankfully still a pub which

serves food and not a pretend restaurant where

you can get a drink. Nor do we stock any of the

numerous designer drinks that grace the shelves

of many of those outlets that are all chrome

fittings and shiny leather seats, that you slide off

as soon as you reach for your packet of

nutritionally balanced, organically grown health

snacks.

We have no TV or games machines, and

our single nod at ‘entertainment’ is the local

radio station on in the background. The only

noise is usually the hum of conversation, a fact

appreciated by the surprising amount of regulars

we have, who put up with the landlord in order

to enjoy a decent pint and good company.

Back to being grumpy and those things

which are guaranteed to set me off. High on the

agenda are the ‘beer buffs’, who ramble on and

on about ‘nutty’ flavours, and ‘a follow through of gooseberry with an aftertaste of hop,’ or

words to that effect.

One such customer waxed lyrical in

such terms about one of Phil Goacher’s beers

one day, much to the obvious amusement of

‘Big Ron,’ who sat in his normal corner trying to

enjoy a quite pint. When asked his opinion as a

local, he cast one rheumy eye at the enthusiastic

drinker and said, “If you mean the beer’s good,

why not just say so!”

Amen.

I could go on about the beer escalator, the

weather, red tape, VAT and ‘elf and safety’, not

to mention all those phone calls trying to sell to

me something that I don’t need or want, but I’d

need a lot more space than is available here!

Happy New Year.

Derek

Grumpy Landlord of the Shipwright’s Arms at

Hollowshore


Are micro pubs a positive step forward?

I have had a keen interest in the micro pub

movement ever since my first visit to The

Butcher’s Arms. Thinking back, these small pubs

remind me of my visits to Ireland - Dingle in

particular - where pubs were and probably still

are shared spaces with other activities such as

shoe or bike repairs. These small pubs, like the

micros, offer an environment which encourages

a community atmosphere where people get

together and talk.

I love the idea that in a time of recession

when many shops and pubs are closing down

due to lack of trade, the micro pubs are thriving.

A mixture of low overheads created

through limited opening hours, selected

locations and a small team of dedicated staff

(often just the landlord/lady) have managed to

create an environment where the pub can still

flourish.

I am however concerned that this new growth in micro pubs might indeed have a

negative impact on the traditional local. With

pubcos persisting with high rents and expensive

beer lists, it is possible that the competition

brought by these new enterprises may indeed

be the competition that the ‘traditional pub’

cannot overcome?

It is interesting to see micro pubs

opening in closed shops, whereas pubs are being

turned into supermarkets and flats. I worry that

we may lose much of the heritage that exists in

our old pubs, from the varied bar styles (public,

salon) to the large gin palaces with their cut

glass windows and open horseshoe bars.

Things seem to be moving in a great

circle. Another chapter in pub history - an

evolutionary stage - moving back from the large

prestigious buildings built by national breweries

who used the design of their pubs to show their

wealth, driving smaller bars out of business, back

to the small bars that were often run from a front room. [KS]


A few pints from The Few

G reetings gentle reader. For my piece this

time I once again return to the Second

World War and a tale of thirsty troops in

Normandy. Picture yourself as a footsore

Tommy in war torn France. You have survived

the crossing of the channel on D Day, you

stormed Sword beach dodging everything that

Fritz could throw at you and secured the

beachhead. You then moved inland, liberating

villages, fighting in the Bocage where every

sunken lane was a perfect place for the

Germans to defend and then fought for days to

capture Caen. You are at last given a bit of R &

R and by George you need a beer! There’s

nothing like invading an occupied country to

work up a thirst! Only one problem - there isn’t

any beer as the supply lines are not delivering

ale as there are more important things like tanks

to bring over from England. All was not lost and

the ever resourceful Englishman would not be separated from his beer if he could at all help it.

Now those nice people at the Bushell,

Watkins & Smith Brewery of Westerham agreed

to supply beer for free to the troops in

Normandy, but how to get it there? Step in the

RAF. Bushells had been supplying beer to the

mess at Biggin Hill so the solution was staring

them in the face. They would fly it there. The

Spitfire Mk IX had been modified to carry

bombs or fuel tanks under the wings and the

fighter boys quickly worked out that the

mountings could be adapted to carry beer casks.

This modification was known as Modification

XXX (someone had a sense of humour!!). These

Spitfires were frequently sent back to England

for ‘maintenance’ only to return with two full

casks of beer slung under the wings, nicely

cooled from the flight.

I imagine that the conversation between

the pilot and the squadron commander went

something like this.

“Sorry Skip but the old crate is using too

much fuel and the ground crew cannot seem to

fix it. Ok if I pop back to Blighty and get the old

girl sorted out - I’ll be back before you know it.”

To which the reply could have been, “Yes, old

boy, there have been a few incidences of this

lately. Better to get it sorted, these Mark IX

Spits are a bit thirsty and fuel is in short supply.

Mind you, don’t end up in the drink as that sea

water leaves a bitter taste in the mouth, if you

know what I mean!”

Now of course that conversation is

purely imaginary but it seems to me impossible

that the top brass didn’t know what was

happening as it is difficult to hide two beer casks

slung under the wings of a Spitfire as it returned

to the airfield, and also the whole squadron

would be out watching the landing with their

tongues hanging out! Spare a thought though for

the pilot. Can you imagine how popular he

would have been if he had a bumpy landing and

lost the beer! Dog fighting with Jerry

Messerschmitts would have been a piece of cake

compared with facing the wrath of the thirsty

ground troops and crew and certainly less dangerous!

However, this resourcefulness did not

go unnoticed by the taxman and we all know he

wants his pound of flesh or in this case gallon of

beer!! The brewery was told to stop as they

were in violation of the law by exporting beer

without paying taxes. This seems to have put a

A new meaning to a pint of Spitfire


A few pints from The Few stop to the beer runs (boo hiss to the taxman!!),

however it is more than likely that the real

reason was that as the allies moved further into

France airfields were set up in the liberated

areas and there was no need to fly back to

England to effect ‘maintenance’. So ended a

resourceful but short lived enterprise of which I

am sure the troops were immensely grateful to

the pilots who were able to deliver them a few

good pints of English ale.

So there you have it, a tale of The Few

supplying a few to a fortunate few.

Cheers,

H eld over Friday 1st & Saturday 2nd of

February at the Masion

Dieu in Dover, the White Cliffs

Festival of Winter Ales offered

around 75 ales for the discerning

drinker in its now customary

time and place. As always the

beers on offer were from 5%

ABV and up, with the strongest

being Elgood’s Black Eagle

Imperial Stout at a heady 8.7%. I

had my sensible head on when I

visited from the start at 1pm

Friday and mostly kept to half

pints so that I could sample a

wide choice of ales before I

reached my limit. Of particular

note I enjoyed a pint of Kinver

Breweries Khyber at 5.8%

which, according to the tasting notes in the events leaflet, is a

“Golden strong bitter with a hop

bite that overwhelms the fleeting malty

sweetness and drives through to the dry finish”

which I enjoyed and went well with my curry. As

usual the was the tombola stall with prizes

galore if you were lucky enough to draw a

number out that included a 1 in

it. Luckily I was successful and

received as my prize a book on

home brewing pale ales which I

hope to try out in the near

future. The glasses this year

were decorated with a cartoon

image of the late and much

missed Roger Marples, a

stalwart CAMRA campaigner

and leading light in CAMRA

from its very beginnings. I met

Roger on only a couple of

occasions at which he was

charming and enjoyed passing on

his knowledge with enthusiasm

and was a great raconteur. I was

truly sad when I learned of his

passing. I called time on the session at around 6.45pm which

gave me sufficient time to make

my way back to the railway station well insulated

from the cold and wet by the fine warming ales I

had enjoyed that afternoon.

[GH]

20th White Cliffs Festival of Winter Ales

Roger Marples Glass

Careful we don’t want spillage


South Sittingbourne pub walk

O n leaving the front entrance of

Sittingbourne railway station, cross the

traffic lights and pass by the side of the Forum

shopping centre and you will reach the town

centre.

Once you are on the main high street

head right for about 7 minutes until you reach

Rock Road, a residential street on your left.

When you reach the end of Rock Road turn

right and then follow the road as it bends left,

keeping the small play park to your left.

Continue to the end and cross straight over the

busy road (Homewood Avenue). Continue

straight over across the grass and then it is

straight on down College Road. At the end of College Road you will

reach The Beauty of Bath. At this point you

will be about 25 minutes into the trail. Perhaps

too early for the first pub of the day, so there is

no pressure to stop here, but of course this is

up to you! Turn right away from the pub (down

Riddles Road) and then take a sharp left down

Starvacre Lane. Up until this point we admit

that it has not been the most scenic of strolls,

however if you continue straight down Starvacre

with the allotment to your right you will soon

be traversing fields and orchards.

Continue straight along this (quite

muddy) path for around 10-15 minutes. You

will come to a few points where there are other

footpaths bearing off to the left or right, but

continue straight along the track, which

becomes narrower as it goes on, until you reach

a small road.

Cross the road and continue straight

across the open field ahead, which will take

around 10 or 15 minutes. On reaching the

other side of the field climb the steps ahead of

you and take care crossing the busy road to the

pavement. Head right and you will cross a

bridge over the motorway. Continue to follow

this road and you will soon find yourself in

Bredgar village. Continue straight on past the

war memorial, keeping the pond on your right.

A few minutes further, after passing the church,

and you will reach The Sun.

The Sun has a sizeable front bar with a

long bar separating it from the large restaurant

to the rear. On our visit they were serving

Sharp’s Doom Bar, Shepherd Neame’s Master

Brew, and Harveys Sussex Best. A wide

selection of food is served, from sandwiches and

jacket potatoes to burgers and pork belly.

On leaving The Sun, retrace your steps

through the village, over the bridge and back

across the field. When you reach the road

again instead of taking the footpath follow the

road left. You will meet a T-junction onto

Heart’s Delight/Wrens Road. Crossing the

road go down through the gate and follow the

sign-posted footpath across the field towards Borden church.

On reaching the edge of the field, head

right down a short, narrow path between the

houses. Then continue straight on with the

church to your left. Just to the right across the

road is The Maypole.

This free house has a very cosy front

bar with a wood-burning stove. This is

separated by a door from the larger (but still

not huge) bar, with comfy sofas and a dining

area. On our visit there were four hand pumps

serving Master Brew and Doom Bar along with

Butcombe Bitter and Otter Amber.

On leaving the Maypole you have a

choice. You can continue the walk across the

fields to the Plough and Harrow at Oad

Street. This loop will add anther hour to your

walk and is available on the Swale CAMRA

website.

If returning home (we only have room

for this route here) turn right at the front of the

pub and walk towards Borden Church. Take a

left at the T-junction and follow the wall of the

church until you reach School Lane. This is also

the point that the Oad Street loop re-joins our

walk.

A loop walk of around 2½ hours starting and

ending at Sittingbourne railway station. For the

extended version with an extra pub visit see

our website: www.camra-swale.org.uk


Chris & Marie Annand and staff welcome you to this historic 15th Century inn in the heart of Faversham

Immaculately kept Shepherd Neame beers

Traditional home made lunches served every day

Join us for our popular Quiz Night held on the last

Wednesday of every month

Find us on Facebook

The Bear Inn, 3 Market Place, Faversham, Kent ME13 7AG, Tel 01795 532668

THE BEAR Faversham


South Sittingbourne pub walk

Turn down School Lane with the church

to your right hand side. There is no pavement

at first so be careful! After a few minutes the

road will bear left. Instead of following the road,

enter what looks like a driveway to ‘Lyndum’.

This is a public footpath. Go through the gate

and heed the notices about keeping to the path

and closing the gates to ensure the livestock

does not escape! Keeping to your left, go

through a second gate and head straight across

the field toward the two wooden markers. This

was rather muddy when we attempted it and

you could to go round the outside of the field.

Go through the markers and directly

across the next field. When you reach the edge

of the field cross the style and again walk

straight over the next field. The rough path will

lead you to a style. However if you look to

your right you will see a gate the corner of the

field. Go through the gate and follow the narrow path between the hedges and houses.

After a few minutes you will find yourself exiting

through the Pine Lodge Care Centre car park

and onto the very busy London Road (A2).

Walk right down London Road and after two

minutes you will reach The Long Hop.

This free house is a wooden panelled

pub with open fire and views of, erm, the lovely

A2 and more importantly the park opposite,

complete with cricket pavilion, hence the name

of this establishment. On our visit both Sharp’s

Cornish Coaster and Master Brew were being

served. The pub is split levelled with the main

bar being to the rear of the pub.

On leaving, continue right down London

Road and after about 20 minutes of this not so

tranquil part of the walk you will be back in

Sittingbourne town centre. If you still feel you

could do with another pub stop or two on your

return journey, there is always The Billet, a

Greene King house on the opposite side of

London Road about 5 minutes on from the Long

Hop. Or there are numerous pubs in

Sittingbourne town centre, with the Smith and Jones chain owned The Vineyard which often

serves national favourites, or The Red Lion

further down the high street, which has a

pleasant garden and serves Sharp’s Doom Bar.

[SC & KS]

The Sun, Bredgar

The Maypole, Borden

The Long Hop, Sittingbourne

The Plough and Harrow, Oad St

Station OpenStreetMap


THE BOWL INN Find us on the top of the North Downs above Charing, in an area of

outstanding natural beauty.

Enjoy a pint of real ale or a glass of wine in our large beer garden or

heated patio area.

Regular steak nights, curry nights, and live music.

Four Star Bed and Breakfast Accommodation

We can also offer bed and breakfast accommodation with 4 en-suite bedrooms, and a garden room which offers full facilities for disabled

guests. We are a 'dog and horse friendly' Inn

Alan and Sue Paine Egg Hill Road, Charing, Ashford, Kent TN27 OHG

Tel: 01233 712256 email [email protected]

The Swan & Harlequin

We have the largest

covered outside

drinking area in town

Faversham

in Bloom

Winner


All within a day of Swale

D uring the course of our genealogical

research over the past three years, we

have visited a number of fascinating places, some

repeatedly. It occurred to us that one such

place in particular, the village of East Hoathly,

with its charming 17th century pub and more

recently attached micro-brewery at The Kings

Head, would undoubtedly make a pleasant and

enlightening spring or summer outing for some

of our dedicated as well as less devoted

CAMRA members.

The location is approximately 50 miles

from Swale and a very pleasant journey through

Charing, Smarden, Cranbrook, Hawkhurst,

Burwash and Heathfield, taking about an hour

and a half by car.

The Kings Head is situated fairly

centrally to the village, nestled in the green East

Sussex countryside just off the A22 and is about

15 miles from Eastbourne and 5 miles from

Uckfield. The pub has long been renowned for

its fine food and varied menu as well as its range

of real ales. We have visited on a number of

occasions in the past few years. On a visit last

October we were delighted to have found little

has changed. We would highly recommend a

visit, either for a leisurely meal en route to a

holiday destination or for an organised CAMRA

group trip to perhaps include a look at the

attached micro-brewery.

The pub used to be a coaching inn for

travellers between London and Eastbourne. In

2002 the 1648 Brewery was established in what

used to be the stable buildings of the inn. The

brewery has been successful over the years and

they have now acquired the former forge

building which is also attached to the premises.

The proprietors are in the process of expanding

their business into these buildings. Many of you will have, perhaps, already

sampled the ales of the 1648 Brewery at The

Elephant in Faversham or The Swan at Teynham

and the following beers are just a few of their

own, taken from a list appearing on the pub’s

own website.

As at 11 February 2013, the 1648 beers

available were Triple Champion (4.0%),

Signature (4.4%), and Gold Angel (5.0%), the

latter having replaced Winter Warrant (4.8%)

Keith and Gill take another day trip, all within a

day of Swale.

This time it’s a journey back in time for them as

they discover the lovely seventeenth century

country pub, The Kings Head in East Hoathly, where Gill’s ancestor George Watford was

licensee/landlord and owned the butcher’s shop

next door in the mid nineteenth century.

The Kings Head then

The Kings Head now


on that day.

In addition to the three 1648 beers The

Kings Head always have Harveys Sussex Best

Bitter. However, for the Summer months, after

Easter, they have a fifth pump on with a guest

ale from breweries such as Kings Brewery,

Horsham and Dark Star.

East Hoathly boasts two pubs although

we have not visited the other, namely The

Foresters Arms which is a Harveys Sussex

Brewers pub. [GJ&KJ]

List of Ales

A sample of some of the ales and their

availability are:

Ruby Mild (3.6%) Available December to May

Festival Ale 30 (3.7%) Occasional availability

Original (3.9%) Available occasionally

Triple Champion (4.0%) Available all year

Signature (4.4%) Available all year

All within a day of Swale

Landlord’s lament

G ood old Enterprise Inns, they never fail to

surprise me. First came the price rises of

around 3.5%, not too bad until you realise it's

3.5% on top of already over inflated prices.

These price rises came into effect on 4th Febru-

ary, but Enterprise Inns didn't make publicans

aware of individual product costs until the 5th

February online and 7th February via good old

fashioned Royal Mail, making it hard for publi-

cans to prepare their customers for the im-

pending doom about to be inflicted upon them.

Just received my latest copy of Empow-

er, an Enterprise Inns publication aimed at pro-

moting footfall through your pub. Glancing at

the calendar for March it's packed with great

ideas, Mothers Day, Formula 1, 6 Nations rugby

and St Patricks Day.

Then I glance at April and realise that

very little appears to be happening that month,

most glaringly on 23rd April! Not even an acknowledgement, these people should be hung

drawn and quartered from the nearest flagpole,

where the English flag should be!

For those who have not worked it out

yet 23rd April is St George's Day, and if you

were unaware and English you should be

flogged and tried for treason with the muppets

at Empower.

Happy St George's Day. God save our

blah blah blah.......

From pub to vicarage

A s many readers will know Chris Maclean,

the landlord of The Railway Hotel in

Faversham, will be leaving the town in the next

few months to be ordained as a Church of

England Minister at Canterbury Cathedral.

Chris has been landlord and tenant at

The Railway Hotel since 2006 and was

instrumental in resurrecting the pub,

encouraging the brewery to invest in its

refurbishment and requesting the reinstallation

of traditional features including the bar dividing

screens.

He has been a keen supporter of

CAMRA and Swale Ale, regularly taking out

strange adverts that often provide little or no

information about his pub, but rather are

designed to amuse.

The Railway Hotel has regularly served a

range of Shepherd Neame’s pilot and seasonal

beers, as well as becoming a major attraction during the Faversham Hop Festival.

For this reason I would like to wish

Chris all the best in his move to his new parish

in Walmer. I am sure at some time we may all

see him in his new local which is most likely to

be the Berry!

[KS]


Swale Mail

We enjoy receiving letters, rants and comments from Swale Ale readers, landlords and pub goers.

If you would like to make a comment about what you have read in Swale Ale please contact us at

[email protected]

H aving just read the latest Swale Ale I

would like to point out some errors in

the article on St Albans and look forward to

reading the corrections in the next edition.

The Horn was originally "The Horn of

Plenty" and after various changes of names

including the "The Horn Reborn" "Midland

Hotel" (after the demolition of the Midland

Railway) before becoming "The Horn".

The original "Midland Railway" pub was

on the opposite corner and an excellent venue

for a drink whilst waiting to be met from the

station. It is now a small residential development

and a great loss to the pubs in St Albans. Also

there is no mention of either the Robin Hood

or the Victoria (formally the Acorn) which are

useful stops when returning from the city centre

to the St. Albans city railway station.

Whilst G & KJ were visiting the

Blacksmiths I'm surprised they didn't mention the Cock opposite. Both pubs have improved

significantly since the 70s but neither were to

my taste last summer even if the "Blackies" was

in the 2012 GBG.

Other pubs of note that did not get a

mention either in the Winter edition or the

Summer edition and worthy of a visit are the

Peahen, Portland Arms, Spotted Bull close to

the city centre or the King William IV - Roger

Protz's local.

Can we expect a third article covering

the Marshalswick pubs or other pubs near the

city centre Bar sixty2 (formally the Pineapple),

Rats Castle, Crown, Peacock, Jolly Sailor?

CAMRA member Bob Martin

merely a sample of what one could find. We

agree there are quite a number of other pubs

worth a visit. However, in response to the

suggested corrections, we would point out that

the The Horn was originally 'The Midland

Station Hotel' and that from the information we

have, the pub on the opposite corner was

originally 'The Masons Arms' before it became

'The Midland Railway' in 1870 (known as The

Little Midland).

S ince printing our article about the Brewery

History Society in the

Winter issue we have been

made aware that this title

can also be purchased

from the Fleur de Lis

Heritage Centre in Preston

Street, Faversham. The

Faversham Society also

have on sale a number of

books about local pub and

brewery history including:

Inns and Taverns of Faversham (1982) by

Frank Haley - 65pp - £6.70

The Truth about Hop-Picking in

Faversham, the Locals Remember (illustrated)

(1999) by Peter Stevens - 52 pp - £6.15

Faversham’s Historic Pubs and Breweries

by Peter Stevens (2005) - 96pp - £7.65

Faversham Society

Fleur de Lis Heritage Centre

Preston Street

Faversham

Kent ME13 8NS

Thank you for your correspondence. The

original article was never intended to be a

complete list of all the pubs in St Albans - but


5th, 6th and 7th April 2013

Open from 11am - close

The Three Hats

Post Easter Beer Festival LIVE MUSIC FRIDAY

WITH RICH PHILLIPS

93 High Street, Milton Regis, Sittingbourne. Kent ME10 2AR

For all enquiries call Malcolm on 07764 842 478

swale ale spring 2013

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