marsh mash spring 2012

Photos from last years Festival

by Lewis J Brockway

Marsh Mash Spring 2012


Marsh Mash Information Produced by the Ashford, Folkestone and Romney

Marsh Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale Ltd.

(CAMRA)

Circulation 1800

Editors: Bob Martin & Keith Johnson

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 0845 388 1062

Contributors: Bob Martin, Peter Chamberlain,

Chris Excel, Michael Line, Paul Meredith,

Don Thake, Shirley Johnson & Keith Johnson

Contributions, letters, pub reports and news are

always welcome. Please write to Marsh Mash at:

The Cottage, The Green, Saltwood, Hythe, Kent

CT21 4PS, or E-mail [email protected]

Views expressed are not necessary those of the

editors, CAMRA Ltd. , or the Branch. The

existence of this publication in a particular outlet

does not imply an endorsement of it by AF&RM

CAMRA.

Advertising Rates

¼ page £35.00

½ page £60.00

Full page £100.00

Copy date for next issue is 3rd August 2012

Branch Contacts

Chairman: Paul Meredith

Treasurer: Stephen Rawlings

Secretary: Bob Martin

Membership Secretary: Virginia Hodge

Branch Contact: Stephen Rawlings

Telephone: 07885 218972

Branch Webmaster: Keith Johnson

Pubs Officer: Justin Nelson

Advertising: Bob Martin

Website: www.camra-afrm.org.uk

Yahoo Group : For all branch members

http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/AFRM_Camra

© Campaign for Real Ale 2012

CAMRA

230 Hatfield Road,

St Albans AL1 4LW

Telephone: 01727 867201

www.camra.org.uk


The 21st September 1911 saw the Red Lion

Snargate come into the hands of the Jemison family. In December to celebrate 100 years in

the same family we presented Doris with an appropriate CAMRA certificate in

commemoration of the event and for her continuing to serve cask ale in a climate where

food appears to be replacing beer in the majority of our traditional pubs. The

presentation by our chairman, Paul Meredith, was attended by other members of the branch,

members from Maidstone and a good selection of other customers, which was well received by

Doris and Kate, her daughter, who is continuing the family line in running this

historic and unspoilt pub.

If you haven’t visited the pub it is well worth a visit to enjoy the character of this unspoilt gem

of a pub. The public bar with its white marble countertop only serves beer on stillage and the

original tap room on the right, after a period as the village shop has been returned to the pub

as an additional seating and drinking space. In addition there is a games room behind the

public bar where one can enjoy a wide selection of traditional pub and board games.

No music, jukebox, pool or lager but a fine example of a country pub thriving under the

right family management

100 Years Not Out


Pub News

Ashford Area It has been reported that the Alfred South

Ashford has closed with an uncertain future.

The Swan in Tufton Street, Ashford seems to

be selling real ales at very reasonable prices, recently Cottage Brewery Norman Conquest

MM (5%) at £2.30 per pint.

The Locomotive continues to offer Abigale

Samphire, which is brewed locally in Ashford

The George, Bethersden continues to serve

excellent quality beer with Rudgate Battle Axe and Harvey’s Sussex bitter being recently

available.

Folkestone AreaThe Black Horse Densole now provides changing beers from the Old Dairy Brewery

alongside Bass when visiting just before

Christmas,

Peter Laidlow, who was the original landlord when the Master Brewer opened in 1985

returned as landlord of the pub in January and has reintroduced Sunday Carvery and hopes to

be able to offer beers from Shepherd Neame’s

pilot Brewery in the future.

The Pullman was reportedly serving Sopwith Camel, Exmoor Gold, Tribute and Doom Bar in early February in good condition. Timothy

Taylor’s Landlord, Hop Back TEA and Westerham Double Stout have appeared in

recent weeks.

Nikki left the Nailbox in March due to

increased rents and the stagnant market which Shepherd Neame continue not to take into

account when reviewing rents.

The Mayfly, Hawkinge has a new manager,

Christian Ender, who had previously run the Marston’s owned White Lion in Tenterden.

Christian is reported to have increased the choice of ales that are available by adding a

guest beer from the Marston’s stable to the

two regular beers.

The East Cliff Tavern has a changing selection from small breweries, recently Gadd’s

80/- from Ramsgate and Nailbourne best bitter

from Abigale.

Samuel Peto had three Scottish beers available during their Burn’s week, Orkney Red

Macgregor, Caledonian 80/-, and Inveralmond Trippledouser together with excellent Haggis,

Neeps and Tatties. Other guest ales to appear

include Whitstable IPA

In the harbour area the Lifeboat has continued to offer Cornish beers although

Wells Eagle IPA, a one-time favourite of mine, and Greene King London glory have recently

been available. The Mariner has also been changing its usual beers and offerings from both

Harvey’s and Jennings have been observed.

Sandgate continues to have a large selection

of traditional beer with four at the Earl of Clarendon, three at the Providence, Master

Brew at the Royal Norfolk, Doombar at the Golden Arrow and Young’s Special at Bar

Vasa. The Ship has beers from Hopdaemon, Hopback, Greene King and Dark Star (plus two

or three proper ciders).

Hythe Area The Three Mariners continues to provide a good range of local and national beers alongside

the regular Young’s Bitter, which was initially introduced to wean locals off Masterbrew but

has become the house bitter.

Ben at the White Hart continues to provide

Kentish beers from either Hopdeamon, Old Dairy, Hop Fuzz, Gadd’s and occasionally beers

from the Kent Brewery although Dark Star Hophead from Sussex a appeared during

February.

Debbie at the Red Lion has started serving

local beers again by re-instating the SIBA Scheme. On a visit in February Old Dairy Red

Top and Gadd’s No 5 were on offer,


The Marsh and the Hills It is rumoured that both the Plough (currently

closed) and the Prince of Wales, New Romney are to have applications submitted

to Shepway Council for conversion to residential use. If this is so then New Romney

will be deprived of what were once two successful and profitable pubs.

The Blue Anchor, Ruckinge has reopened as a pub at the end of October with Steve Lamb

and Julia Nichols at the helm. Steve ran the Ocean in Dymchurch before leaving the pub trade but the pull was too strong so they have

taken a tenancy on the pub. When I visited in December the offerings were Courage Best,

Doombar and Black Sheep.

The two pubs in Appledore are reported to

be selling good quality beers. The Black Lion has been offering Goacher’s Light and Young’s

Winter Warmer receiving excellent reports whilst the Railway Hotel has been selling

good quality beers from some of the national

microbreweries, Castle Rock’s Harvest Pale

receiving a special mention in the NBBS.

It has been reported that Wink at the Bell

Ivychurch has been offering Hopdaemon Golden Braid, is this his first offering from a

local brewery?

The Dolphin, Lydd a town that I don’t visit as

regularly as perhaps I should being at the end of the 101-bus route has been offering Nelson’s

Midshipman with good reports.

The Broadacre Hotel, New Romney which

is open to non-residents appears to have replaced their usual offering of “not Ind

Coope" Burton Ale with Old Dairy Gold Top

The Star, St Mary in the Marsh had a

couple of barrels of McMullen County delivered in January, which I thoroughly

enjoyed being on of my regular beers before I moved back to Kent I have not heard of it

being available locally. Other beers that have appeared in the pub were Rother Valley


hoppers ale and Adnam’s Old

The Downs The County Members, Lympne was offering Brain’s “Fir King Good” as their

Christmas Ale. Not sure that Shirley could or would have named this as one of the Twelve

Ales for Christmas in the previous edition even

if she had known of its existence!!

The Drum, Stanford continues to ring the change from beers from the Greene King

stable, when visiting in January Old Trip, London glory and IPA were on offer, along with Holts Original. Unfortunately not at

Manchester prices.

A visit in February to the Tiger Stowting

rewarded us with a couple of local ales, English ale from Hop Fuzz and Copper Top from Old

Dairy alongside Master Brew, London Pride and

a draught Biddenden Cider.

The Half Way House at Challock has been voted one of the four destination dining pubs of

the year, as part of the A Taste of Kent

competitions

The Kings Arms, Elham continues with beers from Hopdaemon, Golden Braid and

Skrimshander being available together with

Harvey’s Sussex on a visit in December.

After a couple of years Sally who had turned round the fortunes of the Shepherd Neame

owned Plough Brabourne Lees has left. The pub had become the focal point in the

village and she is now looking for a new freehold pub after the brewers were not

prepared to negotiate a new rent based upon the current financial climate. A manager whose

first action was to put the prices up by 20p per pint has replaced her. When I visited, this

previously busy pub was empty, all but one customer, and only Late Red and Spitfire were

available although I was told that Masterbrew was already to be served. The manager was

not prepared to offer Masterbrew until the stronger and more expensive beers were sold

first. Not very friendly for drivers who just

want a quick drink before returning to work

The New Inn, Etchinghill, which does not

usually feature in pub reports has been selling beers from the Ramsgate Brewery, Gadd’s No5

and Oatmeal Stout to name but two.

Tenterden area The Woolpack, Warehorne has a new

landlord Julian Oxborrow and we wish him well in this once popular GBG listed pub. Rother

Valley’s Level Best was reported to be in good condition and the food is reported to be very

good on a recent visit. All three beers available

were priced at £2.70 pint.

The Star, Rolvenden, nominally Old Dairy’s

brewery tap had been serving Greene King IPA and Ruddles Best alongside Old Dairy Red Top

and Blue Top in February.

The Six Bells Woodchurch recently held a

very successful beer festival, which was busy all weekend, with all the beers being brewed in

Kent and were sold out by Sunday evening

The Vine Inn is currently having another make

over after Shepherd Neame converted it from a typical town pub a few years ago. The front

part of the main bar is being refurbished, but we don’t know what the end result will look

like, and suspect it will be more wine bar (glass panel instead of a semi-glazed wall in the

interior side of the little lobby area, for

instance

The White Lion still cleans up in terms of beer sales in Tenterden with changing

Marston’s beers. In April you can expect, Marston’s Meducky (3.6%), Jennings’s Slap &

Tickle (3.8%), Wychwood’s Wychmyst (4.0%) and Banks’s Sunbeam (4.2%). In May the guest

ales anticipated are Marston’s Merry Monk (4.5%), Jennings’s Tom Fool (4.0%) and

Ringwood’s Bold Forester (4.2%).

The Fat Ox tenants are, it is rumoured, about

to leave, and be replaced by a manager.

The Woolpack is still not open but Enterprise

claim they have a tenant for when the work is complete. In February, there was an application

for retrospective Listed Building Consent for “Internal alterations to first floor bathrooms


and sandblasting to floorboards, panelling and

staircase to ground floor. We await the reopening in anticipation of a good selection of

cask ale at reasonable prices.

The White Hart, Newenden in addition to

the regular Rother Valley Level Best has recently been selling Oakham JHB in excellent

condition. A pub well worth seeking out by walking to it from the K&ESR's Northiam

station for lunch when spending a day out on

the railway.

If there is anything interesting, particularly in the Ashford Area, however small about your

local pubs, please let us know. Thanks to all those who have sent me their local pub news

or update NBSS (CAMRA’s National Beer Scoring System), please keep it up, as it makes

my life a lot easier and I won’t be chastised for

not including it in the next Pub News.

Bob the Beer


Abigale Brewery Ashford,

Kent, TN24 8DE

01233 661310 07734 342278

Leas Lift Bitter

(3.8%), and Leas Lift Porter (4.7%)

were brewed for the Leas Lift Beer

Festival. The bitter was the same

recipe as the beer brewed for last year's festival whilst the porter is a new brew combining six

different malts, and using Fuggles and Northdown hops. This beer was very well

received, and is still available in bottles or 5 litre mini kegs. The full range of regular cask

beers is also now available in bottle-conditioned form, and can be purchased from the brewery,

and it will be soon become available in shops

www.abigalebrewing.co.uk

Hop Fuzz

West Hythe,

Kent, CT21 4NB

07850 441267

Continues to brew English Ale and

American Pale Ale, which have been seen in the White Hart, Hythe

Good Intent Aldington Frith, Star St Mary in the

Marsh and the Tiger Stowting

www.hopfuzz.co.uk

Old Forge Brewery

(Farriers Arms)

Mersham, Kent,

TN25 6NU 01233 720444

The Farriers has brewed “Spring

Ale” - which they expect to be on

the bar in during March, so far unnamed. The ingredients include Crystal & Dark Crystal

Malts with Bramling Cross Hops being used for

aroma

www.thefarriersarms.com

Old Dairy Brewery

Rolvenden, Kent, TN17 4JD 01580 243185

In addition to the

established regular ales shown in the GBG, Czech Mate

Pilsner is planned to be a regular. This is 5% & uses SAAZ hops. They have employed another

part time brewer to brew at weekends. AK1911, Tsar Top (Imperial Russian Stout)

occasional, but things may change.

www.olddairybrewery.com

Local Brewery News

http://www.olddairybrewery.com/


Following the lively debate on the floor of the House of Commons, in January, during which

the Government was heavily criticised for rejecting proposals by the Business Select

Committee, MPs have unanimously passed a motion criticising Government's lack of action

on pub companies as falling short of their own commitments and requiring the Government to

commission an independent review of self

regulation in the pub sector.

The decision by Parliament follows over 5,000 CAMRA members nationally contacting their

local MPs asking them to support this motion and extensive campaigning by organisations

including Federation of Small Businesses, Forum for Private Business, licensee groups and the

Parliamentary Save the Pub Group.

Mike Benner, CAMRA Chief Executive

said:

‘CAMRA is delighted that MPs from all parties have

highlighted the inadequacy of the Government’s attempts to tackle unfair business practices in the

pub sector and that the Government are now obliged to commission an independent review into

the matter. Following the success of this motion the Government now has a chance to think again and

to consult on meaningful proposals to ensure the

survival of many thousands of pubs.

‘The large pub companies must be encouraged to provide their lessees with free of tie and guest beer

options accompanied by an open market rent review. These steps would effectively self regulate

the operation of tie agreements.

‘The large pub companies have been living in the

last chance saloon since 2004 during which time many thousands of valued community pubs have

been lost forever while pub companies have failed

to deliver meaningful self regulation.’

Parliament Unanimously Passes

Fair Deal for Pubs Motion


Wednesday 18 April @ 19:30

Locomotive, Ashford

Wednesday 16 May @19:30

William Caxton, Tenterden

Thursday 14 June @ 19:30

Branch AGM, Tenterden Station

For further details on meetings, socials and

beer festivals check out WHAT’S

BREWING, our the branch website or join

our Yahoo Group (members only).

AF&RM CAMRA ……………. What’s On

Saturday 31 March

Maidstone Pub Crawl

meet at the Rifle Volunteers 12:00

Saturday 5 May

Mini Bus Trip

Tour of remote Romney Marsh pubs, start at

Ashford Domestic Station 11:30

Saturday 21April

Trip to Ipswich to visit some Suffolk

hospitality, 10:13 train from Ashford. Contact

Nigel North for more details and registration,

[email protected]

Branch Meeting

All members welcome

Social Events

All welcome


Forthcoming Beer and Cider Festivals

Friday 6 & Saturday 7 April

7th Planet Thanet Easter

Beer Festival

Winter Gardens - Margate,

CT9 1HX

Thursday 12 - Saturday14 April

Bexley Beer Festival

Sidcup Sports Club, DA14 6RA

Wednesday 6 - Sunday 10 June

CAMRA Cricket Tent

Tunbridge Wells, TN2 5ES

Friday 15 & Saturday 16 June

4th Kent & East Sussex Railway Real Ale

& Cider Festival

Tenterden Town Station, TN30 6HE

Saturday 16 June

Charity Beer Festival

Mote Park, Maidstone, ME15 8EB

Thursday 19 - Saturday 21 July

Kent Beer Festival

Off Nackington Lane, Canterbury, CT4 7BA

Wednesday 8 - Sunday 12 August

CAMRA Cricket Tent

Canterbury, CT1 3NZ

Thursday 5 - Monday 9 April

The Chambers Easter Ale & Cider Fest’

Cheriton Place, Folkestone, CT20 3BB

Thursday 5 April - Tuesday 10 April

Hoodeners Horse Beer Festival

The Street, Great Chart, TN23 3AN

Friday 20 - Sunday 22 April

The George Inn Beer Festival

The Street, Bethersden, TN26 3AG

Friday 11 May - Sunday 13 May

Railway Hotel Beer & Bike Festival

Station Road, Appledore, TN26 2DF

Friday 11 May - Sunday 13 May

Six Bells Beer Festival

Bethersden Road, Woodchurch, TN26 3QQ

Saturday 19 - Sunday 20 May

Ferry Inn Beer Festival

Stone in Oxney, TN30 7JY

Friday 1 - Wednesday 6 June

Folkestone Rowing Club Beer Festival

Granville Parade, Sandgate, CT20 3AN

Saturday 23 June

Red Lion Snargate Beer Festival

Snargate, TN29 9UQ

Friday 6 - Sunday 8 July

Bell Inn Beer Festival

Ivychurch, TN29 0AL


Bowl Inn Beer Festival

Egg Hill Road, Charing, TN27 0HG


Farriers Arms Beer / Cider & Music Fest’

The Forstal, Mersham, TN25 6NU

Saturday 4 - Sunday 5 August

Cinque Ports Arms Beer Festival

High Street, New Romney, TN28 8BU

If you know of any event that might be of

interest for the notice board, please contact the

editorial team, details on page 3.

CAMRA Festivals

Other Festivals


101 Beer Days Out

101 Beer Days Out, has been painstakingly compiled by Chairman of the Guild of Beer

Writers and What’s Brewing journalist Tim Hampson.

The book brings together a variety of ale-

themed days out that can be enjoyed by the whole family. Tim Hampson’s

recommendations range far and wide to highlighting venues, events and activities from

England, Scotland & Wales. Coming out just in time for the summer the book is bound to be

packed in many a suitcase for the holiday season.

The listings are arranged geographically and

take in everything from the Museum of Kent Life to Edinburgh’s historic pubs and Scottish

Ale Festival to the Llangollen Railway’s Ale trail in Wales. Every entry is illustrated with

fabulous full-colour photography and include full details of attraction opening times, contact

details, the best ways of getting there, what to see, what to do and, of course, what to drink.

Other publications by Tim Hampson include

Great Beers, London’s Best Pubs and The Beer Book

The brand-new guide book will be published on

Monday, 28th May 2012 RRP £12.99/CAMRA Member Price £10.99

ISBN: 978-1-85249-288-5, Paperback Available from www.camra.org.uk/shop

CAMRA’S South East Pub Walks This is the latest edition in CAMRA’s hugely

popular Pub Walks series is once again written by avid walker and pubs campaigner Bob Steel.

The book, sponsored by Harvey’s & Son of Lewes, focuses on the South East of England

and the 250 miles of walking routes included in the book range from short town trails to epic

rambles across the South Downs.

The pub listings feature the best places to stop for a pint of real ale on route as well as many ‘Try Also’ recommendations for those eager to

prolong their outing. Thirty walks take you from Eastbourne and Beachy Head on the

south coast as far North as CAMRA’s home town of St Alban’s via the famous golf links of

Sandwich in the East and the Hog’s Back and Upper Thames in the west. Full information on

each pub’s location, opening hours and contact details make the book an excellent investment

for those eager to plan their outing ahead of time.

All of the features that have made the rest of

the Pub Walks series so popular are present in the book, including:-

Easy-to-use Ordnance Survey mapping and

concise route information Detailed pub listings for the area's finest real-

ale watering holes Feature boxes giving detailed insights into

fascinating local attractions Full-colour photographs illustrating the

outstanding natural beauty in the area

The brand-new guide book will be published on Monday, 30th April 2012.

RRP £9.99/CAMRA Member Price £7.99

ISBN: 978-1-85249-287-8, Paperback

Available from www.camra.org.uk/shop or

featured pubs

Book Reviews


Answer the above ten questions and Email your 10 answers to

[email protected] or send to:

CAMRA AF&RM Spring Competition, The Cottage, The Green,

Saltwood, Kent CT21 4PS by 25th May 2012 and the first drawn correct

entry will receive a mystery prize.

The lucky winner of the Winter Wordsearch competition was Geoffrey Beer from

Ashford Kent who won the CAMRA National inventory book.

We thought that it would be good to exercise the brain in a different

manner for the summer months. One of our members has therefore

produced a quiz for this edition. See how many answers you can get

without reference to “Google” or the Good Beer Guide.

1. Which British brewery has a Unicorn as its trademark?

2. In what town is draught Courage Directors Bitter brewed?

3. What was the first trademark to be registered under U.K.'s Trade

Mark Registration Act of 1875 as Trade Mark Number One?

4. What do the letters ABV stand for in relation to beer?

5. In the brewing industry how many pints are there in a Hogshead?

6. What company owns the Löwenbräu brewery in Munich?

7. What German town is famous for its Alt beer?

8. Which beer was said to work wonders?

9. In which town is Moorhouse’s Pendle Witch brewed?

10. What do the letters IPA stand for in relation to beer?

Spring Competition


The Breweries, Pubs and CAMRA have

been lobbying MPs and the Chancellor to scrap the duty escalator on beer in an attempt to keep beer in the pub

competitive, but I’ve noticed the odd 5p or 10p a pint being added to the price of a pint in pubs since January.

Who’s pulling who’s wire and who’s to blame the breweries or the pubs??

Please send your views to the editor.

Email:

[email protected]

Point to Ponder


Yes a day at the foundry, not hot, sweat and

toil, but a pleasant Thursday afternoon in Canterbury. Branch members, their wives or

partners and members from other Kent Branches enjoyed a Christmas celebration at

the Foundry brew pub on the site of the old Drury & Biggleston’s foundry just off the High

Street in White Horse Lane which opened in

June 2011.

The brewery was founded, initially to provide good quality ales to the Stoneset Group of Inns

in Canterbury, namely, the Foundry, City Arms and Beercart Arms. The four-barrel brewery is

situated behind glass windows, which enables drinkers and diners to observe the beer being

produced. Jon Mills and Tom Starkey the joint

brewers normally brew three times a week.

Jon and Tom have developed their unique style

of beers all of which were extremely drinkable. Most those present sampled those available in

full measures, whilst the ladies consumed either good wine or excellent coffee one of which I

am extremely grateful for driving me home.

The beers available on the day were

Foundry Torpedo, 4.5%, amber ale with an

explosive, crisp finish.

Street Light Porter, 5.8%, a dark malty porter,

strong toffee-chocolate flavour with a liquorish

finish.

Canterbury Haka, 4.1%, brewed to a New Zealand recipe producing pale ale with a deep

fleeting bitterness.

Biggleston’s Brown Ale, 3.8% a traditional beer

made from East Kent Goldings and Kentish

Challenger hops grown in Kent, a true LocAle.

Foundry Black, 4.9%, a dark stout brewed with roasted and chocolate malts and green bullet

hops to provide a smooth freshly roasted

coffee and cocoa flavour.

Foundry Helles, 4.1%, a traditional craft lager that is unfiltered and unpasteurised providing a

delicate pils with a German noble

hop aroma.

Other beers brewed, but were

not available on the day are: -

Foundry Man’s Gold, 4.0%, a golden ale with strong aromas of

citrus and elderflower with a

subtle lingering bitterness.

Canterbury Wheat, 4.4%, an American style wheat beer

brewed with 50% wheat and 50%

barley.

Foundry Steam, 5.4%, a Californian style ale brewed with

northern Brewer and Hallertauer hops which was inspired by the gold rush in the Wilds

West and is an amber lager which was light and

fruity.

Foundry Red Eye, 5.6% a reddish golden coloured beer brewed with American rye malt

and the Citra and Chinook hops which produces a very quaffable beer with an

explosion of hops.

Since the object of the visit was for a

A Day at the Foundry


Christmas celebration, food was also the order

of the day. The Foundry offers a good selection of options including vegetarian meals.

The food offered includes doorstop sandwiches, grills, pies and interesting starters

including deep fried pigs ears, homemade deserts, not for the light eaters, and a

comprehensive Kentish cheese board. We all had hearty portions from the full menu range

and I did not hear of any complaints. In fact we were all pleasantly surprised after a hearty

lunch and sampling, by the pint, most of the beers on offer that those who remembered to

have their CAMRA Membership card on their person were given a 10% discount on the

beers and the food.

A day to remember, and to be repeated in the

not too distant future, even if just passing the time away whilst waiting for the other person

to complete the shopping using your flexible

friend !!!


Diary of a walk along Hadrian’s Wall

Not all CAMRA members are bearded, beer bellied and wear sandals, some are fairly slim

and have other interests but still drink a glass of cask ale or two. For the keen walkers who like

a drink or two, but not necessarily the singing, and are looking for a change of scenery, Peter’s

diary of his trip may be useful to you when

planning your next holiday.

The Cunning Plan I’d been planning to do the Hadrian’s Wall Long

Distance Path for some years and the summer of 2010 brought all of the requirements

together. Our choir was due to sing in Carlisle Cathedral for a week so the preceding week

would be ideal. The route was divided into six 12 – 15 mile sections so the week should be

ample and allow a day or two off for bad weather – The Carlisle to Bowness section

could be done on our day off from singing. As my car is a little on the elderly side and I’d had

my fill of motorway driving whilst working, I decided to take two days for the journey there

and took the pretty route up through Suffolk, Norfolk and Lincolnshire staying on the first

night at the Thornton Hunt Inn, in Thornton Curtis. Splendid locally sourced food and Tom

Wood Harvest Bitter from nearby Grimsby. Noted a quaint Lincolnshire custom – the

family on the next table insisted on taking photo’s of each member with their untouched

meal before they were allowed to eat it. Perhaps they don’t eat very often – or perhaps

have a very strict expenses or diet regime.

Day 2 Base Camp

Reached Base camp about midday on the second day. My home for the week was the

Twice Brewed Inn, near Bardon Mill in Northumberland. Ideally situated for walkers

and campers, and also for the AD122 bus that was to be my transport for the week. They have a house beer – Twice Brewed Bitter –

brewed by Yates in Cumbria, plus six or so hand-pumped bitters and at least two ciders.

With 14 rooms and a long day of passing trade,

the choice of ales was rarely the same two nights running. These were a mix of local brews

(Consett Ale Works, Yates) and beers on a Roman Theme from Hadrian and Border.

There was a wide choice of high quality food with plenty of space for eating and a non-eating

lounge for that after dinner pint or two on a comfy sofa. Time for a short walk to the

National Park Centre for bus updates, then to Vindolanda – one of the Roman towns just

South of the Wall, which is still being excavated

Day 3

The idea of staying at Twice Brewed was that I could use the bus to get to the start of each

section and back to base camp afterwards. Busses are not invincible so for this day I had to

drive to Heddon-on-the-Wall and take the bus and Metro to the start of the walk at Wallsend.

The route takes you from the Eastern outskirts of Newcastle, through the centre of the city

under several bridges and out into the countryside to the West – all the time on or

near the North bank of the Tyne. Not much to be seen of the Wall so far – either hidden or

built on. Fairly flat except for the last mile, which climbed up from the Tyne to Heddon

where the first signs of the wall can be seen. I’d left my car at the Three Tuns in Heddon – so it

would have been rude not to have a pint of their Wylam Bitter made in a farm just up the

road. Back to base camp for a meal and a tad

more beer.

Day 4

The route from Heddon to Chollerford follows

the line of the Wall although not much can be seen. The main reason for this goes back to

Bonny Prince Charlie’s “visit” to Carlisle while the English army was at Newcastle. A military

road was then built along the Wall, sometimes on top of it and always using the Wall as a source of hardcore. This is today the B6318

and is the main route for the AD122 bus service. More hilly today but the upside was

84 miles, 10 pubs, 20 plus beers and 3 blisters


that most of it was on grass in fields bordering

the road and sometimes in the Vallum – a deep ditch to the South of the Wall, which even the

road builders, could not spoil. Just in time for the bus at Chollerford so no time for much

needed pint – still, knowing what was on offer

at base camp.

Day 5 Now we come to the craggy bits – the best

views along the wall and a fair bit rougher terrain than yesterday. Mostly in open country

with only the occasional farm, the route is either in the ditches to the North or the South

of the wall and where the path dips and climbs steeply, stone steps are provided. Nothing spurs

a walker on more than the site of their destination pub in the distance. The Twice

brewed, a white-painted building, can be seen from just that point where a spur is needed –

and the last half-mile is downhill – what more

do you need?

Day 6 With the weather not at it’s best today, had a

“sandal” day to give the blisters a rest. Bought a bus day rover ticket and started at Hexham

with a pint of Black Sheep at the Tap and Spile. Then on to the Black Bull at Haltwhistle (the

geographical centre of Britain) for a couple of pints and a spot of late lunch. Once one of the

locals found I had a Reiver name, the “couple” increased to three causing me to miss the bus

and return for number four. Planned trip to Carlisle postponed. (The Reivers were cross-

border raiders active in the 16th / 17th centuries) I remember that the first two were from

Theaksons but…

Day 7

Back to the Wall and some more craggy bits but the Wall is much more visible now that it is

further away from the route of the military road. A good mixture of crag and open farmland today with the best preserved bits of

the Wall and the mile castle forts visible. Route goes through a couple of villages but – perhaps

luckily - the pubs therein had not yet opened. Still, a cuppa at Birdoswald and a sticky bun at

Lanercost Priory saw me through the day.

Day 8

Bus back to Lanercost and nearly all downhill to

Carlisle. Clear now of the crags, the route takes in a mixture of farmland and riverside paths

ending with a path by the River Eden into Carlisle. Time for a quick recce of Carlisle

before our singing week at the cathedral. I’d already asked the local CAMRA group about

the City pubs so had something to build on. A couple of pints of Black Sheep at the Sportsman

– greatly improved since our last visit, then the bus back to the Twice Brewed for a final feed

and a nightcap.

Days 9 - 16

Singing is thirsty work. We were rehearsing during the mornings and afternoons with an

adequate lunch break in which to recover. Nearest the Cathedral was the King’s Head,

Yates bitter at £2-20 a pint plus others from the Yates list. The Boardroom had Jennings

Cumberland but threatened us with Shep’s Spitfire for the end of the week. The Woodrow

Wilson (Weatherspoon) had a couple of the Dent Brewery beers – Aviator and Bitter. Our

digs were in the Old Brewery Building – university accommodation and used by YHA.

Just down the road from there we found the Joiners Arms where we spent several evenings

and used as our meeting point. Theaksons Best and a strangely flavoured Theaksons called

Grouse Beater (4.2%). It contained essence of Moorland Berry a Scottish delicacy eaten by the

Grouse (particularly in a fermented version which they happily consume in the evening) it

must be an acquired taste that I didn’t acquire.

Our brewery trip was to the Old Crown at

Hesket Newmarket. This is a community-run brewery and pub in a splendid little village at the

North end of the Lakes National Park. Included in the fee for the brewery tour was a substantial

meal and this, with a choice of six of the on-site beers made for a most successful evening out. A bit far for the AFRM branch outing but worth

considering if you are in Lakeland.

Our day off from singing and the chance to

finish the Wall walk. Out through parkland and the industrial outskirts of Carlisle, through

farmland and by the River Eden then the Solway

Continued on page 22


Continued from page 21

Firth. Being slightly ahead of schedule, stopped

for a pint of Jennings Cumberland at the Highland Laddie at Glasson then on to Bowness

-on-Solway and the end of the Walk. I’d arranged to meet a choir friend there and

found her in the pub talking to a South African lady who had just done the whole walk in four

days! She was drinking tea, which could explain a lot. Another pint of Cumberland then back to

Carlisle

Day 17 Homeward bound

More details on most of the pubs and beers will

be found in the GBG, which was the basis of my plans. If you want to walk the Hadrian’s Wall

Path, contact me for the required maps, books

and timetables.

©Peter Chamberlain

[email protected]


One Pot Rabbit in Cider

With the ever growing interest in local ales there is also an interest in craft ciders which can be found in quite a few of our local pubs, see elsewhere for those pubs known to provide real cider and recognised by the “Apple” window sticker. To add to

the cider experience during the summer one of our members has provided the

following recipe.

Ingredients

1 whole rabbit jointed

Olive Oil

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp ground coriander

½ cup good chicken Stock

Potatoes enough to 2 of 4 portions

½ lb brussel sprouts

1 chopped onion

3-4 mushrooms

Cider enough to cover

Brown off the rabbit in a large pan with a little olive oil, remove and set aside.

Fry the onion in the oil until soft and golden then add paprika and ground coriander,

then pour in a little chicken stock.

Add in the mushrooms, potatoes, brussel sprouts and finally the browned rabbit.

Cover with the cider and bring to the boil.

Reduce the heat and cook until all components are tender and the sauce is reduced.


Pub Of The Year 2012

In November a well-attended meeting took place in the County Hotel to select the

potential pubs for the GBG 2013 and the Pub

of the Year (POTY) for 2012

This year 5 pubs were nominated for POTY and a coach trip was arranged to enable those

members to visit them, as they were not readily accessible on bus routes from either

Ashford or Folkestone.

Thirteen worthy drinkers joined the coach

armed with score sheets to assess five criteria:-

Quality of the beer/cider/perry

Atmosphere/Style/Décor

Service Welcome

Clientele mix

Sympathy to CAMRA Aims and Good

Value

They then submitted their score sheets along

with other CAMRA members who had visited the pubs independently for the voting which

was counted in February.

The five pubs were the; -

Bowl, Hastingleigh, a pub that was seriously run down before being renovated by the

current owner and now serves 3 Kentish cask ales, draught cider. Wholesome sandwiches

and baguettes are available at weekends.

Farriers Arms, Mersham

Another pub that was permitted to fail and

close before being purchased by the local community. The pub which is now food led

also has it’s own brewery, “The Old Forge Brewery”. Its house beer Farriers 1606 was

nominated for the 2012 “Taste of Kent”

awards.

Ship, Sandgate

This pub has recently been extended with a restaurant and decking area overlooking the

sea. The pub has been a regular in the Good Beer Guide, on and off, under the same

landlord for many years and serves a wide

range of draught beers and ciders.


Three Mariners, Hythe

A back street locals pub that does not provide any food, only good beer, friendly company and

good conversation.

Sold by Shepherd Neame in 2009, it has been renovated and become a Mecca for cask ale

with a choice of up to 8 cask beers and draught cider. The pub is constantly in the GBG and

our branch runner up Pub of The Year in 2010

and 2011.

Bell Inn, Ivychurch

The Branch Pub of The Year winner for the last 2 years, the Bell offers a choice of five national

beers and draught cider. There is a good selection of wholesome pub food at meal times

and hot snacks during the afternoon.

The winner of our 2012 Pub of The Year

was the Bowl and the runner up The Bell, details of both presentations will be available

on our website, www.camra-afrm.org.uk


The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) Ashford, Folkestone & Romney Marsh Branch in

conjunction with the Kent & East Sussex Railway are proud to announce the annual Beer

and Cider Festival to be held at Tenterden Town Station on 15th and 16th June 2012. Beers

and a cider will be available on some

trains departing Tenterden Town

Station from 10.40am on Saturday

16th June.

Date and Time

Friday 15th June - 6pm to 10.30pm

Saturday 16th June 11am to 10.30pm (or

until the beer runs

out)

Admission Friday - Numbers

limited – For advance tickets to ensure

entry send cheque for £2.00 (made out

to CAMRA AFRM) with stamped SAE to

Beer Festival Tickets, 177 Lynwood,

Folkestone Kent CT19 5DF by 8th

June. (CAMRA Members can reclaim

the Friday advance ticket cost by

presentation of Membership card upon entry). Saturday - Beer Festival only by purchasing a

K&ESR Platform Ticket. (CAMRA Members by

presentation of Membership card).

CAMRA Members also receive discounted rail travel

on Saturday.

Food

Available on Friday evening and on Saturday

afternoon and into the evening

Entertainment Friday - quiet evening, no music

Saturday - Live music Saturday afternoon and

into the evening along with Morris Dancers.

Kent & East Sussex Railway

Beer & Cider Festival

15th & 16th June 2012


Accommodation

Camping - Pre booked limited camping facilities available £5.00 per pitch per night

(no fires) from K&ESR 01580 765155 Hotels and B&B - Lists available from

Tenterden Tourist Information Office or via

usual on-line booking agencies.

Public Transport To & from Ashford - routes 400 and 295

(for connection with rail services)

To & from Maidstone - route 12

To & from Tunbridge Wells - route 297 To & from Hastings - route 340

To & from Headcorn - route 12 (for

connection with rail services)

Late services operate to Ashford (400) and Maidstone (12). Full bus timetables available

on www.traveline.org.uk

Helping at the Festival

CAMRA members, if you can help, please complete the form on page 26, you can also

download a form from our website where

further information is available.

www.camra-afrm.org.uk

Email: [email protected]

What is believed to have been the first beer

festival to focus totally on the English hops was held during September in Wye. All but

three varieties of hop (Fuggles, East Kent and Whitbread Goldings) were developed at

Wye College of Agriculture and Horticulture

that was founded in 1911 and closed in 2008.

The hops included such stirring names as

Admiral, Boadicea, Bramling Cross, Brewer’s

Gold, Bullion, First Gold, Northdown, Northern Brewer, Pilot, Pilgrim, Pioneer,

Progress, Sovereign, Challenger and Target. Local brewer, James Wraith of Abigale in

Ashford brought along all his Wye hopped beers. The Foundry Brewery in Canterbury

used one of Wye College’s most recent accomplishments, the dwarf organic hop

Boadicea, to brew Boadicea’s Uprising especially for the occasion. Andrew Morgan

of the Bottle Shop in Canterbury commissioned Brodies of North London to

brew a bottled beer, Wye Oh Wye,

containing seven of the Wye developed hops.

The beers on offer having been selected during a mammoth tasting session by the

festival organiser, Don Thake, included Adnam’s Gunhill, Otter Amber, Skinner’s

Betty Stoggs, Dorset Chesil, Harvey’s Best, Titanic Stout, and from Rudgate Ruby Mild,

Jorvik Blonde and Tryst’s Raj IPA, Inveralmond Ossian from Scotland and Purple

Moose Snowdonia from Wales. Kentish brews included Hopdaemon’s Skrimshander,

Westerham British Bulldog, Gadd’s No 5, Old Dairy Copper Top and Shepherd Neame

gave a tutored beer tasting to demonstrate

how hops make the difference.

There were also Kentish ciders and wines and locally sourced food available with

entertainment being provided by local musicians and students from Christ Church

University in Canterbury. There was also an exhibition on the history and influence of

hops, including a large display setting out the lasting achievements of Wye College’s hops

research department

When the college was closed in 2008, hop

development moved to China Farm, Upper Harbledown where the National Hop Collection is now housed. It is the only

research centre in the UK, which continues to develop new varieties of English hop and

to maintain the health of those we already have. Without English hops, there would be

no real ale and no CAMRA.

Wye Beer Festival


If you are in need of iron, the mineral that is

necessary for red corpuscles, and so makes your blood rich and red, and staves off anaemia,

then an answer is to drink more dark beer (not

of course that we need any excuse).

Researchers at the Spanish University of Valladolid analysed some forty brands of beer

from various countries and found that dark beers have 121ppm (parts per million),

compared with 92ppm for pale beers and

63ppm for non-alcoholic beers.

This may seem small but the difference is significant. As well as being essential to our

diet, the level of minerals such as iron in beer is

important to its quality.

So note this is another reason to visit the pub and drink dark beers. “Beer is Good for You”.

Do you remember the advert?

Edited from “The Beer and Ragged Staff”

CAMRA’s Heart of Warwickshire’s newsletter.

Dark Beer for the Red Blooded


Continuing with the idea of days out I obtained

a copy of a visit made by a CAMRA member from Leeds, Graham, who described his day

out in Sheffield in the local newsletter, Half Pint. Upon reading the article, and the ease of

getting to Sheffield from Ashford and Folkestone by train, with only one simple

change at St Pancras I thought readers might like to know what Sheffield has to offer for the

day out enjoying the delights of Northern

beers.

His first pub of the day was The Old Queens Head, the oldest pub in Sheffield and dating

from 1505. It is a Thwaite's house and had Tavern Porter, Bomber and Wainwrights on

the pumps. A walk to the Sheffield Taps, far too many beers to list and that goes for just

about all the pubs visited, and chose a beer from one of the fonts, Magic Rock brewery

Magic 8 Ball Porter at 7%. It made no suggestion on the clip if it was cask or keg but

it tasted fantastic although at £2.50 a half it needed to. It was pleasing to see that at only

just turned noon the place was packed full of

drinkers.

Catching the tram to Shalesmoor for The Wellington. This fine traditional pub is also the

home of Little Ale Cart brewery and a few of these beers featured on the bar, sampling some Old Git Little and Pictish Dana, both in tip top

condition and most enjoyable. Crossing the

busy road to the Millstone, now more of a

restaurant and wine bar, which was very busy. There are now three hand pumps on the bar,

two in use on this visit with Wentworth Imperial and Sheffield Blanco Blonde being the

beers. The Imperial was excellent and the staff were swift and polite in serving, even though

not wanting to dine. A short walk up the road it the Fat Cat the pub that almost certainly

started the real ale revolution in Sheffield way back in 1981. It is pleasing to see little has

changed in that time other than even more beer choice and a new bigger brewery and

visitor centre now built next door, following the flooding of the old brewery a few years ago.

Spoilt for choice the Roosters Astro was very good indeed as was the pork pie made with

beer from the brewery. Just over the road is the Kelham Island Tavern. A pub with more

awards than you can count and deservedly so. A fine choice of ales awaits the constant stream

of drinkers. A few halves were all in excellent condition. Just a short walk to the latest real ale

pub in the area Shakespears that had been shut for ages and re-opened last July. The pub

has many rooms and an upstairs bar and music room, plenty of hand pumps and lots of bottles

to choose from. The Raw and Offbeat Hop Chick was simply stunning and at 6.2% punched

its weight and the Brightside Maverick IPA 4.8%, very good as was the Pizza cooked on a

wood-burning oven outside.

Last pub of the day was the Harlequin another

top pub with about ten beers on and to be honest he couldn’t remember what was

available or what he drank.

It’s interesting to note that almost all of the

pubs offer beer in lined glasses to guarantee full pints. If they can do it in Sheffield and not have

to overcharge for the beer it shows it can be

done in Kent.

A Day In Sheffield


The Ashford, Folkestone and Romney Marsh

LocAle scheme recognises pubs which regularly stock at least one real ale brewed by

a local brewery that is within 30 miles ‘driving distance’. Landlords who wish to be included

in the LocAle scheme should contact the Branch Secretary.

The following are the current pubs that have

been accredited :-

Ashford Locomotive

Brabourne Five Bells

Elham Kings Arms

Folkestone Chambers

Hastingleigh Bowl

Hythe Three Mariners

Hythe Britannia

Hythe White Hart

Mersham Farriers Arms

Monks Horton Black Horse

Newenden White Hart

New Romney Cinque Port Arms

Rolvenden Star

Sandgate Ship

Snargate Red Lion

Stowting Tiger Inn

Wittersham Swan

Woodchurch Six Bells


Whilst most of us agree that purchasing locally produced goods, including beers brewed in

Kent, reduce fuel usage and hence do a minor part in reducing pollution and global warming

together with maintaining local flavours and traditions an imbiber from Kent has a different

view in one of our sister magazines.

He commented on the promotion of local

beers at the expense of our national brands and the growth of microbrewers in Kent and

nationally and the preponderance of Kentish beers at last years Kent Beer Festival, 59 against

50 national beers. He was concerned that if the CAMRA LocAle incentive continues to gain

ground he will be denied access to his favourite beers. He even produces a list of his 10

favourite beers that he would like to be marooned with on a desert island with. These

were Dark Star American Pale Ale, Batemans Best Bitter, Goacher’s Gold Star, Crouch Vale

Brewers Extra Gold, RCH Double Header, Kelham Island Pale Rider, Adnam’s Broadside,

and Hawkeshead Brodies Prime. It is interesting that all of these are from small or

family brewers who specifically brew for their local customer base and whilst I agree with

some of his choice I prefer to drink them on my travels and enjoy the freshness of them

being delivered from the local brewery and not been standing in distribution depots across the

country for days.

A landlord from a Shepherd Neame pub

responded in the following vain.

The article bemoaning the promotion of local

beers is bound to have provoked some keen debate. If I understood it correctly, he

suggested pubs are unfairly promoting local beers and therefore ignoring the wide variety of beers found nationally. He wrote, "I would like

to think that I will not be denied my favourite beers because of the impact of the "locale"

campaign".

If I might be permitted to counter this argument I

should like to suggest completely the opposite. I

think he is wrong. Local beer is good, and not just

on environmental grounds.

It is the nature of any consumer organisation to demand what they want, where they want it, when

they want it at a price they want it. That’s why supermarkets abound with Kenyan french beans,

Australian apples, New Zealand lamb and so forth.

Beer, he might argue, is just the same.

But beer is a local product, brewed for a local market, consumed by locals and our Kentish ale is

unique. It has it's own EU protection because of it's distinctive hoppy characteristic, no other beer has

this. It’s found in Hopdaemon, Larkin’s, Wantsum and any of the 21 local brewers in Kent. It is a

characteristic we, in the hop country, enjoy.

In Lewes it's Harvey’s. In Southwold it’s Adnam’s. In

Cornwall it’s St Austell. Their beers are distinctive. But Kentish beers are even more so. I suspect I'm

not alone when I say I enjoy visiting other areas of the country because their beers are different. (Tell

me you aren't disappointed when you walk into a

Cumbrian bar and discover Spitfire?)

So why am I against his suggestion? Well, two reasons. Firstly there is a risk that local brewers,

seeking to develop national brands, might find themselves inclined towards 'safe' beers. Those

beers that readily fit the national category are often

indistinctive.

Secondly, because you can doesn't mean it's right. Local cherries, from Kentish orchards, are a spring

treat I really look forward to, but if I got them every day they would lose the magic. I like the pride

associated with Kentish beer ~ all of them. If I want

other beers I'll go elsewhere.

In Southwold there is a passion for Adnam’s. It's almost impossible to buy anything else. Why is it

every pub in Lewes, Sussex that is listed in the GBG sell Harvey’s? Is it because they all praise their local

brews? Are they proud of what they've got? Yes.

He may be right to celebrate the diversity of beers nationally, but I believe it should be enjoyed in

context. Kentish beer in a Kentish pub with

Kentish hops. Perfect.

A View on LocAle

marsh mash spring 2012

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