The George, Sutton Courtenay

When the 2023 Good Beer Guide arrived on the doorstep, I did what I always do first and flicked through to the Oxfordshire entries to see what had changed.
Just 2 new pubs for me to visit to complete Oxon this year, the first of which was in the picturesque village of Sutton Courtenay.  We reached this by travelling to Abingdon, then walking a couple of miles south of the town along the Thames Path.

The George (4 Church Street, Sutton Courtenay, OX14 4NJ - web)

Heading through the main door of the George, you're confronted with a small Deli which sells coffee, cake and sausage rolls, and seems to specialise in jars of chutney of multiple varieties.
The bar straddles the rooms to either side of the entrance.  We gravitated to the smaller and more basic room to the left where the hand pumps and locals were.

Two ales on offer, both from South Oxfordshire: Loose Cannon 'Abingdon Bridge' and Amwell Springs 'Rude Not To'.
The Amwell Springs was frothy and delicious - an easy NBSS 4...

The George (previously the George & Dragon prior to a make-over and shortening of name in summer '21) is part of the Oak Taverns group, who purchased the inn from Greene King in 2019.  Oak Taverns look to have a great little selection of pubs, including several beer guide regulars.  They've recently purchased the Cross Keys, a traditional boozer by the park in Wallingford, which I'll look forward to revisiting soon to see what they've done with it.

Back in the George, I grabbed a bench seat at a table next to the fireplace, whilst Mrs PropUptheBar went chutney shopping.
The locals were sat spaced out around the edge of room in conversational micropub style.  Poking the wood-burner a few times, they spent a good 20-minutes talking about fires ("You got an open fire, Phil?", "Got two").  This wasn't a topic I was ever going to join in with.  I've got a radiator.  

The Guide is looking okay in this picture at the George, but in reality, it's already beginning to get dog-eared thanks to me going back and forth trying to find anything in the regional rather than alphabetical layout.

The George is well worth a visit - a great-looking village pub, focused on drinks and snacks rather than set up for dining, with a fine garden to the rear for when the warmer weather returns.

From a half-timbered Grade II listed village inn to an Abingdon estate pub...
The next point of call was inspired by Life After Football, who has a knack of gravitating to places like this.

The Midget (Preston Road, Abingdon, OX14 5NR - web)
The pub was originally named 'The Magic Midget', in honour of the record-breaking Midget racing cars which were produced in the '30's in the Abingdon MG factory.
When this estate pub was set to open in 1974, a competition was launched to find a name for it, seemingly in the days when people looked at local heritage for inspiration rather than quickly coming up with Pubby McPubFace.

It's roughly L-shaped in design with the bar and a couple of raised seating areas in the front section, and pool table and large screen around to the side.

We discovered a wide-ranging Saturday afternoon crowd: gin-drinking ladies, local lads around the pool table with their pints of Mahou, families feeding pound coins into the claw-grabbing machine next to bar, trying to win a cuddly toy for the youngsters which they can carry around as pub-ticker mascots in years to come.
Not much of a haunt for real ale drinkers though, with just Morland 'Original Bitter' on offer.

The bitter wasn't the best (I don't think I've ever had a good pint of Morland Original), yet I still enjoyed the Midget.

Moving on, we walked back to Drayton Road and toward the centre of Abingdon.  En-route, in a small industrial area, was the Loose Cannon brewery...

Loose Cannon Brewery Tap (Suffolk Way, Abingdon, OX14 5JX - web)
Here's a blurry picture of the cask on offer.  Naturally, I'm gonna pick the one with the James Bond pun in the name...

And naturally I'm gonna include a shiny brew kit picture...

All tables were reserved for later in the evening, suggesting Loose Cannon have found a winning formula for their taproom.  There are tables and a couple of sofas in a more moodily-lit section under the ceiling of the upper level, or you can grab a seat in the middle of the brewery next to the fermenting vessels.
The downfall in winter months is that you just can't make a big space like this cosy - there's no beating a seat by the fireplace in a proper pub.

Good beer.
And fine pizza from the food truck outside...

We left Loose Cannon to head back toward the bus stop.
Except that we spotted that the Brewery Tap pub on Ock Street had this beer on offer...

Oh well, we can catch a later bus.

Square & Compass, Worth Matravers

Back to the Isle of Purbeck, where I was on my way to the venerable Square & Compass, one of the famous five pubs to have appeared in every edition of the Good Beer Guide since 1974.

The Purbeck Breezer bus deposited me at a rural stop on the B3069 from where you can pick up footpaths through the fields or walk the mile down the lane to Worth Matravers.
The blue sky and sunshine had abandoned me and I picked up the pace in case it started to rain and to ensure I beat a couple of other walkers who I was sure were headed to the same place.

Square & Compass (Worth Matravers, BH19 3LF - web)
This has been a pub since 1776 when it was converted from two cottages on a high bank at the top of the village.  Originally called the Sloop, it was given its existing name when a local stonemason took over several years later.
No propping up the bar here, as there isn't one - just a hatch at the end of stone paved corridor.
Here's your no-nonsense menu...

 

I ordered myself a Frome Brewery 'Plum Porter', poured directly from the barrel.
The larger of the pub rooms - I know this because it's called 'the Big Room' - is to the right of the serving hatch and was full of customers when I poked my head in.
The tap room in the other direction was completely empty.  It's a great room with flagstone floors, grand fireplace, three big chunky wooden tables and bench seating without a scatter cushion in sight.

Having thoroughly enjoyed my plum porter, I figured I should sample the locally produced Charlie's Homepressed dry cider, taking this outside where there were a fair few folk undeterred by the threatening clouds.
I sat contentedly on the bench seating, sipping my cider and photographing the rare birds which visited my table...

I joke when I say 'rare birds', but actually,
when was the last time I saw a sparrow in Oxford?

The pub also hosts a small fossil museum in an extension to the original building, reminding you that you're at the eastern edge of the Jurassic Coast.
All in all, what an incredible and brilliant pub!

Leaving the Square & Compass, my walk took me past the local Minions work crew...

And across the fields for just over a mile until I reached Langton Matravers.
The blue sky briefly returned to brighten up St Georges where it looks like they decided bell towers were overrated...

Just across the road from the church was the village pub...

King's Arms (27 High Street, Langton Matravers, BH19 3HA)
It may be overshadowed somewhat by the Heritage pub down the road, yet I'd had a couple of people telling me not to miss the King's Arms.
It's an older establishment than the Square & Compass, dating back to 1743, with an ancient flagstoned corridor leading from the front door to the bar.
Not sure why I haven't ended up with more photo's of this pub - probably because the tables by the bar were occupied by locals and I sat quietly in the section to the side, watching the fish tank.

The day started and ended in the coastal town of Swanage.
My lunchtime point of call had been the Red Lion...

Red Lion (63 High Street, Swanage, BH19 2LY - web)
Which served up a beer choice of Doom Bar or Landlord on my visit and appears to have lost its place in the 2023 Beer Guide.
I thought the 'Landlord' was on pretty good form, but was grumpy when I realised I'd missed the cider board which contained some rather lethal looking local choices.

Beers came straight from the barrel on a stillage along a corridor behind the bar.  Beer dispensing expertly caught on camera, if I say so myself... 

Looks like my pint of Landlord is a two man job.

And my afternoon ended a little further up the road in the Black Swan...

That'll be three white Purbeck stone pubs in a row, all photographed from exactly the same angle.

Black Swan Inn (159 High Street, Swanage, BH19 2NE - web)
I'm sure the Black Swan is a lovely place, and a great spot to eat judging by the table reservations and the staff turning people away when they call in to try to make a reservation for later.

The bar offered a choice of three real ales, with the local Dorset Knob being my pick: a decent amber bitter on good form.
With salt and pepper, a candle, and a reserved at 6:30 sign on the table, it was a quiet and uneventful visit to a pub that seemed to be passing time until the punters arrived for their evening meals.

Before those diners arrived I was weaving through the dark lanes of the Isle of Purbeck on the bus back to Poole, happy that I'd finally made it to Worth Matravers and ticked the Square & Compass off the 'must visit' list.

Poole Pub Explorations

A post which includes a couple of fine pubs, a shop specialising in the artist once known as Prince, yet another picture of a gents WC, and a Brewhouse & Kitchen.

From my Bournemouth base, a busy M2 bus took me through seemingly endless suburbs westbound to Poole.  The town - Dorest's second biggest with a population of over 150,000 - grew in size due to the large natural harbour which helped it become a thriving trading centre and transport hub.
The Poole Arms seemed as good a starting point as any in Poole, so it was down to the waterfront that I headed.  

Poole Arms (19 The Quay, Poole, BH15 1HJ - web)
The green-tiled frontage was looking absolutely glorious in the sunshine.
With a collection of nautical pictures on wood panelled walls, a blackboard of seafood specials, and a case displaying various types of knots, this was every bit the harbourside pub.
It dates back to 1635, so you'd imagine that these walls have seen and heard all sorts of things over the years from a colourful collection of seafaring characters.

I took a reasonable pint of Flack Manor 'Double Drop' to a table at the side of the room and was a little dismayed to find the promising indie music which greeted me on arrival switched to Girls Aloud, Katy Perry and Pink in quick succession.

Only being able to find the entrance to the ladies WCs within the pub, I was directed back out the front door and down the alleyway to the gents.
And being as there were alleyways both sides of the pub, of course I picked the wrong one. I'm not sure how far I would have gone, but the lady from behind the bar came out to recue me and point me in the right direction.
The great basic no-nonsense outdoor loos elevated my opinion of the pub, cos I'm weird.

Finishing my pint at the Poole Arms, I moved away from the Quay, walking back up the High Street where you'll find this purple emporium dedicated to Prince.

A few doors along the road was the next pub on my itinerary...

The Brewhouse (68 High Street, Poole, BH15 1DA)
This was originally opened as a brewpub in 1983, although it's long since stopped concocting ales on-site and has been owned by Somerset's Frome Brewery from 2002. 

It's a good no-frills pub, locals propping up the bar, horse racing on the TV, and a respectable beer choice to pick from.  No Frome ales on my visit, with the three handpumps dispensing 'Plum Porter' and Aftermire' from Settle Brewery, plus a Heritage Brewing Company 'Gold'.
I cheated on Titanic, thoroughly enjoying the North Yorkshire plum porter.

There are a couple of old pictures of the exterior of the Brewhouse on this website.  Other than that it remains a little anonymous online, Google being determined that I must have missed "and kitchen" off the end of my search.
So, I figured I may as well call in to the Brewhouse & Kitchen whilst in the area.  Some people may be a little bit mean about the chain, but I am an old-skool sucker for a brewpub...

Brewhouse & Kitchen (1 Dear Hay Lane, Poole, BH15 1NZ - web)
Located in front of a car park, down a side street from the shops, this is one of the chain's 22 brew pubs.
To the horror of anyone dedicated to traditional wooden bench seating in pubs I gravitated straight to the brewing equipment and a high table with a wheel of grains beneath a glass top. 

I was content - a decent smoked porter, a picture of the brew kit, New Order providing the background music.

 

Hopping aboard a bus departing Poole I made the short trip to Parkstone, where I had a pretty superb pint of Thornbridge in the Bermuda Triangle.

Where I didn't disappear without a trace, emerging to make a Craft Beer Diversion...

Knight Life Tap (13 Bournemouth Road, Lower Parkstone, BH14 0EF - web)
And how better to do a craft ale diversion than bowling into this small taproom and ordering the 'Lemon Cheesecake IPA' 😬
I admitted to the barman that I'd picked it for novelty value, but took a sip and conceding this was actually pretty damn good.

Brewer Glen Knight set up a 3-barrel brewery in a garage in 2018, with the tap room opening at the tail end of 2021.  In an old bank, I guess...

Intriguing design for the beer taps...

I sat on the low seating by the window: Yazz's 'The Only Way Is Up' played in the background, followed by a rare public airing of 'Living in a Box' by Living in a Box.

And that will do for this post.  Because no-one needs to know about me gravitating to Brewdog to pick the strongest impy porter when I arrived back in Bournemouth.

Corfe Castle Pub Explorations

My morning bus ride from Bournemouth may have been busy and long-winded, but the route became spectacular once we reached Sandbanks.  The bus trundled onto the chain ferry to Studland Bay and onward to Swanage.

I hopped off at the heritage railway station, took a quick picture of a steam train, cos everyone else was, then jumped aboard the Breezer 40.

My main aim of the day was to get to Worth Matravers, but as I had time to spare and the sun was shining, I decided to visit Corfe Castle first.
A quick check of the timetable confirmed I had just over an hour in the village before catching the bus back southward. 
Time to visit all three Good Beer Guide pubs?  Why not?

I headed just across the main road to the side of the village square, making my way to the Bankes Arms.
Which doesn't really look like it's going to be a rough n ready boozer, does it?

Bankes Arms (23 East Street, Corfe Castle, BH20 5ED - web)
This is one of the more upmarket options for lunch, for those not wanting to eat a pasty from the bakery on the steps of the cross on the market square.  It was pretty much exactly as I expected within - nice old historic rooms, smartly dressed staff whisking well-presented plates of food to the diners, and too many scatter cushions.

Four uber-chunky stools formed a barrier to ensure the riff-raff (that'll be me) couldn't get too close to the bar.  Where you'd find four ales including two from Bridport brewery Palmers, alongside Ringwood Best and Hobgoblin IPA.  

I took a sweet, malty half of Palmers '200' out into the busy beer garden, my attention divided between over-excited dogs and views of the castle.

I'd paid my entrance fee, climbed the small hill, and wandered around the castle ruins the last time I was in this neck of the woods, so could happily admire it from a distance on this occasion.  Before heading away from the village centre to see what the Corfe Castle Club had to offer.  This is located in the former Royal British Legion, in a building which was previously a 19th century school house.

Corfe Castle Club (70 East Street, Corfe Castle, BH20 5EQ)
I approached with the usual club trepidation, wondering whether I'd have to state my business and present my CAMRA card for examination.
No such worries: welcoming nods from all within and a friendly chatty barman ready to serve me my ale and talk about his own travels around the local pubs. 

Beers on offer were Timothy Taylor's, Ringwood 'Razorback', and something with little information on the pump clip called 'Celtic Gold'.  The Celtic Gold turned out to be a rather bland Marston's beer by stealth, leaving me wishing I'd picked the Landlord.
The final great touch was almost everyone saying goodbye and wished me a good day when I returned my glass in this friendly place.

The door knocker gives away the name of the next pub...

Fox Inn (8 West Street, Corfe Castle, BH20 5HD - web)

Just across the road from the town hall and the back of the church, the Fox is an 18th century inn, which has spent several years closed prior to being given a new lease of life in 2018.

Stepping through the front door you find yourself in a charming snug, with wooden backed bench seating around the sides.
The door in the corner leads down a couple of steps and reveals the bar and a larger room.

Okay, so it's a gentrified old inn: Camden helles, a cake stand on the bar, and sandwiches for £9.50. But sat with a lovely pint of the local Hattie Brown's 'Moonlite', on a bench in that wonderful front room, I really quite liked the place.

 

I later discovered it was quiet inside because there was a superb leafy garden stretching down a slope behind the pub.  Reached via a characterful narrow alleyway that also leads to the outdoor WCs (always the sign of a good pub).

So, success in ticking the GBG pubs of Corfe Castle.  Completed with enough time to spare for some lunch from the village bakery.
I proffered a five pound note as the young lad at the counter - all of about 14-years old - grabbed the card terminal.

"Would you prefer a card?" I asked.
"No, it's fine.  It's just EVERYONE pays with card these days".
Crikey, I felt old.