Despite living in London for thirteen years, this is a part of the capital that I hadn't ventured to previously. Greenwich, on the northern side of the heath was well-known territory, but I knew nothing about Blackheath except it being where that 26-mile fun-run starts each May.
As for Lewisham, where I hopped off the train, people would have looked at me in horror at the end of the nineties if I told them I was heading there for a pint - put your affairs in order before you go.
I wonder if it's changed much...
Yep. I suspect so.
At least they still have a proper market selling you fruit and veg and carpets.
At least they still have a proper market selling you fruit and veg and carpets.
After an overkill of Wetherspoon's in the previous post I was starting my day in at the bottom end of Lewisham's high street in.... Wetherspoon's.
It's named after the historic village green which would have once been the centre of old Lewisham. This has been part of the JDW chain since 1997, witnessing the transformation of the neighbourhood surrounding it.
Step inside and it's a decent-sized place, the supports disguised as bookshelves making it feel less open-plan, with distinct separate areas to the side and back.
There be dragons...
And Windsor & Eton guest ales...
As it was, I picked the Elgood's 'Patron Saint', priced at £3.21. A brown and malty 4.3% ale, that was on reasonable form but was never going to be a beer that blew me away.
A bolder man (Mick Citra?) would tackle the Lewisham Craft Unions, but I elected to continue onwards to the Beer Guide-listed Dacre Arms.
The route for the day was panning out like this...
The route for the day was panning out like this...
Plenty of walking.
Starting with a trek along the A20 which features a remarkable range of pan-global establishments: Brazilian butchers, Oriental Stores, Dosa Sambal and Nepalese Momo. And a curiously high number of nail salons. One turn took me to quiet tree-lined residential streets that quickly became fairly smart and affluent.
The Dacre Arms came into view on a fork in the road ahead of me.
Starting with a trek along the A20 which features a remarkable range of pan-global establishments: Brazilian butchers, Oriental Stores, Dosa Sambal and Nepalese Momo. And a curiously high number of nail salons. One turn took me to quiet tree-lined residential streets that quickly became fairly smart and affluent.
The Dacre Arms came into view on a fork in the road ahead of me.
I'm unsure why I felt it necessary to take a picture of the entrance...perhaps I was just impressed by the wood panelling, or maybe the 'Served with Pride' etched into the frosted glass...
And a quite marvelous pub interior where you're never short of something to look at...
There were four hand pumps on the bar, but just Fullers 'London Pride' and St Austell 'Proper Job' being served on this occasion. The 'Proper Job' proved lively and a challenge to pour, although it came with a reassuring insistence from the friendly staff/landlady(?) that I tell her if it wasn't up to scratch. It was fine.
One chap at the end of the bar eyed the ⅔ of a pint that had been pulled through before filling my glass - "I'll have that," he said, tipping it to what was left of his lager.
One chap at the end of the bar eyed the ⅔ of a pint that had been pulled through before filling my glass - "I'll have that," he said, tipping it to what was left of his lager.
Propelled by his Proper Job - Peroni mashup, this customer proved entertaining for ear-wigging from my curved seating booth by the door.
Untrustworthy modern news outlets, watching colour telly for the first time, and how close Millwall came to promotion were a few of the topics.
I discovered a bit of Del Boy in the gents - I'd thought that was a one-off in Worthing, but here you got framed pictures of Rodney, Grandad, Mickey and Trigger.
Untrustworthy modern news outlets, watching colour telly for the first time, and how close Millwall came to promotion were a few of the topics.
I discovered a bit of Del Boy in the gents - I'd thought that was a one-off in Worthing, but here you got framed pictures of Rodney, Grandad, Mickey and Trigger.
I left the pub and headed up the passageway opposite, a pleasant shaded route taking me to St Margaret's Church, then past big and expensive-looking houses to the edge of the heath itself.
Facing the open space, on one corner, is the Hare & Billet pub.
The best thing about it was the ducks on the pond opposite. I should have just sat on the bench there for thirty minutes. Even the pub picture went a bit wrong - sometimes it can be too sunny.
Facing the open space, on one corner, is the Hare & Billet pub.
The best thing about it was the ducks on the pond opposite. I should have just sat on the bench there for thirty minutes. Even the pub picture went a bit wrong - sometimes it can be too sunny.
The original pub on this site was a well-known coaching inn which was operating in the 17th century. Back then it was isolated in open countryside, this section of the London-Dover road notorious for highwaymen.
The current iteration is a square Georgian brick building which has had a recent spruce up inside. Very gastropub. Any historic rustic charm zapped out of it.
The run of hand pumps offered a house-badged bitter or pale ale, Five Points 'XPA', Thornbridge 'Bother Rabbit', or the local Southwark IPA. I opted for the Southwark 'Mayflower Session IPA' with a hefty price tag of £6.10, the quality barely acceptable. I may not have been the victim of a highwayman, but I felt I'd been robbed of over six quid for this. I'd waited so long to be served in the first place whilst the fella behind the bar delivered things to luncheon customers and made fancy drinks and coffees, that I couldn't muster the enthusiasm to take it back.
All-in-all, I wasn't sorry to leave, making my way to the heart of Blackheath.
Where the best way to appreciate the old buildings and heavily pruned trees is in your vintage sports car with the roof down...
Blackheath is home to the original Zerodegrees brew pub, opened in the year 2000. I've visited their branches in Bristol and Cardiff and had a fair few pizzas and pints in the Reading one, so it seemed a good idea to pop my head into where it all started.
Having found a few old pictures online, this used to be a lot more pub-like, whereas now it's more restaurant-with-a-brewery than brewpub.
Big front windows, a clean paint job and enough light fittings to make the lightbulb suppliers rub their hands in glee, it's a bright and airy place.
It's also cavernous, the small frontage disguising the range of rooms inside on different levels. It's the kind of place you get lost trying to find the loos.
Then stumble across unexpectedly extensive brew kit...
Then stumble across unexpectedly extensive brew kit...
A fairly long walk through the south-east corner of the heath, then onward up Startheddon Road took me to the Green Goddess - a 2026 SIBA award winner.
On our way to Halifax earlier this year we'd called into Brewers 1841 at Ossett. The taproom for Ossett Brewery had just picked up SIBA's award for best independent bar/pub non city/rural. I was keen to visit this year's City winner too.
The building previously housed a Barclays Bank until that closed in 2021. Stephen and Maryann O’Connor, previously cuckoo brewers, put in an application to turn this into a bar and microbrewery, which subsequently opened in 2022. The green goddess name is a reference to Ninkasi, the Sumerian goddess of beer and - sadly - nothing to do with exercising in front of breakfast telly in the late 80s.
Inside it was bright and airy, just a couple of other afternoon customers, XTC's 'The Mayor of Simpleton' playing in the background, with a beer list which was going to be difficult to narrow down to one pick.
I stuck with the cask - three available: Lost & Grounded 'Bitter', Elusive 'Transit Stout', plus Tartarus 'Thriae'.
The Elusive for me, being as they're ever-reliable and I fancied something dark.
Music-wise, we got The Pretenders, A Flock of Seagulls, and Echo & the Bunnymen. The Cure's 'Fascination Street' sounded great. Even Bananarama had me nodding my head in appreciation and I thought I only liked 'Robert DeNiro's Waiting'.
With a comfy seat, some good music, and a tempting beer list, I stuck around for a second. Delving into the keg choices, I avoided the strongest stuff, although a 7% IPA wasn't entirely sensible. This was 'Coastal Highway' a collaboration between Burnt Mill and US brewer Jeff Bagby. A delicious hoppy, sticky, resinous beast of a beer.
Before I was completely derailed by an imperial stout, I bade farewell to the Green Dragon and headed west from the pub, crossing the bridge over the A2.
The pub in this neck-of-the-woods was the 2026 Good Beer Guide entry The British Oak.
And it looks great!
It's a Victoria-era building with a distinctive veranda on the front of it.
Two different ways in which - a rarity - does cause a jeopardy, each leading to a different room with no route between them. I went right to the saloon and never did see the front bar.
Cask ales came from Suffolk - Adnam's 'Ghost Ship'; Sussex - Harveys Best; and County Durham: Maxim 'All English' making the longest journey of all.
A Harvey's 'Sussex Best' for me - on good form here.
This was enjoyed sat at the side of the saloon - a space which seems to have had a recent makeover with some modern pub furniture, but retains wood panels part-way up the walls and old Courage Brewery signs.
Harvey's finished, I retraced my steps to get back to Blackheath village and the underground station. Fifteen minutes until the next train, you say?
This was enjoyed sat at the side of the saloon - a space which seems to have had a recent makeover with some modern pub furniture, but retains wood panels part-way up the walls and old Courage Brewery signs.
Harvey's finished, I retraced my steps to get back to Blackheath village and the underground station. Fifteen minutes until the next train, you say?
I'm lovin' the pub name emblazoned across the frontage - much more so that the 'Pub and Dining' lettering on olive green on the ground floor level. The Railway dates back to the 1800's, has had several identities over the years, including spending some time as the Fairway & Firkin.
What could they offer someone who's missing the on-site Firkin beers and fancies a Dogbolter?
Ah, that'll do! 😋🔺
I'm sure that won't be a problem...
Bass was an added bonus...I really should have caught a later train and sought out that roof terrace.
No comments:
Post a Comment