Falmouth Pub Crawl

In which we set out to visit the seven current Good Beer Guide pubs of Falmouth, with Heritage, hills, Bass and Cornish pasties on the agenda.

First up, the handy early opener, situated next to a harbour which even the grey skies weren't going to stop looking picturesque.

‘front (Custom House Quay, Falmouth, TR11 3JT)

This was one of the late great Alan Winfield's top 5 pubs.  So I was raising my first glass of Atlantic stout to Alan, even though he'd be frowning at my list of 7 pubs for the day and wondering where the other 17 on the crawl were.

'front is located in a single cellar-style room, attention from the entrance distracted somewhat by the dominant Fish & Chip shop signage.  Under the vaulted ceiling was a long bar, tables along one side of the room, a comfy sofa corner and a space for live music with instruments hung from the wall.
Real ale ruled, with a long run of hand pumps dispensing a range of different styles from boring brown bitters to pale ales and sea salt stouts.

The background music veered the right way for me here, moving from TLC to a second airing in two days of No Doubt, then to Hendrix and some cracking 60's psych guitar.

Draining our the glasses at 'front, it was time to tackle our first hill of the day.
Quay Hill led us to the Oddfellows Arms...

Oddfellow’s Arms (Quay Hill, Famouth, TR11 3HA)

They may have opened at noon, but I don't think the landlady expected anyone to be ambitiously climbing the hill and visiting the pub right on the dot of opening.  She was sat at a table to the side with the newspaper laid out and the volume of the music cranked up.
"I'll turn that down", she said as she came to serve us.  No don't - it was as good as pub soundtracks get, featuring Martha & the Muffins, The Beat, and Elvis Costello.

This was a tiny place, with a basic trad front bar and a room to the back dominated by a pool table.  
Beers on the bar were a Padstow Brewing Co 'May Day' (which I would usually have chosen, except I couldn't abide with the seasonal discrepancy), and two from Sharp's: 'Atlantic and 'Special'.

I picked the Special, without realising it's the same thing as 'Sea Fury'.  Doh.

Traditionally I deduct a ½ point  on my imaginary pub-scoring system for anywhere that has one of those 'beer, helping ugly people to have sex since 1862' signs.
Cripes, how many points do I have to take off the Oddfellows after a trip to the WC?...

Okay.
Let's do the classic.

Seven Stars (The Moor, Falmouth, TR11 3QA)
This Victorian pub has been run by the same family since 1868, with local clergyman Rev Barrington Bennetts serving behind the counter for fifty years until his death in 2011.  I wonder if he poured my beers when I first visited, fresh-faced and oblivious to just how good the pub was 20-or-so years ago.

It's fantastically unspoilt.  Stepping into the bar is like stepping through a time warp as long as you don't pay attention to how much you're being charged for the beer.  A narrow room, with the counter taking up the whole of one side, bench seating by the windows and a couple of tables by the fireplace at the end.

There was a superb beer selection listed on a small blackboard propped on the bar next to the boxed cider.  Two stouts and a mild: Sharp's 'Nut your average', Padstow 'Pilot', and Treen 'Cloud Cuckoo' mild. 
But...y'know...Bass...

As it was still early doors, mid-week, there was just the old boy and his dog at the far end of the room, with a couple more locals making their way in while we there.  
The chap behind the bar overheard our conversation as we planned what order to tackle the rest of the pubs in (yes, this stuff is planned!).  He was most enthusiastic about the Seaview Inn, telling us they had Penzance 'Potion No.9' on - the best beer in Cornwall, he claimed.

Leaving the Seven Stars we called into the award-winning Cornish pasty shop...

 

Three of the seven pubs down, the next one was a bit of an oddity, as you'll see from the two non-conventional pub pictures below...

 

Beerwolf Books (3-4 Bells Court, Falmouth, TR11 3AZ)
This was previously the Falmouth Working Men's Club, hidden up an alleyway from busy Market Street.  It was opened in it's current bookshop/beer bar incarnation at the end of 2012.

Heading up the stairs we were confronted by table tennis action to one side of the open-plan room, the bar to the other side, and a section in the corner containing the bookshelves.

I'm not entirely sure I liked it, but it was the busiest place we visited all day and seemed to have found a winning formula.  There were family groups, people trying to play table tennis with babes in arms, young hipster coffee drinkers, and surf dude types with pints of beer.

With several cask ales from Penzance Brewery I picked the ‘Crows-an-Wra’, a crisp golden ale, whilst Mrs PropUptheBeer made a bolder choice, opting for the Weird Beard 'Ryeclops Rising' 8.5% imperial stout.  

Our next destination was a climb up the hill again to the Seaview Inn.
Only to discover we hadn't checked the opening times properly and it was a late-afternoon opener.
We marched up to the top of the hill, then we marched back down again...to the Moth & Moon, close to the bus stops, Spoons and the Seven Stars.

Moth & The Moon (31 Killigrew Street, Falmouth, TR11 3PW)
This proved to be a modernised terrace pub which was probably much more rough 'n' ready when it used to be the Mason’s Arms.
There's still a feel of the cocktail bar that it first reinvented itself as when the name changed. 
The blackboard next to the bar advertises £9 espresso martini's, the lighting was dim, night lights were on the tables, and the soundtrack was easy-listening jazz.  Not really the kind of place I could warm to, despite the Atlantic 'Winter Red' being in good condition.
The micro first floor outdoor smokers table was an unusual feature though...

Right, let's try the Seaview Inn again...
Trust the one pub that we had to go back and forth to a couple of times to be furthest up the hill.  This is Jacobs Ladder, which we became quite familiar with...

And this is the Seaview Inn, still not open when we made it back for the second time...

Seaview Inn (Wodehouse Terrace, Falmouth, TR11 3EP - web)
We could see the landlord sitting inside doing his crossword and obviously determined not to unbolt the door a minute early.  A group of four lads and a solitary dog walker joined us to loiter outside the pub - all of whom got served before me, as was completely expected.

On the earlier recommendation of the landlord from the Seven Stars, I ordered the Penzance ‘Potion No.9' and decided it was nice enough, but probably not the best beer in Cornwall.

The Seaview Inn is a sizable place, all open plan allowing you to do a whole circle, round the back past a servery, into a section with a pool table and back to the front of the bar where you started.  Pretty much every table had a sign on saying who it was reserved for later, suggesting that this is somewhere which gets busy of an evening.

 

We just had the one pub left, although it did involve navigating those steps once more and trudging uphill again to reach the Boathouse.
It may have been dusk on a grey day, but I could still appreciate the great views up here across the water...

The Boathouse (Trevethan Hill, Falmouth, TR11 2AG - web)
I really liked this multi-roomed two-level pub.
Plenty of outdoor terrace seating on the ground floor, whilst the bar itself is up a flight of stairs.  Separate rooms lead off this, with large windows making the most of the elevated location and wonderful vista.

There seemed to be a hefty amount of table reservations for later in the evening, at which point I'd probably grumble about the place, but with a side room to ourselves and a gorgeous pint of Treen’s ‘Sunbeam’, this was a fine end to the Falmouth pub crawl.

Truro Pub Explorations

Our winter travels took us into Cornwall and to the counties sole city, Truro.
It's billed by the local tourist board as "our great little city", with a population of just over 20,000 and 16 pubs, if I'm counting right.
And it offered sensibly priced accommodation. Further south-west there were some very ambitious hotel room rates where they've scrapped the concept of off-season bargains for folk like us who come down to Cornwall in the pouring rain.

No Poldark tourist trail in Truro for Mrs PropUptheBar after she discovered that the producers used Frome for the TV show instead.
"To the pub!" she demanded, not keen on traipsing around getting wet when we could be settled in a cosy hostelry.  First stop: the Old Ale House...

Old Ale House (7 Quay Street, Truro, TR1 2H - web)
I wasn't sure that we were going to find this open being as it's the brewery tap for Skinner's who were in administration at the time of our visit.
They were founded in 1997, with 'Cornish Knocker' and 'Betty Stogs' beers finding their way around the country, the brewery moving to bigger premises, and the Ale House being brought under their wing as a tap in 2008.
It was announced at the beginning of October that Skinner's was going into administration, although the pub wasn't affected as it is not owned directly by the brewery.

It's the kind of pub I really like, taking me back to the olde ale houses and brewpubs that used to be my faves in the 90's.  Scruffy round the edges, low beams, moodily lit, and wooden floors scattered with monkey nut shells.

I didn't go straight in for the Bass, perhaps put off by the make-shift laminated pump clip, or perhaps still content with the pint I'd had earlier in the day in Bodmin's Hole in the Wall.
I started on the local 'Lowen' from St Ives...

Then returned to the bar for a lovely 'Betty Stogs', being as there was no guarantee if I'd ever see it again.
And then went for the Bass (on fair to middling form).

Skinner's now appear to have found a buyer, so hopefully that won't be my final pint of Betty Stogs and this won't be a brewery that disappears without a trace.

Staying for three beers in one pub is almost unheard of on Prop Up the Bar, with my itchy feet wondering what we're missing around the corner.
Eventually the rain seemed to have eased, so we moved on and made a short stroll to the White Hart...

White Hart (25 New Bridge Street, Truro, TR1 2AA)
This was a great basic little city centre boozer in a city centre that has lost most of its pubs over the years.
There's a step down through the front door, hence the windows and hanging baskets at pavement level.  Inside the locals were spaced out on stools along the bar, or sat amongst shopping bags on the tables at the side.
  

Fullers ‘London Pride’ or Greene King 'Abbot' on the hand pumps may not be an especially exotic choice, but the Pride was in wonderful condition - beer of the day.

I was invited to join a pub quiz team later in the week on the basis that I could answer the folks at the next table when they asked who the singer of No Doubt was.  (They would have been disappointed when they found out how much I don't know).
'Don't Speak' (do any other No Doubt songs get an airing?) played in the background, Harlequins beat Northampton on the TV, and the early evening seemed pretty fine in the White Hart.

We should have just stayed there for another pint, but instead set out clambering up a hill in the drizzle to claim a second Beer Guide tick.

The Rising Sun (Mitchell Hill, Truro, TR1 1ED - web)
Hmmmmm.
"Frequented by local drinkers although there is a substantial food offering" says What Pub.  It certainly was substantial, with tables in the larger back room fully set up with serviettes and wine glasses.
Dreadful leather-cushioned chunky stools lined the bar with no gaps between them preventing me actually getting to the counter.
Foodie awards hung on display and random cook books sat on ledges.

Just look at the horrors of our table, the last available in the non-dining front room...

The redemption was that my pint of Sharps 'Sea Fury' was in good condition, and we were next to the crackling fire to warm us up and dry the wet coats.

We could have pushed the boat out and stayed for the award-winning food.
But we didn't - we went to Wetherspoon's instead...

Try Dowr (Lemon Quay, Truro, TR1 2LW - web)
This is located on an open space where you'll find one end of the Pannier market, the bus station, and the inevitable elaborate festive German sausage stall.
Truro's JDW opened in 2006 in a building that previously housed local newspaper offices, so it's not the most characterful of pub conversions - just a long room with a good carpet...

I made hard work of a pint of Nottingham Brewery ‘Rose’s Oatmeal Stout’, which was the indicator that it was time to call it a night and head back to our hotel.

Also of note is the Red Elephant Beer Cellar, located in a Georgian building right next door to the cathedral.  We ended up in this craft bar and bottle shop the following evening, sipping sours and imperial stouts on precarious high stools.

Well worth popping into for crafty murk if you're in the neighbourhood, but visit the Old Ale House first, where hopefully they'll be serving up Skinner's beers for years to come.

Finding Bass on the Rame Peninsula

In which we nip across into Cornwall from Plymouth, enjoying some glorious scenery, pretty villages, several whitewashed pubs, and a fine pint of Bass.

It's just a few days since Brapa wrote up an almost identical route around the Rame peninsula.  Bah!
So here I am just copying....a Brapa tribute act - like an Ozzy Osbourne tribute that refuses to play Mr Crowley and doesn't bite the heads off bats.

Our day began with a hop aboard the Cremyll ferry from a small jetty on Stonehouse.  £2 buys you 8 water-bound minutes, landing by the 'Welcome to Cornwall' sign in front of the Edgecumbe Arms.
(Too early for a pint?...'fraid so)

Close to the ferry landing is the entrance to Edgecumbe House, a stately home which sits above a grassy slope between rows of trees.
The coastal path took us past the Orangery and Italian Gardens, before following gentle hilly tracks through the estate's country park.

A couple of miles of pleasant walking later, the twin villages of Kingsand and Cawsand came into view.

We dropped down through the narrow streets into the village and to the wonderful little beach. With the layout of the town, the glorious sunshine, and folks paddle boarding and swimming in the clear, still, sea, we could have been somewhere on the Adriatic.
Safe to say I was won over.

The Devonport Inn has a prime location facing the beach.
We'd obviously walked too fast, as we'd arrived here at 10:45, but were happy to see it was an 11am opener.

The Devonport Inn (The Cleave, Kingsand, PL10 1NF - web)
The staff unlocked the door, then carefully chalked up the high tide times on the blackboard to the side of it.  We tentatively wandered in, first customers of the day.

It was actually pretty plain within, devoid of seafaring clutter or other such distractions.  Just a no-nonsense pub in a cracking seafront spot.

I opted for a St Austell 'Tribute' (the other cask ale being Dartmoor 'Legend').
Before long a regular had taken his spot at the bar, probably benefiting from having the second pint of Tribute poured today.

Then the tourists began to arrive, bagging their tables early for 12noon food service.  We drank up and left them to it, as we set about exploring the streets of the village a little more.

This is actually two places merged into one - at some point you cross into Cawsand which has it's own little beach on which ferries from Plymouth Barbican pull up several times a day.
Until 1844 the Devon-Cornwall border was located between the two villages.

We stopped in the Stores and procured the BEST CORNISH PASTY of the week, before popping into the Halfway House for a swift beverage. 

Signage overkill?  Triple A-Board action

The Halfway House Inn (Fore Street, Kingsand, PL10 1NA)
They served a reasonable 'Proper Job', with other options being the familiar Doom Bar, Landlord and Jail Ale.

Just a short visit, knocking back a half with no ceremony, as the buses only pass by on the main road once an hour.
The bus took us along the spectacular coastal road, high above the beaches of Whitsand Bay.  I briefly wondered why I was prancing around visiting pubs in this hot weather when the golden sands looked so enticing. 
Then remembered I get restless sitting on a beach in 15-minutes, sunburned in 10.

As the bus turned inland, having squeezed past numerous camper vans on the narrow road, we pressed the button and hopped out at Antony.
There's a pub handily by the bus stop...

The Carew Arms (Antony Hill, Antony, PL11 3AB - web)
Apparently this pub spent a fair few years closed, until it was rescued and refurbished in 2016.  So no surprise to see a big specials board above the fireplace, golf on the TV, pastel shades and everything looking very bright and airy.  But at least it's open.
Real ales on offer were the familiar culprits: Tribute and Jail Ale, alongside a Sharps 'Atlantic', which I ordered as at least it was something I'd not had in the past few days.

The Carew Arms hadn't been an intended pub visit, but we were well ahead of schedule today and too early for the nearby Beer Guide pub which didn't open until 2pm.
To get to this, we made a fifteen minute walk down a quiet country lane to the village of St John, where not a soul did stir.
You're off the beaten track here, in the realms beyond the knowledge of Sat Nav...

Sat Nav 0 Good Old Fashioned Signage 1

We were still too early, but walked to the St John Inn anyway to snap a picture then rest up on the bench out front, hoping nothing was amiss with the advertised opening time.

St John Inn (St John, PL11 3AW - web)
All was well: the door was unbolted 5-minutes early, a dog barked at us, and a cheery landlord ushered us inside.
Right, what to drink...?

This is another pub that spent several recent years closed, despite a history dating back to the 16th century.  It was re-opened in 2017, included a small community shop in the outbuilding in the car park, and a marquee in the garden hosting a range of events - the Wreckers Morris men would be on later if we cared to hang around for 6 hours.

The pub is a bit of a classic, lots of old wooden furniture, traditional pub stools, low beams adorned with horse brasses, and a red tiled floor.
And proper outdoor loos...

The landlord was happy to chat about the pub and pass on some other recommendations.  He was proud of the Bass, asking if I'd known beforehand that it was going to be on (yes, a man with a cauliflower promoted it on Twitter!).

This was in stark contrast to the other pubs visited earlier - a lived-in, characterful, cosy pub.  It almost felt wrong to be here with sunshine beaming in the windows, as I'm sure it would be idyllic to settle here next to the fire in colder months.

Four Cornish pubs, a pasty, Bass and a bit of the SW coast path walked.
That's a successful day trip in my book.

We hiked along Trevol Lane, aiming to pick up the bus to Plymouth via the Torpoint ferry.   Still plenty of the day left for further exploration of the city, which is where I'll pick up in the next post.