The Greyhound Tidmarsh (& Further Ale Trail Pubs)

Sunshine and unseasonably warm February weather were what greeted us on our fourth excursion on the mission to complete 2019's Reading Ale Trail.
We alighted the train today at Pangbourne.  If I had a little time to spare when passing through on the return journey I figured I could go shopping for cars in the dealerships near the station.

Yep, the green one looks like a nice little run-around and will solve my problems about how to get to The Bell at Waltham St Lawrence in a couple of weeks time.

Walking southwards following the River Pang took us through some thoroughly pleasant countryside.

PUB 15: Greyhound (The Street, Tidmarsh, RG8 8ER - website)
It was around a 1 mile walk to get to Tidmarsh where we soon found our first destination of the day, the Greyhound, a picturesque thatched pub.
The building dates back to the 12th century and has reportedly been a pub since 1625.  We're fortunate that it's still around, with a destructive blaze in February 2005, then firefighters being called back again in 2017 to put out a chimney fire.

If you could all just move your cars for the perfect pub picture, please.

No denying that it's looking glorious in the sunshine today.
The ceiling of the front rooms is not designed for tall customers with a clearance of 5ft 8in and soft cushions attached to the lowest beams to prevent injuries.  This being a Fuller's pub, 'London Pride' appears on the bar alongside Gales 'HSB' and Dark Star 'Partridge'.  With a half of the Dark Star we sat in the front room where a TV had been set up for the Six Nations rugby coverage.  The low-volume commentary of France v Scotland on TV was competing with Elton John and Kiki Dee from the pub speakers.  All things considered and Elton notwithstanding, this was a great little relaxed country pub.

Inside the Greyhound at Tidmarsh

From Tidmarsh we re-traced our steps back to Pangbourne and caught a train to Reading. And from there it was a bus ride out to Woodley. 

PUB 16: Good Companions (194 Loddon Bridge Road, Woodley, RG5 4AG)
I'd imagine that this is the pub that would have raised the most eyebrows when the selection of 24 chosen for the Ale Trail was unveiled.  
An estate pub?  In Woodley?  Serving Greene King IPA?

We arrived with impeccable bad timing, as the lone barman suddenly became engulfed with customers arriving ahead of Wales versus England rugby excitement.
I'll be fair to the barman, it may not have been service with a smile, but he served everyone efficiently in the right order and didn't let the onslaught of punters phase him.
Ho hum...GK IPA, Abbot or Rev.James on the hand pumps.  All my favourites...
The Good Companions essentially does the job an estate pub should be doing - it has a local following, big screen TVs for sport, a pool table and pub grub.  It's not going to turn out to be my favourite pub of the Trail, but I'm the first to bemoan huge housing estates without a pub, so wish it a continuing success.


From here, back through town and out west to....

PUB 17: Forester's Arms (79-81 Brusnwick Street, Reading, RG1 6NY)
There's a big 'To Let' board attached to the Brewers Tudor frontage of the Forester's Arms.  With this being a regular in the Good Beer Guide and listed for it's heritage interior, I do hope that they can get the right tenants to take this pub on.

Today the front room is busy with folks just returned from the football and moaning about something the referee did or didn't do, with rugby action on the TV.  We retreat down the side corridor into the quieter back room.  This is a bare-bones pub room, with darts board, pool table and a scattering of dumpy stools to sit on.
The Forester's sticks to serving just two beers with the choice today being Timothy Taylor's 'Boltmaker' or Fuller's 'Swing Low'. 
Why oh why do I keep picking these rugby beers? Not a contender for beer-of-the-day this one.

PUB 18: The Butler (85-91 Chatham Street, Reading, RG1 7DS)
As per the Forester's, I've covered the Butler and the nearby Nags Head on this blog in a recent post.

Their beer mats advertise that they're part of Timothy Taylor's "Champions Cl
ub", so I guess a 'Landlord' may have been the right choice on the bar. But instead I went with an Andwell 'King John' in the search for something darker.

We settled into the big armchairs in the quiet side room of the Butler. Then struggled to get out of them again....four pubs in and we're worn out.

PUB 19: Nag's Head (5 Russell Street, Reading, RG1 7XD)

Somewhere that all Ale-Trailers will undoubtedly be very familiar with. Busy, with a great selection of beers to cater for all tastes.  Need I say more?  Nope, not today.

PUB 20: Castle Tap (120 Castle Street, Reading, RG1 7RJ)
The Castle Tap was celebrating its 4th birthday this weekend, with the 'books 'n board games' corner set up as a stage for some live music.  This is a pub that I've often called into, although generally of an afternoon so I've never seen it anywhere near this busy. 
We squeezed into a corner as best as possible and watched some chap with a guitar swear a lot.
The beer selection may not be as extensive as at the Nags, but it's always damn fine, with craft keg lines and five cask ales on offer.  Finally I was onto the dark stuff with a pint of Wander Beyond Brewery 'Great Rift', a pleasant 6% milk stout.
We stayed for another whilst a country-rock Ramones cover-band took over from sweary bloke.

The Castle Tap in Fourth Birthday Party Swing

And that's another chunk of the Ale Trail complete - four left on the final leg to be tackled sometime in March.  Cheers!