Evesham - Ferry Across the Avon

Cotswolds Line Pub Explorations - Part 4.

Evesham looked promising for pubs, and I spotted that it was possible to make a short trip out of the town to a village with a Good Beer Guide listed hostelry at Elmley Castle.

But best of all, no need to wait for 12 noon opening, 'cos they've got a 'Spoons!

Old Swanne Inne (66 High Street, Evesham, WR11 4HG)

The dubious spelling of 'swan' is down to the Wetherspoon folk going back through the history books and reverting to the name of a 16th century inn on this site.  
A fine pint of Oakham 'Citra' accompanied my veggie breakfast - a good start to the day.

With a little time to spare, I ambled through the streets of Evesham, looking for the sights.

 

The town was founded around the 8th century abbey, which was once one of the largest in the country, until Henry III came along.
The abbey park, leading down to the River Avon is a nice spot to relax, whilst the handful of buildings between the market square and church yard are full of historic charm.

To get to the village of Elmley Castle to tick off the GBG pub located there, I hopped aboard a local bus.
This was the kind of village hopper where the driver knows everyone by name.
"Going to the Queen Elizabeth, are you?" he asked, when I checked the bus went to Elmley Castle.  Crikey, everyone knows what I'm up to.
Handily, the bus stops right outside the pub, just after midday.

Queen Elizabeth (Main Street, Elmley Castle, WR10 3HS - web)

Located in the heart of the village, the Queen Elizabeth is now community owned, with 26 local residents having clubbed together to save it from closure.
Their website boasts a string of accolades, from being in the Beer Guide, to winning a Worcestershire certificate of excellence and being Evesham Journal's pub of the year.

It's success probably comes from being a bit of everything for everyone - part restaurant, cafe and pub with a good range of local ales.
I initially sat inside, but found myself alone by the bar where I felt I was intruding, ear-wigging the bar staff conversation about weddings during pandemics.  So I took my pint of golden ale from the local Hop Shed Brewery out into the back yard.

With buses being infrequent, I'd decided to walk back across footpaths from Elmley Castle to Evesham.
Reaching Hampton, I followed a trail along the banks of the River Avon which led me to the Hampton Ferry.  This crossing dates back to the 13th century when monks established it to travel between the abbey and a vineyard.
It's a chain link ferry, meaning a young man has to raise a chain and manually pull the ferry across the river, in exchange for some coins in his collection box.

Now on the right side of the river, it was just a 5-minute walk up Boat Lane to the next planned pub.  

The Trumpet (13 Merstow Green, Evesham, WR11 4BD - web)

A Hook Norton pub, this was a trad, two-roomed boozer.
I should have just gone for the 'Hooky' which the chap before me had.  But, ever the tragic ticker, I opted for the commemorative brew 'VJ75', a red ale which wasn't on the best form and wouldn't have been my favorite even if it had been.
 

I sat in the front room, with an enormous TV showing the golf and a poptastic soundtrack.
Ahh...Rory McIllroy and Katie Perry...

Lovin' those coasters!

Just a few steps around the corner from the Trumpet is the olde-worlde looking Olde Red Horse.

Olde Red Horse (17 Vine Street, Evesham, WR11 4RE)

Possibly the oldest pub in town, this 15th century timber-framed coaching inn is a listed building and full of character.
Stepping into a wonderful corridor that runs through the centre of the inn, there are rooms leading either way from this.  I settled in a window seat in the bar, hops hanging from the beams on the ceiling; the rustic feel scuppered a little by the fruit machine.

 

I don't recall what the choice of ales was, except that I picked the one from a brewery I'd never heard of - the Bakehouse Brewery 'James's Spaniel'.
Absolute Radio provided a soundtrack of reasonable indie music, that is until the inevitable Mumford & Sons track came on.

Always leave when Mumford & Sons come on.

This left me with one final pub to visit in the town.
(I would have liked to have called in to the BCM craft ale bar, but they had limited opening and were shut on the day I visited).

I'd left the 2020 Good Beer Guide entry until last...

Red Lion (6 Market Place, Evesham, WR11 4RE)

This looks every bit the old traditional pub, so it's a surprise to read that it's only been open since 2014.  That said, it was a public house from 1728 to 1910,  so great to see it back to that use again.

 

The Red Lion is marvelously basic - no TV's or food to distract - just a simple wet-led pub, with three characterful drinking areas and a couple of benches outside on the market square.
Unusual brews on the bar from Cannon Royall and White Rabbit Breweries, who both share a site at (my next stop) Honeybourne.

I tried the Cannon Royall 'Arrowhead Bitter', then couldn't resist finishing on the 7.3% White Rabbit 'Old Bertram' stout.
Both fine, both a little bit home-brewy, but I was more than happy with that.

I arrived in Evesham having never visited before, and was pleasantly surprised by the town, thoroughly enjoying the pubs I'd chosen today.
Not so much choice at the next station stop, Honeybourne, coming up soon.