An afternoon spent in the city of Exeter, in which we visit Brewdog's newest bar, a micro pub and two good beer guide entries.
In a change of fortune the weather was well and truly on our side. Having been January for the past five months, the temperature rose, the sun came out, and folks in t-shirts flocked to the cathedral green and surrounding cafes with outdoor seating.
We made the most of it and enjoyed a short wander around the city centre.
If you look closely at the picture of the Historic Guildhall you can see the football stuck on the first floor ledge.
Possibly the wayward shot from St Jame's Park that cost Exeter City their place in the League 2 play-offs this season.
If you look closely at the picture of the Historic Guildhall you can see the football stuck on the first floor ledge.
Possibly the wayward shot from St Jame's Park that cost Exeter City their place in the League 2 play-offs this season.
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| The Historic Guildhall. The building next door to the left was once the 700 year old Turks Head, which may yet reopen as a pub. |
For our first pub visit, we headed down St Martin's Lane, a passageway between the High Street and Cathedral Green.
Half the lane is taken up by scaffolding as the Royal Clarence Hotel is resurrected following the devastating fire in 2016.
The scaffolding scuppers opportunities to photograph the pub somewhat...
The Ship (1-3 Martins Lane, EX1 1EY - web)
The Ship dates back to the 15th century, a Tudor inn which claims Sir Francis Drake as a one-time customer.
But forget Francis Drake - the Ship once had Sam the Spaniel, the bar-tending dog, who'd look after visitors around the time of the second world war.
Nothing so exciting for us - I suspect humans are better in most aspects at serving customers in pubs, so we had the usual instructions and sign-in, and were asked if we'd be okay with a table upstairs.
Which was fine, except that we had the first floor to ourselves and nobody else was directed up here during our visit. Which made me a bit paranoid.
Socially isolated we may have been, but I did enjoyed my Exeter Brewery 'Avocet' in the Ship.
The Ship dates back to the 15th century, a Tudor inn which claims Sir Francis Drake as a one-time customer.
But forget Francis Drake - the Ship once had Sam the Spaniel, the bar-tending dog, who'd look after visitors around the time of the second world war.
Nothing so exciting for us - I suspect humans are better in most aspects at serving customers in pubs, so we had the usual instructions and sign-in, and were asked if we'd be okay with a table upstairs.
Which was fine, except that we had the first floor to ourselves and nobody else was directed up here during our visit. Which made me a bit paranoid.
Socially isolated we may have been, but I did enjoyed my Exeter Brewery 'Avocet' in the Ship.
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| Everyone else was having great fun downstairs |
We decided to move on from one of the cities oldest pubs to hipster craft beer at the newly opened Exeter Brewdog.
This has a grand location in the colonnaded building at the edge of the Guildhall shopping centre...
Brewdog Exeter (Guildhall, Exeter, EX4 3LN - web)
Wow! They've certainly found themselves a pretty impressive space in Exeter.
Suddenly our little Oxford branch (which would fit into this site ten times over) seems a little inadequate.
Suddenly our little Oxford branch (which would fit into this site ten times over) seems a little inadequate.
Lots of things you'd expect from the chain: a bit of neon lighting, distressed concrete, visible ducts and pipework, long bench seating, big billboard beer list, wings Wednesday...
It seemed to be proving a hit with the Exeter public, with tables quickly filling up whilst we were there.
The beer list offered up all the usual Brewdog suspects, along with a couple of specials and guests.
What to pick? Unsurprisingly the strongest one: a 'Tonkoatko' imperial oat stout from the always dependable Brew York which was quite superb.
It seemed to be proving a hit with the Exeter public, with tables quickly filling up whilst we were there.
The beer list offered up all the usual Brewdog suspects, along with a couple of specials and guests.
What to pick? Unsurprisingly the strongest one: a 'Tonkoatko' imperial oat stout from the always dependable Brew York which was quite superb.
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| Shark infested walls |
Time for another change in style.
We'd done ye olde inn and craft beer - now for a micro...
This was a fair old walk from the city centre, across to the Heavitree area, where the main road is lined with shops, takeaways, a couple of old-school pubs and our destination...
The Pig and Pickle (38a Fore Street, Heavitree, EX1 2QL - fb)
We arrived unfashionably early, loitering around outside as the staff moved chairs around and readied the pub for it's 5pm opening time.
They're probably banished as an authentic micro on account of having an extravagant two WC's, as well as a large bar and serving evil keg beers. But I really liked it - a comfortable, relaxed place with some great beers.
We arrived unfashionably early, loitering around outside as the staff moved chairs around and readied the pub for it's 5pm opening time.
They're probably banished as an authentic micro on account of having an extravagant two WC's, as well as a large bar and serving evil keg beers. But I really liked it - a comfortable, relaxed place with some great beers.
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| Previously a post office, by any chance? |
A chalk-board on the wall advertised available drinks, with one ale and one cider on cask and a wealth of interesting choices on the taps.
I started with the cask 'Liberation Libation', brewed by Crossed Anchors from nearby Exmouth, before moving on to another local on tap - Utopian 'Comrade Beer N.14', a great smoked Maibock.
We made another 15-minute stroll through side streets to reach the Good Beer Guide listed Bowling Green pub, close to the football ground.
The Bowling Green (29-30 Blackboy Road, Exeter, EX4 6ST - web)
This proved to be a pretty spacious L-shaped pub, with further seating out in the back garden which we didn't explore. It was nicely rough around the edges, slightly ramshackle and not spoilt by anyone trying to paint it an olive colour and make it trendy.
In line with the look, the menu dished up good value burgers and pizzas.
In line with the look, the menu dished up good value burgers and pizzas.
The pub dog paid us a visit to look yearningly at our pizza and hope we didn't spot the 'please do not feed me' collar.
Wot no Wetherspoons? Yep, remarkably enough we finished our evening contentedly in the Bowling Green on the Otter 'Amber' and never made it to George's Meeting Place or the Imperial or any of the other pubs that we thought we may try.
I guess the Imperial Stout slowed us down.
Exeter had given us a nice little selection of different venues, several tasty beers and a pizza-coveting Dalmation. What more can I ask for?
Next up Weston Super Mare.
I guess the Imperial Stout slowed us down.
Exeter had given us a nice little selection of different venues, several tasty beers and a pizza-coveting Dalmation. What more can I ask for?
Next up Weston Super Mare.
Ohmigawd. That red four-door (5 if you include the hatchback) auto parked in front of the pub looks almost like my 1987 Chevrolet Sprint. (Its bumpers are too close to its body to be my model.)
ReplyDeleteWas it a General Motors make? I recall in Europe, its makes were either Vauxhaul (U.K.) or Opel (DE.); but the Sprint was made in Japan, and sold in North America as the Chevrolet Sprint in the U.S.A., and the Pontiac Firefly in Canada.