This time we made our way to New Mills Newtown, the scond station in the High Peaks hotspot, which is handy for the Swizzels factory, but a bit of trek to the bits of town you really want to be in.
The last time I was in New Mills was on a grey day in January 2022 when I grumbled that I'd wanted to see the Millenium walkway and Torrs with a blue sky background.
We had blue sky this time. Crikey, a bit of cloud cover would have been nice.
We had blue sky this time. Crikey, a bit of cloud cover would have been nice.
Tucked 40 meters below the town in the Torrs is the old cotton mill which was built in the 1780's by Daniel Stafford. It's been restored and now contains an events space and preserved trad machinery which visitors can occasionally see in action. There's also an artisan cheese shop. Cheese wasn't going to survive the day in the backpack in 30°+ heat, so we headed straight to the beer bar.
Torr Vale Tap (Torr Vale Road, New Mills, SK22 3HS)
This was previously a bar called the Shrub Club, which changed hands in 2023, rebranding itself as a tap house and eatery in a characterful corner of the mill.
There were two handpumps but neither were in action, leaving us with a keg selection from local heavy-hitters Torrside Brewing and an Ossett interloper.
The Pride of the Peaks (59 Market Street, New Mills, SK22 4AA)
This pub was built around 1865 at the same time as the New Mills Central station opened and deposited thirsty travellers at this end of Market Street. Originally it was called The Railway, a name it kept until 1979 when the owners figured it needed a name change to go with a modernisation and refurb. A Mr Mick Patterson won £10 for coming up with The Peaks, changed some years later to Pride of the Peaks.
I hate to break it to them - there's a lot of lovely pubs in the Peak District and this one isn't the pride of the region.
Beer Shed (47B Market Street, New Mills, SK22 4AA)
The Beer Shed opened in November 2016 in a former shop unit. A very narrow shop unit...
Dove Holes, a village with around 1,200 residents, is 3-miles and about 5-minutes on the train from Buxton. It's the home of the mountain rescue team, one pub, a neotlithic earthwork, a cricket club and not a lot else.
This was previously a bar called the Shrub Club, which changed hands in 2023, rebranding itself as a tap house and eatery in a characterful corner of the mill.
There were two handpumps but neither were in action, leaving us with a keg selection from local heavy-hitters Torrside Brewing and an Ossett interloper.
Mrs PropUptheBar was happy enough with the Szechuan pepper enhanced 'Torr Vale Pale' for a second one to be required alarmingly quickly.
I opted for the 'Callista', a 4.5% single hop pale, although I'm not sure this German hop is my favourite. The 'I'm Spartacus', billed on the pump clip as the "inevitable US IPA" was much more to my taste.
We enjoyed a slow afternoon in New Mills, the hot weather and a tired dog putting paid to any walks longer than the stroll up and down the Goyt.
We loitered in the lovely High Lea Park until the clock ticked 4pm and the micro pub would be open.
Or should be.
There seemed to be someone pottering around inside, but the door was locked, the closed sign was on display, another fella trying the door and walking away. No-one paid any heed to the oddbods peering in the window.
The micropub perogative of unbolting the door when you're ready rather than at the advertised time.
Instead, we ambled along the road to the Pride of the Peaks...
We loitered in the lovely High Lea Park until the clock ticked 4pm and the micro pub would be open.
Or should be.
There seemed to be someone pottering around inside, but the door was locked, the closed sign was on display, another fella trying the door and walking away. No-one paid any heed to the oddbods peering in the window.
The micropub perogative of unbolting the door when you're ready rather than at the advertised time.
Instead, we ambled along the road to the Pride of the Peaks...
This pub was built around 1865 at the same time as the New Mills Central station opened and deposited thirsty travellers at this end of Market Street. Originally it was called The Railway, a name it kept until 1979 when the owners figured it needed a name change to go with a modernisation and refurb. A Mr Mick Patterson won £10 for coming up with The Peaks, changed some years later to Pride of the Peaks.
I hate to break it to them - there's a lot of lovely pubs in the Peak District and this one isn't the pride of the region.
Timothy Taylor 'Boltmaker' was the sole cask on offer, served with a smile by a lovely lady.
The beer wasn't lovely though - right on the edge of drinkable, but as there was nothing to switch it for I persevered.
We sat on big sofas in the far corner of the L-shaped layout, near the DJ booth which suggested this would be much livelier on a weekend evening.
I didn't rate the decorations....
The beer wasn't lovely though - right on the edge of drinkable, but as there was nothing to switch it for I persevered.
We sat on big sofas in the far corner of the L-shaped layout, near the DJ booth which suggested this would be much livelier on a weekend evening.
I didn't rate the decorations....
Let's go back to the Beer Shed and see if they've opened and if they can do wall-mounted decorations any better.
Yes it was and yes they can...
Yes it was and yes they can...
Back in 2022, fans of drinking in small places could enjoy the Rock Mill brewery tap room (now sadly closed) on its unusual opening days of Monday and Tuesday, then patronise the Beer Shed when that opened from Wednesday to Sunday.
So on our previous visit we enjoyed the brewery but missed out on the micro. It's taken us four years to return to get this tick, so I'm glad they eventually unlocked the door.
So on our previous visit we enjoyed the brewery but missed out on the micro. It's taken us four years to return to get this tick, so I'm glad they eventually unlocked the door.
The Beer Shed opened in November 2016 in a former shop unit. A very narrow shop unit...
There is some more conventional seating in a seperate area on a lower floor, but sticking around the bar you'll find some exceptionally small tables that you wouldn't want to order a pizza to.
There were plenty of interesting options on keg plus three cask ales from Big Trip, Thornbridge and Eyam.
There were plenty of interesting options on keg plus three cask ales from Big Trip, Thornbridge and Eyam.
A Big Trip 'Fozzie' for me - just as pale and murky and hoppy as you knew it would be.
Drinking up at the Beer Shed, we walked back along the road to the New Mills Newtown station and caught the next Buxton-bound train.
Alighting this time in Dove Holes.
Mrs PropUptheBar skipped the walk to the neolithic earthwork and grabbed a pint and a seat in the pub.
I was going to tell her it was amazing, better than Avebury: but my photograph suggests she didn't miss much
The Queens Hotel (Dove Holes, Buxton SK17 8BJ)
The CAMRA website entry suggested Bass was the regular beer, so it was disappointing to see the hand pump serving an ale from Macclesfield's Storm Brewing.
The landlord confirmed they hadn't had Bass for about a year-and-a-half, being as only one fella drank it. From what he was telling me, I had the impression that the Storm beers keep better rather than sell better, which isn't great.
...and a modernised dining room to the left of the bar.
I was rather fond of the signage to the toilets and the opportunity to browse the bookshelf should they prove to be particularly busy.
Shame they didn't have Bass, but I'm still glad we got this pub tick a little off the beaten track.
There's a bit of an evening gap in the trains from Dove Holes, so we kept an eye on the time and ensured we were back on the platform in time for the next service to Buxton.
Once we reached there, we headed for two bars on Cavandish Circus right next door to one another...
Beer & Bean (8 Cavendish Circus, Buxton SK17 6AT)
This is very much the cafe/bar, specialising as much in coffee and waffles as beer.
As far as well-known European brews go though, there are some good'uns on a stylish beer menu, black & white pictures of the building in a lesser state of repair beneath it.
I picked the Belfast-brewed Bullhouse 'Road Trippin'', a fruity 4% extra pale ale. A refreshing beer washing down a bite to eat.
Straight out one door and into the next, we bowled into the much more beer-orientated micro pub.
Frog on the Bine (9 Cavendish Circus, Buxton SK17 6AT).
Opened in 2024, seating is set over two floors in this tidy little bar. Just three or four other customers - obviously regulars - as we approached their early closing hour.
Mrs PropUptthe Bar was delighted to get a new Vault City concoction here and keen to rebuff my insistence that they all tasted the same.
Just the one cask ale available: 'Midas', a golden ale brewed by Sunderland's North Pier brewery. A decent pint, just a little on the warm side.
But the local signage knew perfectly well what effect that would have on me...
I was going to tell her it was amazing, better than Avebury: but my photograph suggests she didn't miss much
An aerial view would do it more justice.
Known as the Bullring, this late neolithic henge measures around 90 meters in dimension. It would almost certinaly be better known if it still had a stone circle, but any stones were removed for farming and building many years ago.
Breif antiquarian sight-seeing done, I joined the Mrs PropUptheBar in the village's remaining open pub...
Known as the Bullring, this late neolithic henge measures around 90 meters in dimension. It would almost certinaly be better known if it still had a stone circle, but any stones were removed for farming and building many years ago.
Breif antiquarian sight-seeing done, I joined the Mrs PropUptheBar in the village's remaining open pub...
The CAMRA website entry suggested Bass was the regular beer, so it was disappointing to see the hand pump serving an ale from Macclesfield's Storm Brewing.
The landlord confirmed they hadn't had Bass for about a year-and-a-half, being as only one fella drank it. From what he was telling me, I had the impression that the Storm beers keep better rather than sell better, which isn't great.
Yet I've no complaints about the 3.9% amber 'Desert Storm'.
The Queens is a nice village local with three rooms leading off a central servery: pool table in the front room where all the Wednesday evening custom had gravitated; trad lounge to the side...
The Queens is a nice village local with three rooms leading off a central servery: pool table in the front room where all the Wednesday evening custom had gravitated; trad lounge to the side...
I was rather fond of the signage to the toilets and the opportunity to browse the bookshelf should they prove to be particularly busy.
Once we reached there, we headed for two bars on Cavandish Circus right next door to one another...
This is very much the cafe/bar, specialising as much in coffee and waffles as beer.
As far as well-known European brews go though, there are some good'uns on a stylish beer menu, black & white pictures of the building in a lesser state of repair beneath it.
Frog on the Bine (9 Cavendish Circus, Buxton SK17 6AT).
Opened in 2024, seating is set over two floors in this tidy little bar. Just three or four other customers - obviously regulars - as we approached their early closing hour.
Just the one cask ale available: 'Midas', a golden ale brewed by Sunderland's North Pier brewery. A decent pint, just a little on the warm side.
I kept glancing at the beer list and that Rivington/Sudden Death 8% double IPA collaboration.
That proved to be our last port of call in Buxton.
Next up: Chesterfield.
"Why are you going there?" asked the neighbour in our holiday let as we packed the car.
Because they've got a LOT of pubs.
Next up: Chesterfield.
"Why are you going there?" asked the neighbour in our holiday let as we packed the car.
Because they've got a LOT of pubs.
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