Farnborough is famous for it's airshow, Camberley is famous for it's military history and concrete lion, Frimley is famous for...erm...Johnny Wilkinson?
First up, Farnborough - one change at Reading on my route from Oxford to the Hampshire town's North station. Frustratingly, it was too early for the nearby Prince of Wales pub, so I strode down Rectory Road and into elegant tree-lined avenues to the west of the centre. Roads which seemed to be exclusively used for driving lessons on a midweek lunchtime.
The Goat in the Garden is somewhere I've wanted to visit for a while now.
If only I could find it.
Behind there somewhere...
Through the car park of Melford House, then round the back on a path between the kitchen and garage that feels like it's taking you into someone's utility room rather than to a Good Beer Guide tick.
But there it is...
But there it is...
This didn't feel like somewhere that would open at midday, so even with the gaffer pottering around with a cup of coffee in his hand, I still slid the door open tentatively and asked "are you really open?"
He was a lovely chatty fella, giving me the lowdown on what times the regulars tended to come in and quizzing me about what had brought me from Oxford and where else I was heading.
There were three cask ales to pick from. Church End from Nuneaton, Skinners from Truro, Stardust from just over the border in Berkshire, their 'Zestar' brewed in collaboration with Oxford's own Grapes and Oranges and Lemons pubs.
The décor is musical instrument, breweriana, aviation and goat themed.
"I can put some music on, if you'd like," the gaffer told me, "Just let me know what you like to listen to, or if you prefer the quiet, no problem." I kinda would have liked some music to break the silence, but couldn't handle the pressure of having to pick.
Asking for Sunn O))) or Psychedelic Porn Crumpets would be almost as weird as selecting the throne in the corner, out of all the seats to sit on.
Asking for Sunn O))) or Psychedelic Porn Crumpets would be almost as weird as selecting the throne in the corner, out of all the seats to sit on.
So, a very quiet visit to a pub in a garden that I'm pleased to have eventually made it to.
A short walk took me onto the main roads and into the commercial hub of Farnborough.
"Uninspiring" appeared to be the word most frequently used in descriptions of the town centre.
A short walk took me onto the main roads and into the commercial hub of Farnborough.
"Uninspiring" appeared to be the word most frequently used in descriptions of the town centre.
It looked a little bit like Wetherspoon's was the big draw on this day - lots of custom of all different ages and only a handful of empty tables.
Opened in 2011, I knew not to expect an architectural gem beneath the Travelodge, although it was comfortable enough, decorations including an airplane propeller at one end, which is something a bit different.
It's named after Beatrice 'Tilly' Shilling, who was an engineering whizz and improved the performance of WWII planes whilst based at the nearby RAF base.
I picked a cider on this occasion, being as they had some unusual options in boxes in the fridges. What harm can mixing a 5-point-something percent dry cider from Purbeck with all the rest of the day's beer do? We'll see later.
Interesting lamp shades.
I was thinking steel drums.
Mrs PropUptheBar suggested something ruder.
Interesting lamp shades.
I was thinking steel drums.
Mrs PropUptheBar suggested something ruder.
Farnborough isn't somewhere that folks who like their beer guide pubs within close proximity of one another are going to be happy with. It was a fifteen minute walk north to reach the thatched roof and timber frame of my next destination.
A great-looking pub with a mustard coloured Mini that had parked in a spot that ensured it was in the way of every angle I could take a picture from.
Entering through the side door took me to a rather spartan bar with a couple of locals propped at high tables.
The cask line was a sturdy big brand one, with more of the Stardust 'Zesta' as a local option.
It's been a while since I had a Robinson's 'Trooper', so that's what I went for.
There are various areas within the Thatched Cottage, several obviously geared up for dining.
But this is the bit you really want to be sitting in...
There are various areas within the Thatched Cottage, several obviously geared up for dining.
But this is the bit you really want to be sitting in...
Moving on, I walked through Queen Elizabeth Park, providing a bit of greenery to the long treks between pubs, then along Highgate Lane back to where I started by Farnborough North station.
Only this time, the Prince of Wales was open.
Only this time, the Prince of Wales was open.
This pub was one of the 32 recipients of a Golden Award to celebrate CAMRA's 50th anniversary in 2022, having featured in the Good Beer Guide for some 40-years. It's also a regular regional Pub of the Year winner.
There were a handful of blokes dotted around the three rooms, each and every one looking like a CAMRA member.
Seven ales to choose from - the common sight of Fullers fare alongside beers from Hopback, Triple fff and Bowman. The prices varied a fair bit, with 'Summer Lightning' six quid, whilst the Bowman 'Swift One' was £4.90 (my pick - what a penny-pinching surprise!).
A lovely traditional pub that I'd have loved to have seen when it's a bit busier.
The four GBG pubs of Farnborough complete, I decided I could walk to Frimley from here, with a handy refreshment spot at a midway point.
Seven ales to choose from - the common sight of Fullers fare alongside beers from Hopback, Triple fff and Bowman. The prices varied a fair bit, with 'Summer Lightning' six quid, whilst the Bowman 'Swift One' was £4.90 (my pick - what a penny-pinching surprise!).
A lovely traditional pub that I'd have loved to have seen when it's a bit busier.
The four GBG pubs of Farnborough complete, I decided I could walk to Frimley from here, with a handy refreshment spot at a midway point.
The Ship lays claim to being the oldest pub in Farnborough, dating back 400-or-so years and is reputedly to have been one of Dick Turpin's stops, although it doesn't jump out as an historic inn from outside.
Or within, really, despite having some wooden beams.
The front and back halves of the pub were distinctly different - pot plants, wooden floor, functional dining tables in the front, pool table, jukebox and high tables in the back.
This was the first pub of the day with a bit of music in the background - something which was quite welcome with The Cure and Creedence playing, a bit less-so when Starship's 'We Built This City' came on, whilst drinking in silence would have been preferable once we got to the piano cover version of 'She's Like the Wind'.
I think we've crossed the border into Surrey at this point, so I could at least get the half pint of the obligatory Surrey beer, Hogs Back 'T.E.A' out of the way.
Onwards...following the pavements of a busy, twisty road junction that eventually took me onto Frimley High Street.
This was the first pub of the day with a bit of music in the background - something which was quite welcome with The Cure and Creedence playing, a bit less-so when Starship's 'We Built This City' came on, whilst drinking in silence would have been preferable once we got to the piano cover version of 'She's Like the Wind'.
I think we've crossed the border into Surrey at this point, so I could at least get the half pint of the obligatory Surrey beer, Hogs Back 'T.E.A' out of the way.
Onwards...following the pavements of a busy, twisty road junction that eventually took me onto Frimley High Street.
When Frimley got a railway station on the new Ascot to Ash Vale line in 1878, they also got a Railway Arms pub. It's undergone a relatively recent refurb, but has retained a proper High Street boozer feel - proper carpet, brick-fronted bar, wooden beams, dart board, pool table.
Easy decisions at the bar, the Railway getting into the Beer Guide on the strength of its Wadworth '6X' and if you wanted a different ale on cask, tough luck.
The beer was on good form, the lady who served me super-chatty and friendly, the customers a varied bunch, the game of pool tackled in sleeveless vest and dusty shorts.
I'd notched up plenty of steps by this point, so let the bus take the strain for the next leg of the journey to Camberley.
Go back a couple of hundred years and you'd find lots of open countryside where Camberley now lies. Back then it was known as Bagshot or Frimley Heath, waiting for the arrival of the Royal Military College and Staff College to create a building boom, before the railway and the shopping centres enticed the commuters.
Whilst it was still heathland, this was a notorious haunt of highwaymen, one of whom Wetherspoon's have decided to name their High Street pub after.
Whilst it was still heathland, this was a notorious haunt of highwaymen, one of whom Wetherspoon's have decided to name their High Street pub after.
This is of the typical big rectangular room Spoons variety, very open-plan, set over two levels with an outdoor space to the back.
More great lights...
The Beer Guide "We're In It" adverts celebrate 11 years in a row. To be honest, there isn't much competition in the near vicinity to entice CAMRA beer scorers away from Spoons.
An 'Angry Bird' from Nottingham's Magpie Brewery. was my pick. Red ale may not be my favourite, but it had a great pump clip and this hoppy flavoursome 4%'er wasn't bad at all.
I didn't loiter in Spoons, heading back to the main road and cursing the lack of buses before deciding to set off on foot for a dull walk down the A30 that at least provided me a close-up look at the elephant.
I narrowly avoided getting run-over with cars coming wickedly fast around the Meadows roundabout. Then tried again by pottering to the central reservation to get the pub picture...
I didn't loiter in Spoons, heading back to the main road and cursing the lack of buses before deciding to set off on foot for a dull walk down the A30 that at least provided me a close-up look at the elephant.
I narrowly avoided getting run-over with cars coming wickedly fast around the Meadows roundabout. Then tried again by pottering to the central reservation to get the pub picture...
I was really excited to find a pub named after a Mike Patton band, but then realised that was Mr Bungle and this is, much less excitingly, named after an Oliver Twist character.
Prior to the mid-1980s it was more conventionally The Red Lion. A one-time coaching stop, there appears to have an inn on this site since the 17th century.
I really quite liked the place. It reminded me of pubs from several decades ago, right down to the throwback carpet, dark woods, green ceiling, and 90s soundtrack.
I enjoyed a pint of Tiny Rebel 'Dunk', sat in the corner of this big pub with few customers.
It was handily just across the road from Blackwater station and the lure of the train home.
An intrepid day out with a bit more treading the pavements than I'd intended and a real mixed bag or pubs.
It was handily just across the road from Blackwater station and the lure of the train home.
An intrepid day out with a bit more treading the pavements than I'd intended and a real mixed bag or pubs.
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