Worthing Pub Explorations

A Sussex long-weekender took us to Worthing where we could admire the pier, enjoy our fill of micropubs, drink Harvey's, and hop on a train to Chichester when we'd have enough of being by the seaside.
So, what have I found out about the place?...

🠶 With a hefty population of over 113,000, Worthing is the 22nd biggest town in the UK.
🠶 There's a 10-year wait for a beach hut.
🠶 Jane Austen, Oscar Wilde, and Harold Pinter wrote stuff whilst staying or living in Worthing.
🠶 Billy Idol attended High School in the town. 

With a rebel yell, we were on our way to explore a pub or two.
As the picture of our first stop below shows, there was no need to pack the factor 50 or swimming shorts.

The Corner House (80 High Street, Worthing, BN11 1DJ)
Through the gloom and drizzle we reached the Corner House on a roundabout next to Waitrose, an early Good Beer Guide tick that was also looking like a good option for lunch.

The building dates back to 1895 although it's had a 21st century pub makeover within: tiled bar counter, stylishly worn wooden floors and olive green paint job.
We received a nice friendly welcome and settled on a comfy cushioned bench to the side of the door.

Three cask ale options were on offer, all from Sussex within 35-miles of the pub: Gun 'Project Babylon' from Hailsham, Harvey's 'Sussex Best' from Lewes, or Arundel Brewery 'Service Please.'  I picked the latter, a crisp pale 4.6% ale, supplementing a very tasty and filling halloumi burger.

A quick 5-minute hop around the corner provided me with a second GBG '26 tick at Wetherspoon's.

The Three Fishes (56 Chapel Road, Worthing, BN11 1BE)
Is this one that gets called 'lively' in descriptions?  It certainly should have been on my visit.  Busy enough that I got the last vacant table (we're not very amenable to sharing tables in Spoons, are we?).  A dozen late teens trying to look menacing in Stone Island jackets.  A bloke describing some sort of video game in great detail to 'enthralled' ladies at an unnecessarily loud volume.  A sizeable number of empties waiting to be collected and lots of tipsy looking folk.
Double mobility scooter parking outside and handwritten "cash only" signs on the front door.

Guest beers get it into the Good Beer Guide...

Dorking Brewery had almost achieved a tap takeover with five of their beers spread across two banks of hand pumps.
The 'Misbrooks Brown Ale' for me - a fine, sensible-strength, malty brew.

The Three Fishes is housed in what used to be the Worthing Corporation Electricity Board showrooms although, as my picture shows, it's identikit Spoons towards the back.  There's a small upstairs seating area, nice mural of the pier overlooking the staircase (top pic) and the smallest Wetherspoon bathrooms I can recall encountering.
I wasn't there for long.  Mrs PropUptheBar had headed straight to the next pub with the hound who could never fool anyone that he's a service dog and wouldn't have liked the Three Fishes anyway.

If the weather hadn't put me off going in the water, the street art en-route did...

Despite the lack of blue sky and sunshine brightening up the colourful pub (and house) frontages, the Toad in the Hole was looking good...

The Toad in the Hole (1 Newland Road, Central, Worthing, BN11 1JR)
It's named after the traditional Sussex pub game which I've only ever seen played twice - at the extensive games section they used to have at the Great British Beer Festival and the Black Horse Inn in Lewes.
Here's the game table in the corner of the pub - not to be mistaken for a commode...

The Toad was formerly the Castle Alehouse until it was acquired by Brighton's Hand Brew Co. in 2022.  So I was keen to sample one of their ales: 'Bird' or 'Cove' on offer on cask alongside an Electric Bear 'Gizmo' or Ascension cider.

The 'Cove' was a lovely chocolatey dark mild packing in the flavour at 3.4%.
I arrived to AC/DC 'Whole Lotta Rosie', proceeded by foot-tappin' to Led Zep, The Doors, and the Stones.
I loved the Toad in the Hole: classic rock, pot plants, pump clips on the ceiling, and two pianos.  A ramshackle local that was filling up nicely with a diverse crowd during our visit and where I'd imagine I'd spend a fair bit of time if I was a Worthing resident.

We had a half-mile walk to reach the next place on our list - up past the railway station, over the level crossing at South Farm Road, and onward to the Brooksteed micro.

The Brooksteed (38 South Farm Road, Worthing, BN14 7AE)
This current CAMRA regional pub of the year has been open since 2014 at which point it was the second micro to open in the town.
Next to the entrance was an electronic beer board, just missing the feature of your Untappd check-in appearing, and - perhaps more importantly - prices.

Cask and cider were fetched from a chiller room located just behind the bar - a Loud Shirt 'Small Batch 09' for me, please.

This pleasant place was nicely busy, Mrs PropUptheBar nabbing the last available table, reserved for someone's birthday well after we'd be on our way.  There was a mix of high and low seating, plus a nice covered back garden and proper outdoor gents WC.  A hubbub of conversation and happy folk.

I discovered that Worthing Town were playing a local fixture with Eastbourne Borough that afternoon.  Rank amateur timing on my part as we walked down Pavilion Road, right past the ground just as the match finished.
Okay, so it's not quite walking against the tide of an Old Trafford crowd making their way to the metro stop, but Eastbourne Borough did warrant a police escort.
And several of the crowd headed straight into our next micro ensuring it was standing room only.

Green Man Ale & Cider House (17 South Street, Tarring, Worthing, BN14 7LG)
As with the last pub, beers were racked in a glass-fronted chiller room and served on gravity by the friendly owner.  It's an old-school 'proper' micro with no bar counter and drinks brought to your table (or perching spot).  A good selection of ales on our visit from Firebird, Burning Sky, Howling Hops, Downton, Hopback, and - my pick - Rother Valley.  Hailing from Rye, the 'Storm Surge' was £5.20 a pint for your 5.4% deep dark Sussex stout.

The owner found time to check if I was enjoying the stout.  The dog barked at him.  Irritable, as he likes a table in the corner, regular height seating, and a treat.

We planned to call in to the Foresters nearby to make it three-in-a-row for micro pubs.  But a post-footy crowd spilling out onto the street convinced us we should try again another day when it was quieter.
We now found ourselves beyond Worthing West station, realising it was a mile-and-a-half trek back to the town centre.
That mile-and-a-half took us past the Brewhouse and Kitchen (I seem to have lost my enthusiasm for them) and into neat side-streets with too many parked cars in front of the pub.

Hare and Hounds (9-81 Portland Road, Worthing, BN11 1QG)
The Hare and Hounds is a timeless proper pub, complete with red carpet, beamed ceiling, wood panelling, and plentiful black & white pictures of the town on the walls.  It dates back to 1814 when it would have been a lot smaller - an extension into the ground floor of the adjoining building happening in the 1990s.  The U-shaped bar serves front and back areas, both pleasantly busy (but not grab the last table busy) with a crowd of all ages.
Cask ale on offer was Gun 'Babylon', a St Austell rugby special 'Ruck and Roll', or Harvey's 'Best Bitter'.  About time for a Harvey's, I reckoned, on great form here.

 

No mild smut in a picture-heavy gents WC, but you do get a mild bit of Del Boy...

The final venue on our list was completely different to anywhere else we'd been, promising us craft beer in a town centre courtyard.

Tasting Rooms (Unit 8 Stanford Square, Warwick Street, Worthing, BN11 3EZ)
This small bar was opened with the help of crowdfunding in April 2023 by the folks behind the local Merakai Brewing Company.  They concocted their ales at Uckfield until recently, but have now moved the kit to a space at the side of the Tasting Rooms, ensuring we got our Untappd 'At Source' badge. 
Six taps: a house lager by Arundel, a strong pale from Loud Shirt, and a couple their own on offer.  The coffee stout for me, 'Espresso for my Depresso', a tricky beer to look up online being as a similarly named company called Meraki actually make an espresso machine. 

The Tasting Rooms was a very civilised place. Bar snacks were delivered from a smart restaurant across the road and were ambitiously-priced but tasty.

As the dark was descending on Worthing it was time for us to head back to the low ceilings of our micro-cottage lodgings.  Mustn't get too carried away, so as to leave the energy and enthusiasm to explore a bit more of this coastline the next day.
I'd be all right just as long as I could get past the Egremont without being tempted in by Harvey's Old Ale...

...doh! Of course I was.
But we still managed to explore further afield the next day and even saw a bit of sunshine.  More waffling about West Sussex in the next post 

Alfreton - Micropubs and Football

A visit to the wild eastern fringes of Derbyshire to watch Oxford City in a crunch National League North tie.

With a 5-point gap in the lower reaches of the league table between the two teams, a win for City with 3 games remaining would add a bit of comfort to the run-in. Three points for Alfreton, meanwhile, would put them in touching distance and a step closer to climbing out of the relegation spots.

I arrived early-doors with plenty (more than enough?) time to explore the town.
As usual, early-doors = Spoons.
This one has the appearance of a trad pub, albeit with a rather glaring red and white frontage - wet paint signs still in place. Spruced up in readiness for the Prop Up the Bar visit, no doubt.

Waggon and Horses (9 King Street, Alfreton, DE55 7AF)
This was recorded as being a pub called the Waggon and Horses in 1818 and would have once been one of several coaching inns on the market place.  By the 1990s it had become a café/bar prior to opening in its current guise.  The design is unmistakable Spoons, with some nice tables by the windows; a fairly gloomy section in the middle by the bar where you'll also find high tables and fruit machines; bright and airy in the high-ceiling back room which leads to a garden.

Guest beers appear to be limited to two here: Titanic 'Plum Porter' or Black Hole 'Milky Way' on this occasion  I always enjoy the Burton-upon-Trent Black Hole beers, so opted for a half (it was pre-noon and 6%) of the chewy and sweet 'Milky Way' pale ale.  

It's a tricky task to find many kind words spoken about Alfreton's appeal to the casual visitor.
It's one of those places where recommended attractions are 'nearby'.  So your Alfreton highlight is leaving to get to a tram museum or stately home in the Peak District.
But, always trust a town which has shops with plentiful displays of plastic storage containers.

A trek down King Street, past the closed Devonshire Arms and the giant Tesco, took me to the 19th century House of Confinement, although I'd need to visit 9-12:30 on Tues, Wed, or Thu to actually to see inside. 

Still, that's sightseeing ticked, so let's pick one of the current 11 pubs/bars that the town's 9,500-or-so residents have to choose from.
Right in the centre, I made my way to the Bankers Tavern micro...

The Bankers Tavern (33 High Street, Alfreton, DE55 7DR)
Located in - you guessed it - a former bank, this micro has been open since March 2023.  Prior to that it was the dreadfully-named What's Your Poison, appearing in the 2021 Good Beer Guide - the last time that Alfreton has troubled GBG tickers.
I entered to Earth Wind & Fire 'Let's Groove', news on a giant screen showing NASA control, the sun beaming in the window, a friendly welcome from the gaffer.

There were four cask ales on the bar: two from Derby's Little Brewing Co., Castle Rock 'Elsie Mo' from Nottingham, and Dynamite Valley 'Black Charge' from Cornwall.
A 'Black Charge' oatmeal stout for me, blowing any intentions to drink local.

Looks like the owner is a supporter of the team down the road...

I had a bit of a quandary as to where to head next.  The big mock Tudor King Alfred advertising £2.80 John Smiths Smooth?  The Victoria with Marston's beers by the football ground? The dubious-looking away-fans pub, The Dog House?
Let's try the Crossroads Tavern with a promise of Dancing Duck ales.

Crossroads Tavern (100 High Street, Alfreton, DE55 7HH)
An 'interesting' pub. Modern, bright, functional.
Three blokes sat around the edge of room when I arrived, all engrossed in phones.
The cheery staff member had a devil of a time trying to pour my 'Nice Weather' copper coloured session ale.  It was apparently the fault of the 'wrong glass', by which I think she meant a half pint one, which made little sense.  The advice of the landlord was sought: "e's ordered one of 'em real ales."

"Almost nothing left in those barrels," the landlord confirmed.  I was wondering if skipping that John Smiths Smooth may have been a mistake.
It kind of got there, eventually.  
To be honest, it's a surprise to see the cask in somewhere with karaoke corner, disco lights and advertisements for 'DJ Mark 7.30-late'.  It's great they're giving the Dancing Duck beers a go ('Dizzy' also on and also confirmed as having a nearly empty barrel; a 'Beaky Blinder' being pulled through during my visit).  And the chaps who followed me in also opted for cask (the only place I'd actually see anyone else drinking the real ale during my afternoon).

Moving on, I headed towards Alfreton's second micro pub which was scheduled to open at 2pm.  It's located in the area betwixt town centre and train station where there is little of any interest and nowhere else to stop for a drink.  You'll certainly have no joy at the Railway, looking good in the sunshine, but closed since 2014 and converted to flats.

Sadly, the Prospect Street Micro won't be an option for much longer either, as it's scheduled to close at the end of April.  In a rare turn of events, I'm arriving just at the right time to still be able to visit.

Prospect Street Micropub (55 Prospect Street, Alfreton, DE55 7GY)
It wasn't 2pm yet, but the doors were open and the first couple of customers were settled with drinks, intentions to arrange the outdoor tables abandoned due to wicked gusty winds.
Here's the beer list...a lesser-seen Irish stout, exotic lager, Devon cider, and three varieties of pale crafty ales.

Just the one cask available from three hand pumps, but it's a good 'un - Mexborough's Imperial Brewery 'Another Round', a 3.9% twiggy brown bitter.  I wasn't sure I liked it on first sip, but it was oh-so morish and I'd happily have returned to the bar for another if time had permitted.  Priced at a cost-of-living-crisis-friendly £3.40 a pint.

The pub filled up quite nicely whilst I was there, dad and young son playing darts, a couple admiring the murkiness of the Wiper & True 'Kaleidoscope', several football fans squeezing in a pre-match pint on the way to the ground.
What a shame it's closing.

The clock had ticked by very quickly to 14:30, meaning it was time to make the short walk to the North Street stadium, currently branded The Impact Arena.

Alfreton Town date back to 1959 when the Miners Welfare and United clubs realised the mining town wasn't big enough for two football teams and merged together. Most of their 21st century years have been spent in the 6th tier, with four seasons in the heady heights of the Conference Premier between 2011 and 2015.  An 11th placed finish in 2014 proved to be their best, in a season where Luton Town and Cambridge United were promoted from the same division.

I passed the main entrance next to the social club and did a trip around the ground, through a park and up Alma Street where you'll find a small mound which affords good views of the pitch without the bother of actually paying to get in.
At the bottom of that mound, obscured from view, is a less salubrious second entrance.

I thought the fire brigade may need to be called when that chap in front of me got stuck trying to squeeze through the turnstile - not helped by going in sideways and leaving the backpack on.
He made it...and we were in, standing on the Tin Shed terrace, the part of the ground allocated to away supporters if segregation is in place.

Oxford City started strongly and scored before I'd finished my chip butty: Jack Newell bending in a superb shot on 7-minutes.  City produced some decent football and looked to have this match in the bag, especially with the boost of an Alfreton Town red card near the end of the half.  But it didn't quite go to plan.

Little Oxford City don't warrant segregation, so we did the half-time switcheroo, the 50-or-so City fans taking their places on the uncovered seating behind the goal, Alfreton's most vocal support making a bit of noise under the Tin Shed.
They had something to cheer when Dylan Youmbi equalised from close range.  Then cheered some more when the linesman incorrectly put his flag up to rule out a legit Oxford goal, ruled as offside despite being inadvertently put into the back of the net by an Alfreton player.

The nerves were jangling at the end for both sets of fans.  City made some good attacking moves but couldn't get the final ball right.  Alfreton kept threatening with a succession of wickedly long throw-ins which bounced around the six-yard box and could have gone anywhere.

Honours-even at the end - a point better than a loss, but not elevating either team towards safety.  So, good luck one-and-all with the final games of the season.

I love these grounds in the Conference and really should travel to more.  Although I guess just once to Alfreton may be enough.

A Pub Ramble from Maida Vale to Paddington

In which we follow a route through central NW London taking in heritage pubs, a bottle shop, a shiny new Wetherspoon's, a monkey puzzle tree, and some fine ales. 

I emerged from the Bakerloo Line into the sunlight at the impressive red-tiled Maida Vale station.

I was here for the now-traditional annual gathering of our CAMRA Oxon-Berks-Bucks regions for a pub crawl ramble around a chosen bit of the capital.
This year: Maida Vale, our route shown on the map below.  The official suggested route finished at the Mad Bishop and Bear at Paddington station but we didn't make it quite that far.
3b,the craft bottle shop, was our own splinter group deviation; the relatively new 'Spoons wasn't a listed 'ramble' stop, so as not to upset the JDW-abstainers and delay them from getting their pint of Fursty Ferret.

Due to my prancing about in central London, I was last to arrive, welcomed by Gareth who was sitting outside watching the roadworks opposite..."Get yourself in there and get a pint of the 'London Lush'."

The Carlton Tavern (33 Carlton Vale, Kilburn, NW6 5EU)
I whittled on about the Carlton Tavern a few months ago. when I was in this neck of the woods making my way back from Hampstead via Kilburn.
It got knocked down, it got up again, as told in the newspaper story here.
Available cask on this visit was Otter 'Bitter' or the aforementioned London Brewing Company 'London Lush'.  The latter was an easy-drinking pale ale brewed with Citra and Comet hops just over six miles away in North Finchley.
Spot the person in the pic below who's not on a CAMRA day out...

It was a fairly long trek from the first to second pub, following Randolph Avenue back past the tube station - a tree-lined street of red bricked mansion blocks (2-bed apartment yours for £1.2 million).  When you're spending money like that you could do with a Grade II-listed Heritage pub as your local.
Ah, here you go...

The Warrington Hotel (93 Warrington Crescent, Maida Vale, W9 1EH)
The exterior of the Warrington gives a clue that it will be spectacular within... ornate columns and mosaic tiled steps leading to the front door.  The main room is to the right: an elaborate lounge of dark reds and browns, with bits of stained glass, a superb carpet, and one of the most eye-catching bar counters you're likely to find.  Semi-circular, it features a canopy above decorated in Art Nouveau style.

If the rich interior still isn't impressing you, the pub was used in episodes of The Sweeney and Minder (an episode called 'The Beer Hunter' which I really must seek out).  Hmmm, perhaps that's not so much of a selling point as Morse is in Oxford.

 

Unfortunately, the beer didn't excel in The Warrington.  Of the three hand pumps, only 'Old Speckled Hen' was in action - in reasonable condition without being exciting.
But the beer plays second fiddle to the privilege of being able to sit in this magnificent building.

A short stroll along Warrington Crescent took us to Pub#3, another heritage delight.

The Price Alfred (5A Formosa Street, Maida Vale, W9 1EE)
This Victorian hostelry dates back to 1856, although it's the refit in 1896 which earns a listing on the National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors and makes this such a showstopper.
Five separate drinking compartments surround the bar counter. The wooden partitions would once have offered an element of privacy and allowed people to drink in spaces that suited their social standing.  I believe the low doorways between each would have been used by 'potboys' collecting glasses (there being external entrances for each compartment).  But it's fun to stoop through them, even if not a single pub rambler today managed to do so whilst maintaining any cool.

  

This is a Young's house, with 'Bitter' or 'Special' available alongside a Timothy Taylor 'Landlord'.  Special, please, on solid if unspectacular form, but - again - it's the surroundings you're here for anyway.
We managed to grab a table underneath the snob screens, next to a wine-drinking lady snuggled next to her dog, greenhouse hot with the sun beaming through the etched glass windows.

It didn't take too much persuasion to tempt Gareth and Chairman John that we should make a diversion into the craft beer outlet across the road.

Real Drinks (4 Formosa St, London W9 1EE)
This is a small shop/tasting room, with fridges along one side (don't look - your bag will be heavy, your pocket will be light!) and shelves of wine and other beverages along the other.  There was a central table allowing us to perch on high stools and sample a few beers.  Six on tap provided a selection of pale brews from Kernel, Bullhouse, Utopian, Beak, Deya, and Lost & Grounded.

Disappointed not to find anything in darker hues, I delved into the fridge and picked out a bottle of Kernel 'Dunkel', keen to see how one of the original London craft breweries matched up to all the dark lagers I'd been drinking in Bavaria the previous month.
My companions gave the Bullhouse 'Suds' the thumbs-up, and we shared a superb Kernel Irish Whisky barrel aged imperial brown stout.

I do declare I found the most expensive bag of crisps available in any pub nationwide...

I hope they're good - none of us were feeling flush enough to find out.

Another short walk took us to Pub#4.

I didn't recognise the name and thought this may be my first new venue of the afternoon, but this was familiar as soon as I turned the corner.

The Warwick Castle (6 Warwick Place, Maida Vale, W9 2PX)

I don't think I've been here when it's been so busy though.  Three different areas within, all packed and standing-room only, except for some tables at the rear reserved for dining.  There isn't really much I can say about the pub - we squeezed to the bar, got served, and took half pints outside and propped them on a wheelie bin.  We're glamourous pub-crawlers.

The longest walk of the afternoon followed, although it's a pleasing and picturesque one along the Regents Canal...

..taking us from the leafy surrounds of Little Venice to the modern developments at Paddington Basin.
Amongst the food and drink outlets of Merchant Square is one of JD Wetherspoon's recent new openings.

Sir Alexander Fleming (Unit 53, 5 Merchant Square, Paddington, W2 1AS)
Opening the doors for the first time in September '25, this has taken the ground floor glass-fronted space that has already been a trendy bar, then a smokehouse restaurant. Judging by the age of this development, both must have been very short-lived.
Top marks for the friendly staff, efficiently clearing the tables and retained a very new and clean feel to this modern pub.  Top marks for the rarity of 'Spoons toilets on the ground floor which don't require a long trek and signposts helping direct you back to the bar.

It was super-busy as well - folks pouncing upon our table as soon as we got up to leave.
Not before we'd fuelled ourselves with some food and a respectable pint of Goddards 'Fuggle Dee Dum'.

Just time for another shot of the crammed-in shiny modern developments.
One of the remaining Brewdog bars is at the foot of that silver block - but for how long will those 11 sites last?

We left the 21st century towers behind and headed south of Paddington station where the hotels and apartment blocks are from a different era.

Sitting underneath a 1969 residential block was our next pub, The Monkey Puzzle. 

The Monkey Puzzle (30 Southwick Street, Paddington, W2 1JQ)

This proved to be somewhere a little bit different and not what you'd expect from a dull exterior (tree excepted).
The open-plan bar is decorated with a real traditional feel - proper pub carpet - dark wood - areas divided effectively to provide a cosy feel.  And could those be real central London locals sitting at the bar (scowling at me).

Being a Badger pub the beer range was never going to blow us away: 'Tanglefoot' or 'Fursty Ferret'.
Tanglefoots all round, taken to the outdoor table to make the most of the good weather before the sun slipped below the rooftops.

Our next destination was only a short 5-minute walk away...oh, hang on...it was a 15-minute walk away due to Chairman John leading us in the wrong direction.😲

The Victoria (10A Strathearn Place, Paddington, W2 2NH)
As if the two Grade II listed Heritage pubs earlier in the day weren't enough for us, here's a third, this one featuring a stunning interior.
It retains Victorian fittings inside, including ornate wooden bar back and some fantastic globe lights...

We picked the Sambrook's 'Blindside'.
Doh...rugby- themed beer, but it was something a little different from te more frequently found alternatives of London Pride, ESB or Hophead. 

Just as it was getting dark and I was beginning to flag and think about my bus home, we ambled into our final pub of the day.

The Bear (27 Spring Street, Paddington, W2 1JA)
This was another revisit for me, although it turns out to be cheaper when not accompanied by Mrs PropUptheBar ordering 10% sours.
The Bear is part of the The Craft Beer Co chain which started back in 2009 with the opening of the CASK Pub and Kitchen in Pimlico.  An apt place to finish, then, being as CASK was where we began our 2025 ramble.
They added The Bear to their list of locations in 2022, the site having previously been a wine bar and originally a bank.
We stuck with the cask this time, not even venturing a look at the wide range of keg lines.  My last beer of the day was from Chelmsford brewery, a Radio City Beer Works 'Antenna' 4.5% West Coast IPA.  Very good it was, too.

Thanks to the folks who put in the hard work to arrange these rambles, picking the pubs and devising the routes.
A great day out - looking forward to wherever 2027 takes us.