Seven Sisters to Seaford

Exploring westwards from Eastbourne we planned to walk along a section of one of the UK coastal highlights atop the Seven Sisters cliffs.
Typically, the blue sky and sunshine disappeared as soon as we set out to do so, grey clouds descending.
Would we stay dry?
Would the dog manage 7.9 miles?
Would there be a decent pint at the end?

The Coaster 13X bus took us from our Eastbourne base to Birling Gap, home of some clifftop cottages, a visitor centre, and lots of day-trippers in kagools.

A staircase at Birling Gap provides the opportunity to descend to the pebbles and grab a photo from beneath the cliffs rather than on top of 'em.  Then we were on our way, up a track past a few remote holiday huts, a gate taking us out onto the open expanse of grassy clifftops.

German football fans with stickers really do get everywhere, don't they?

The path is a rollercoaster of ups and downs, some steeper than others, with a constant wow factor of the views ahead.
Enhanced by the welcome appearance of a bit of sunshine on the white cliffs...

We were determined to do this walk whatever the weather but, to be honest, the exposed nature of the path would have made it a bit of a slog had we encountered anything worse than the bit of drizzle at the start.
There's a steep descent at Cuckmere Beach taking us to the uncomfortable trudge over the pebbles. 

The Cuckmere River snakes its way to the sea with no bridge - to reach that you need to add an extra mile-and-a-half to the route to wander inland to Exceat.
We joined many other folks unlacing footwear and rolling up trouser legs to wade across the water. 

Cripes, it was cold.
And not a day to lounge on the beach waiting for wet feet to dry.

After tackling the next series of clifftop ups and downs, we dropped down for a final time, past the golf course and onto the promenade at the top of Seaford beach.  This is a very sedate esplanade, not one for fans of amusement arcades and tacky beach shops - even the ice cream shack was closed. 
We headed inland to the town centre in search of the two Good Beer Guide listed pubs...

Old Boot Inn (16 South Street, Seaford, BN25 1PE)
This didn't look especially inviting, what with the missing "boot" on the signage and the somewhat gloomy rooms in that part of the pub resembling the recesses of the most miserable Wetherspoons.  It transpires that a second entrance from the other side is much nicer, signage without missing words, leading you to the bright and busy main room.
The Old Boot has what I consider a proper pub carpet...

There were 'reserved' signs throughout, but arriving at the tail-end of lunch after our walking exploits enabled us to grab a table whose original occupants had already been and gone.  I ordered a very welcome pint of local Gun 'Project Babylon Pale Ale'.

We stuck around for a superb plate of food and another ale in the form of Harvey's 'Sussex Best'.  Good beer, good grub, warm and welcoming atmosphere.  And opting to settle here for a while and eat gave the dog an extended doze under the table - out like a light after those 7-miles.

We eventually declared it was time to move and see what else Seaford had to offer, although we didn't end up going far.
From an Old Boot to an Old Plough...

The Old Plough (20 Church Street, Seaford, BN25 1HG)
We didn't especially plan to call in here, but it promised cask ale, had a nice bit of flint walling, and a very colourful Easter chalkboard with a well-drawn bunny.  I'm not going back for the clairvoyant in May, though.
The cask range offered some big well-known brands and the local Long Man from Littlington.

The Old Plough has origins as a 16th century coaching inn, pictures showing that it hasn't changed much externally in the past 100 years.  It's had a modern spruce-up inside though, extensively refurbished in 2016.  It's now a Stonegate pub, part of their 'Heritage Inns' offshoot, which I guess is their upmarket 'finest' brand.

Not sure what I think of the lighting, but the lounge-like back room with comfy leather-cushioned benches provided a decent table, where I enjoyed a quite acceptable NBSS 3 'Long Blonde'.

Moving on, we made our way to the town railway station which handily houses a Beer Guide pub.

 

Steamworks (Cafe Unit, Seaford Station, Station Approach, Seaford, BN25 2AR)
This cosy two-roomer was opened in 2017 in part of the original station buildings, providing a fine reason to arrive early for your train.  The 8am opening time is presumably for coffee and croissant rather than pints of Grolsh.

No space for pesky handpumps on the counter which is dominated by a hot food display and cake stands.  You need to test your eyesight to peruse the pump clips on the back bar next to the Brighton & Hove Albion shirts and scarves.
With a choice of four real ales, I picked another brew from Long Man, this time their Best Bitter.

The arrival of the Brighton train caused a bit of an exodus and enabled us to get a table amongst the remaining book readers and coffee drinkers. 
Checking bus times for our journey back, I had time for the keg Long Man 'NEIPA', probably more satisfying on this occasion that the so-so cask I'd picked.

As we caught our bus, I wondered if we had managed to wear the dog out...

Yep, I think so.

Three pubs, five beers, only one Harvey's?
Let's put that right on arrival back in Eastbourne.

Marine (61 Seaside, Eastbourne, BN22 7NE)
This pub was first recorded as being the Marine Tavern in 1890.  It's set on two levels, with the front section resembling a hotel lounge with sofas, armchairs and coffee tables.  Maroon carpeting and fabric throughout, wood panelling, and maritime decorations - this was a very satisfying unspoilt pub.
A solid cask line-up of Pride, Tribute and Sussex Best.  

The Harvey's 'Sussex Best' was in cracking condition - best pint of the day and worthy of the impressive beer scores that the Marine gets on the CAMRA website, without seeming to warrant a place in the Beer Guide.

After a day of buses, walking and imbibing, it was time to return to our lodgings and call it a night.  A railway pub tick, a fine pint of Harvey's, and (part of) one of the UKs best short walks, all made for a successful day out in my book.

Cleethorpes Pub Crawl

In which I enjoy a fine day at the seaside in Cleethorpes, visiting not one, but two pubs at the railway station, a fine Wetherspoon's, and a brew pub; before drowning my sorrows over all the 2p pieces I lost in the amusement arcade with a Plum Porter.

No.1 Pub (Railway Station, Cleethorpes, DN35 8AX)
This isn't the most obvious of pubs - arriving by train you could walk along the platform and not know it's here.  The entrance is on the other side of this old railway building, although that's still not marked especially well.

Inside is a great railway themed bar which reminded me - just a little bit - of the old Head of Steam pubs.
Sporting a bit of a brown theme, the walls are adorned with old photographs and railway notices and signs (not all authentic I suspect, having just spotted the two above the bar - 'nobody gets out sober'?).

Handpumps served up an Ossett 'Blonde', Morland 'Old Speckled Hen', and two beers from Hook Norton.

I may have come a long way for Oxfordshire ale, but I quite fancied the 2.8% Hook Norton mild, served to me in a Bass glass.
Then I spotted the blackboard advertising a couple more ales from the back bar including Bass itself.  Oh well, I'll be reporting on a visit to Derby shortly in which I got more than my fair share of Bass.

On the day I came to write this post, I came across an article from the Grimsby Telegraph in which an outraged Pete from Derbyshire states he "may never return" after being stuck in Cleethorpes for 3 hours due to cancelled trains.  (Slow news day?)
I can sympathise with the rail frustration, but y'know, it could be worse.  At least you've got TWO station pubs to visit whilst you wait.

The second is at the end of the platforms, by the station entrance. 

No.2 Refreshment Room (Station Approach, Cleethorpes, DN35 8AX)
Of the two, this has the longer list of awards and is described by What Pub as a 'little gem'.
Although I preferred No.1
It's a comfortable enough little L-shaped room, with cushioned bench seating around the edges and stools at the bar.  But points deducted for any pub with suspended ceiling tiles.

On the bar were beers from Rudgate, Robinsons and Sharps, whilst I picked the Hancock's HB.  Originating in Somerset, the 'HB' session bitter was first brewed in the 1920's.  The brand has changed hands a few times and is now owned by Molson-Coors and brewed at Brain's in Cardiff.  Have these retro bitters always been around, as I seem to be seeing a lot of them recently.

No childish snickering at the back about number 1's and number 2's.

We're off to check out Willys...

Willy's (17 High Cliff, Cleethorpes, DN35 8RQ)
I enjoyed the stroll along the promenade with views across the Humber Estuary, before calling into this mock Tudor corner pub, a regular Beer Guide entry promising home brew.
There were two guest ales on from Twisted Wheel and Settle Brewery, but I figured I'd try the Willy's Original Bitter, the brewing kit visible through a window toward the back of the room.

So, not the most traditional of places: cafe-style furniture, large patio windows and drinks promos scribbled across the beams.
But it's a bar well worth visiting...
A good mixed crowd, from the ale drinker to the fish 'n' chip pensioners and holidaying families.
Great bar staff, with the landlady giving a delivery driver a right earful when he said he didn't have time to wait while she checked for breakages.
And some fantastic value food.

Well fed and watered I decided to call in at the town's Wetherspoon's.
Which makes for a good picture...

Coliseum Picture Theatre (26-28 High Street, Cleethorpes, DN35 8JN)
As the name implies, this was a cinema at one time, although it's had several different tenants over the years and you'd never know from the interior lay-out that it was once set up for movie goers.
Downstairs is a pretty regular Spoons design, with high tables lined up adjacent to the bar and booths along the left-side wall.  It's more interesting upstairs, brightly lit via the skylights, with elaborate light fittings and an ornamental balcony where two statues stand either side of a mural of the pier.

A further flight of stairs leads to a roof garden, which I was surprised to find empty considering the blue skies and sunshine.

Here are a couple of lesser-seen 'Spoons features - the ale cellar visible behind a glass screen and some Roman fella getting ready to celebrate the jubilee...

  

There was time for one more pint in Cleethorpes, for which I headed to a pub which I knew had appeared in recent beer guides.
And how wrong can you go with somewhere named after Nottingham, with a grand Tetley's logo and etched glass windows?

The Nottingham House (7 Seaview Street, Cleethorpes, DN35 8EU)
This proved to be a great proper pub. 
The entrance provides a conundrum of picking the right or left doors - I headed left into the lounge, whilst there is a bar and snug in the other direction.
The lounge was pretty perfect: leather buttoned burgundy bench seating, some proper pub stools, and old pictures of Cleethorpes on the wall.

There were four ales available, but the Plum Porter was jumping out at me.
I don't think this is the best beer to rate a pub on, as I reckon it's pretty difficult to serve a bad pint of the stuff.  It was just what I needed at this point in the day and went down a treat.

The Nottingham House was my last port of call in Cleethorpes, as I hopped aboard a bus back to Grimsby waving goodbye to the British seaside.

It's a place I've quite fancied getting to for some time and it didn't disappoint.
Nice walks along the front, amusement arcades, the world's smallest pub (I'll stick my pictures of that on another post later), beer in the railway station...all in some great May sunshine.
The beach didn't quite look like this when I visited, though...

Ambling Through Axminster

Having spent Friday night in Frome I was half-way to my mum's in Devon, which is where we set off for after breakfast.

Mum was standing on the doorstep, waiting for a full report on the previous evening's Half Man Half Biscuit gig and demanding to be taken to Axminster to visit a new micro pub.

Some 28-miles east of Exeter, Axminster is home to just under 6,000 folks and is best known for giving it's name to a type of carpet.
It was looking lovely under wintery  blue skies, although -hell's bells- it wasn't half scarf and gloves weather.

Aiming to get indoors, we made our way through the backstreets to the town's Good Beer Guide listed pub, the Axminster Inn...

Axminster Inn (Silver Street,Axminster, EX13 5AH - web)
We should be wary - the last Trip Advisor review, by someone called 'Warers', is titled 'Royston Vaisey' and says "clearly a locals pub...landlady made us feel unwelcome".  Uh-oh.

No doubt it was a locals joint, with a host of regulars sat around the edges of the main room all having a quick peer at the odd fella who'd just opened the door.  But they said hello to us and the landlady was super welcoming and keen to tempt us with the mulled wine.

This was a pub of two halves.
Cosy bar with big wooden tables and a log fire roaring...

And a very different second room through the archway to the right...

Yikes!  That's not proper pub seating

We really wanted to sit by the fire, but as there was no space there we were relegated to the modern room on the swivel chairs.

Being a Palmer's pub there was a trio of their ales on the bar: 'IPA', 'Copper' and 'Dorset Gold'.  The Gold was fine and well kept, whilst mum and Mrs PropUptheBar succumbed to the mulled wine and we entertained ourselves by spinning around in our chairs to a soundtrack of sixties crooners.

Drinking up, we went on a search of somewhere that would sell us some food and found our way to the Castle Inn.

The Castle (Castle Hill, Axminster, EX13 5NN)
This was another pub of two halves, with basic no-frills bar to the right and a small dining room to the left.  And again I found myself sat in the half that I didn't really want to be in, shown to the dining table where I couldn't see the football on TV and had to be sociable instead.
Drinks-wise, there was a boxed cider on the bar whilst hand pumps dispensed St Austell 'Tribute' and Dartmoor 'Dragon's Breath' - a very drinkable winter warmer which tastes stronger than it's 4.4% ABV.

Disappointing lack of carpets to say we're in Axminster

With lunch done we made our way to the railway station, where the unused part of the building has been transformed into a new micro pub.

The Ale Way (Axminster Station, EX13 5PF - web)
This has only been open since May 2021, having had a couple of previous planned unveilings scuppered by lock-downs.  It's a smartly-done conversion of old Victorian railway offices, with a tiny ground floor room containing the bar and seating for half a dozen.

On the hi-tech beer board there's Bristol craft, Silly Cow cider, more Dragon's Breath and the Powderkeg 'Inkling' cask milk stout, which is what I picked and enjoyed.
Up the stairs is more seating and railway-orientated furniture, maps and reading material.

I reckon there's another three pubs in Axminster, plus the Beer Guide listed Hind at nearby Musbury which scuppered me with it's odd opening hours.

We did manage to make it to one more East Devon GBG entry over the weekend - the Drewe Arms in the Blackdown Hills...

The Drewe Arms (Broadhembury, EX14 3NF - web)
But we didn't visit at the best of times, calling in mid-afternoon on a Sunday when I figured lunch would be over, only to find folk lingering and stretching out the dining experience.
This left us with an uncomfortable perch near the bar, balancing our glasses on a narrow ledge.
Otter 'Amber' and 'Bitter', Hanlon's 'Citra' and a Dartmoor 'Best'.  Four beers for a pub-full of people quaffing wine and keg cider.  Which was probably why my Dartmoor was very so-so.

I suspect it turns into more of a village pub in the evenings, when I'd like it a lot more.
Lovely old building; wrong time to visit.

It was time for us to call it a weekend and head back to Oxfordshire.
I'll leave you with a picture of Broadhembury which was indeed a charming East Devon village...