New brewery and visitor centre for Belvoir - Nottingham CAMRA

Alight at the furthest pub, the Snooty
Fox (1), which is nearly in Woodville,
the next village. There’s nothing snooty
about this place though - it is a down-toearth,
friendly sports bar with a
restaurant attached. The first thing you
will notice on entering is the new
smokers’ conservatory stuck right on the
front of the pub. The front bar has
plasma screen sport, a pool table,
jukebox and darts, and a comfortable,
carpeted seating area. The brick and
stone walls are painted in a lurid yellow,
In Praise of PUBlic Transport
with the bare floorboards. At the rear on the
right is a small restaurant, specialising in
“Stonegrill” meals – these involve cooking
meat or seafood yourself, at your table, on a
hot stone. This treat will set you back around
£14-15. On the left at the back is a good
public bar with barstools, darts, pool, table
football, plasma screen sports, and a very
nice old fireplace. There is an excellent and
extensive outside drinking area, with lawns,
picnic tables, flowers, shrubs and cedar
trees.
with lots of football prints including one of a
very young looking Brian Clough with a
Derby team. The back room has a carvery
(closed on my visit) and beyond that a
children’s room with pool. There is a pleasant
lawn with picnic tables at the rear, with great
views over rolling farmland. The only real ale
on sale when I called was Marston’s
Pedigree, but I was told that guests are
sometimes available too.
The Bull’s Head (2) is signed “Burtonwood,
but, once again, Marston’s Pedigree is the
ale. It is very food orientated – early Friday
evening only two tables were not set for
meals. The three original rooms have been
partly opened out, but it is still very
characterful with lots of horse brasses, prints,
musical instruments, china, old bottles, and
vintage suitcases. In the hearth you will find a
set of miniature brass chairs, an old Imperial
typewriter, a last and a sowing machine. Two
large old hand operated drill stands dominate
one area and there is a Guinness Toucan ad
with the pub’s name on it – the toucan is
sporting cow horns! The menu has a
seventies feel with some up-to-date additions.
The Admiral Rodney (3) is the only pub I
know with its own cricket pitch at the rear –
actually I think it belongs to the village, but
the outside seats are on its edge. What a
nice way to watch a cricket match! This very
popular pub has a set of porcelain bells in the
left hand room; the main room is carpeted
and has comfortable upholstered chairs and
settles, cricketing prints, and sets of stumps
and bails. At the rear, up three steps, is a
snug area. There’s a good range of ales here
– Pedigree and 4 guests. They were just
putting Thornbridge Jaipur on as I arrived –
what a welcome! There was also a Burton
Bridge and a Derby beer (whose name I dare
not mention in this City) and before I left
another one was going on; although I didn’t
see the pump clip I did hear a rather raucous
local telling the barmaid that he was looking
forward to trying her Belvoir!
The Chesterfield (4) serves good Marstons
Pedigree, Fullers London Pride and Greene
King Morland Old Speckled Hen. The front
room has a beamed ceiling but lacks
atmosphere – the furniture just does not gel
There’s a microbrewery in Woodville and the
place to try its beers is the Mill Wheel (5).
This pub is fronted by a 24-foot diameter
working water mill that used to drive the
machinery to make screws. Upstairs is a
popular bistro serving quality food;
downstairs a smart but characterful bar with
original beams and wooden support pillars. It
is carpeted, and sports comfortable chairs
and an old fireplace containing a modern
wood burning stove. There is always a
Tollgate beer from down the road; the three
guests on my visit were Hop Back Summer
Lightning, Oakham Bishops Farewell and
G.K. Abbott.
www.nottinghamcamra.org February/ March 08
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