local beer festivals and events - see page 20 - Nottingham CAMRA

L'BORO VERSES NOTTML'BORO VERSES NOTTMNo.36 of a series in which Spyke Golding looks at the use of buses, trams, trains and planes to visit pubspage 12A summer stroll around Milford, Makeney and DuffieldThis attractive area to the north of Derbyfeatures lots of stone buildings, plenty of goodpubs, all with outside drinking areas, and somepretty scenery. You will be very pleasantlysurprised at how quickly it is possible to reachthe area by using Trent-Barton’s Red Arrowservice and connecting at Derby bus station.What’s more, the whole trip will only cost you£3.80 using a zigzag ticket that can be boughton the bus. The Red Arrow runs on the quarterhour until 18.30, then at 19.00, 19,35, 20.20and hourly to 23.20 (half hourly on Fridaysand Saturdays). Returning in the evening, theyare hourly to 22.50 (half hourly on Fridays andSaturdays with additional later Night Arrowjourneys at 23.20, then 00.30 and every halfhour to 03.00. (Note that your day ticket maynot be accepted after midnight). Connectingservices R61 – R64 to Duffield and Milfordare quarter hourly until 18.35 then 19.05, 19.35then hourly to 23.35. Returning from Milfordthey run quarter hourly until 19.05 then at19.49, 20.49, 21.49, 22.49 and 23.39 (Fri.&Sat only). From Duffield, they leave at 4minutes after the Milford time. You may alsocome across an occasional Trans-peak busplying this route, but be aware that they arelimited stop and so can involve a longer walk.Milford started life as a quiet village in thelarge deer forest that spread from Duffield toWirksworth. In 1790, Jedediah Strutt, afterwhom one of the pubs is named, built a waterpowered cotton mill and housing for hisworkforce. Some of the housing still standsnear the New Inn in Hopping Hill but, sadly,most of the mill building was demolishedbetween 1952 and 1964, including the unusualcruciform warehouse, the second of Strutt’sfire proof buildings with brick arch floors, ironpillars and timber beams. The bridge thatcarries the A6, with its two elegant arches, wasbuilt around the same time as the mill andwidened in 1906.Ask to alight from your bus 2 stops after thebridge, and you will see the New Inn (1) that,although on Hopping Hill, can be reached viasteps from the A6. This imposing, stone builtpub is a Hardy’s and Hanson’s tied house,selling a good drop of Bitter and Olde Trip.You will pass the small beer garden on yourway to the main entrance. Inside you will finda spacious, open plan lounge bar with greenand white décor. Even the furniture is paintedolive green, with the exception of the ratherugly bar counter. There is also a smallrestaurant at the rear, but the whole place lacksany real pubby atmosphere, with an emphasison food, which, apparently, comes to a haltwhen the chef is on holiday!A short walk back down the A6 will bring youto the King William (2). This is a very oldestablishment, with one narrow L-shapedroom, and an alcove at the far end containinga settee. There are stone block walls, a stonefireplace with a real fire in winter, a beamedceiling and an original quarry-tiled floor. Oneof the endearing features of the pub when Ivisited was that two of the real ales, which werelargely from Leadmill Brewery, were servedfrom bath taps! Enjoy the photo of these, asthey are now, sadly, gone. The pub changedhands on July 4 th and now sells Bass, TimothyTaylor’s Landlord, Greene King IPA and aguest beer. There will be “more emphasis onfood, but itwill still bea drinkers’pub”. Thenew peopleobviouslydid not findthe bathtaps asendearingas I did!Makeney is only a ten-minute walk fromMilford. Pigot’s Commercial Directory ofDerbyshire, 1828, described it as “a smallvillage, in a thinly populated parish, in thehundred of Appletree, about five miles fromDerby and three and a half from Belper”. It isstill a small village but boasts a country househotel, and one of the finest pubs in theMidlands, the Hollybush Inn (3). This classicgem really must not be missed! Once afarmhouse with a brewery on the Strutt estate,this 17 th century stone built inn positivelyoozes with character. No JCBs have been here;there are still lots of small rooms including anenclosed snug. There is a huge stone fireplacewith real fire, beamed ceilings and quarry-tiledfloors. The children’s room is in a conservatoryand there is a tiny outside drinking area. TheMarston’s Pedigree is jugged up from thecellar, and was outstanding on my visit. Theother beers are served from hand pumps; theyare Timothy Taylor’s Landlord, Greene KingAbbott, Fuller’s London Pride, Adnam’sBroadside and a guest. Don’t leave withouttrying the locally produced hand raised porkpies – if you’re not hungry take one home!Back in Milford, the Strutts Arms Hotel (4) isa working hotel with a large restaurant, so itwas quite a surprise to find that as well as aplush lounge, there is a real public bar,complete with darts and a pool table. Theceiling is beamed, but the floor has moderntiling, and the beers are well kept Bass andMarston’s Pedigree.Situated next to the River Derwent, Duffieldis thought to have been inhabited since the IronAge. Way en route for the North Sea, in AngloSaxon times it seems to have been occupiedby persons of some position, and in Normantimes, Henry de Ferrars built a substantialcastle.The bus stop to move on to Duffield is justbeyond the Strutts Arms Hotel’s car park;alight at Makeney Road to walk down to theBridge Inn (5). This pub has a wonderfulriverside location, with an attractive terraceoverlooking the Derwent. The spacious, openplan interior has lots of beams and bric-a-brac,but still did not seem very pubby to me withthe emphasis being firmly on food. There isan all day 2 for the price of one menu, but themeals are only really worth half the listed pricein my opinion. Had I been alone and paid £8.95for my steak and kidney pudding I would nothave been too impressed to find that it camewith tinned peas and totally overdone carrots,probably tinned or frozen too. An ex Mansfieldhouse, the real ale is well kept Marston’sPedigree, and seasonal “guests” are sometimesserved.Look out for the footpath to cut off the corneron the way back- it is down some stepsimmediately after the railway bridge. Our nextstop, the Lord Scarsdale (6) is another foodorientatedestablishment, but with a candle lit