The Famous Grouse - Telegraph

The Sunday Telegraph OCTOBER 16 2011 D9
Distributed with The Sunday Telegraph
village green) and for warming
yourself in front of its roaring
fire in the winter. And with the
Mercedes Formula One Team
headquarters located down the
road in Brackley, there’s a
chance you could find yourself
standing next to Michael
Schumacher at the bar.
�39 The Green, Evenley, NN13 5SH;
01280 703469; Nottinghamshire,
www.redlionevenley.com
The Snooty Fox
Lowick, Northamptonshire
This 17th-century inn was
originally called The White
Horse — in honour of a steed
that brought back a local soldier
from the Battle of Naseby
during the Civil War, then
dropped dead outside the front
door. The inside of the pub is as
traditional as the exterior,
though some of the furnishings
betray a modern sense of style,
and it’s a great place in which
to sample its fine range of
English ales. A separate
restaurant serves an inspired
British-meets-Italian menu.
�16 Main Street, Lowick,
Nottinghamshire, NN14 3BH; 01832
733434; www.thesnootyfoxlowick.com
The Turf Tavern
Oxford, Oxfordshire
This hidden gem at the heart of
Oxford was named Town Pub of
the Year in the Good Pub Guide
2011. Accessed via a cobbled
street, The Turf Tavern is
famous in literary circles for
being visited by Jude Fawley
in Thomas Hardy’s Jude
the Obscure.
In the winter, you can buy
glasses of marshmallows to
toast on the fire under the old
beams, and in the summer the
two large beer gardens are a
delight. The pub has been
featured in several episodes of
Inspector Morse, and is renowned
as the place where a younger
Bill Clinton “did not inhale”.
�4-5 Bath Place, Oxford, Oxfordshire,
OX1 3SU; 01865 243235;
www.theturftavern.co.uk
Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem
Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
So called because this is where
the Crusaders reputedly
stopped off for refreshment
on their way to the Holy Land,
the oldest inn in England is
a Nottingham institution.
Situated at the base of the cliffs
beneath Nottingham Castle, the
pub connects to a network of
caves that housed the castle’s
12th-century brewhouse.
However, an excellent range of
real ales and a fine pub-grub
menu demonstrate that this is
far more than just a curiosity.
�Brewhouse Yard, Nottingham,
Nottinghamshire, NG1 6AD; 0115 947
3171; www.triptojerusalem.com
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A distinctive member of
The Famous Grouse
family, The Black
Grouse has a unique,
aromatic smokiness,
which it derives from its
unique blend of peated
malts. Try it any way
you like: neat, over ice,
or in a
delicious
‘Black and
Black’ —
made by
mixing
The Black
Grouse
with cola,
a squeeze
of fresh
orange
juice and
pouring
over
plenty
of ice.
�����
FAMOUS PUBS | ��� ������ ������
Black Boy Inn
Caernarfon, Gwynedd
Located within Caenarfon’s
medieval walls, just a minute’s
walk from the castle, the
charming Black Boy Inn is as
popular with Cofis (Caernarfondwellers)
as it is with tourists.
Nobody seems entirely sure
how the 16th-century pub got
its name: some say it’s a
homage to a young black
mariner who docked here;
others claim it comes from
a buoy that used to bob in the
harbour; and some even think
it’s a reference to Charles II’s
childhood nickname. But the
origins don’t really matter. What
does is that the cosy pub still
offers roaring fires, a delightful
oak-beamed interior, and
comfortable, hotel-style
accommodation. An unfussy
menu takes full advantage of
fresh, local seafood and organic
Welsh produce, matched by a
wonderful selection of drinks.
�Northgate Street, Caernarfon,
Gwynedd, LL55 1RW; 01286 673604;
www.black-boy-inn.com
The Golden Cross
Cardiff, Glamorganshire
Some pundits have said that
The Golden Cross in the centre
of Cardiff “has the most
spectacular pub interior in the
whole of Wales”. It also has a
pretty spectacular exterior, too.
It’s covered, both inside and
out, in decorative tiles made
by ceramics company Craven
Dunnill for its opening in the
1800s. They even cover the long
bar, making it a rare example
of its kind. It’s worth visiting
for more than just the décor,
however: the beer comes
straight from the Brains
brewery just a froth’s blow
away, and in the evenings, the
place comes to life as one of
the city’s main gay night spots.
�282 Hayes Bridge Road, Cardiff,
Glamorganshire, CF10 1GH;
02920 343129
The Neuadd Arms Hotel
Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys
This 19th-century pub/hotel is
cosy, comfortable and quiet —
indeed, it couldn’t really get
quieter, as it’s located in
Llanwrtyd Wells, a town known
for being the smallest in
Britain. The speciality here is
home-made curry, matched
with home-made beer. The
on-site Heart of Wales Brewery
was set up by the owners in
2004 and can produce more
than 3,000 pints a week — so
there’s plenty on tap with which
to steel yourself for the manly
pursuits held annually in the
surrounding countryside,
including the World Bog
Snorkelling Championship
and the Man versus Horse
Marathon. (The horse is always
favourite to win.)
�The Square, Llanwrtyd Wells,
Powys, LD5 4RB; 01591 610236;
www.neuaddarmshotel.co.uk
The Packet Hotel
Cardiff Bay, Glamorganshire
From deprivation to
destination: Cardiff Bay,
formerly known as Tiger Bay,
has come a long way. Once
home to workers from all over
the world (as well as Shirley
Bassey), the docks district has
been transformed over the past
decade with tourist attractions,
hotels, restaurants and, of
course, the Welsh Assembly
building. The Packet, however,
built in 1864, is one of the few
reminders of the area’s past.
Its name is taken from the
packet ships that used to call
here, and the fact that it offered
rooms to sailors. It features a
striking wooden gantry behind
the bar, Brains beer on tap and
plenty of regulars.
�95 Bute Street, Cardiff,
Glamorganshire, CF10 5AB, 02920
487167; www.sabrain.com/packet