BBC Countryfile Magazine 2014-15 Awards

[Andy Ven]

BBC Countryfile Magazine has opened its 2014-15 Awards. One of the categories is Rural Pub of the Year.
CAMRA has nominated 10 pubs:

Surrey Oak (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/35618/) in Newdigate, Surrey
The Pilot (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/46146/) in Swansea, Glamorgan
The Salutation Inn (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/60190/) in Ham, Gloucestershire
The Windmill (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/16740/) in Sevenoaks, Kent
The John Bull (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/30348/) in Alnwick, Northumberland
The Steam Packet Inn (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/51797/) on Isle of Withorn, Dumfries and Galloway
The Freshfield (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/26637/) in Formby, Merseyside
The Prince of Wales (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/54837/) in Foxfield, Cumbria
Five Bells (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/1527/) in Wickham, Berkshire
The Harewood Arms (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/3591/) in Broadbottom, Cheshire

To vote either visit the magazine's awards webpage (http://www.countryfile.com/awards2014-15) (the CAMRA nominated list is here (http://www.countryfile.com/article/rural-pub-year-201415)) or email awards@countryfile.com .

I haven’t heard of any of them. I feel like I’m missing out!

[gillhalfpint]

There's only one for me, Freshfield in Formby.

[Aqualung]

It's a big fat zero for me although I have been to a few pubs in Alnwick but have no idea what they were.
As for the Surrey Oaks I've only heard of it in relatively recent years. The target pub in that area was always the K&B Plough at Blackbrook, often on a Sunday Lunchtime with a shambolic return to the Smoke punctuated by a stop at a burger bar for motorised bikers somewhere near Box Hill.

Hold on! How can a pub in Alnwick be a rural pub??
EDIT: I definitely haven't been here as it is described as being in a new part of Alnwick, even so I would hardly call it a rural pub. It's not exactly the Tan Hill Inn is it?
How did CAMRA select these ten pubs?

[Wittenden]

It's a big fat zero for me although I have been to a few pubs in Alnwick but have no idea what they were.
As for the Surrey Oaks I've only heard of it in relatively recent years. The target pub in that area was always the K&B Plough at Blackbrook, often on a Sunday Lunchtime with a shambolic return to the Smoke punctuated by a stop at a burger bar for motorised bikers somewhere near Box Hill.


I've been to the Soaks a few times, but the longstanding landlord, with the (for the Southeast)adventurous beer buying policy has retired, and word has it (at least on the Dark Side, which seems to be fairly active thereabouts)is that the new management are less enterprising. However, I haven't been since the change. Nor have I been to the only other pub in my manor, The Windmill at Sevenoaks Weald:it does have good reports on pubsandbeer.co.uk.

[Pubsignman]

How did CAMRA select these ten pubs?

All of these pubs were in the final 16 for this year's CAMRA National Pub of the Year award. Out of these 10, I've only been to the Pilot and that was back in my pre-ale drinking days as a student. I believe it's a brew-pub nowadays - must get back there and give it a try.

[oldboots]

All of these pubs were in the final 16 for this year's CAMRA National Pub of the Year award...

The list does appear to have just been lifted from the Press Release. I wouldn't call a number of these "rural" either, unless your definition of rural is "not actually in a city street"

I haven't been to any, sadly just missed out on a trip to The Prince of Wales which is extremely highly rated.

[Andy Ven]

I thought when I was adding the pub links that some of them appeared to be in suburban areas. I had to double check whether I had the right pubs.
Surely there are enough places in the UK National Parks, like the Peak District and Snowdonia, to come up with a better list than this one.

[sheffield hatter]

I haven't been to any, sadly just missed out on a trip to The Prince of Wales which is extremely highly rated.

This is the only one I've been to, and it's definitely worth the trip, though it is a little bit out of the way. The trains stop a few yards from the pub, but it's a very infrequent service from Barrow in Furness, and on Sundays there are no trains at all. If you are out this way, combine a visit to the Prince of Wales with the nearby Manor Arms Hotel (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/6008/) in Broughton, or possibly The Punchbowl (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/61071/), further along the line towards Millom, if trains suit.

[Aqualung]

I thought when I was adding the pub links that some of them appeared to be in suburban areas. I had to double check whether I had the right pubs.
Surely there are enough places in the UK National Parks, like the Peak District and Snowdonia, to come up with a better list than this one.
You don't even have to go to the National Parks, there are plenty of pubs in the Home Counties and SE England that are genuinely rural, even in Greater London there are a few that are just as rural as that one in Alnwick.

[Bucking Fastard]

I've been to the Soaks a few times, but the longstanding landlord, with the (for the Southeast)adventurous beer buying policy has retired, and word has it (at least on the Dark Side, which seems to be fairly active thereabouts)is that the new management are less enterprising. However, I haven't been since the change. Nor have I been to the only other pub in my manor, The Windmill at Sevenoaks Weald:it does have good reports on pubsandbeer.co.uk.

It's been many a long year since I've been to the Surrey Oaks,probably the mid 80's .That's the only one on this list that I have entered.

[Andy Ven]

You don't even have to go to the National Parks, there are plenty of pubs in the Home Counties and SE England that are genuinely rural, even in Greater London there are a few that are just as rural as that one in Alnwick.

Indeed, absolutely.

[aleandhearty]

I haven't been to any, sadly just missed out on a trip to The Prince of Wales which is extremely highly rated.


This is the only one I've been to, and it's definitely worth the trip, though it is a little bit out of the way.

Also on my hit list. There's a strong Wakefield connection to the POW. Stewart and Lynda Johnson, the licensees, were the original founders of Tigertops Brewery, which was my brewery of the year and provided my beer of the year. As far as I know Harry's Bar, Wakefield and the POW are the only two regular outlets for the brewery's excellent ales.

[Strongers]

Yet another list of pubs with no representatives from Sussex! If only the people that compile these lists had time to travel South from their Surrey/London pads!

[Aqualung]

Yet another list of pubs with no representatives from Sussex! If only the people that compile these lists had time to travel South from their Surrey/London pads!

And Kent as well, my idea of Rural Kent is not really just off the Sevenoaks bypass.
East Anglia and northwards to Tyneside is completely overlooked.

[Mobyduck]

It's been many a long year since I've been to the Surrey Oaks,probably the mid 80's .That's the only one on this list that I have entered.

My only one as well, also many moons ago.