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14-01-2024, 10:20
Visit the Paul Bailey's Beer Blog site (https://baileysbeerblog.blogspot.com/2024/01/rifle-volunteers-for-pub-friday.html)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zgjCdH1IY9329856HiQHcex1l1DlzNaO7_aRGgj5f3 rAV4nP3NRHYTdY4p3utBhkZNPtLFfBuFWscME016WcT0p7k8rD 9npUkswBBci4NO-rkWN1F7uWATQMJfyTKJin4tyE88ZbLxwVnL5TA7ZO2AovTOws6 DfYknTTmPLPMf5RYUWjo5D3Ge-kwYM/w400-h203/Buses.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zgjCdH1IY9329856HiQHcex1l1DlzNaO7_aRGgj5f3 rAV4nP3NRHYTdY4p3utBhkZNPtLFfBuFWscME016WcT0p7k8rD 9npUkswBBci4NO-rkWN1F7uWATQMJfyTKJin4tyE88ZbLxwVnL5TA7ZO2AovTOws6 DfYknTTmPLPMf5RYUWjo5D3Ge-kwYM/s3239/Buses.jpg)
Just over a year ago I came up with the idea of “Pub Friday.”This was a list of pubs I could visit conveniently on a Friday, a day free ofboth work and domestic commitments, when I’ve got the whole day free to do as Iplease. The pubs on my list are those in relatively hard to get places with themain proviso being they’re reachable using public transport. In the main the journeysto and from these places would be by bus, making full use of the free travel affordedby my Senior Citizens Bus Pass, although for some of the longer journeys I willtravel by train. Finally, for a handful pubs on the list, a combination of bothmodes of transport would be used.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbmgqZSdi9oR08Yl5sL7rK75yCgJZ6URoGbByoPbvk_T 5v6-53MmU-vutoG6XzEe73sIGSm9mgWoZ1j8TKXnJtxb6JfHhqcI64jnMT1H bcygiFXMNsXwCNk_7WEnkPjsrWZ3cPTXFZOXIgj-PdPEUV9F4uFSEYZDOaQXbKMTVmNwGGAVk6xiZDMWrot_M/w400-h225/Fordwich%20Bridge.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbmgqZSdi9oR08Yl5sL7rK75yCgJZ6URoGbByoPbvk_T 5v6-53MmU-vutoG6XzEe73sIGSm9mgWoZ1j8TKXnJtxb6JfHhqcI64jnMT1H bcygiFXMNsXwCNk_7WEnkPjsrWZ3cPTXFZOXIgj-PdPEUV9F4uFSEYZDOaQXbKMTVmNwGGAVk6xiZDMWrot_M/s4000/Fordwich%20Bridge.jpg)
My Pub Friday list wasn't a New Year's resolution oranything like that, although it might well have been, because I'm sorry to say thatI only managed to visit two pubs on the list, and these were right at the startof the year. It’s almost as if l lost momentum, before getting going, although it'shard to pinpoint exactly what went wrong. Things obviously got in the way of myplans, perhaps even conspiring against them, but until the other day, the FordwichArms, and the George & Dragon, both in the tiny town of Fordwich, a fewmiles to the north of Canterbury, were the only ones crossed off my list.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxbsyKxtDMYVLRIpUgUpTf1CEKx-plyNveC3Zn5WR4XhPPM2SnuCx6cm8V6oJ6u4SIrHTSq7enZK36 DtyUuZRdk6y7kQIZldXa0nOn32e-6-9Fp5Z0oTU4Hn3rhwmm26L_aorJBdhOgOmStWhgzxU3NQcUVUWR qGrd66ahpc9wdKa1DQxwa3b9j1oARuc/w228-h400/Bus%20stop.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxbsyKxtDMYVLRIpUgUpTf1CEKx-plyNveC3Zn5WR4XhPPM2SnuCx6cm8V6oJ6u4SIrHTSq7enZK36 DtyUuZRdk6y7kQIZldXa0nOn32e-6-9Fp5Z0oTU4Hn3rhwmm26L_aorJBdhOgOmStWhgzxU3NQcUVUWR qGrd66ahpc9wdKa1DQxwa3b9j1oARuc/s3560/Bus%20stop.jpg)
So, on Friday, seeing as Mrs PBT's had decided to go into hibernation,I grabbed the bull by the horns, wrapped myself up against the cold, and headeddown to the bus stop that serves Tonbridge station, and waited for the No. 7bus to turn up. This particular service operates the route between TunbridgeWells and Maidstone, and the latter town was my destination that day. My plan was to visit the unspoiled Rifle Volunteers,a stone built, back street local, close to the former Ophthalmic & Aural Hospital,now long demolished, and replaced by housing. I mention the hospital, because ofthe unpleasant memories it invokes, as it was there that I had my wisdom teethextracted, a procedure that involved two separate appointments, one for eachside of my mouth.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKdqr5u_2H68Fbg-8jqTMg6wrNklixTfong6__VWbRh_AwiKF6xUtyLw-UVeFTkHgHIFQGzQlir9EzazjjeCkSW4aZqSrTbu1zGdxiSR9Ez QDulFxjJW-g-rWj52ibYU92A49K9vUWIXVERTpPrqOka85JvJbRuH6R3NlybNG RTaN-HUvz8PZ6y3tGowY/w400-h233/Bus%20upstairs.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKdqr5u_2H68Fbg-8jqTMg6wrNklixTfong6__VWbRh_AwiKF6xUtyLw-UVeFTkHgHIFQGzQlir9EzazjjeCkSW4aZqSrTbu1zGdxiSR9Ez QDulFxjJW-g-rWj52ibYU92A49K9vUWIXVERTpPrqOka85JvJbRuH6R3NlybNG RTaN-HUvz8PZ6y3tGowY/s3840/Bus%20upstairs.jpg)
Understandably, I still shudder at the memory, and it is notan experience I would wish to repeat. Fortunately, I don’t have to and leaving suchhorrors firmly in the past, I waited for the 12.07 service to turn up. There issomething both smug and satisfying just tapping my pass on the card reader andboarding the bus, completely free of charge. I headed up to the top deck and sat down to enjoy the 50-minuteride to Kent’s county town. Ever since I was a kid, I've always enjoyed sittingon the upper deck of a bus, not just for the enhanced view but also for theability of seeing straight into people's gardens, and even beyond. Invariably itcreates a better
understanding of what’s there, including lanes and side roadsI wasn’t aware of. It also helps put each settlement into perspective in relationto the surrounding topography and countryside.https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhByHwMapvvBpcVACXWDd0-8GJlLGuKzVjCDx-WTDnyZlflJpYQKk26p2X8tnng4yB08sEnAmIFKS2oYW6kINB5d Og5QHkYfpDmu3497880mlrRrxh1bwDmGckS-8PO8MP-pHqWtw5TuvOmE2YAXqF7Dces_LmfGZOC8JOjzkpGZ9FZV5YxV9 saVVuctbM/w400-h249/Brewery%201972_1.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhByHwMapvvBpcVACXWDd0-8GJlLGuKzVjCDx-WTDnyZlflJpYQKk26p2X8tnng4yB08sEnAmIFKS2oYW6kINB5d Og5QHkYfpDmu3497880mlrRrxh1bwDmGckS-8PO8MP-pHqWtw5TuvOmE2YAXqF7Dces_LmfGZOC8JOjzkpGZ9FZV5YxV9 saVVuctbM/s1600/Brewery%201972_1.jpg)The bus follows the route of the A26 between Tonbridge and Maidstone,passing through on the way, the large villages of Hadlow, and Wateringbury. Theformer is home to a famous agricultural college which, I gather, is now beingexpanded. The latter settlement which as well as continuing a large number of attractiveVictorian houses, was also home to two large breweries. Both have now vanished,almost completely, but whilst the premises Jude Hanbury & Co, which stoodon the crossroads on the edge of the village, disappeared 90 or so years ago,buildings of the other concern, Frederick Leney & Son’s, lasted until theearly 1990’s. Photo - Courtesy of Wateringbury Remembered (https://wateringbury.blogspot.com/)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWWgvuzK3Mfly2Og-zEiS4-9k8zQhn2eO5-JM_edtzvhX37mgECqV7LFxFd5kQGN4uLSj4yvZzbZPUPm2FbS3 FYXVawkOwhUfOOE1rLWTFdgvR_ahoJRVf541nzvjhB_IfhXCuN Xbr2Yt9dq_bdLag3kfoxxNGRhSK7LF0EVRrcGBeGeg4iIrS_VQ EHYs/w400-h216/Swan%20side%20view.%20Jan.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWWgvuzK3Mfly2Og-zEiS4-9k8zQhn2eO5-JM_edtzvhX37mgECqV7LFxFd5kQGN4uLSj4yvZzbZPUPm2FbS3 FYXVawkOwhUfOOE1rLWTFdgvR_ahoJRVf541nzvjhB_IfhXCuN Xbr2Yt9dq_bdLag3kfoxxNGRhSK7LF0EVRrcGBeGeg4iIrS_VQ EHYs/s3862/Swan%20side%20view.%20Jan.jpg)
Leney’s Phoenix Brewery, an impressive red brick, tower construction,stood in Bow Road, in sight of the River Medway. As with Jude Hanbury, Leney’s hadbeen part of the Whitbread group since the 1920s, although in the latter case,brewing continued there until the mid-1980s. Towards the end of its life, the Wateringburyplant produced bottled beers for Whitbread, primarily Pale Ale and GoldLabel Barley Wine. After closure, the brewery building were demolished, and theextensive plot of land was used for a new housing development. There’s a familyconnection here, as for several years, the younger of my two sisters lived inone of the houses there. Despite its detached status, you could stand on herback doorstep and almost touch the wall of the next property along, across thefence.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdevRIJ_ax70J0KcHpox4qMOK3cNBzzMvlwxrFxqeq3h hqXcCwZzuRXtqcf-v-sbNA45-pIFCORR-oFPCTtX1EEw20Ym2TuzdqA8AGYBVGsXV_x7O6WFhGCoR5QjqUa 0g0TjylPyls2QE6PFSpq1Maje9qRZVBdLV0vIrqSczyw2VmeQF vAwr9VWzp584/w400-h279/W.%20Peckham%20green.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdevRIJ_ax70J0KcHpox4qMOK3cNBzzMvlwxrFxqeq3h hqXcCwZzuRXtqcf-v-sbNA45-pIFCORR-oFPCTtX1EEw20Ym2TuzdqA8AGYBVGsXV_x7O6WFhGCoR5QjqUa 0g0TjylPyls2QE6PFSpq1Maje9qRZVBdLV0vIrqSczyw2VmeQF vAwr9VWzp584/s2030/W.%20Peckham%20green.jpg)
In between Hadlow and Wateringbury, is the village of Mereworth,a settlement thankfully off both A26 and the adjoining A228. I mention this as thevillage is the place to leave the bus and walk the mile and a half to the tinyvillage of West Peckham and it's delightful pub, the Swan on the Green. Unfortunately,some changes are afoot in relation to this pub, not all of them good althoughwith luck they herald a move which should ensure the pub's survival. More aboutthis in a later blog.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6nYeGAhg3t8sp51pq2LNqDfkK9ebF5LInLF40B-SsuaiMaWKN9KohgfQ5kCmtlyGk7crxxc3PcrRWF3H252ZPnoGY x4wCQ1GWCvGgcUp3PjNtv5B2s4Hzx1Wn41fsu9h9fsQ_sPMrpk NlR3mQ75aeaUXABRMd-Lwvz68PO7iNBjGSOQiyfzTxjQViyAo/w400-h225/Skull%20Bar.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6nYeGAhg3t8sp51pq2LNqDfkK9ebF5LInLF40B-SsuaiMaWKN9KohgfQ5kCmtlyGk7crxxc3PcrRWF3H252ZPnoGY x4wCQ1GWCvGgcUp3PjNtv5B2s4Hzx1Wn41fsu9h9fsQ_sPMrpk NlR3mQ75aeaUXABRMd-Lwvz68PO7iNBjGSOQiyfzTxjQViyAo/s3891/Skull%20Bar.jpg)
I digress, and shortly before 1:00 pm the bus arrived inMaidstone, and I alighted at the bottom of the High Street, ready to make myway towards the Rifle Volunteers. On the way I stopped to take a few photos,including one of a pub which is now called The Stag, but one I remember as alovely old hostelry, called the Sun, belonging to Fremlin’s brewery. Moving on, I headed throughthe enlarged Royal Star Arcade, an up-market shopping development which, as itsname suggests, is an area once occupied by the former, Royal Star Hotel. The attractionshere, include the Skull Bar & Grill, and just outside in the colonnaded CornExchange buildings, behind the Hazlitt Theatre, the Maidstone Distillery. Stopoff here for your fix of local craft gin!
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I then head up alongEarl Street, towards Maidstone’s main shopping thoroughfare, Week Street, beforenavigating my way towards the Rifle Volunteers, the first of the two pubs on myPub Friday list, I’ve known this thriving street corner local since the time atthe start of the 1980’s, when I lived in the county town for five years. Backthen, the pub was owned by Shepherd Neame, who at the time owned nine publichouses in the town centre and it's immediate surrounds. As I discovered on Friday,at least half of those pubs have ceased trading for one reason or another, andShep's now only have a handful of houses in Maidstone.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9H0YBAQuCVvzeNYgQPhuFSEDAuoHUPaJP2b9z9q-v4kb80ZiWCuPax2carhY7iLkUMjQDzvrzGW2reN5C3LFuw1pBD RfsTrKZoG0N7eo2hUadMpuXGiBuCkpJo3nrp59dqHD4dMgfUQN 9T2uss2Uq5LN3N8zsGp6P1KhHp8ZjujM6qGmUvMaEghj9Q4/w343-h400/Goachers%20Beer%20Mat.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9H0YBAQuCVvzeNYgQPhuFSEDAuoHUPaJP2b9z9q-v4kb80ZiWCuPax2carhY7iLkUMjQDzvrzGW2reN5C3LFuw1pBD RfsTrKZoG0N7eo2hUadMpuXGiBuCkpJo3nrp59dqHD4dMgfUQN 9T2uss2Uq5LN3N8zsGp6P1KhHp8ZjujM6qGmUvMaEghj9Q4/s3455/Goachers%20Beer%20Mat.jpg)
Fortunately, the Rifle Volunteers didn't suffer the samefate, and in 1997 was acquired by local brewers, Goacher’s. It represented theirsecond pub in the town, and longstanding licensee couple, Alan, and Wendy, stayedon to run it on behalf of the new owners, before eventually stepping down in2018. As far as I recall, my last visit to the RifleVolunteers took place in 2010, when I met up with Norwich-based blogger, PaulGarrard, host, and writer of the now sadly defunct Real Ale Blog. Paul and hiswife were staying over in Maidstone for a couple of days and after suggesting wemeet up, decided that the Rifle Volunteers ticked all the right boxes.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7aqPqnGKq5S4XJXLnTyhLchW9EbU-1ai7E_cBz5Yk_R72kWk_KSHD9nTBmqIfJWzFRC1IFkq6Eo-azhd7e_MpuisZAs-o5XN1rjFASGFdX2c6eBq3pOs2JKasZXYli3Hun2pTZSDyi1WOv xXDKZgtbaLazUdzJ3dQgOMO62WBEUVC5V6zIHdlQv7A1CE/w400-h300/Bloggers%20meet%20up.JPG (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7aqPqnGKq5S4XJXLnTyhLchW9EbU-1ai7E_cBz5Yk_R72kWk_KSHD9nTBmqIfJWzFRC1IFkq6Eo-azhd7e_MpuisZAs-o5XN1rjFASGFdX2c6eBq3pOs2JKasZXYli3Hun2pTZSDyi1WOv xXDKZgtbaLazUdzJ3dQgOMO62WBEUVC5V6zIHdlQv7A1CE/s1600/Bloggers%20meet%20up.JPG)
You can read about that meeting here (https://baileysbeerblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/bloggers-meet-up.html), but without giving toomuch away, apart from there being a new couple running the pub, little hadchanged. The attractive ragstone exterior remains the same, showcasing what isan attractive street corner local at its best. I stepped inside and was pleasedto notice the place was quite full, with the majority of tables and chairs tothe right of the serving area occupied. Perching proudly on the bar counter werefour hand pumps, all dispensing Goacher’s beers and these were Real Mild, FineLight, Imperial Stout, and Gold Star.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhee3tcopyBiRMTRuTJbEOn9qdx_b-P4bQccYbbKE-NAwQvAlwtuDnSBDshHo8YMoZarrgzZrxctP3dvx_487GvJD9lj zg0SQ_7AkPSlueuIt8D5oVBg0AxijqRQMtXX27quZd0hP0JcWD JR-5HgfdXX3VkIktc58ocSF9uDpm2SM5xHFRPCJBzsv2wSI4/w400-h225/Rifle%20V.%20Int.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhee3tcopyBiRMTRuTJbEOn9qdx_b-P4bQccYbbKE-NAwQvAlwtuDnSBDshHo8YMoZarrgzZrxctP3dvx_487GvJD9lj zg0SQ_7AkPSlueuIt8D5oVBg0AxijqRQMtXX27quZd0hP0JcWD JR-5HgfdXX3VkIktc58ocSF9uDpm2SM5xHFRPCJBzsv2wSI4/s4000/Rifle%20V.%20Int.jpg)
Last year, saw Goacher’s (https://www.goachers.com/) celebrating their 40th anniversary,and a note marking this event features quite prominently on the pump clips. Ikicked off with a pint of Fine Light, which was in excellent form and seeminglybeing drunk by nearly everyone in the pub. I managed to find a small table adjacentto the door, where I could sit and watch the proceedings taking place in thepub before me. There was plenty of banter flying around, and many of the customerswere obviously regulars, who knew one another. One of them was heard to remark,that the majority of customers were of pensionable age, something I could seefor myself but wasn't going to mention.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLQgEy0w0VWHDntJ-xAQt_LYlBjAFkKkAPX51qmJsL17uuhmXVls7C6MH4laDVYXbfA c6HH9q9LDZoEhSPHCFtwbmaawC2-PhLGm9B8zlgGaOw2sKKGTLTY1lUAwXpIoz9zPmjJyOa0ybszaj DW3LOjbu31q8RnUbvB2FiYfTnM2mxh_2U0r0nHa5EN5o/w400-h225/Cheese%20Roll.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLQgEy0w0VWHDntJ-xAQt_LYlBjAFkKkAPX51qmJsL17uuhmXVls7C6MH4laDVYXbfA c6HH9q9LDZoEhSPHCFtwbmaawC2-PhLGm9B8zlgGaOw2sKKGTLTY1lUAwXpIoz9zPmjJyOa0ybszaj DW3LOjbu31q8RnUbvB2FiYfTnM2mxh_2U0r0nHa5EN5o/s4000/Cheese%20Roll.jpg)
The age and type of customer was reflected in the choice of beersavailable, with plenty of cask being poured, and little or no draught lager. infact, I don't even know whether or not the pub sells the stuff. Cooked food seemedto be available, but it was relatively low key, and I’ve a feeling it mighthave needed to be ordered in advance. However, I knew from the entry on WhatPubthat filled rolls were available at the Rifle, so I ordered myself a cheese roll servedup with a few crisps. This was just right for me at lunchtime, particularlyafter the excesses of the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqTpV3YyAi5JeVCnONfaH9ujD-VjsqDLxc5WLb9YEkq0aIIV0syMTpQ7Ih002B3BGhrtFpxYrtV9 CgWBcqMRoL0YXbX75gEF2IuVKGqFsOMR3QxgUWPwzZWTYKUVyQ 14QpF13YMmyLdqbpIPTowE2uOok0IPe0flJLPJRJONLiEJkiMt sRKgUXFK-Tzj8/w400-h225/Goachers%20Stout.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqTpV3YyAi5JeVCnONfaH9ujD-VjsqDLxc5WLb9YEkq0aIIV0syMTpQ7Ih002B3BGhrtFpxYrtV9 CgWBcqMRoL0YXbX75gEF2IuVKGqFsOMR3QxgUWPwzZWTYKUVyQ 14QpF13YMmyLdqbpIPTowE2uOok0IPe0flJLPJRJONLiEJkiMt sRKgUXFK-Tzj8/s3930/Goachers%20Stout.jpg)
I moved on from the Fine Light to the Imperial Stout, recordingit on Untappd as a "tasty, dry, Irish style stout, with plenty of roast malt andbalancing hop flavours." Although it doesn’t say directly on their website, Iget the feeling that Goacher’s were trying to match this particular beer withthe most famous stout of all, namely Guinness. It was whilst sitting there that the idea or visitinganother Maidstone pub on my list popped up in my consciousness. The pub inquestion is situated on the other side of the river Medway, opposite MaidstoneWest station, and I've been wanting to visit this establishment for some time. Its limited opening hours of 4:00 pm were one reason for not having finished visited before, but as I’ve waffled on long enough already, you’ll have to wait untilnext time to discover its name and read more about it.Follow Blog via EmailClick to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.
More... (https://baileysbeerblog.blogspot.com/2024/01/rifle-volunteers-for-pub-friday.html)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zgjCdH1IY9329856HiQHcex1l1DlzNaO7_aRGgj5f3 rAV4nP3NRHYTdY4p3utBhkZNPtLFfBuFWscME016WcT0p7k8rD 9npUkswBBci4NO-rkWN1F7uWATQMJfyTKJin4tyE88ZbLxwVnL5TA7ZO2AovTOws6 DfYknTTmPLPMf5RYUWjo5D3Ge-kwYM/w400-h203/Buses.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zgjCdH1IY9329856HiQHcex1l1DlzNaO7_aRGgj5f3 rAV4nP3NRHYTdY4p3utBhkZNPtLFfBuFWscME016WcT0p7k8rD 9npUkswBBci4NO-rkWN1F7uWATQMJfyTKJin4tyE88ZbLxwVnL5TA7ZO2AovTOws6 DfYknTTmPLPMf5RYUWjo5D3Ge-kwYM/s3239/Buses.jpg)
Just over a year ago I came up with the idea of “Pub Friday.”This was a list of pubs I could visit conveniently on a Friday, a day free ofboth work and domestic commitments, when I’ve got the whole day free to do as Iplease. The pubs on my list are those in relatively hard to get places with themain proviso being they’re reachable using public transport. In the main the journeysto and from these places would be by bus, making full use of the free travel affordedby my Senior Citizens Bus Pass, although for some of the longer journeys I willtravel by train. Finally, for a handful pubs on the list, a combination of bothmodes of transport would be used.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbmgqZSdi9oR08Yl5sL7rK75yCgJZ6URoGbByoPbvk_T 5v6-53MmU-vutoG6XzEe73sIGSm9mgWoZ1j8TKXnJtxb6JfHhqcI64jnMT1H bcygiFXMNsXwCNk_7WEnkPjsrWZ3cPTXFZOXIgj-PdPEUV9F4uFSEYZDOaQXbKMTVmNwGGAVk6xiZDMWrot_M/w400-h225/Fordwich%20Bridge.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbmgqZSdi9oR08Yl5sL7rK75yCgJZ6URoGbByoPbvk_T 5v6-53MmU-vutoG6XzEe73sIGSm9mgWoZ1j8TKXnJtxb6JfHhqcI64jnMT1H bcygiFXMNsXwCNk_7WEnkPjsrWZ3cPTXFZOXIgj-PdPEUV9F4uFSEYZDOaQXbKMTVmNwGGAVk6xiZDMWrot_M/s4000/Fordwich%20Bridge.jpg)
My Pub Friday list wasn't a New Year's resolution oranything like that, although it might well have been, because I'm sorry to say thatI only managed to visit two pubs on the list, and these were right at the startof the year. It’s almost as if l lost momentum, before getting going, although it'shard to pinpoint exactly what went wrong. Things obviously got in the way of myplans, perhaps even conspiring against them, but until the other day, the FordwichArms, and the George & Dragon, both in the tiny town of Fordwich, a fewmiles to the north of Canterbury, were the only ones crossed off my list.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxbsyKxtDMYVLRIpUgUpTf1CEKx-plyNveC3Zn5WR4XhPPM2SnuCx6cm8V6oJ6u4SIrHTSq7enZK36 DtyUuZRdk6y7kQIZldXa0nOn32e-6-9Fp5Z0oTU4Hn3rhwmm26L_aorJBdhOgOmStWhgzxU3NQcUVUWR qGrd66ahpc9wdKa1DQxwa3b9j1oARuc/w228-h400/Bus%20stop.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxbsyKxtDMYVLRIpUgUpTf1CEKx-plyNveC3Zn5WR4XhPPM2SnuCx6cm8V6oJ6u4SIrHTSq7enZK36 DtyUuZRdk6y7kQIZldXa0nOn32e-6-9Fp5Z0oTU4Hn3rhwmm26L_aorJBdhOgOmStWhgzxU3NQcUVUWR qGrd66ahpc9wdKa1DQxwa3b9j1oARuc/s3560/Bus%20stop.jpg)
So, on Friday, seeing as Mrs PBT's had decided to go into hibernation,I grabbed the bull by the horns, wrapped myself up against the cold, and headeddown to the bus stop that serves Tonbridge station, and waited for the No. 7bus to turn up. This particular service operates the route between TunbridgeWells and Maidstone, and the latter town was my destination that day. My plan was to visit the unspoiled Rifle Volunteers,a stone built, back street local, close to the former Ophthalmic & Aural Hospital,now long demolished, and replaced by housing. I mention the hospital, because ofthe unpleasant memories it invokes, as it was there that I had my wisdom teethextracted, a procedure that involved two separate appointments, one for eachside of my mouth.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKdqr5u_2H68Fbg-8jqTMg6wrNklixTfong6__VWbRh_AwiKF6xUtyLw-UVeFTkHgHIFQGzQlir9EzazjjeCkSW4aZqSrTbu1zGdxiSR9Ez QDulFxjJW-g-rWj52ibYU92A49K9vUWIXVERTpPrqOka85JvJbRuH6R3NlybNG RTaN-HUvz8PZ6y3tGowY/w400-h233/Bus%20upstairs.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKdqr5u_2H68Fbg-8jqTMg6wrNklixTfong6__VWbRh_AwiKF6xUtyLw-UVeFTkHgHIFQGzQlir9EzazjjeCkSW4aZqSrTbu1zGdxiSR9Ez QDulFxjJW-g-rWj52ibYU92A49K9vUWIXVERTpPrqOka85JvJbRuH6R3NlybNG RTaN-HUvz8PZ6y3tGowY/s3840/Bus%20upstairs.jpg)
Understandably, I still shudder at the memory, and it is notan experience I would wish to repeat. Fortunately, I don’t have to and leaving suchhorrors firmly in the past, I waited for the 12.07 service to turn up. There issomething both smug and satisfying just tapping my pass on the card reader andboarding the bus, completely free of charge. I headed up to the top deck and sat down to enjoy the 50-minuteride to Kent’s county town. Ever since I was a kid, I've always enjoyed sittingon the upper deck of a bus, not just for the enhanced view but also for theability of seeing straight into people's gardens, and even beyond. Invariably itcreates a better
understanding of what’s there, including lanes and side roadsI wasn’t aware of. It also helps put each settlement into perspective in relationto the surrounding topography and countryside.https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhByHwMapvvBpcVACXWDd0-8GJlLGuKzVjCDx-WTDnyZlflJpYQKk26p2X8tnng4yB08sEnAmIFKS2oYW6kINB5d Og5QHkYfpDmu3497880mlrRrxh1bwDmGckS-8PO8MP-pHqWtw5TuvOmE2YAXqF7Dces_LmfGZOC8JOjzkpGZ9FZV5YxV9 saVVuctbM/w400-h249/Brewery%201972_1.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhByHwMapvvBpcVACXWDd0-8GJlLGuKzVjCDx-WTDnyZlflJpYQKk26p2X8tnng4yB08sEnAmIFKS2oYW6kINB5d Og5QHkYfpDmu3497880mlrRrxh1bwDmGckS-8PO8MP-pHqWtw5TuvOmE2YAXqF7Dces_LmfGZOC8JOjzkpGZ9FZV5YxV9 saVVuctbM/s1600/Brewery%201972_1.jpg)The bus follows the route of the A26 between Tonbridge and Maidstone,passing through on the way, the large villages of Hadlow, and Wateringbury. Theformer is home to a famous agricultural college which, I gather, is now beingexpanded. The latter settlement which as well as continuing a large number of attractiveVictorian houses, was also home to two large breweries. Both have now vanished,almost completely, but whilst the premises Jude Hanbury & Co, which stoodon the crossroads on the edge of the village, disappeared 90 or so years ago,buildings of the other concern, Frederick Leney & Son’s, lasted until theearly 1990’s. Photo - Courtesy of Wateringbury Remembered (https://wateringbury.blogspot.com/)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWWgvuzK3Mfly2Og-zEiS4-9k8zQhn2eO5-JM_edtzvhX37mgECqV7LFxFd5kQGN4uLSj4yvZzbZPUPm2FbS3 FYXVawkOwhUfOOE1rLWTFdgvR_ahoJRVf541nzvjhB_IfhXCuN Xbr2Yt9dq_bdLag3kfoxxNGRhSK7LF0EVRrcGBeGeg4iIrS_VQ EHYs/w400-h216/Swan%20side%20view.%20Jan.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWWgvuzK3Mfly2Og-zEiS4-9k8zQhn2eO5-JM_edtzvhX37mgECqV7LFxFd5kQGN4uLSj4yvZzbZPUPm2FbS3 FYXVawkOwhUfOOE1rLWTFdgvR_ahoJRVf541nzvjhB_IfhXCuN Xbr2Yt9dq_bdLag3kfoxxNGRhSK7LF0EVRrcGBeGeg4iIrS_VQ EHYs/s3862/Swan%20side%20view.%20Jan.jpg)
Leney’s Phoenix Brewery, an impressive red brick, tower construction,stood in Bow Road, in sight of the River Medway. As with Jude Hanbury, Leney’s hadbeen part of the Whitbread group since the 1920s, although in the latter case,brewing continued there until the mid-1980s. Towards the end of its life, the Wateringburyplant produced bottled beers for Whitbread, primarily Pale Ale and GoldLabel Barley Wine. After closure, the brewery building were demolished, and theextensive plot of land was used for a new housing development. There’s a familyconnection here, as for several years, the younger of my two sisters lived inone of the houses there. Despite its detached status, you could stand on herback doorstep and almost touch the wall of the next property along, across thefence.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdevRIJ_ax70J0KcHpox4qMOK3cNBzzMvlwxrFxqeq3h hqXcCwZzuRXtqcf-v-sbNA45-pIFCORR-oFPCTtX1EEw20Ym2TuzdqA8AGYBVGsXV_x7O6WFhGCoR5QjqUa 0g0TjylPyls2QE6PFSpq1Maje9qRZVBdLV0vIrqSczyw2VmeQF vAwr9VWzp584/w400-h279/W.%20Peckham%20green.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdevRIJ_ax70J0KcHpox4qMOK3cNBzzMvlwxrFxqeq3h hqXcCwZzuRXtqcf-v-sbNA45-pIFCORR-oFPCTtX1EEw20Ym2TuzdqA8AGYBVGsXV_x7O6WFhGCoR5QjqUa 0g0TjylPyls2QE6PFSpq1Maje9qRZVBdLV0vIrqSczyw2VmeQF vAwr9VWzp584/s2030/W.%20Peckham%20green.jpg)
In between Hadlow and Wateringbury, is the village of Mereworth,a settlement thankfully off both A26 and the adjoining A228. I mention this as thevillage is the place to leave the bus and walk the mile and a half to the tinyvillage of West Peckham and it's delightful pub, the Swan on the Green. Unfortunately,some changes are afoot in relation to this pub, not all of them good althoughwith luck they herald a move which should ensure the pub's survival. More aboutthis in a later blog.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6nYeGAhg3t8sp51pq2LNqDfkK9ebF5LInLF40B-SsuaiMaWKN9KohgfQ5kCmtlyGk7crxxc3PcrRWF3H252ZPnoGY x4wCQ1GWCvGgcUp3PjNtv5B2s4Hzx1Wn41fsu9h9fsQ_sPMrpk NlR3mQ75aeaUXABRMd-Lwvz68PO7iNBjGSOQiyfzTxjQViyAo/w400-h225/Skull%20Bar.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6nYeGAhg3t8sp51pq2LNqDfkK9ebF5LInLF40B-SsuaiMaWKN9KohgfQ5kCmtlyGk7crxxc3PcrRWF3H252ZPnoGY x4wCQ1GWCvGgcUp3PjNtv5B2s4Hzx1Wn41fsu9h9fsQ_sPMrpk NlR3mQ75aeaUXABRMd-Lwvz68PO7iNBjGSOQiyfzTxjQViyAo/s3891/Skull%20Bar.jpg)
I digress, and shortly before 1:00 pm the bus arrived inMaidstone, and I alighted at the bottom of the High Street, ready to make myway towards the Rifle Volunteers. On the way I stopped to take a few photos,including one of a pub which is now called The Stag, but one I remember as alovely old hostelry, called the Sun, belonging to Fremlin’s brewery. Moving on, I headed throughthe enlarged Royal Star Arcade, an up-market shopping development which, as itsname suggests, is an area once occupied by the former, Royal Star Hotel. The attractionshere, include the Skull Bar & Grill, and just outside in the colonnaded CornExchange buildings, behind the Hazlitt Theatre, the Maidstone Distillery. Stopoff here for your fix of local craft gin!
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I then head up alongEarl Street, towards Maidstone’s main shopping thoroughfare, Week Street, beforenavigating my way towards the Rifle Volunteers, the first of the two pubs on myPub Friday list, I’ve known this thriving street corner local since the time atthe start of the 1980’s, when I lived in the county town for five years. Backthen, the pub was owned by Shepherd Neame, who at the time owned nine publichouses in the town centre and it's immediate surrounds. As I discovered on Friday,at least half of those pubs have ceased trading for one reason or another, andShep's now only have a handful of houses in Maidstone.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9H0YBAQuCVvzeNYgQPhuFSEDAuoHUPaJP2b9z9q-v4kb80ZiWCuPax2carhY7iLkUMjQDzvrzGW2reN5C3LFuw1pBD RfsTrKZoG0N7eo2hUadMpuXGiBuCkpJo3nrp59dqHD4dMgfUQN 9T2uss2Uq5LN3N8zsGp6P1KhHp8ZjujM6qGmUvMaEghj9Q4/w343-h400/Goachers%20Beer%20Mat.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9H0YBAQuCVvzeNYgQPhuFSEDAuoHUPaJP2b9z9q-v4kb80ZiWCuPax2carhY7iLkUMjQDzvrzGW2reN5C3LFuw1pBD RfsTrKZoG0N7eo2hUadMpuXGiBuCkpJo3nrp59dqHD4dMgfUQN 9T2uss2Uq5LN3N8zsGp6P1KhHp8ZjujM6qGmUvMaEghj9Q4/s3455/Goachers%20Beer%20Mat.jpg)
Fortunately, the Rifle Volunteers didn't suffer the samefate, and in 1997 was acquired by local brewers, Goacher’s. It represented theirsecond pub in the town, and longstanding licensee couple, Alan, and Wendy, stayedon to run it on behalf of the new owners, before eventually stepping down in2018. As far as I recall, my last visit to the RifleVolunteers took place in 2010, when I met up with Norwich-based blogger, PaulGarrard, host, and writer of the now sadly defunct Real Ale Blog. Paul and hiswife were staying over in Maidstone for a couple of days and after suggesting wemeet up, decided that the Rifle Volunteers ticked all the right boxes.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7aqPqnGKq5S4XJXLnTyhLchW9EbU-1ai7E_cBz5Yk_R72kWk_KSHD9nTBmqIfJWzFRC1IFkq6Eo-azhd7e_MpuisZAs-o5XN1rjFASGFdX2c6eBq3pOs2JKasZXYli3Hun2pTZSDyi1WOv xXDKZgtbaLazUdzJ3dQgOMO62WBEUVC5V6zIHdlQv7A1CE/w400-h300/Bloggers%20meet%20up.JPG (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7aqPqnGKq5S4XJXLnTyhLchW9EbU-1ai7E_cBz5Yk_R72kWk_KSHD9nTBmqIfJWzFRC1IFkq6Eo-azhd7e_MpuisZAs-o5XN1rjFASGFdX2c6eBq3pOs2JKasZXYli3Hun2pTZSDyi1WOv xXDKZgtbaLazUdzJ3dQgOMO62WBEUVC5V6zIHdlQv7A1CE/s1600/Bloggers%20meet%20up.JPG)
You can read about that meeting here (https://baileysbeerblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/bloggers-meet-up.html), but without giving toomuch away, apart from there being a new couple running the pub, little hadchanged. The attractive ragstone exterior remains the same, showcasing what isan attractive street corner local at its best. I stepped inside and was pleasedto notice the place was quite full, with the majority of tables and chairs tothe right of the serving area occupied. Perching proudly on the bar counter werefour hand pumps, all dispensing Goacher’s beers and these were Real Mild, FineLight, Imperial Stout, and Gold Star.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhee3tcopyBiRMTRuTJbEOn9qdx_b-P4bQccYbbKE-NAwQvAlwtuDnSBDshHo8YMoZarrgzZrxctP3dvx_487GvJD9lj zg0SQ_7AkPSlueuIt8D5oVBg0AxijqRQMtXX27quZd0hP0JcWD JR-5HgfdXX3VkIktc58ocSF9uDpm2SM5xHFRPCJBzsv2wSI4/w400-h225/Rifle%20V.%20Int.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhee3tcopyBiRMTRuTJbEOn9qdx_b-P4bQccYbbKE-NAwQvAlwtuDnSBDshHo8YMoZarrgzZrxctP3dvx_487GvJD9lj zg0SQ_7AkPSlueuIt8D5oVBg0AxijqRQMtXX27quZd0hP0JcWD JR-5HgfdXX3VkIktc58ocSF9uDpm2SM5xHFRPCJBzsv2wSI4/s4000/Rifle%20V.%20Int.jpg)
Last year, saw Goacher’s (https://www.goachers.com/) celebrating their 40th anniversary,and a note marking this event features quite prominently on the pump clips. Ikicked off with a pint of Fine Light, which was in excellent form and seeminglybeing drunk by nearly everyone in the pub. I managed to find a small table adjacentto the door, where I could sit and watch the proceedings taking place in thepub before me. There was plenty of banter flying around, and many of the customerswere obviously regulars, who knew one another. One of them was heard to remark,that the majority of customers were of pensionable age, something I could seefor myself but wasn't going to mention.
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The age and type of customer was reflected in the choice of beersavailable, with plenty of cask being poured, and little or no draught lager. infact, I don't even know whether or not the pub sells the stuff. Cooked food seemedto be available, but it was relatively low key, and I’ve a feeling it mighthave needed to be ordered in advance. However, I knew from the entry on WhatPubthat filled rolls were available at the Rifle, so I ordered myself a cheese roll servedup with a few crisps. This was just right for me at lunchtime, particularlyafter the excesses of the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqTpV3YyAi5JeVCnONfaH9ujD-VjsqDLxc5WLb9YEkq0aIIV0syMTpQ7Ih002B3BGhrtFpxYrtV9 CgWBcqMRoL0YXbX75gEF2IuVKGqFsOMR3QxgUWPwzZWTYKUVyQ 14QpF13YMmyLdqbpIPTowE2uOok0IPe0flJLPJRJONLiEJkiMt sRKgUXFK-Tzj8/w400-h225/Goachers%20Stout.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqTpV3YyAi5JeVCnONfaH9ujD-VjsqDLxc5WLb9YEkq0aIIV0syMTpQ7Ih002B3BGhrtFpxYrtV9 CgWBcqMRoL0YXbX75gEF2IuVKGqFsOMR3QxgUWPwzZWTYKUVyQ 14QpF13YMmyLdqbpIPTowE2uOok0IPe0flJLPJRJONLiEJkiMt sRKgUXFK-Tzj8/s3930/Goachers%20Stout.jpg)
I moved on from the Fine Light to the Imperial Stout, recordingit on Untappd as a "tasty, dry, Irish style stout, with plenty of roast malt andbalancing hop flavours." Although it doesn’t say directly on their website, Iget the feeling that Goacher’s were trying to match this particular beer withthe most famous stout of all, namely Guinness. It was whilst sitting there that the idea or visitinganother Maidstone pub on my list popped up in my consciousness. The pub inquestion is situated on the other side of the river Medway, opposite MaidstoneWest station, and I've been wanting to visit this establishment for some time. Its limited opening hours of 4:00 pm were one reason for not having finished visited before, but as I’ve waffled on long enough already, you’ll have to wait untilnext time to discover its name and read more about it.Follow Blog via EmailClick to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.
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