Market Drayton Crawl plus a few more
My intention for this crawl was to do every pub and bar in Market Drayton plus to do some in Newcastle under Lyne and Stoke.
I was up fairly early and arrived at Derby train station at about 8.30 for the 8.40 to Stoke,the train was packed as the previous one had broken down.
Off at Stoke and a look round for the bus stop to take me to Market Drayton,i could not find where the 164 bus went from so i decided to walk
to Hanley bus station,this was a good walk and took just over 20 minutes but i knew where the bus to Market Drayton went from,the bus turned up on
time and i was on my way to a new town,i arrived in Market Drayton at 11.10 and the Spoons The Hippodrome was within sight of the bus station.
This was a very poor Spoons with only 2 guest beers on the bar,i had a drink of Three Tuns 1642 or something with a number after its name,this drink was ok
but nothing to shout about.
I then walked into the middle of town and found the Tudor House hotel open,a single roomed pub with only one beer on the bar which was Brecon
Welsh Beacons this drink was ok.
2 pubs done and only 11.30,there were lots of pubs open but i wanted to save some for later after walking to the edges of Market Drayton.
Pub number 3 was the Crown a decent Marstons house with four real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Wychwood White Witch whuich was very nice.
I then took the short walk to the Salopian Star which had 2 Salopian beers on the bar,i went for Shropshire Gold which was a very nice drink and quite
cheap,the Stafford Court hotel which is almost opposite the Salopian Star was closed but i would return later to see if it opened.
I now decided to start walking to the pubs to the pubs on the west side of Market Drayton,i passed quite a few pubs on the way but would do these on
my way back.
My next port of call and pub number 5 was the Coach and Horses,this was a proper looking pub from the outside and quite nice inside.
Only 2 real ales,i went for Deuchars IPA which was ok,the other beer was Theakston best.
I was getting a bit hungry by now and luckily i found a chip shop,and had chips and gravy while walking to the Kings Head which is at the far west side of
Market Drayton,this was a nice looking Marstons house,i had a drink of Marstons Burton bitter which went down well,the other beer was Pedigree.
6 pubs done and 1.00 a short walk took me the the Lord Hill a very large pub that had been opened out inside,i was surprised to see 2 Joules beers
in this pub,i had a drink of Joules Pale ale which was very nice,the other beer was Joules Caltutter 1757.
Another short walk and i was in pub number 8 the Joiners Arms which was a smart proper pub another Marston house with 2 real als on,i had a drink
of Marstons Burton bitter,the other beer was Brakspear Oxford Gold.
I passed the Edge as it was not open but the Kings Arms next to it was,this was another nice pub that i quite liked with 3 real ales on the bar
i had a drink of McMullens AK which seemed pretty bland,the other beers were Wadworth 6X and Tolly Cobbold Phoenix.
I was now back in the town centre i passed the Clive and Coffeyn but decided to go in the reopened Sandbrook Vaults,this is now a Joules tied house
with three real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Joules Pale ale which was very nice the other joules beers were Blonde and Slumbering Monk.
I now decided to do some walking so i went to the Talbot which is the the East side of Market Drayton,this is another Marstons house with
Burton Bitter and Banks's mild on pump,i went for the Burton bitter which was very nice,another long walk took me to the worst pub of the day.
Pub number 12 was the Gingerbread Man a very child friendly pub with wacky wharehouse attached,only 1 real ale on here which was Bombardier
this was ok but the kids running about the place was a bit off putting.
I was now walking back into the town centre to finish off any remaining pubs,i walked passed the Spoons and tried to find Tiddlers which was a bar
this bar has now converted into a cafe which does not serve alcholol,so i went to the Clive and Coffeyn which was pub number 13,only 2 real ales
here,i had a drink of Sharps Doom Bar which was ok,the other beer was Bombardier.
I went back to the Stafford Court hotel but it was still closed,pub number 14 was the Red Lion which is home to Joules brewery,4 joules beers on
i had a drink of Joules Blonde which went down well,the other Joules beers were Pale ale,Calcutter 1757 and Slumbering Monk
Almost next door to the Red Lion is the Stags Head which was the last pub in Market Drayton,this is a Marstons house with only 1 real ale which was
Burton bitter.
Back to the bus station for the 11 minutes past 4 bus,i decided to get off just to the south west of Newcastle bus station and do 2 pubs that were
almost opposite each other,the first one was the Sneyd Arms which was very busy and had 4 real ales on,i had a drink of Bass which was very nice
the other beers were Pedigree,Jennings Cumberland and Hobgoblin.
A very short walk across the road and i was in pub number 17 the Waggon and Horses which was empty,there were 4 real ales on here,i had a drink
of Taylor Landlord which was a a bit too warm,the other beers were Thwaites Wainwright,Pedigree and GK Abbot.
I now decided not to bother catching any more buses and walk back to Stoke train station picking up any pubs i had not been in before,i have
already done quite a few pubs in Newcastle under Lyne so i walked past quite a few pubs untill i found the Red Lion which is just off hartshill road
this was a nice enough pub and had 3 real ales on,i had a drink of Thwaites Lancaster Bomber which was a very nice drink,the other beers were
Caledonian Sunseeker and Bombardier.
A short walk took me to pub number 19 which was the Old House at Home,i quite liked this pub and there were 2 real ale on,i had a drink of Bass
which was nice enough,the other beer was Bombardier.
A stroll along hartshill road and i was in the Noahs Ark which was a bit too foody for my liking,there were 2 real ales on,i had a drink of Bass which
was ok,the other beer was St Austell Tribute.
This was the last pub of the day as i have done all of the pubs near Stoke train station,the 19.33 train turned up on time and my day was over.
This was a great day out all pubs served real ale and most halfs were in the £1.20 to £1.40 bracket with only 1 drink being over £3.00 or £1.50 for a half.
