Cornwall holiday

[gillhalfpint]

Decided to start a new thread to put all my trips and stuff about Cornwall to save opening a new one for each place.

Yesterday was a trip to Brea Inn which involved a walk from Pool, but the pub was greatand the Keltek Magic fantastic.

Meant to go to St Erth Praze for the Smugglers but was told the walk was too far, so we went to Hayle and visited the Bird in Hand for some of their Paradise brewery ale. Artists Ale was brilliant at 5.6% but the new one Oskar's Alchemy was a bit bland for 4.8%. A 547 bus trip from Hayle to St Agnes located 2 other pubs we intend doing on that route, Red River Inn at Gwithian and Victory at Towan Cross.

Must fly now as we have a bus to catch to Lelant for the Watermill fest.

[Quinno]

I'm jealous!

[Farway]

Care to park your caravan near Winchester next Friday?

Handy for the A303. M27, M3 and A34

[Spinko]

I had a university meet-up there around this time last June. The weather played ball.

Newquay was serving good ale with Proper Job and Tribute battling it out for top spot, while the World Cup was going on and vuvuzelas were blaring.

In terms of pubs I just could not get over the Mermaid Inn slightly down the coast. The pub on the beach. I don't think I've ever had a better time in a nondescript pub, that was purely because of its location.

[gillhalfpint]

We forgot the Watermill fest doesn't open till 5pm on a Friday, and when we got in ther marquee there was a row of half pint glasses with some beer from every cask ready for their tasting. We chatted to the landlord and staff while they went along the row tasting each beer, and I must say it was great to see how clear the beers were, and that there appeared to be more brown beers than pale for a change. When they got the till set up they let us have a couple of halves so we had a Skinners special 'Jules' in memory of someone, and a Branscombe Draymans Best which I could have stayed on it was so good. Went into the pub for a soup and an excellent Bays Devon Dumpling.

Decided to do the festival properly Saturday so we caught the 547 bus to the Victory in Towan Cross, but their Skinners for the pub (Kiss Me Harder) was not settled so we chose Skinners Cornish Knocker. Problem with these pubs is the 2 hour wait for the next bus, so we had some food, a bit pricey but excellent fish and chips, and pie mash veg and loads of gravy, Still had some time to kill so I read a book while Ray had a Tribute, then we went to wait in the phonebox for the bus to get out of the wind.

Will go to the Red River Inn at Gwithian today then back to the fest at Watermill to do it justice this time. In Conwall till the end of July so caravan staying put in Chacewater.

[gillhalfpint]

Gwithian, Lelant and Chacewater today.

Anyone wanting a bit of variety from the usual down here should try the Red River Inn at Gwithian near Hayle. The 547 bus runs along between St Ives and Newquay, and drops off outside.

OK there may not be any new scoops, but they do have 5 ales on and get guests in. Today there was Sharps Doom Bar 4.0% which is the regular, Skinners Sennen 3.8%, The pump is usually one of Skinners, and the other 3 vary, and today there was Triple FFF Altons Pride 3.8%, Black Sheep Golden Sheep 3.9% and Everards Whakatu 3.7% a new one this year.

We then went to the Watermill Lelant for the beer festival, and due to the dry weather there was a fantastic atmosphere in the beer garden with a band playing in one marquee with no sides, and the beer being served from another. Our choice from the 36 available were:
Milk Street Funky Monkey 4.0%
Penpont Roughter 4.7%
Woodlands Oak Beauty 4.2%
Cheddar Ales Bitter Bully 3.8%
Lancaster Red 5.0%

We had to leave for the bus, but had heard that the Britannia in Chacewater was under new management, and that really has changed. There were 4 ales on in great condition, and we chose Coastal Overkill 4.5% and Tintagel Harbour Special 4.8%.

A great day for Cornwall regarding beer choices, and will certainly call in to both the Red River and Britannia again to see what ales come on.