A.J. Walker

ReAleLiverpool

Nottingham

Nottingham, It's Bin a While

Haven’t been to Nottingham for a few years so I decided one evening last week to pop over for a few beverages and a bit of a stroll. ‘Twas a good call all in all—despite the periodic torrential rain. After all the pubs largely have walls and roofs and the people/venues/beers pretty fine too.

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Lime Street Station. A dry start to the day.


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Train beer (a Cloudwater lager) and a book.

Made it to quite a few pubs in the town, but the first one was barely out of the station itself: the
Brew Tavern at the southern side of the station on Queen’s Road by the steps to the station. A new pub to me and a great location, akin to Victoria Tap or Manchester Oxford Road Tap; probably closer to the latter in terms of venue size. Had a pint of Green Hop (Hukins Hops Bullion) from Five Points brewery. Think it was actually the most expensive pint of the trip—but I guess that’s down to its Location, Location, Location.

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Brew Tavern at Nottingham Station

Next up was the
Canalside, which I’ve been to every time I’ve been to Nottingham. It’s quite a cool place on the canal with a barge berth within the pub itself. I had a pint of ‘Mysterons’ from Castle Rock. It was pretty busy for a lunchtime, but some groups had kids I guess (school holidays and all that). The rain started whilst I was in here.

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The Canalhouse.

By the time I left to go to The Navigation the rain was purely biblical. It hadn’t seemed like rain was due earlier, and it was a bit of a surprise. Got chatting to the barmaid and she’d been over to Liverpool recently to do a Beatles’ Pilgrimage. She’d loved the place. I asked her to not advertise the fact—we don’t need any more tourists coming over and spoiling the place after all. Good chat though. Ended up with a pint of ‘Weizen Up’ by Brewster’s.

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The Navigation.

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'Weizen Up!'

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The rain calmed down a bit, and I almost dried out, whilst I was Navigating. It was a short walk to Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, a famous ale pub beneath the castle. Despite the route being a walk on Google Maps it showed me a longer incorrect way to get there, thankfully I can read a map, even if the algorithm can’t. ‘Twas still raining but not too bad by the time I got there.

It was a Brewster again for me here. This time a
‘Decadence’. The pub was busy and I ended up chatting to a few visitors. Some local, some no so.

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Umm, Me thinks there may be a shorter way to get there. Google Maps wanting me to get y steps in.

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Was another short walk from here, left out of the pub, up the road past the Robin Hood statue to the Crow. After the two Brewsters I had myself a second Castle Rock (I was next to the Castle Rock after all). This time if was a red ale, ‘Preservation’. No chatting here but I did grab myself a nice butty.

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Short walk again from here and another left turn from the door. This time to
Ye Olde Salutation Inn. An old pub but with more modern music (rock and heavy metal). This was another pub I’d been to before. It was to be my third (and last) Castle Rock pint, this time a ‘Screech Owl’ American IPA.


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Next up was the Malt Cross, and you guessed it. Not a long way at all up the road from the Salutation. It wasn’t a Castle Rock or a Brewsters this time. It was a Verdant ‘Fresh Hop - Harlequin’.


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I did go to two other pubs but I didn’t write it down or take any appropriate helpful photos (partly due to a flat phone battery). Dang!

I’ll add a map before too long in case you wanna check some of these places out for yourself. All in all a fine trip. Makes me think I should also revisit a couple more midlands cities that I haven’t been to for a while, like Derby and Leicester. Watch this space.