North Hertfordshire CAMRA Campaign for Real Ale - Real Ale, Real Pubs, Real People

One of our members – Richard Merritt – has devised a London Beer Ramble route and we have scheduled a branch social outing on Saturday May 19th to follow it.

We’d love to see our members, and prospective members too, come along and enjoy some London pints with us.

The invitation is extended to all nearby CAMRA branches including London of course! If you’d like to put up a poster advertising the ramble you can download one here [PDF].

From North Hertfordshire our travel arrangements are to catch the train to King’s Cross and then the Northern Line to London Bridge. The train originates in Cambridge at 08:55 (two CAMRA members will be joining from there) and stops at North Herts stations as follows:

08:55: Cambridge
…
09:15: Royston
09:20: Ashwell & Morden
09:25: Baldock
09:29: Letchworth
09:34: Hitchin
09:40: Stevenage
09:44 Knebworth
…
10:20: London King’s Cross

We will be meet in the front carriage of the train – no doubt several of us will be wearing beer/CAMRA-related shirts.

The map below shows the route we shall be taking, and below the map are Richard’s notes about the pubs and surrounds!

View May 18th North Herts CAMRA London Beer Ramble in a larger map

1 – BREW WHARF – Brew Wharf Yard, Stoney Street, SE1
You will have a chance to sample their own beers brewed on site. 11:00 – 11:30

We then proceed on to the…

2 – MARKET PORTER – 9 Stoney Street, SE1
Here you will find up to 9 hand pumps serving a fine selection of beers. 11:30 – 12:15

Weather permitting we take a historic walk beside the Thames passing Southwark Cathedral, The Golden Hind and the Globe. We then cross the Thames again at Blackfriars Bridge and walk via Tudor Street and the Inns at Temple (if open), where some of the top legal people ply their trade, to reach the…

3 – KNIGHTS TEMPLAR – 95, Chancery Lane WC2
This is a Weatherspoon’s pub and may be a lunch stop. 13:30 – 14:30

We take a very short walk to the…

4 – SEVEN STARS – 53 Cary Street, WC2
In this Camra National Inventory pub a selection of beers can be found including Adnams and Dark Star! 14:30 – 15:00

We can walk through Lincolns Inn Fields passing the Old Curiosity Shoppe then cross Holborn Kingsway, noting the old tram tunnel to our left, to reach the Old Covent Garden Market taking in all its splendour via Kemble and Russell Streets. From here it is a short walk to reach the…

5 – HARP – 47 Chandos Place
This was the CAMRA National Pub of Great Britain for 2011, need I say more!! 15:30 – 16:15

We then cross the Strand and walk down Villers Street to the…

6 – SHIP and SHOVEL – 2 – 3 Craven Passage W1
Badger beers are sold here. 16:30 – 17:00

We then take a walk past Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square and Gerrard Street which is part of London’s China Town to reach…

7 – DE HEMS – 11 Macclesfield Street, W1
This is a genuine Dutch bar that has been trading on this site for over 100 years. Expect the unusual here but all the real beer will probably be found in a bottle! 17:30 – 18:00

We then walk round to Frith Street and on to the…

8 – DOG and DUCK – 10 Bateman Street, W1
This Nicholson’s pub is on the CAMRA National Inventory 18:30 – 19:00

From here we walk down Greek Street to Cambridge Circus and then proceed via Earlham Street and Shelton Street to the…

9 – CROSS KEYS – 31 Endell St, W1
Here you will encounter Brodies Beers from East London and a load of pictures and other bric-a-brac that adorns the pub. 19:30 – 20:00

From here it is a short walk back to Covent Garden (sometimes closed due to crowd control) or Leicester Square tube stations.

We will take the Piccadilly line to Kings Cross where there are lots of fast food outlets before catching the train back to North Herts!

If getting off in Hitchin, who is for a quick one in the HALFMOON?