The Tupton Tap, Tupton

This pub, situated right on a roundabout on the A61, used to be The Royal Oak but has been taken over by the Ashover Brewery and shows all the sure-footed touches of that organisation. As you walk in the bar is resplendent with ale (well, the pumps anyway). Naturally, there are several from the Ashover Brewery but guest ales are also available.  The promotional video tells you what they're about. It's good but, if I had a criticism, it'd be not to allow kids into what is essentially a drinker's pub.

Little Chester Ale House

This pub is run in a converted laundrette in Chester Green Derby and its interior has the same basic layout (minus the bulky machines!). There is a small bar with about 3/4 brewed-on-the-premises ales on offer and, like many establishments who take a pride in their ale, you are welcome to try before you buy. When you do buy, it's on offer at a competitive £2.90. Apparently, Monday night is cheese night, which seems something of a tradition in Derby - The Tap on Derwent Street does (or used to) offer 5 x third-of-a-pints and some cheese cubes for £6. Anyway, the LCAH is worth a visit.

The Watts Russell Arms, Hopedale

"The Watts Russell Arms is a charming eighteenth century stone built inn" is how the website describes it and it is indeed a fine pub to look at and was a very welcome venue for our lunch after a 5-mile walk over from Ilam. "Charming" is, however, not an adjective applying readily to the people who run it. "Odd" would be nearer the mark. Having said that, they did come up with some fine ale (two from Thornbridge and one other from somewhere dark and foreboding) and the menu was excellent. Three of us went for goat curry, one for 'Lobby' (a beef stew) and one for a sweet potato stew. All were tasty, albeit a little cold. They also do a tapas menu, of an evening, at £4 a dish. The furnishings and decor are ramshackle but all the better for that. I'd go back.  


More information at: http://www.wattsrussell.co.uk/

The Remarkable Hare, Matlock

It's slightly unusual, in the grand scheme of things, for two similar bars/pubs to open up next door to each other but, increasingly, in Dale Road, that seems to be the trend. So the Remarkable Hare has opened up right next door to the well-regarded Moca Bar and makes a similiar offer - good beers and ambient surroundings. A word first about those. The seating to the side of the bar is the usual mixture of tables, chairs and fitted furniture. However, directly in front of the bar are three parallel dining tables, bedecked with candles and accompanying dining chairs. Odd. The lighting, too, is subdued. The beer is a treat. 5 breweries are represented and the owner has made the decision to price them all at £3, making everything, including choice, so much easier. Details are available on the website. Overall, a solid addition to Matlock, expanding the scope of good places for beer lovers.

Promotional material available at:  www.remarkablehare.co.uk/

The Town Street Tap, Duffield

We had previously tried three times to visit this newly-opened establishment in Duffield but either found it closed (open Wed - Sun only) or already too full. So we went early on a Thursday and found it, at 7.15, warming up, but with a free corner table. This micropub has no bar and offers table service. The waiting staff (blokes) are knowledgeable about what they've got in and ready and willing to bring you more beer when you look as if you need some. There were 3/4 different beers on offer and those chosen arrived without any head or with a very thin one, so, if you like value for money, this is a place to go. One of our number, I'm ashamed to report, opted for a "craft lager", obviously blind to the second word. Pleasingly, he lived to regret the choice. Popular with locals, it filled up by about 8pm and, therein, revealed its one drawback - noise. It contains no soft-furnishings and so all the noise reverberates and it became increasingly difficult to hear conversation. That aside, a great place.
Promotional material available at: http://www.thetownstreettap.co.uk/

The Old Black Swan, Crich

Until a few months ago, this was a locals pub - a bit dowdy and, as I remember, with teacups hanging from the ceiling. It's now had a facelift, been taken over by the excellent Ashover Brewery and has added a mysterious rear bar to its facilities. The rear bar was shut on the night we visited but, evidently, offers an illuminated horse trough. So much for the curios, what of the beer? Well, a fine range - at least eight on handpump on the bar and, allegedly, six ciders to choose from, if you like that sort of thing. The welcome was warm, there was a fire in the woodburner and comfortable seating abounded. The Old Black Swan is now a promising alternative to The Cliff as the must-visit pub in Crich.

The Bluebell, South Wingfield

The number of times each of  us has driven past the Bluebell is beyond number but, now that the "Watch Sky Sports Here" banner has been taken down and it's obviously been spruced up, the Bluebell looked worth a visit. We weren't exactly treated like long-lost friends but the service was adequate and the choice of beers satisfactory. Their apparent boast is that there's always a £2 beer on offer (something from a brewery in Cornwall but this was nowhere near as flavoursome as the Boltcutter from Timothy Taylor's at £3.20 a pint. The surroundings were nice enough - some interesting old treadle tables - and a nice woodburning stove gave the place cheer. A little under-populated which is a shame for a place that's made an attempt to become a proper pub and not gone down the food line. In face the food choices are scant but honest. Worth stopping, if you're passing and a good alternative to the more-frequented Yew Tree nearby.

The Adelphi, Leeds

When in Leeds, turn south out of the station and head south and go over the River Aire at Bridge End. The Adelphi is on the left-hand corner opposite. A fantastic Victorian pub with three interior rooms downstairs and the promise of more upstairs. Although plying its trade as a place to eat, it has retained a devotion to serving good beer and the barman is informative about the different beers on offer. I had a pint (two, in fact) of Leeds Pale and it lived up to its name and, at 3.8% was just sufficiently intoxicating. Reminiscent of the Royal Philharmonic Rooms in Liverpool, this is definitely one to make the effort to visit - if you find yourself in Leeds, that is!

The Red Lion, Matlock Green

Although this was, initially, a second choice, on an evening when we had intended to go elsewhere but found the White Lion at Starkholmes unexpectedly shut, the Red Lion turned out to be an acceptable alternative. The interior is extensive with games and a TV at one end and a range of old-fashioned but reasonably comfortable seating in other parts, some of which are on a raised level. The bar offered 3 real ales and we had one of them which was well-kept and hoppy in flavour. The service was functional more than friendly but, then again, we weren't regulars.

Robin Hood Inn, Baslow

After a four-mile walk, the first thing you want to find is a warm welcome, rather than wrangling over whether we had booked or not. However, the service got friendlier from then on, the food arrived promptly and the beer was refreshing and served up in bespoke glasses. Most of us had a lovely pint of Boondoggle, from the Ringwood Brewery but Hobgoblin, from Wychwood and Marston's Pedigree were also available. We sat outside in lovely autumnal sunshine but inside there were a couple of comfortably furnished rooms. All in all, a good pub.

Beehive Inn, Peasehill, Ripley

Despite the nostalgic 'Home Ales' sign, the Beehive, in all honesty, doesn't look that welcoming from the outside. However, what treats lay within! The front door gives into a tap room with TV and traditional pub games. Three beers were on offer here and we all chose something light and refreshing. On the direction on the landlady, we proceeded through the bar and out the back towards the Honeypot bar - a sort of shed conversion to provide an outlet for beer brewed on the premises. It offered a further four real ales and some basic seating accommodation. It seemed popular with the locals and it's easy to understand why, especially at £2.70/£2,80 a pint.

The Three Stags' Heads, Darley Bridge

Unexpectedly busy for a Tuesday night, the TSH offered a small range of ales: the ubiquitous Landlord, and a couple from Peak Ales. We had the Best Bitter and it was in good order and competitively priced at £2.90. There was a crowd of cyclists in, being served chips and other diners consuming well-priced pub grub. It seemed like a good place and well worth a second visit.

Barrington's, The Whitworth, Darley Dale

A decent pint of Farmer's Blonde, from the Bradfield Brewery was on offer at the newly-refurbished 'Barrington's' in the Whitworth Centre but was unattractively priced at £3.60. Doubtless, the punters are paying for the improvements. The surroundings are pleasant enough, although it's clearly pitched itself at attracting diners more than drinkers. The food being consumed by all our fellow patrons looked nouveau-cusinish, so probably over-priced too. Not worth a second visit.

The Crispin Inn, Ashover

Now it's an easy thing to overlook the Crispin, given its proximity to the fabulous Poets' Corner but it turned out to be surprisingly good. Although we sat outside, till it started raining, the interior is comfortable, wooden and varied. The bar had, as well as some fizzy pop from Mansfield Brewery, Pedigree, Oxford Gold and two from Jennings Brewery, Cumbria. On the night, the Oxford Gold (4.0%) was OK but Jennings' 'Cooker Hoop' (4.5%)was better, with a cleaner hoppy finish. The girl behind the bar was doing everything (serving drinks, taking food orders, serving meals, tidying up) but doing it all with good grace and a friendly smile. One to go to, even if you don't combine it with a trip to the Poets'.

George & Dragon, Bridge St., Belper

Just down from Strutt's Mill, the G&D makes a good start to a pub crawl in Belper. It looks like a proper pub and is. There's a range of styles of seating, a range of reasonable beers and a range of 1970s rock music on the jukebox (a connection to the live music that's sometimes on offer). If you want tradition mixed with noise, it's a place to go.

The Rifleman's Arms, Bridge St., Belper

A very friendly welcome, a bar dotted, on a Tuesday evening, with locals and a choice of 3/4 nice beers might all pull you into this pub and it's not a bad pub. However, it lacks a little in atmosphere as a result of slightly over-bright lighting and functionally clean furnishings. I think the beer was OK but there wasn't enough to keep us here with so much local competition.

Arkwright's Real Ale Bar, Campbell St., Belper

In many ways, the polar opposite of the Lion Hotel. Unprepossessing from the outside but glorious within. As many beer choices as any man could hope for, a reasonable array of seating and it was full on a Tuesday evening (although, in fairness, there was a skittles match on). An interesting innovation was that the skittles match, taking place in an alley to the side of the bar, was shown on a closed-circuit TV screen in the bar. Arkwrights won and the players tucked into some fine looking food, as a reward. Well worth several visits.

The Lion Hotel, Bridge St., Belper

More of a poodle parlour than a place for drinkers and perhaps a bit full of its own reputation as a 18th century coaching inn, the bar area, nonetheless, offered comfortable seating. The beer was reasonably presented but expensive. Beer-in-the-evening comments are quite complimentary about this place but it wouldn't be my pub of choice.

Puss in Boots, Windley

The twin attractions for this pub are its name and its rather pleasant beer garden. However, that's not enough to justify a visit. Its location is in the hinterland west of the A6, between Wirksworth and Duffield, so it takes a little finding and when you do, there are only two beers on offer - Draught Bass and Pedigree. The first was acceptable but the Pedigree wasn't. To be fair, the landlord changed it without any fuss but he might do better to get some more beers in. These days, there's no excuse for being a two-beer pub.

Rykneld Turnpike, Clay Cross

The exterior is so modest that a carload of enthusiastic drinkers missed it on the first pass. Inside, though, it's a treat. The seating is extensive, comfortable and full of that chunky wooden furniture you see in lots of places now. The bar is slightly small but full of beer pumps, serving several types of good ale, thoughtfully arranged in sample jars in front of the pumps. We were lucky to arrive on a Tuesday when selected beers are on offer for £2; these were tasty- the "Spring Green" went down particularly well. The lady serving on was friendly and the whole place had an atmosphere you wouldn't guess at from how it looks outside.