Just the mention of the British pub conjures up images of ancient wood-beamed cubbyholes with signs beginning with “Ye Olde…” outside and old men in caps playing darts and drinking warm beer on the inside. Welcome to the real world. While many pubs do boast dart boards, the truth is that many pubs are sophisticated places that offer some of the most incredible cuisine you’ll find. Pubs can also be great places to enjoy live music ranging from traditional to modern and from folk to rock and roll. Here are some British pubic houses that should not be missed.
The Bridge Inn, Topsham, Exeter
Just south of Exeter is the riverside village of Topsham, home to one of the United Kingdom’s last traditional ale houses, the 16th century Bridge Inn. This is the Mecca for all ale connoisseurs and a real opportunity for anyone who wants to see what an ale house looked like centuries ago. Starting out as a malthouse and brewery, the Bridge Inn offers up to ten authentic ales at any time, all served straight from the cask using nothing but gravity. Be sure to try the gooseberry wine and the cider. In the Inner Sanctum are a grandfather clock and a log fire, and the garden outside overlooks the rambling river bank. If you don’t like drinking on an empty stomach, you can sample home-cooked ham, Devon cheeses and bread baked at a local farm. The pub has had some illustrious guests as well, including the Queen herself in 1998. Four miles away, Exeter offers many accommodation choices.
Old Poets’ Corner, Ashover, Chesterfield
The Peak District offers not only natural beauty but also many historical treasures. It also offers the Old Poets’ Corner Pub. Set in the centre of the village of Ashover, this mock-Tudor style inn features a dizzying selection of drinks. From five different traditional ciders to fruit wines to Belgian bottled beers, this place has it all. After a robust hike in the nearby Peaks and Dales, how nice to enjoy a robust ale. You can choose from eight, including one brewed by Leatherbritches and Tower, as you enjoy the rustic atmosphere created by the Edwardian Arts and Crafts interior. The Old Poets’ Corner offers live music, which can be enjoyed from your pine table. And true to its name, the pub even offers a poetry night that is quite popular with the locals. As you wait for the effects of all that ale to wear off, you can relax at a nearby Chesterfield hotel.
The Parrot, Dorking, Surrey
Just under an hour from London by car or train, the charming Surrey town of Dorking boasts the 17th century pub known as the Parrot. Run since 2006 by Linda and Charles Gotto, two veterans of the London pub scene, this classic venue benefits from their other new endeavor, a livestock farm in the nearby Surrey hills. As a result, the Parrot features a menu you will not soon forget. Meats raised on their farm feature prominently in the kitchen, from Shorthorn cattle to Middlewhite pigs to mutton. If you come with a large group, it will be easier to sample a cross section of high class pub fare, including game pie, lamb rump with minted pea purée and roast belly pork with mash and braised cabbage. You can also take some produce home with you from the pub shop, including eggs, sausages, pies, cheeses and more. If you’re too full to make the trip back to London, there are plenty of Dorking hotels where you can rest your weary head… and your full stomach.
The Wellington, Wellington, Hereford
Halfway between Bristol and Birmingham is the lovely countryside of Herefordshire, which is where you’ll find a welcoming bar and a memorable menu at the Wellington Pub. Though it doesn’t look like much from the outside, when you enter you’ll find yourself in a world of exposed brickwork, ancient beams and comfy banquettes set around the fire. This no-frills pub saves its energy for the food and drink. Lucky you. As a result you can experience some amazing dishes. Start with the Vincisgrassi Maceratese, which is a Parma ham and porcini lasagne finished with truffle oil. Then move on to the Hereford sirloin with hand-cut chips and red onion marmalade. Or how about wild mushroom risotto with parmesan shavings and white truffle oil? These dishes will not leave you missing the fish and chips and other standard pub grub to be found in lesser establishments. When you’ve eaten to your heart’s content, it’s time to bed down in a Hereford hotel room.
The Sun Inn, Dedham, Colchester
The Tudor ceilings, paneled walls and planked floors of the Sun Inn are complimented by log fires and board games on old tables. This is what you picture in an English pub. But just want until you taste the food. With naturally raised pork and beef and fish that once swam in British waters, the ingredients are as fresh as can be. And though you might at first find the Italian Mediterranean slant to the menu a bit strange, your first mouthful of the penne pasta covered in slow-cooked beef ragu will have you convinced that it’s the most natural thing in the world. Try a grilled rib-eye steak with artichokes, borlotti beans, kale, squash and fresh horseradish. Try locally shot game accompanied by organic ginger beer. Real ale is available here, and the prices are fair. And pay no attention to all the other tourists who fill this popular spot. The charming town of Dedham provides some charming accommodations.
Forget about Man o’ War. Forget about Seabiscuit. The United Kingdom has been crazy about horse racing since before there was a USA. As a result, the spectator sport has become as British as Afternoon Tea, Benny Hill and Tandoori Chicken. So why not grab a pair of binoculars, make like Eliza Doolittle and head out to the Racecourse? Though tickets can be hard to get if you don’t plan ahead, they can be surprisingly inexpensive and even free in some places. FYI, the season begins in April.
Ascot Racecourse
Let’s start with the one everybody knows about. Ascot. Where Henry Higgins took Eliza Doolittle to present her to Society. Owned by the Crown Estate and just six miles from Windsor Castle, it’s easy to see why Professor Higgins chose Ascot. In fact, royalty permeates this place, from its 1711 beginnings when it was founded by Queen Anne to the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes which is run in July. The racecourse was also used “A View to a Kill” in 1985, marking Roger Moore’s last outing as 007. If the Racecourse seems all shiny and new, that’s because it was closed from September 2004 until June 2006 for an £185 million redevelopment. The grand re-opening was of course presided over by the track’s owner, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth herself. Once the site of only races of a royal nature, Ascot now hosts nine of the UK’s 32 annual Group 1 races, as well as the popular Royal Meeting in June, the highlight being the Ascot Gold Cup. These and other races bring the yearly total to 25 race days. Though the Racecourse is easily reached from London, the few hotels in and around the small town of Ascot itself can be quite charming.
Newmarket Racecourses
Getting away from the royals and getting away from London, at least an hour and a half away, we find a place that is all about the horses. Just east of Cambridge and nestled in the Suffolk countryside is the town of Newmarket, headquarters of British horseracing and home to the largest cluster of training yards in the country. Many key horse racing organizations call it home, as do the Newmarket Racecourses, which consists of two courses, the Rowley Mile Course and the July Course. Between them they host nine of the UK’s 32 annual Group 1 races. The Rowley Mile is used for racing in the Spring and Fall, while the July Course, true to its name, is used in Summer. Some of the Rowley Mile Course’s more popular races include the 1,000 Guineas – Group 1, the 2,000 Guineas – Group 1, the Abernant Stakes and the Cambridgeshire Handicap. While within easy striking distance of London, you can cut down on your travel time by staying in nearby Cambridge or cut it down further and experience a Suffolk small town by staying in a Newmarket hotel.
Epsom Downs Racecourse
Besides the excitement of the race, British racecourses also provide a unique look into British history. And no racecourses are so steeped in history as Epsom Downs Racecourse. The first recorded race was held in 1661, and in the summer of 1780 Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby (that name sound familiar?) organised a race for a group of three-year-old fillies belonging to him and his friends. And the rest is history. A Grade 1 racecourse set near the town of Epsom in Surrey, the course is best known for hosting the Epsom Derby (there’s that name again). This is the United Kingdom’s premier thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old colts and fillies, lasting 2,400 metres. And one of the most unique things about the Epsom Downs is that it’s located in a public area, so you get to watch the races for free! As you can imagine, this has made the Derby a popular race. James Bond agrees. Like Ascot, Epsom Downs hosted 007 as well, disguised as the St. Petersburg Airport in “GoldenEye.” A less fictional character was the suffragette Emily Davison who threw herself in front of King George V’s horse and dying four days later. Epsom Downs houses the third largest racehorse training facility in the country, and if you want to stay here, there are many Epsom hotels.
Doncaster Racecourse
Speaking of history, Doncaster Racecourse is one of the oldest centres for horse racing in the country, with recorded races going all the way back to the 1500s. In fact, the Doncaster cup and the St. Leger Stakes call the racecourse home. Both were started in 1776, the same year as those upstart colonies across the Atlantic. In 1600 the races were almost ended due to the ruffians who attended, but 411 years later, the place is still going strong. Boasting the fifth and final Classic of the British Flat racing season, Doncaster still hosts many important races. In September Doncaster hosts the prestigious four-day Ladbrokes St. Leger Festival, the premier sporting event of the season. The Racecourse is also unique in that it starts and ends the flat season on turf. Other flat races run here include the Cammidge Trophy, the Champagne Stakes and the Gillies Fillies’ Stakes. Be sure to book your Doncaster hotel room early if you’re planning to attend on race day.
Sandown Park Racecourse
And now we return to the outer suburbs of London to visit Sandown Park Racecourse, which is located in tiny Esher in Surrey. A relative newcomer to the race scene, Sandown opened in 1875 and has the dubious distinction of being the first racecourse to charge all for attending. Though the track hosts many flat racing events, such as the Brigadier Gerard Stakes, the Eclipse Stakes, the Gordon Richards Stakes, the Henry II Stakes and the Sandown Classic Trial, the savvy owners also stage many entertainment events, making it as much of a leisure venue as a racing venue. In addition to hosting such bands as UB40, Madness, Spandau Ballet and Simply Red, Sandown Park has also hosted trade shows, wedding fairs, toy fairs, car shows and auctions. The grounds also include a Daytona Karting track, an 18 hole golf course with a driving range, a gym with a bar facility and even a 120 metre dry ski slope. Henry Higgins would never have taken Eliza Doolittle here! Esher is 40 minutes from the centre of London, making London hotels an option. But if you want to stay closer, Kingston Upon Thames is quite beautiful and only 15 minutes away.
