The first rule of pub blogging is that you must nick other people’s ideas, but put a little link to their latest blog as a thank-you. So here’s Matthew Lawrenson’s quite brilliant review of Newcastle-upon-Lyme, which comes complete with music matching tips and psychedelic photography of an Ember Inn.
I can’t compete with Matthew’s heroic seven pub crawl, but I did walk the seven miles to N-u-L and back again, which sounds a bit like a Saxon song. (That’s not the quiz question). Walking gives you the chance to admire the towns wonderful underpass art.
Apart from a decent museum and cleaner hotels than Stoke, the highlights are, as always, pubs and churches. I particularly like the austere exterior of the Holy Trinity, but sense I’m alone in that. You really have to stand in the middle of the A34 to get a decent shot, and I’m not ready for that sort of sacrifice yet.
As you’d expect, I rather like Newcastle, and I can see I’ve now given all five of the town’s entries very good beer scores over recent years. Only recently has it joined the micropub/craft beer bandwagon, but like Middlesbrough it’s jumped on with gusto. The students from Keele mean it does well on the bar front, and now it has a bona fide collection of interesting bars.
But first here’s a proper pub,
Quite why Joules choose to close three weeks before Christmas I cannot guess. Just as well it’s not in the GBG, but I suspect I’ll be back there soon.
The Bridge Street Ale House was my newbie, the inevitable micro. Like Matthew, I found it very quiet, even with a couple of other regulars. I did find it quite cosy though, albeit with the regulation high tables (do these people sit at high tables at home ?). I used to have Fantastic Four wallpaper on my bedroom walls too, 40 years ago. All very quirky, and probably a lot busier when the Irish sessions are on (or the Rum Bar opens).
With a vague recollection of disliking a Heavy Industry beer recently in Chesterfield (probably), I want for that, and enjoyed it a lot (NBSS 3.5).
Normal people would have gone on to other recommended places, but I need to exercise strict discipline, so will save Ten Green Bottles and the Social with its Elvis Juice till later. Maybe next time I can drag Mrs RM up here for a posh weekend away in the Travelodge and a night out at Taybarns. See if I can get her a £10.45 vodka in the Full Moon.
retiredmartin 
6.95 for DOUBLE G&T in Bar Social.
Did you not venture as far as Hopinn or was it not open when you visited (4 PM on weekdays I think)?
I haven’t been to Bridge Street for a bit and never during the afternoon, it was doing very well earlier in the year but the owner has opened another one in Stoke, a more difficult location which makes me wonder whether he is spinning plates to keep the two going properly.
BTW, if it hastens your return, the Taybarns is now a Brewers Fayre; different size of microwave I think.
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Very vital info there. Bizarre hat Taybarns replaced by the return of Brewers Fayre, a really mediocre brand.
Hop Inn was closed, or I’d have returned for Bass of course !
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I always thought it was called Newcastle Under Lyne.
I have been there a few times and have done the walk one way back to Stoke on Trent train station,but picking up some pubs i had not done along the way,which made it easier.
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Ashton under Lyne Alan, Newcastle under Lyme.
There is a wide variety of pubs on the route to Stoke via Hartshill, from very poor to not very good ( with the exception IMHO of Titanic’s Greyhound).
Martin, I think all the Taybarns are being converted. Given the body shape of many Castle residents, Taybarns all-you-can-eat option will have made a considerable dent in Whitbread’s profits.
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My mistake by typing an n instead of m,
I have done all pubs on the main drag from Stoke to Newcastle under Lyme and done most in Stoke on Trent.
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To be honest I typed lyne as well first time !
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Agree on Greyhound, I rated White Star NBSS 4.5 a few years back. Detail, detail.
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Ah, the Holy Trinity. Used to give blood in the Community Centre next door. Then went to Yates’s on the Ironmarket to rehydrate on Budweiser. Oh, youth.
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The beer in Chinese is called Heavy Industry Chinese Burn.
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According to Google Translate, the board has Chinese Burn translated correctly.
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grief
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excellent
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Really excellent. My Chinese coworker could not get the second word!
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