DON’T CRY FOR CROWLAND

 

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As it’s my birthday (will be on table 53 all day) I get to post on a place without a pub visit.

There was discussion on this blog recently about the merits of Whittlesey, a small Fenland town with a seemingly never ending supply of Beer Guide pubs.

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The date for the 2018 Straw Bear Festival (Sat 13 Jan) is in my diary so you’ll get another report from the A605, probably in March the way this blog is going.

I’m intrigued by places that have never had GBG entries. Crowland is just 10 miles north but manages to escape the attention of Mr Protz’s book.

Is that because Peterborough CAMRA has no active members there ?  Or because the pubs aren’t much cop ?

Whatever, the town is worth the trip.

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Crowland Abbey

The squat stump of the Abbey draws you in, even now the town has a flashy bypass so you can get to Spalding a minute quicker.

If this was in Kent or Sussex you sense there’d be a teashop and a micropub on the premises.  Here, all is quiet.

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Ruins
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More ruins

Crowland has less than 5,000 (old) souls, so 3 pubs* probably isn’t too bad.

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WhatPub extract

You get good views from the Olde Abbey, waiting for your pint of Doom Bar.

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Olde Abbey , Olde Abbey

If Doom Bar doesn’t appeal (what’s wrong with you ?), the George & Angel has Tiny Rebel Pufft Black Sheep, and the mysterious Crown has “1 changing beer“. Away from the craft bubble, this is the real world, folks.

At midday on Tuesday it’s eerily quiet, clearly all at Spoons in Spalding.

So I have the triangular bridge all to myself !

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Triangular bridge
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Great views !
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Pub

Trinity Bridge doesn’t actually go anywhere, but that’s half the appeal.  You can stand at the top and admire the bustle.  If there was any bustle.

And that’s your lot.  An essential Fenland visit.  Come on Peterborough CAMRA, make my day, get Crowland in the Beer Guide.

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*and a 4th, the Olde Bridge  just out of town by the Welland.  Don’t fall in !

 

 

 

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Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

23 thoughts on “DON’T CRY FOR CROWLAND”

  3. I have actually been to Crowland and seen the Abbey and the three-legged bridge to nowhere. Didn’t venture into a pub, though.

    Given that your birthday is so close to Christmas, did your parents try to persuade you that one set of presents would do for both? 😉 (Mine is ideally situated on June 24th right at the opposite end of the year)

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    1. I thought you might have ,being so well travelled, though it’s not a place you’d pass without an effort.

      Re: birthdays, you’ll be pleased to know I got a turnip for my birthday and a satsuma for Christmas, so not hard done by, no.

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    1. Always forget to do that. Trinity’s is as much a mystery as Crowland; a Facebook page has a barrel on the bar and mentions real ale, but last post was March ! Hidden down a side street too.

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  6. I as going to say that the triangular bridge looks like it goes nowhere but you covered that fact right after the photos. 🙂

    And would ‘Olde Abbey, Olde Abbey’ be a play on the song Any Old Iron?

    Cheers

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  8. Happy birthday from me too !
    If you are 53 now, and retired in July 2015 when the blog archive begins, that means you must have retired roughly six months after your 50th birthday.
    Lucky bugger. But no wonder the NHS is short of funds if they let guys like you retire at 50.
    Good job Mrs RM is still working to keep you in beer !

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