TOP 100 PUBS – THE BRUNSWICK, DERBY

March 2024. Derby.

On the homeward leg from the Black Country now, three great heritage pubs and some even better company, and I had the free entertainment of a zealous inspector telling two bemused girls they shouldn’t be using the Transport for Wales.

“It might only be 5 or 10p difference but rules are rules; the punishment is death by longbow in the grounds of Hereford Cathedral“.

but then it all went awry at New Street.

The 17.03, heading directly to Sheffield, was COMPLETELY packed. “You ain’t gunna get on there folks” said the ever helpful Cross Country giard. I felt sorry for anyone staying on to Edinburgh.

So I took a delayed train that stopped at Derby,

only to find I’d just missed a connection north, and was forced to endure 45 minutes at a UK station notable only for the number of great pubs on the doorstep.

I guess I could have sat in the Greggs for half an hour, but, y’know…

I did the Alexandra a couple of years back, the pre-emptive Victoria last month, and the Station Inn had already closed again, but it had been ages since I’d popped in the Brunswick.

Well, actually it was the same day as the Alex, those two sandwiching a day in Belper, so Belper is to blame. I get confused by all those rooms off the corridor, too.

Never mind, now I’ve done the GBG (you remember ?) I can revisit great pubs at my leisure,

and the Brunswick is a great pub, even for someone like me who cares little for handpump count and homebrew.

The Railway Porter had just been poured, making an easy decision even easier, and an ideal table in the bar to the right just vacated.

A gloriously rich, smooth, Porter in a fourth classic pub of the day.

And again, the quality of the beer belies the whining doom-mongers on CAMRA Discourse, you know, the on who should be celebrating pubs and beer.

But it’s the mix of the crowd that makes this a classic town pub. Couples, diners, lads on the piss, lasses on the (hand) pull, tickers,

blokes waiting for a train. Speaking on which.

Don’t just take my word for it; someone else who followed me in the very next day thinks it might be Top 10.

Unknown's avatar

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.

14 thoughts on “TOP 100 PUBS – THE BRUNSWICK, DERBY”

  1. As a Welshman I believe I’m liable to be shot with a longbow within the city walls of Chester after dark. I’ve got away with it up to now though.

    Like

    Reply

  3. “was COMPLETELY packed …… Cross Country”.  Yes indeed.  During my Northumberland trip last month the quarter of my trains from full to packed were the Cross Country ones.  Similarly for Wolverhampton or Birmingham I’ll go for the other three operators and for the south-west I’ll go via Euston and Paddington rather than direct.  I blame Branson for commissioning four or five carriage Voyager DMUs to replace proper loco hauled trains twice the length.  And for commissioning the Pendolino EMUs that mean an extra £20 for Standard Premium ticket with a view.

    .

    “The Railway Porter had just been poured, making an easy decision even easier” and easier if you weren’t asked ‘sparkler or not’ as Will and I weren’t last month, my first visit in ages to that lovely pub.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  4. “It might only be 5 or 10p difference but rules are rules; the punishment is death by longbow in the grounds of Hereford Cathedral“.

    The names of those scheduled for execution are posted daily on the door of The Barrels Victory

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. It’s the Hereford Brewery (previously Spinning Dog and I think one time home to Wye Valley? before that something like the Jolly Roger – still has the pirate ship bar). A serial Brewpub not far from the Barrels.

        Liked by 1 person

Leave a reply to Bill Cancel reply