ECCLESHALL – A BASS, A BAG OF CRINKLYS AND A CHURCH

March 2024. Eccleshall.

We decided we’d better get some use out of the campervan now Spring had brought sunny, dry, weather (HA !). Two hours through the Peak via Leek and Stone to Eccleshall.

Six pubs here in about two minutes walk, but quite a shake-up from a decade ago. The George, notorious home of Top Totty, is now named after Bents, which only Stafford Paul will be able to explain,

and Joules jewel the Royal Oak was about to re-open the next day. Paul may not have been queueing for that one.

On a handsome high street festooned with Union Jacks and spoilt by an excess of cars (the only parking was in the Co-op) the new GBG entry doesn’t quite literally stand out from the crowd, but at least the lantern and umbrellas mark the Ecclian out as a pub, in contrast to the average shop conversion micro.

From the shape and high ceiling I’d guessed it might have been a church before a bar,

but Mrs RM reckoned garage and I’m to old and wise to argue with Mrs RM these days.

Whatever, very pubby; a mix of back wall benches and freestanding seats which allowed your feet to touch the floor.

Mrs RM liked that. She loved the colourful spirits bottles, but since I was driving I made her have a pint of the Bass.

Blimey, all cask (including a 6%er) at £3.50 a pint in one of the smartest Staffs towns.

Really good Bass (3.5), we thought; Mrs RM might yet be converted. I had a lime and soda and some Crinklys, and sensed I’d got the worse end of the bargain.

The local radio babbled out its pop, but Mrs RM said this was a place where the table placement encouraged folk to talk to each other, which sounds like something Humphrey Smith would say.

A lovely pub, and if our initial choice of campervan parking spot (the Star at Copmere End) hadn’t suddenly seemed a bit too far out I suspect I’d have been back that evening.

Instead, we had a quick look at the Holy Trinity before hitting the iconic A519.

There’s 6,500 souls in Eccleshall, and I’m confident that all 6,500 could fit in this outstanding Grade 1 listed church (NCSS 4).

It must have been good; I reckon Mrs RM spent all of 4 minutes in there.

She was to spend rather longer in our next pub.

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.

8 thoughts on “ECCLESHALL – A BASS, A BAG OF CRINKLYS AND A CHURCH”

  1. I intended going to Eccleshall last Friday for the Eagle but realised it was closed and so went to Rugeley instead.

    “Is now named after Bents” is just using the name of a long-gone brewery not far away (Stone) in the hope of selling a few more pints, not that that works when the two beers on are Holdens and Youngs as they were when I went last year.

    “The Royal Oak was about to re-open the next day”, the previous refurbishment – the one where they were fined for ripping the historic central staircase out of the listed building – not having lasted long.

    The Ecclian was a Belgian bar and before that a shop or hairdressers.   I think it’s quite good for a new pub but the Bass is thrashed through seriously tight sparklers as your photo indicates.  Bass there is 10p cheaper than Stafford’s Railway but 40p dearer than Rugeley’s Crown.

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      2. Will,

        Yes, even in uncivilised olden times there was no mention of Bass.

        “A woman, a dog, and a walnut tree, the more you thrash them the better they be”

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