BASS ALERT ! MAID OF THE MILL, ATHERSTONE

August 2025. Atherstone.

10 minutes along the canal path to Pub No. 2 on our Artisan Atherstone Adventure, another pub I’d never heard of.

That’s what makes these days out so fun, not knowing what reception you’ll get or what word folk use for a bread roll.

In truth, I thought the pubs beat the beer quite comfortably today, but that’s the right way round.

Here’s the bar snacks are “batches”, the Old Boy at the bar has a whisky chaser with his Bass* (NBSS 3+),

and the Deacon Blue soundtrack is “Our Town”, not “Real Gone Kid”.

It’s quite basic, but homely, reminiscent of the Wem pubs.

Needs a bit more lunchtime custom, but I’m afraid that’s pub life in 2025.

*Some of our number opted for Old Speckled Hen. There’s no hope for some folk.

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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.

20 thoughts on “BASS ALERT ! MAID OF THE MILL, ATHERSTONE”

  2. “10 minutes along the canal path to Pub No. 2 on our Artisan Atherstone Adventure”

    Why is it marked as “A” on the map if it’s #2 on the route?

    “or what word folk use for a bread roll.”

    Is this that bap/cob philosophical question?

    “In truth, I thought the pubs beat the beer quite comfortably today”

    I’m envisioning them laying about the kegs with large sticks, kinda like prepping squid for calamari.

    “Here’s the bar snacks are “batches”,”

    You threw that apostrophe in there to see if I’m paying attention, right? 🙂

    “It’s quite basic, but homely”

    The, uh, floor covering, and that red/white/blue shawl thingy in a previous pic certainly attest to that!

    “Needs a bit more lunchtime custom, but I’m afraid that’s pub life in 2025.”

    Heck, that’s the service industry pretty much everywhere these days (sigh).

    “*Some of our number opted for Old Speckled Hen. There’s no hope for some folk.”

    I think your well known avid love of Bass makes some folk to apprehensive to order it in your presence.

    Cheers

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    1. Will,
      The Old Speckled Hen is often drinking well at Stafford’s Coach and Horses, and at only £2.45 being a Craft Union pub. Yes, change out of a tenner for four pints, and a lovely view of the River Sow from the smoking area.

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      1. Paul, the Coach & Horses was the pub where you, me and Peter drank Doom Bar that was tainted with butyric acid in 2023, so excuse me if I don’t take you up on the suggestion.

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      4. Indeed Will, but pubs can change considerably, for better or worse, in a couple of years.
        That, I think, is why the GBG is published annually rather than every decade.
        Actually, I think that Coach and Horses with Ray Till as licensee had the most consecutive years in the GBG for a Stafford and Stone Branch pub, but that was a long time ago.

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