TO CASTLETON, IN HOPE RATHER THAN EXPECTATION

September 2025. Hope to Castleton.

Ooh, a tourist pub !

You’d be surprised how few GBG entries there are in the Peak District, with the towns on the edge hogging the entries over the years.

But Castletown, home to Blue John as well as the gateway to Stockport, gets a third different Guide pub since COVID.

Let’s walk there (through a field of sheep, in appropriate footwear) from Hope, your closest station.

It’s the last sunny Sunday of the (Indian) summer, and Castleton is swarming with tourists.

Mrs RM is convinced she took her parents to the George after dragging them up the hill to Peveril (of the Peak) Castle, and has one up on me.

But she can’t prove it, and all these Peak pubs look and feel the same, with dedicated condiments cabinets and gentlefolk dining dominating.

Though it’s the young folk who dominate Castleton today, and they look forlorn as all six pubs are full for lunch.

Luckily I only want a pint from the friendly barman. It’s a Charles Wells pub I’m told; can that be true ?

Just a bit too much clutter inside to be cosy,

but that’s OK as you can perch, uncomfortably on the stone wall out front, neck a gorgeous pint of Landlord (NBSS 3.5+) and a pint of water (NWSS 5) while eavesdropping on a Japanese family who seem genuinely astonished (“Wow”, but in Japanese, obvs) at the size of the chips.

I’m proud to live in a country where visitors are impressed by our chips, and which has been making famous baguettes for 71 years.

I’d visit Castleton again just for their Coronation Chicken baguette.

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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.

16 thoughts on “TO CASTLETON, IN HOPE RATHER THAN EXPECTATION”

  1. “It’s a Charles Wells pub I’m told” and their most northerly by far, the next being the Playwright in Nottingham. They offloaded the Greyhound between Stafford and Stone quite a while ago.
    I’m reminded of using all six Castleton pubs one evening in 1972 and my fiftieth anniversary tour three years ago this autumn.

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      2. I’m pretty sure Paul convinced his wife to do a multi day tour to celebrate their wedding anniversary. I’d be shocked if I’m wrong. Much more likely than your theory. Paul?

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      4. Er, my fiftieth anniversary of legal drinking was nearly eight months after my fiftieth anniversary of getting round Castleton’s six pubs.
        My wife and I were in the Green Man at Milwich ( Adnams Southwold Bitter drinking very well ) on our wedding anniversary this year – that was after an A & E visit that tends to occur at our age.
        On her quite recent significant birthday my wife opted for a cheese and onion cob at the Beacon Hotel in Sedgley.
        She could only accompanied us briefly on Atherstone the week before last.

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      1. or sheepskin slippers ?
        No footwear though can properly protect them from the footrot so prevalent in a climate so much wetter than their native Asia.

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  3. “TO CASTLETON, IN HOPE RATHER THAN EXPECTATION”

    I read the sign in the pic above and all I could get out of it was you can’t ride a bike, you have to use your walker instead.

    “But Castletown, home to Blue John”

    I take it he never made it big in telly, like his brother, Blue Peter?

    “Let’s walk there (through a field of sheep, in appropriate footwear)”

    Sheep wearing wellies? Well I never!

    “It’s the last sunny Sunday of the (Indian) summer”

    I think you have my darling wife to thank in part for that (she’s Indian; feather, not dot).

    “and Castleton is swarming with tourists.”

    (looks at pic below)
    Ok, that’s some nice countryside.

    “with dedicated condiments cabinets”

    I get a vicarious thrill due to the fact that they’re more worried about food wastage and not about all the waste of plastic in those condiment packets. (put some bottles on the table!)

    “and they look forlorn as all six pubs are full for lunch.”

    (looks at the pic below)
    Hah! Bottles on the table. See!

    “It’s a Charles Wells pub I’m told; can that be true ?”

    Dunno, but go for the Black Sheep BB.

    “and a pint of water (NWSS 5)”

    (slow golf clap)

    “while eavesdropping on a Japanese family ”

    Phew! I originally read that as WITH eaves dropping on a Japanese family. Quelle horreur!

    “I’m proud to live in a country where visitors are impressed by our chips,”

    You do realise over here they’re called ‘French fries’.

    “I’d visit Castleton again just for their Coronation Chicken baguette.”

    Is that to honour the knighting of Brave Sir Robin?
    (Monty Python… again)

    Cheers

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