retiredmartin

May 2026. Elsecar. Barnsley.

There’s a lot more to Elsecar than an industrial heritage site, a chippy and a classic pub.

“The village now attracts over 500,000 visitors each year, to its heritage centre, historic sites and award-winning park.^{[according to whom?]} ” notes Wikipedia, which at the end seems to express doubt on that half a million visitor figure. Retired Martin Towers doesn’t get that many tourists !

Elsecar Park is a gorgeous place to enjoy the May heatwave (think it’s finished now),

family-friendly, quality cafe, and a reservoir walk that had the place labelled Elsecar-by-the-Sea a century ago.

The walks are certainly great. You could yomp to posh Wentworth from here, but instead I take the wooded valley back towards Elsecar station,

distracted only by the pub.

The Crown has a Cask Marque sign with “expired” on it, always a good sign.

The family dining trade is in the pleasant room on the right, so I head left to where I expect the ale drinkers to be.

They’re not, but I lean over the pumps to see if there’s an autovac which one has been pulled.

And it’s the Milestone Summer Lovin, which is a shame as that’s the beer I wouldn’t have picked, but you must always follow the dripping pump.

Milestone have done themselves no favours by being the default “value featureless beer with a novelty name in Spoons“, but their Guide tap just off the A1 is good, and this Summer Lovin had me a blast,

as Spoons fan John Travolta sang in 1978. Lacings never lie.

Some nice non-calming art back at Elsecar station,

reflecting the sense of panic as we realise the train is stopping half a mile from where we’re standing.