A Walk in Derby, includes Pubs, of course!

This walk starts from the railway station; NB there are many other pubs near the station! This walk starts from a road virtually opposite the main station exit at The Victoria Inn at 12 Midland Place DE1 2RR, built in 1878, familiarly called "The Vic" by locals (website). The Vic has 6 cask ales and 12 ciders; I recently drank, from Welsh brewery Purple Moose (website), their 3.6% Snowdonia Ale, a pale golden ale with subtle hints of citrus fruit in the aroma and taste, a very decent pale bitter to start the day! Indeed, I drank here first on my recent visit because it opens at 09.30, but drink-wise I didn't follow the root insinuated in this blog, but wanted to get as many photos taken as possible before too many people were wandering the streets. However, the pubs as I mention them are on a virtually straight walk by-passing the centre of town.

The Brunswick Inn is just along from the station at 1 Railway Terrace DE1 2RU (website), it was built in 1842 and was the first purpose-built railway inn in Britain. They have been brewing their own ales for over 30 years now, and pretty good they are too, plus they sell plenty of guest ales; regularly 16 cask ales in total and 16 ciders, plenty of choice. They held their 37th annual Beer Festival recently, with over 40 ales and 16 ciders and perries! 🍻

Further along the road, and just round the corner to the left is The Alexandra Hotel, 203 Siddals Road DE1 2QE (website), built towards the end of the 19th century, it used to be owned by Shipstone's (website), but was taken over by Bateman's, then Tyne Mill (Castle Rock Brewery) after it was let go by Shipstone's in 1988. They serve up to 7 cask ales, including the regular Castle Rock Harvest Pale (3.8%), which reminded me of my first experience of their ales when we first visited the Castle Rock 'taproom' the Vat & Fiddle in Nottingham (website) about 25 years ago. Guest ales come from various breweries across the country, recently including from Yorkshire, North Riding Brewery (website), from the east side of the Pennines, Redwillow Brewery (website), and from down south, and a new favourite, Kent Brewery (website).

Then walk across the road and down to the River Derwent, heading north-east and cross the river soon, carrying on north-eastwards to reach the regular award winning, 19th century, The Smithfield, Meadow Road DE1 2BH (website), which overlooks the river. 10 cask ales are available, including the ever-present regular Bass, and 9 guest ales, usually including 2 darker beers. Recent ales, again from near and far, include from Welbeck Abbey Brewery (website), Purple Moose (website), Lakes Brew Company (website), and Mallinsons  (website), which I had to include as another favourite of mine, and their excellent 4.5% U.S. Premium an APA style, pale golden and hoppy, brewed with Chinook, Simcoe and Willamette hops from the USA, nice one! Oh yes, and 4 real ciders, indeed, they hold a beer & cider festival early in the year.

Continue along Meadow Road, under a couple of bridges, a little further, on the corner at 13 Exeter Place DE1 2EU, is 'Regency style' The Exeter Arms (website), built in 1816. The pub is owned by Marston's (website), but managed by Dancing Duck Brewery (website), consequently, Marston's Pedigree (4.5%), and Dancing Duck ales are always available; recently, for example, Dancing Duck 22 Best Bitter (4.3%) and Dark Drake Oatmeal Stout (4.5%). Plus guest ales, with up to 6 cask ales in all; I enjoyed the excellent Thornbridge (website) Jaipur India Pale Ale (5.9%), brewed with plenty of Chinook, Centennial, Ahtanum, Simcoe, Columbus and Cascade hops, and which I have written about many times before, supplied in many forms, for example this blog a couple of years ago, 'tis pretty damn good! 

I may be a wee bit wrong about the management, whatever, this is their 'sister' pub...

Yes, apparently they're 'sister' pubs, and I realise that Marston's has changed the way it works, whatever, go down Exeter Place and cross Exeter Bridge to the close to roundabout, turn right up Full Street, and near the top, as it bends to the left, dead opposite is The Old Silk Mill, 19 Full Street DE1 3AF (website). The original nearby Victorian pub was knocked down in 1924, and the half timber framed replacement opened in 1928. They sell 1 regularly changing guest ale (sorry, I didn't take note) 2 regular Dancing Duck ales, Bass, but I headed straight for their regular Oakham Citra! Why did I ignore the rest? Well, we've had a wee bit of a problem with some Citra recently, (theory: one badly 'fined' gyle/batch), so I wanted to see how it was, and, quite frankly, it was excellent, thankful or what! Again, I've written about Oakham (website) Citra (4,2%) many times before too, eg blog, a fine example of a single hopped ale indeed!

Turn right out of the pub, then turn first right and head up Queen Street, turning left at the top, and just along on the left is circa 200 years old The Flowerpot, on the corner with Chapel Street, at 19-25 King Street DE1 3DZ (website). 7 cask ales available, most pretty regular it seems, including the 3.7% light session ale Lenton Lane (website) Pale Moonlight; a very good 4.5% bitter Whim Ales (website) Hartington IPA; the 4.6% golden bitter from Oakham Ales (website) Bishops Farewell, and also from Oakham they have had recently as guests Scarlet Macaw, a 4.4% APA, Celeste, a 4.0% session pale ale, and Reaper's Wish, a 4.5% dark ale; also, presumably guests, Whim Flower Power, a 5.3% blonde and Bass! A fine variety of good ales.

To get to the Furnace Inn, 9 Duke Street DE1 3BX, I found the easiest way was to slightly backtrack on myself, back down Queen Street, then turn first left down St Michael's Lane, then left into Sowter Road, which takes you down to Duke Street, which you turn left at,  and along to the brewpub. The Furnace Inn brewery used to be the home of Shiny Brewing, their 'sister' company (website), which now brews not too far away at Little Eaton, but I hadn't the time to visit on my last trip to Derby, maybe next time... The Furnace Inn and brewery does not appear to have a website, but can be found on Instagram, which I do not use. 😒

They have 8 cask ales on offer, plus 3 ciders/perries, in a quite unassuming environment, including beers from Shiny Brewing, whose ales I first sampled over 7 years ago (blog), and quite a few very decent ales too! However, with limited time in which to partake in many ales and pubs (the Furnace Inn was my second pub, on the day), I had to sample one of their own, which was Fun Sponge, a 4.4% pale bitter. Brewed with Citra and Mosaic hops meant that I would appreciate this fruity, but subtle, pale golden bitter, which had a nice dry finish, not a bad pint. My only quibble was it was slightly cloudy (vegan friendly), which regular readers will appreciate, I don't appreciate, whatever, drinking at the Furnace Inn was a valuable part of my day trip.

Oh! And not to forget that, after 4 years, the Derby Heritage Beer Festival returns this year, 13-16 November 2024 (Derby CAMRA). Obviously that will see a glut of ales, quite frankly though, every day of the year is a 'beer festival' in Derby, cheers!