Loughborough & North Leicestershire CAMRA

Sheffield Trip October 2019

On Saturday 12th October, Loughborough CAMRA's outing was to Sheffield. After all the rain in recent weeks, the weather was looking up.

11 Members met at Loughborough Railway Station for the 09.45 direct train to Sheffield, arriving 10.40. Just outside is the tram stop where we purchased a Citywide Ticket for £5, valid for trams and buses.

We travelled on the blue line to Hillsborough interchange where the tram stops outside the Rawson Spring, a Wetherspoon pub. Amazingly the tram door and the pub door lined up and just 10 feet to walk into the Rawson Spring. Some members had breakfast and a beer from the beer festival list.

Our plan from here was to catch the number 61 bus from the interchange across the road at 11.54. However this bus was very late and we ended up catching the number 62 at 12.10, which does the route in reverse.

Our first port of call was the Plough at Low Bradfield. The journey was very scenic and goes through the Peak District just outside the city. On offer was a range of Bradfield beers plus one guest beer. You can see the farm and brewery on the hillside outside the pub. The village and the area is popular with walkers.

One hour later, back on to the 62 bus where we climbed even higher on a very steep hill (l thought at one point I could have walked up faster as the bus was struggling) to High Bradfield before passing the brewery and descending down to Stacey Bank enjoying excellent views over the reservoir. In Stacey Bank we stopped at the Nags Head, considered to be the tap of Bradfield Brewery, with 6 beers on, all at £2.50 a pint. As the weather was good and the sun was shining we took the opportunity to sit outside.

After an hour it was time to move on for the journey back to Hillsborough on the 62 bus. However the 14.49 went wizzing by at 14.40 as we were walking towards the bus stop, which is not good of the driver for not stopping, and for the bus company who only took on the route two weeks earlier. We could have got the 61 in the other direction at 15.09 but decided spend more time at this excellent pub as I couldn't think of a better place to to be stranded.

This time we were at the bus stop 15 minutes early for 15.49, the bus was only a minute or two early which is good. In Hillsborough we went back on the tram to the Snellsmoor stop and Kelham Island area of Sheffield, north of the city centre. When I first came here a few years ago in the mid 1990s, the area was full of steel factories producing cutlery. At the heart of this area was a pub called the Fat Cat, brewing it's own beer (this was years before Pale Rider won the best beer at the GBBF). We've been a few times since but I just can't believe the transformation in the area, with modern and converted apartments along with trendy bars and cafes.

Back at the Fat Cat, the Pale Rider was excellent as ever and inside the pub was busier than I've ever seen it before.

From here the group split into 2 groups. Some members visited the Harlequin which looked like it had just been recently refurbished. Excellent choice and beer styles with 12 beers on offer, however no Exit 33 beer from their brewery at the moment. Next we went to the famous Kelham Island Tavern, a former winner of the POTY in the UK with 12 beers on offer.

Our last pub in the Kelham Island area, as time was running out, was the Wellington which recently had a refurbishment and been taken over by Neepsend, whose brewery is in the city. Two of their beers were on offer along with guest beers. I was worried when I read that the pub had a refurbishment, but needn't have done as this friendly pub is as good as ever. Other members rejoined us here after visiting the Shakespeares and the Bar Stewards, a micropub.

Back on the Tram to the railway station and time for a beer in the Sheffield Tap before catching the 20.29 direct train back to Loughborough arriving at 21.19. Sheffield is always a good place to visit and I was amazed how the Kelham Island area had transformed. As always the beer everywhere we visited was in excellent condition and everyone enjoyed the trip.

 

Dave Roche, Social Secretary.

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