WEST SOMERSET RAILWAY – CAMRA (SOMERSET BRANCH) A REAL ALE GUIDE TO THE WEST SOMERSET RAILWAY Special thanks are due to the members of the Somerset Branch of CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale) who carried out nearly all of the pub and brewery research which is contained in this Guide. CAMRA has been the leading consumer voice for beer drinkers and pub goers for over 40 years and details of membership can be found in most if not all of the pubs in this Guide. The Branch also produces a quarterly Newsletter “Pints of View” which you may find in the pubs and will give you up to date information about local pub and brewery news. The West Somerset Railway is England’s longest “heritage” railway with its trains running over twenty miles of line between Bishops Lydeard station (four miles from Taunton) and Minehead. The Railway can be reached by public transport. The nearest railway and coach stations are in Taunton and First Bus service 28 runs a regular service from both of those to Bishops Lydeard station. The best way to explore the Railway and the communities is to purchase a Day Rover Ticket which lets you get on and off trains as you wish through the day and these can be purchased at a discounted rate from the website at www.west-somerset- railway.co.uk. During the two days of the Real Ale Festival at Minehead station in September CAMRA Members can obtain discounted Rover Tickets over the counter by showing their membership cards (but not at other times, unfortunately). In total there are 10 stations along the route of the line and this Guide lists 8 of them from which have pubs serving real ale either within a sensible walking distance or along a bus route. The two exceptions are firstly Crowcombe Heathfield which is otherwise an idyllic rural station but sadly over a mile and a half from the Carew Arms in Crowcombe or the Blue Ball Inn at Triscombe. Apart from the distance the walk to these does involve a potentially hazardous section of the A358 road. Secondly Doniford Halt is only of drinkers’ interest to those who wish to take a walk to the pubs in Watchet or Williton. On the other side of the coin WSR trains pass close by the “Farmers Arms” at Combe Florey but there has never been station or halt at Combe Florey. It is accessible over a rural footpath from Bishops Lydeard station which will take around an hour, otherwise it is a fairly long step along a very busy and hazardous road from the village bus stop. Despite its reputation as a cider drinking county there has always been a strong brewing tradition in Somerset and currently there are no less than 14 independent brewers in the county. These include the larger concerns such as Cotleigh and Exmoor based in Wiveliscombe and then go down to the very small concerns such as Odcombe and Stowey. You are very unlikely to find the products of all of them whilst exploring the pubs in this Guide, but “guest beer” appearances will probably produce some whilst on the other side of the coin you are more than likely to find at least one or two pumps serving products from brewers in the surrounding counties such as Otter. In the last few years St Austell has extended its trading range widely through South West England and their products will be found in many outlets. Back in the days of the brewery-tied pubs the majority of the licensed houses in West Somerset were divided up between Courage, Grand Metropolitan (under the Ushers brand name) and Whitbread. As the pub owning business has looked more and more to the bottom line many rural pubs have become free houses or part of pub company chains. The free houses and to some extent the pubcos have created the market for the smaller breweries to sell their products. In the last few years St Austell has extended its tied estate into Somerset and marketed their products vigorously to the free trade as well, meaning that the visiting drinker to the area is very likely to be find one or more of the Cornish regional brewer’s products, including seasonal specials, on the bar in many of the local pubs. A result of these developments is that there can be quite a rate of change in what pubs have to offer and their quality. With a change of licensee the beer range, menus and welcome can become completely different to what has gone before, for good or for ill. Badly run pubs or ones that acquire a dubious reputation can go to the wall and close, sometimes for a short period before a new landlord or landlady moves in and sometimes for good. With that in mind we have kept this Guide basic and cheap to purchase, rather than going for heavier paper and binding, in the knowledge that it will go out of date quickly. If you find changes that you think should be reported please e-mail [email protected]. By the same reckoning we will place changes – the one’s we are reliably informed of - on the West Somerset Railway website www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk. When we reprint the Guide we will put that information on the website also and if you wish to replace the issue you hold with the new one before visiting simply send it back to West Somerset Railway, The Railway Station, Minehead, TA24 5BG with a cheque for £1.00 and the latest version will be yours. Although this is a Beer Guide a number of the pubs also sell traditional cider. With the takeover and subsequent closure of Taunton Cider the largest producer locally is Sheppy’s. There are smaller concerns and if you wish to visit a traditional cider making farm alight at Washford station. Follow the walking route to the White Horse and take the left hand fork in the road junction. This bears left over the trackbed of the old West Somerset Mineral Railway (closed over 100 years ago) and shortly beyond this is Torre Cider where you learn about the making of Somerset Cider, try and purchase if you wish. Just allow good time to get back to the train and treat the product with lots of respect. TAUNTON Although WSR trains currently begin and end their journeys at Bishops Lydeard, 4 miles from the county town of Somerset, we have included two pubs within sensible walking distance of the main line railway station in case you have some time to wait for a train home. If you leave the station from platform 5 and by the main entrance adjacent to the ticket office aim across towards Riley’s snooker hall (closed) on the corner of Railway Street and turn right along the main road. With the imposing St Andrews Church on your left as you head along the road cross over two zebra crossings and opposite the triangular road junction on the left you will find The Grove. Formerly the Cherry Grove this pub has undergone quite a transformation in recent years and regularly serves 2 to 3 rotating guest ales together with regular ones from the Butcombe, Cotleigh and Exmoor ranges. The opening hours are midday to midnight on Saturdays, 2 p.m. to midnight Monday to Friday and on Sundays midday to 10.30 p.m. Draught cider comes from Tricky’s. The internal layout is a large open bar with TV and pool table. Darts and skittles are played. Alternatively leave from platform 2 through the archway, turn right and then left down the ramp. At the bottom of this cross the road by the zebra crossing, turn left under the bridge and around fifty yards on you will come to The Plough. The entrance is off the side alley and the pub is a lot large than it appears from the front with back rooms going back some distance. Beers and traditional ciders are dispensed on gravity and the beers are Otter Amber and selected ones from the Bath, Cotleigh and Exmoor ranges. The traditional ciders are from Sheppys, Trickys and Orchard Pig. Food concentrates on pies. Opening hours are 11.00 a.m. to midnight Mondays to Wednesdays and 11.00 a.m. to 2.00 a.m. Wednesdays to Sundays. A number 28 bus runs between the two railway stations at 30 minute intervals with a journey time of some 20 minutes EN ROUTE Not strictly on any part of the WSR but if time permits it’s worth breaking your journey between Taunton and Bishops Lydeard to call in at The Cross Keys. A large stone built pub it has a split level open plan layout and a large garden above a stream with a covered area for smokers. There is usually a choice of four or five different ales, many from smaller brewers. The policy is also to support local brewers and a visual check of the pump clips around the walls will show how many beers have been available down the years. The pub is open 11 to 11 Monday to Saturday and midday to 10.30 and food is available for most of that time including some price deals. BISHOPS LYDEARD Despite the growth of the village in recent years it has not been enough to prevent two pubs closing and with the loss of The Bell the old trick of “if you wish to find the pub head for the church” won’t work any longer.