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Aim for the Derby Tup: Pub Crawl in Chesterfield

Last updated : 08 October 2010 By exiledessexboy


Spot the Spire!

It's been four years since I ventured to Chesterfield and the Freddy Eastwood show, and I can't honestly remember where I had a pint, which may be a good sign, or possibly not!

Anyway, I'm grateful to those hardened drinkers at www.ciderspace.co.uk for allowing me to pinch their valuable notes on drinking before the game, and the odd hostilely they recommend as well!

Local Pubs :

With a population of around 100,000 Chesterfield has over 100 pubs and bars, which is a very good ratio. The ground is only five minutes from the town centre which has all the usual fast food outlets.

As well as those pubs selected below for more detailed descriptions, around the centre you'll should find, if wtill operating, a Yates' Wine Lodge, the Slug & Fiddle, The Blue Bell, Barkers, Carters, Bar 69, Ritters, Chandlers, The Golden Fleece, the family orientated Barrow Boy, The Barking Badger, which is about the first you'll see if arriving by train, and plenty more.

Then there are the hostelries along Saltergate itself : the Gardeners Arms, Local Heros, Barley Mow, and the County Hotel, which serves good food. All are predominately 'home' pubs, and very busy on matchdays, but if you aren't looking for trouble you won't find any.

The third area is the "Brampton Mile", which runs along Chatsworth Road towards the suburb of Brampton. The Royal Oak, which is at the stadium end, and the Peacock and Victoria Inn which are further out. But along this stretch there's also The Star, The Britannia, Rose and Crown, Brampton Ale House, The Brampton Mile, Red Lion, New Inn, The Alma, The Barrel, The Anchor, and that probably doesn't exhaust the list.

If you can't find a pub you like around Chesterfield you're not trying.

The most local beer comes from Townes Brewery in Staveley, four miles North-East of Chesterfield. It's a brew-pub and principly supplies itself - the Speedwell Inn - but around forty other oulets in the region take its production on an occasional basis. Whim Ales, from Hartington on the western edge of Derbyshire, appear in number of pubs in Chesterfield, and with the South Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire borders close by beers from those counties sometimes show up.

Derby Tup; 387, Sheffield Road. S41 8LS.

Although over a mile and a half from the ground a pub that has beer from the small but perfectly formed Tynemill chain.

Regular beers are the likes of Bateman XXXB, Burton Bridge Top Dog Stout, Everards Original, Copper Dragon Golden Pippin and local ales like Whim's Arbour Light and Hartington.

There are usually four or five more occasional guest ales, plus a traditional cider, most commonly Biddenden Dry or Pheasant Plucker Dry. What more could you want?

Well there's Hoegaarden Wit, a traditional Belgian wheat beer, Stella Artois and Heineken Lager, Murphy's Stout on tap and a range of continental bottled beers.

Food is available lunchtimes.

Although there seems to be flexibility at some venues in the main Tynemill pubs have a no children policy. Welcomes football fans.

Industry Inn; Queen Street. S40 4SF.

Frequented by visiting fans as the nearest pub to the away end, about a minute's walk.

Portland Hotel; West Bars. S40 1AY.

A better than average Wetherspoon (one of two in the town), in their J D Wetherspoon Lodge guise, ten minutes walk from the stadium, south of Saltergate.

Marston's Burton Bitter and Pedigree, Greene King Abbot and Theakston Best Bitter are the less than exciting regulars but it makes more effort than many Wetherspoon outlets with its guests, offering a wide range including frequently those from the Wentworth Brewery.

Has parking and a child certificate.

Royal Oak; 1, The Shambles. S40 1PX.

In the market area of the town about five minutes walk from the ground (access by walkway from Market Place). Two rooms on different levels (the top one is no smoking) and with different entrances, but served by a single central bar. Up to six real ales on, with Deuchars IPA, Greene King Abbot and Stones Bitter as the regulars. Food is lunchtimes.

The Market; 95, New Square. S40 1AH.

Less than ten minutes stroll from the railway station and half that from the stadium, this is a busy town centre tavern with a 'local' feel.

Although a chain outlet with Greene King Abbot, Marston's Pedigree, Taylor Landlord and Tetley as the house beers the owning Pubco offers its landlords a couple of dozen guests a month, and this one likes to offer as many as possible - with up to five on at a time.

Food lunchtimes only. Can get very busy at the weekend.




Station; bottom right, the blue blob: Stadium; to the north-west

For more info, photos and maps of where the pubs are, go here:
www.beerintheevening.com

Or go to www.streetmap.co.uk. and enter in the postcode next to the pub.