Canal Cruising in a COVID World (Part 1)

Recently we undertook our first canal pub crawl cruise in the 'new normal', post pandemic era.

The good news is that we never failed to get a drink in the 20 or so pubs we visited, but planning in advance was required especially for weekend stops!

What was also remarkable was that every pub followed the guidelines differently - some very strict...and some quite relaxed (in a couple, apart from the signs and the hand sanitiser, it was almost back to normal - people standing at the bar, shaking hands and hugging also!)

We started at The Blue Lias on the Grand Union Canal at Stockton (our regular haunt, the Two Boats, not opening until 4th August!)

Here there was no need to book, but a long one-way system was in operation and food (from a limited menu) was served in polystyrene takeaway trays. We were the only people who sat inside. The lager was cold and the food was just what we wanted!

Next stop was Warwick for the evening where both The Railway and The Roebuck were both accommodating with no need to queue. Normal service in the Railway and table service in the Roebuck. In between, we managed to get a very good Italian meal from our go-to restaurant in Warwick, Piccolino's!

Next day was a Saturday (with predicted good weather) so I'd prebooked The Hatton Arms for lunch as it is the only pub nearby after the slog of Hatton Locks!

This is a large gastro pub with a large outside area to exploit as well as the pub terraces which are now covered and protected from the elements by perspex screens. There was only one way into (and out of) the pub, via the front entrance.

We were a bit early, but our table was available so we sat down and enjoyed a pleasant couple of hours of, essentially, restaurant service. All very efficient as they had plenty of staff on.

For the evening we made our first return for a few years to The Navigation at Lapworth, which I'd pre-booked.

Again, there was a one way system in place and the number of tables in the bar reduced, but again, most people were outside.Bar service for drinks and table service for food, so not too different from normal.

Next day and Sunday lunch was pre-booked at the Fleur-de-Lys in Lowsonford, just a short trip down the Stratford Canal.

Again, strict enforcement of the guidelines was in operation requiring an extra long walk for pedestrians to get into the pub from the car park entrance! They were running a limited menu and drinks range, but the lager was cold so we were happy!

In the evening we got as far as Wilmcote, normally a two-pub village. Unfortunately, the Mason's Arms was closed and up for sale. This was not really a surprise as we'd been expecting it for at least 10 years. As for the Mary Arden Hotel, we weren't sure if it was open and, with it being a Sunday evening, whether we were too late for food. So, it was taxi time and a short trip into Stratford-upon-Avon for the evening.

Our first choice, The Garrick, was closed so we headed straight for the Wetherspoons. This was the first time that we'd had to queue up outside a pub, but we were soon inside The Golden Bee after taking care of the administrative chores.

After all the hype, we didn't have to order via the app and it was all fairly normal, going up to the bar to order food and drinks. After eating and a couple of pints we decided to go for a bit of a wander and have another pint in a different pub.

What a mistake!

We left at about 9:45pm and got to the White Swan/Dirty Duck just before 10pm to be told that they were closing. We knew that Encore was open till 10:30pm so headed there. At just after 10pm we were turned away because there wasn't room...there was! The Red Lion had closed at 10pm, so we headed back to Wetherspoons as they closed at 11pm...but...unbeknownst to us...they don't allow anyone in after 10pm. So we were turned away!

The moral of the story? Don't leave a pub close to closing time in the current climate expecting to get a last drink elsewhere, because you probably won't get it!

The thing that really got to me though was the smugness with which we were turned away (not the Red Lion) which will make me very reluctant to step through their doors once/if this crisis is over! Two early 60's blokes looking for a last drink wasn't going to cause anyone any heartache and yet they turned us away with repressed glee without any form of apology (or even apologetic tone!). Still...lesson learned!

Until next time!

UPDATES - A New Trip to Old Haunts - The Warwickshire Ring

When I started this blog I hadn't really thought through how I would present new visits to pubs that I'd already reported on. As detailed in my previous entry, I've recently returned from a canal trip around the Warwickshire Ring. This took us to quite a few pubs we'd not been to for a few years.

We set off from Napton and our first re-visit was to the Two Boats in Long Itchington (#100). As detailed in my previous entry it is THE MOST EXPENSIVE PUB for Blackcurrant & Soda that we found on our trip.

However, it is still a good canal pub and the food was good, as previously. Apparently it has had a refurbishment since our last visit in November 2011, but this wasn't particularly noticeable!

Two Boats, Long Itchington - Saturday 27th September 2014

We passed through Warwick, but we didn't visit any of the pubs previously mentioned and it wasn't until we reached Lowsonford on the Stratford Canal.

The Fleur de Lys was completely unchanged from our last visit in the Spring of 2011 (see #026)

Fleur de Lys, Lowsonford - Monday 29th September 2014
© Photo Digital Art

Next was Wilmcote, a village we also hadn't visited since 2011 and, again, both pubs were completely unchanged.

First was the Mason's Arms, one of the earliest pubs I featured (#006). In all the years we've been going there it has been run by the same landlord...and he's still there! In all respects, the Mason's Arms was the same as previously, including the monster portions of vegetables served with the main meals!

Mason's Arms, Wilmcote - Monday 29th September 2014

The other pub in the village is the Mary Arden Hotel (#061). Again, completely unchanged in three years.

Mary Arden Hotel, Wilmcote - Monday 29th September 2014

Even though it was a Monday night I was very surprised at the lack of people in either pub. In the Mason's Arms there were a few locals in when we arrived, but by the time we left at about 9pm the place was deserted. It was the same story at the Mary Arden and only one customer came in during our time there!

Our next stop was Stratford-upon-Avon which used to be a regular destination on our annual Easter trips. All of the pubs we visited, that I've reviewed before, were completely unchanged!

They were - the Dirty Duck (#033), The Falcon Hotel (#079), The Garrick Inn (#020) and Queen's Head (#082)

Dirty Duck, Stratford-upon-Avon - Tuesday 30th September 2014

Falcon Hotel, Stratford-upon-Avon - Tuesday 30th September 2014

Garrick Inn, Stratford-upon-Avon - Tuesday 30th September 2014

Queen's Head, Stratford-upon-Avon - Tuesday 30th September 2014

After leaving Stratford for the long haul up to Birmingham the next pub to report on is the Navigation Inn at Lapworth. This is one of my most photographed pubs that I've reported on several times - #008 and the updates here, here and here!

Navigation Inn, Lapworth - Wednesday 1st October 2014

This was our first actual drinking visit since the pub reopened in 2012 and I can report that the refurbishment has been a success and we spent the whole evening there enjoying the food, drink and atmosphere.

Next day we visited the Wharf Tavern at Hockley Heath (#083) which is under new management and has had a complete makeover since our last visit in 2011.

Wharf Tavern, Hockley Heath - Thursday 2nd October 2014

The much needed refurbishment has been very well done and the Wharf manages to tread the fine line between being a pub and a restaurant very successfully.

Our next stop was at The Horseshoe in Kings Heath (#112) which is a pub I'd not been inside since 2000! We'd passed by on many occasions, but not stopped because of the difficulties in mooring, which haven't improved in the intervening years. However, this time we were running out of light and there was no other viable option!

The Horseshoe, Kings Heath - Thursday 2nd October 2014

After the ritual 'abuse' from the gentlemen smoking outside the pub (often an issue when taking pictures of pubs!), we found that it hasn't really changed much in the years since we last visited. It is still a down market boozer and, as we usually find with this type of pub, it was more friendly than many of the pubs we visit.

Birmingham was our next stop and we visited two old favourites which haven't changed since my last reports in 2012 - the Prince of Wales (#089) and The Shakespeare (#095).

Prince of Wales, Birmingham - Friday 3rd October 2014

The Shakespeare, Birmingham - Friday 3rd October 2014

Next evening we were in Curdworth where we revisited the two pubs in the village - the White Horse (#051) and The Beehive (#087) - neither of which seem to have changed since 2011.

White Horse, Curdworth - Saturday 4th October 2014

The Beehive, Curdworth - Saturday 4th October 2014

The next pub on the list was The Anchor Inn at Hartshill (#022), which also has changed little in the intervening years. The food was great and it was a welcome stop on a grey day!

The Anchor Inn, Hartshill - Monday 6th October 2014

A couple of days later we were in Newbold-on-Avon, nearing the end of our journey. For many years there were three pubs in the village (including our last visit in 2011) - the Barley Mow (#053), The Boat (#078) and the Newbold Crown (#072) - now there are just two, but this isn't as bad news as it sounds.

As we walked from our boat we could see that the Barley Mow was still there, but The Boat which had been next door (always a mystifying situation!) has now become the overspill/function room for the Barley Mow called the Barley Barn.

Barley Mow, Newbold-on-Avon - Wednesday 8th October 2014

Barley Barn (Formerly The Boat)

The Newbold Crown was something of a revelation. On our previous visits we've only ever been into the bar which is at the front of the pub. This time the bar was closed for redecoration so we went into the lounge which was very pleasant. This was a bit of a surprise as I'd got the impression that the Newbold Crown was a bit of an 'estate' pub, but the lounge was more like being in an older village pub!

Newbold Crown - Wednesday 8th October 2014

Our final pub, which we'd last visited in 2011, was the Old Royal Oak at Hillmorton (#077). As it is a 'Hungy Horse' pub I wasn't expecting to find any changes and I wasn't disappointed in that respect!

Old Royal Oak, Hillmorton - Thursday 9th October 2014
© Photo Digital Art

It is still in a great setting and, for a lunchtime stop, it is perfect for a bite to eat and a few pints.

That's all the pubs I've previously featured, but we did go into plenty more that I will add to this blog over the coming months.  

#081 Black Swan, Henley-in-Arden, Warks : 2001 to 2011

The Black Swan in Henley-in-Arden is one of those pubs that I'd visited quite a few times in the 1980's, but not as a part of any of our canal trips. I always remembered it as a pleasant, traditional country pub that did food and served Davenports beers.

Our first canal related visit was on Sunday 15th April 2001 in the evening. We'd moored up for the night at Preston Bagot only to find that the only pub within walking distance of the cut, The Crabmill, closed at 6pm on Sundays. So, after a quick call to Henley Cars we found ourselves outside the Black Swan.

It was Easter Sunday and as I recall they weren't doing food, but this was more likely because it was between owners/tenants.

We were back again the next year when we visited the Black Swan twice! the first time was on the evening of Friday 29th March 2002. We'd moored at Lowsonford for the evening after filling up with water, but we didn't fancy a night in the Fleur-de-Lys (#026 in this series), mainly because it was more like a restaurant, so we got a taxi to Henley.

The pub was largely unchanged on the outside, except that the To Let sign had gone and the blackboard was advertising food. I'm fairly sure we didn't eat there, opting instead for a curry later on.

We were back again, somewhat unexpectedly, on the lunchtime of Monday 1st April 2002. We'd moored at Lowsonford, opposite the Fleur-de-Lys where we'd intended to have lunch. We only wanted a sandwich, but they'd run out of bread!! Even taking into account that it was Easter Monday this was still a piss poor performance from such a highly rated establishment. So, we upped sticks and caught a cab to Henley where we found ourselves outside the Black Swan yet again.

We had a very pleasant lunchtime snack at a very reasonable price!

Our next visit to the Black Swan wasn't until the evening of Friday 21st March 2008 (Good Friday). Most years we pay a visit to Henley-in-Arden, on our way to Stratford-upon-Avon, but we'd neglected the Black Swan for a few years for no particular reason.

Although this isn't a great photo, you can still make out that there is little change in the exterior decoration of the pub apart from the hanging sign which is new. Again this was the first stop of the night and we didn't eat there.

The next visit was on the evening of Friday 2nd April 2010 (Good Friday again!).

Still no real change and we didn't eat here...again!

Our last visit was on the evening of Friday 29th April 2011.

Finally, some changes - both the wall sign and hanging sign have changed. Inside was largely the same, but I'm fairly sure that it had been refurbished whilst maintaining the overall style as before. Pictures of how it looks now can be seen here.)

#026 Fleur-de-Lys, Lowsonford, Warks : 1996 to 2011

The first time I visited the Fleur-de-Lys was sometime in the 1980's and made occasional visits subsequently by car as it was a very good country pub. It is also the original home of the Fleur-de-Lys pie, but the rights were sold on many years ago. Once we had moved our boat back down to the Midlands the Fleur-de-Lys became a regular stop on our annual canal trip to Stratford. The first of these was on the evening of Thursday 4th April 1996.

As we've visited almost every year since it would be fair to say that externally, little has changed, but it has gone from being a country pub that did good meals to become, essentially a restaurant that serves beer! 

Here it is at lunchtime on Easter Sunday 23rd April 2000.

Below is from 2002. This year I do remember! We visited at lunchtime on Easter Monday 1st April 2002 and they'd run out of bread, so we couldn't get a sandwich! We caught a taxi to Henley-in-Arden instead! It was also around this time that it became a completely non-smoking establishment, long before the nationwide ban came into force.

This shows the view of the pub garden from the canal.

Next we move on to lunchtime on Easter Monday 17th April 2006. Not much has changed apart from the exotic plantation at the front!

We visit every year on our trip to Stratford and back, not because we love the place (far from it) but because there are only a limited number of pubs along the way and the food is good, if a bit pricey!

Here it is at lunchtime on Monday 2nd May 2011. (This year we travelled a little later to take advantage of the Royal Wedding Bank Holiday!), both as the original photo I took and as converted into 'art'!

It is interesting to note that the exotic plantation is looking a bit threadbare with only the mini palm tree surviving.