A Pub Walk by Any Other Name

A Pub Walk by Any Other Name...

I have been having a little fun on Twitter this week. Although I talk with a passion about "Pub Walks", one of my followers light-heartedly referred to these as "Boots 'n' Beer". So I thought I would invite the twittersphere to be creative and suggest other alternative names for this very British pastime.

One or two suggestions sound more like pub crawls but for me the walk and pub are of equal importance - you have to earn the indulgence after all in order to fully appreciate it! Anyway, I thought I would share the list here and please feel free to comment and let us know your favourites or any additional suggestions:

In no particular order:

Boots 'n' Beer
Peaks 'n' Pints
Ale Trails
Wine & Wanderings
Tarns & Mist (cockney)
Hikes 'n' Hooch
Hop 'n' Trail
Inn ways
Beery Bimble
Inns and outdoors
Beer Bound
BeeRamble or BeerAmble or even beeRAmble
Pub Potters
Hostelry Hikes
Maps 'n' Taps
Cask Walks
A Bar Too Far
A Snug Fit
Trip To The Bar
A Walk On The Mild Side
Get Fitter With Bitter
The Pub Trudge
The Green Green Glass Of Foam
Pale Ale Snail Trail
A Guiness When You Finish
Ales & Ambulations
Summits and Slurps



To find some great pubs with walks from their doors, click on favourite pub walks.

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Want to support our best pubs? Let's walk the talk!

Want to support our best pubs? Let's walk the talk!

The press is currently filled with news of the demise of the great British pub. But is it really all doom and gloom?

We hear that the rate of pub closures has risen to 52 per week, up one third on just 6 months ago. In the same week CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) forces an investigation by The Office of Fair Trading into the crippling effect on tied pubs of high rents and beer prices charged by the monopolistic pub companies.

But there continues to be more positive anecdotal news of individual pubs adapting to the changing needs of the customers with more locally sourced food, special offers and entertainment (not just Sky Sports!). Some of the pubs I “follow” on Twitter are even now reporting record takings.

Not every pub can survive (and we all have stories of pubs that shouldn’t!) but there are many living on the brink of closure that it would be a tragedy to lose not just for their local communities but also for all of us who treasure their existence.

So what can we do? Well my aim throughout this summer is to support at least one pub each week (after a walk of course), sample their menu and if I’m impressed I’ll then spread the word by letting people know on MyFavouritePubWalks.com, this blog and Twitter for all who may be interested.

If you love our pub heritage too and like to include refreshment stops on your walks, I encourage you to join me and do the same to help our best pubs through this recession… and enjoy the exercise at the same time of course!

Please do share details of any gems you find on the way by commenting on www.myfavouritepubwalks.com, http://thepubwalker.blogspot.com or http://twitter.com/pubwalker as we’d all love to hear your experiences. And if you need inspiration for a pub walk to try then you can find it by following any of those links too.

Finally, why not even submit a pub walk for everyone to download?

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Coastal Pub Walk to the Horseshoe Inn at Marcross, South Glamorgan, Wales

This Week's Pub Walk... along the South Glamorgan coast to the Horseshoe Inn at Marcross

This circular pub walk returns to one of my firm favourites in South Glamorgan and this time to a yet another great pub. The Horseshoe Inn is a traditional village pub with log burners and a stone floor. It also plenty of courses for under a tenner plus a range of real ales that helped it earn its place in The Good Beer Guide.

If you like sea views, dramatic coves, old ruins and real variety then this pub walk is a must.

When you reach the beach, take some extra time here to enjoy the impressive rock formations of the cliffs here which are being constantly eroded. The jagged cliffs contrast sharply with the flat rock terraces of the beach which have been worn smooth over the millennia and together these make a dramatic sight.

Full details can be downloaded at Horseshoe Inn Walk.

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Calling Time on Pubs - Replay of The Money Programme

Calling Time on Pubs - Replay of The Money Programme

If you missed last week's Money Programme special on the pub trade and the demise of the British boozer then you can still catch it on the BBC's iPlayer.

Most people will already know that 5 pubs are closing every day and that publicans have been hit heavily by, amongst other things, the smoking ban and the supermarkets who use cheap alcohol as loss leaders. But even so, the programme gives some additional insight into the lives of a publicans and the strength of feeling about the importance of pubs to our culture.

It was an interesting half hour and anyone who cherishes our pub heritage will want to see it, even if it just galvanises us all to do a little more to support our local community pubs in order to help ensure their survival through this recession.

To see the program on iPlayer follow the link Calling Time on Pubs.

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Money Programme - Last Orders: Calling Time on Pubs?

Tonight's Money Programme Examines our Pubs

The Money Programme tonight asks "Last orders for pubs? Are we calling time on the British boozer?" and investigates what the future could hold for our precious pub heritage.

Switch on at 7:00pm tonight on BBC2 (Friday 12 December 2008). For more details go to Money Programme.

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Pub Walk to the Rose and Crown, Stonehouse, Gloucestershire

Pub Walk over National Trust Land to the Rose and Crown, Stonehouse, Gloucestershire

A beautiful, pleasant walk around the Woodchester Estate (National Trust land) through woods, past lily pad filled lakes and an impressive, abandoned gothic mansion.

The Rose and Crown is in the Lucky Dip section of The Good Pub Guide. It accepts dogs inside and out, has a huge beer garden and serves food all day, though the estate is a beautiful spot for a picnic too!

For full details of this highly recommended pub walk click on Rose and Crown Pub Walk.

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Pub Walk to The Fernhill Public House at Poulton-Le-Fylde, Lancashire

Pub Walk to Fernhill Public House at Poulton-Le-Fylde, Lancashire

An easy family pub walk down to the River Wyre and the Site of Special Scientific Interest at Barnaby's Sands.

Easy, level walking along roads, tracks and fields. Field paths can be muddy. Look out for the old brine wells as you work your way down to the River Wyre. The route includes a section of the 16 mile Wyre Way which is a circular walk from Knott End to Fleetwood.

The Fernhill was first built in 1840 as a country landowners residence and continued as such for over 100 years. In the 1950's the building was converted into a restaurant and opened to the public before finally becoming both a public house and restaurant in the 1970's.

For details click on Fernhill Public House Pub Walk or you can find others in the area at Lancashire Pub Walks.

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Walkers are Welcome in Wales

Walkers are Welcome in Wales

With nearly half the paths in Wales difficult to navigate as a result of years of neglect, it is encouraging to see that earlier this month Prestatyn was officially designated the first town in Wales to get "Walkers are Welcome" status.

The Walkers are Welcome initiative is aimed at encouraging communities themselves (rather than well-meaning organisations!) to promote their towns as walking areas - ensuring footpaths are well maintained and well sign-posted to optimise the pleasure given to users and boost the local economy from increased visitor numbers.

The first Walkers are Welcome conference was held last weekend and the idea is spreading amongst both those interested in walking and improved access as well as community-minded groups.

It seems to me that pubs could lead this initiative for their own areas as it would not only raise their profile locally and serve their community but also improve walker access and therefore help to improve their own trade.

Anyone interested in finding out more about how their town or community can meet the criteria should see Walkers are Welcome.

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Pubs Told "Forget Food if you Want to Make a Profit"

Pubs Told "Forget Food if you Want to Make a Profit"

It is often said that pubs make little money from the drinks they serve and it is the food that keeps them in the black. Well maybe not any more, if the audience at a Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) event is to be believed.

According to the Morning Advertiser, the event debated the motion "forget food it you want to make a profit". The audience were surveyed before the debate and rejected the motion. However, by the end, they had switched sides and voted in favour.

The arguments centred on the question of whether the market was becoming flooded (“supply is going to exceed demand quite soon ... unless everyone starts to have four meals a day...") and whether pubs could sell enough to justify the additional expenses in the kitchen.

I'm sure this was all just a bit of fun and I hope it is not taken seriously by our publicans. For me, the lunch menu in a pub is equally as important as its real ale, its atmosphere and its hospitality and service. The reality is most of us do not expect cordon bleu... just simple, wholesome, tasty, value-for-money dishes - oh and generous portions too of course!

To read more on the debate see Pubs told "forget food if you want to make a profit"

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