Kings Head Pub Walk around Beccles and The Broads, Suffollk

This Week's Pub Walk... Kings Head Hotel Walk around Beccles and The Broads, Suffollk

The Kings Head Pub Walk combines a walk around the wildlife haven known as Beccles Marsh and along the River Waveney with a stroll into the centre of the market town of Beccles itself.

The Kings Head dates back to the 16th Century and is situated in the pedestrianised centre of Beccles. It serves local real ales and a good selection of home-cooked food. It is one of a handful of inns owned by Elizabeth Hotels and also offers accommodation.

If you fancy trying out this walk today, click on Kings Head Pub Walk to download full details.

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Around the Broads to The Bear and Bells, Beccles Marsh, Suffolk

This Week's Pub Walk... around the Broads to The Bear and Bells, Beccles Marsh, Suffolk

This Bear and Bells Pub Walk around Beccles Marsh takes in a haven for wildlife and is one of three way-marked trails, following the River Waveney for much of its route. We like the 4 mile Green Trail but there are various routes and starting points so you can do a shorter distance if you prefer.

The Bear & Bells is 5 minutes from The Quay, adjacent to the bus station, and its welcoming interior and good food have earnined it recognition in the Lucky Dip section of The Good Pub Guide. Plus it has regular guest ales for the real ale lovers too, featuring in The Good Beer Guide..

Click on Bear and Bells Pub Walk to download full details.

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Circular Coastal Pub Walk to The Cross Keys at Aldeburgh, Suffolk

Circular Coastal Pub Walk to The Cross Keys at Aldeburgh, Suffolk

This easy circular pub walk is a little longer than some at 5 miles but offers great variety.

It starts from a quiet car park on the edge of Aldeburgh, travels along the old railway line to Thorpeness and returns via the coast along the beach.

Include a welcome stop at The Cross Keys which features in The Good Pub Guide 2008. It is a 16th Century extended pub offering simple food, real ales, woodburners and friendly service. Children welcome.

For details click on Cross Keys Pub Walk or you can find others in the area at Suffolk Pub Walks.

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This Week's Pub Walk - A Coastal Walk to The Dolphin at Thorpeness, Suffolk

This Week's Pub Walk - A Coastal Walk to The Dolphin at Thorpeness, Suffolk

An easy circular walk starting from a quiet car park on the edge of Aldeburgh, travelling along the old railway line to Thorpeness and returning via the coast along the beach.

The Dolphin Inn features in both The Good Pub Guide 2008 and AA Pub Guide. It is a traditional village inn offering good food and Adnams ales, especially busy at lunchtimes so remember to book. Very friendly service with children and dogs welcome.

To download and enjoy today click on Dolphin Pub Walk.

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This Week's Free Pub Walk - The Ship Inn, Saxmundham, Suffolk

Free Pub Walk:

The Ship Inn in Saxmundham, Suffolk.

This walk is along the eroding cliffs and south across Dunwich Heath to the National Trust's Coastguard Cottages property.

The Ship Inn is a 500 year old pub right on the coast, serving traditional pub food with a good selection of real ales. To download the walk visit The Ship Inn Pub Walk.

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Footpath Closures - Foot and Mouth Update

Footpath Closures - Foot and Mouth Update

Surrey County Council has created an excellent interactive map where you can zoom in and clearly locate footpath closures and identify alternative walking routes that remain open. To find out more, click on Foot and Mouth footpath closures.

There is an almost constantly changing Protection Zone around the infected premises so if you are walking in the area it is worth checking out this new interactive map.

There is some positive news as domestic markets for sheep and cattle re-opened at midnight last night (in the FMD Low Risk Area outside the Bluetongue Protection and Control zones). Despite these movement restrictions being eased, the situation remains dire for many farmers (see earlier post).

Currently, there are eight Foot and Mouth disease infected premises in the Surrey area. On Bluetongue, there are currently 24 infected premises in the Suffolk area.

For the latest information, click on Foot and Mouth footpath closures.

Today's pub walk: The Three Horseshoes in Cockfield, Suffolk.

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Good Beer Guide 2008 is Published

Good Beer Guide 2008 is Published

CAMRA's annual bible, lovingly compiled by its 87,000 members, has arrived again. With its 4,500 entries, it is easy to find a pub to use as a base for a new pub walk and hopefully many of these will appear on MyFavouritePubWalks.com in time.

This year's edition highlights the only 10 pubs that have secured a place in the guide for every one of the 35 editions since CAMRA published the first one. Quite an achievement and worth seeking out as a priority.

For details of the 10 top pubs click on the Good Beer Guide 2008.

Today's Pub Walk: The Peacock Inn in Chelsworth, Suffolk.

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Soil Association Organic Fortnight

Soil Association Organic Fortnight

The Soil Association Organic Fortnight starts on 1 September with a rallying call to "Wake up to an Organic Breakfast". Pubs are being encouraged to join in by offering an organic breakfast to their customers ... how about an early morning walk with an organic breakfast to follow? A pub walk with a difference perhaps!

At the moment I see only one pub featuring on the Soil Association website. That is The Riverside Inn, Cliff Street, Cheddar, Somerset, which has teamed up with Organica Wholefoods to provide organic breakfasts between 10am-12am for the duration of Organic Fortnight. Cheddar Gorge is a fantastic walk and an early stroll would certainly beat the tourists!

For most of us with a keen interest in the countryside, and indeed our planet, the question of whether "organic is best" is something of a no-brainer. The benefits are clear - a return to a more natural ecological balance with fewer chemicals, less carbon dioxide, improved biodiversity on farmland, fewer health issues, not to mention higher levels of vitamins and other nutrients in our food.

For more information click on Soil Association Organic Fortnight.

Today's pub walk: The Case is Altered (walk 2) in Bentley, Suffolk.

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Proud of Pubs Week

Are you Proud of Pubs?

The first ever Proud of Pubs Week is underway, running from 8-15 July2007. To mark the occasion there will be a host of special events being run by pubs across the country so it is worth checking out what your locals have up their sleeves.

Some of the events are known to include local cheese evenings, beer tastings, even a "champagne and chocolate" evening for the ladies (why only them?) so it could be a fun week

It is all about promoting our pubs and our pub heritage. Of course another way to support them is to submit a favourite pub walk and get some hungry and thirsty customers through their doors! However you choose to support them, enjoy Proud of Pubs Week!

Today's pub walk: The Fox Inn in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk.

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Real Ale as Cartoon Characters

Real Ale as Cartoon Characters

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has done huge amounts to promote survival of the community pub and I'm right behind them. Sometimes though I think they can seem a bit intense about their cause so its great to see them displaying a lighter side with their latest promotion.

Entitled "Find your perfect drinking partner", they have commissioned the creation of a set of clever cartoon characters, each one representing a different type of beer. For example, imagine:

CHARACTER OF A DARK MILD: Usually tall, dark and mysterious. Smooth, suave and effortlessly tasteful.

Got the picture? To see the cartoon and the other descriptions with their cartoons too, click on real ale as cartoon characters.

Today's pub walk: The Queen's Head in Brandeston, Suffolk.

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Cider making the news

Cider is in the news. There is no getting away from it, the popularity of cider is rising rapidly with some seeing it as a relaunched with a new image. This is much to the credit of Magners advertising campaign which has repositioned it away from teenage and vagrant drinkers and brought it into the mainstream (simply by pouring it over ice!).

In the past month, we've seen Aspalls launch a pink cider in an attempt to woo women in the 18-45 age range, reflecting the growing popularity of rose. Next, Magners featured on the Radio 4 Today progam following its astounding 225% growth in sales in 2006. Now CAMRA have just announced their National 2007 Champion cider as "West Croft Janet's Jungle Juice (great name!) from Somerset. With the Guardian branding it "the new beer", I expect this will be a phenomenal summer for the British cider industry. Let's hope so.

Today's pub walk: The Poacher's Pocket in Saxmundham, Suffolk.

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Mass trespass on Kinder Scout

This weekend sees an important anniversary. An organised mass trespass of over 400 ramblers took place 75 years ago on Kinder Scout, the highest hill of the Derbyshire Peak District. The protest was against the English law of the day that denied access to land and footpaths that had previously been public rights of way.

The mass trespass resulted in imprisonment of its ringleaders and is widely considered to be the most significant event in the campaign for the rights to roam we enjoy today. So this seems a good excuse (if one was ever needed) to get out into the countryside this weekend and exercise our rights!

Today's pub walk: The Three Horseshoes, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk.

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