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Woolley Moor The scenic village of Woolley Moor is possibly named after the old English Wul au ieah meaning ‘wolves clearing’ or more likely and as the locals would have it, from the tufts of sheep’s wool caught in the hedges of the moor. The village has existed since medieval times but little is known of its history. The earliest known buildings are Handley Fields Farm, which shows a date carved in stone of 1590 and Bottom Farm was built around 1600. The village was formed on the old packhorse route and takes in the hamlets of Handley, Woolley and Woolley Moor. In 1895 Bulmers History & Directory of Derbyshire describes Woolley as ‘a hamlet consisting of a few farms on one is a shaking bog about an acre in extent with a depth of 12 ft,’ hardly complimentary! It is situated two miles south of Clay Cross down the hill from the busy A61 in beautiful Derbyshire countryside in the northern area of the Amber Valley. Beautiful not only for the rolling countryside but also for the Ogston Reservoir which was formed here in the years of 1957/58 by damming the River Amber at the south end of the valley adjacent to Ogston Hall. Originally its purpose was to meet the demands and requirements of the now closed Avenue (Carbonisation) Plant at Wingerworth. With the Avenue Plant providing their own water demands on site, the reservoir through its water treatment plant now serves the whole of North East Derbyshire with domestic water. The reservoir covers some two hundred acres and is bound by steep banks on the eastern side, the dam wall and by shallow banks along the rest of its perimeter. In winter the water level is usually full to capacity but from spring to late autumn in some years the level can drop considerably. This allows the more shallow areas to show expanses of mud, which is an ideal habitat for the birds on spring and autumn passage, especially wader species. In constructing the reservoir they managed to plunge half the village under water, 40 dwellings, part of the Ogston estate, Ford House, the village post office and the ‘Napoleon’s Home’ pub. There are now two pubs in the village the White Horse and the New Napoleon Inn. The White Horse, Badger Lane, Woolley Moor has been recognised for many years by the Campaign for Real Ale as an outstanding place to drink real ale. Formerly owned by both the Chesterfield Brewery and Richdales & Co who were a Sheffield based brewery that was in existence until 1956. The sign of the white horse has been in use since the 15th century and remains very frequent because of its heraldic usage, although the sign remained more popular than the monarchs who were responsible for it being used as an inn sign. The galloping white horse refers to the house of Hanover and dates from the accession of George I in 1714. Deceptively larger than it looks this picturesque pub nestles into the hillside and has beautiful views from the car park, beer garden and children’s play area at the rear. With dining to the right and bar to the left it manages to keep to its roots as a pub. The first official CAMRA recognition came in February 1985 with an award for Pub of the Month, then in July 1991 another award for Pub of the Month before in 1992 it was awarded Chesterfield and District Pub of the Year. The White Horse changed hands last year but the beer quality has remained due solely to the cellar man. Keith Hurst has been the bar and cellar man at the White Horse for the past 15 years, coinciding with a continuous entry in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide over that period. Keith now works with joint managers Graham Jones and Charlotte Adshead and together the White Horse has continued to build a strong following not only for its real ale but also as an excellent place to eat. The restaurant benefits from Keith’s ability to keep good real ale as his beers are added to the batter and gravy amongst no doubt other dishes. There is no keg beer in the pub but four real ales and room for a fifth, which is reserved for a dark stout or mild. The beers that were on offer when we called were Black Sheep Special, Old Speckled Hen, Ruddles Best Bitter and Jennings Cumberland Ale which was very enjoyable. The New Napoleon Inn is named after the original Napoleon’s Rest, which was itself the Travellers Rest but was changed by the owner Mark Elliott when his father visited France during the Napoleonic wars. The name remained until the pub became one of the casualties of the Ogston Reservoir’s construction. The old Napoleon Inn orchard still stands on the bank side in between the Culvert inlet and Woolley Bay. The New Napoleon Inn stands yards from the reservoirs edge as a reminder of the name and memory of the submerged pub. The view from the pub and large beer garden with children’s play area is spectacular as it looks out over and along the length of the Ogston reservoir. Visitors be aware though of the pubs opening hours. We have made several fruitless visits only to find the pub wasn’t open. Choose a weekend evening to be safe! Neil Parkin Cutthorpe and
Holymoorside Out and about in Derbyshire this month kept us closer to Chesterfield as we sampled the delights of Cutthorpe and Holymoorside. We began the trip in Cutthorpe a small village 4 miles west of Chesterfield off the B6050. The first port of call was The Three Merry Lads at Cutthorpe which was offering customers to its refurbished pub, Mansfield Cask and Marston’s Pedigree. Although the Pedigree had just finished the Mansfield Cask was well received. Further through the village we came to the Peacock at Cutthorpe a former Ward’s pub which is very popular with both drinkers and diners, so much so, we had to use the adjoining field to park as the extensive car park was completely full! There are several rooms which make up the Peacock so it didn’t feel busy and we had a good choice of Greene King Abbot Ale, Black Sheep Bitter and Castle Eden. We chose the Black Sheep which we thoroughly enjoyed before moving onto the Gate at Cutthorpe. There we had a choice of Black Sheep Bitter, Fuller’s London Pride, Mansfield Cask Ale and Shepherd Neame Spitfire. Reluctantly we said our goodbyes in Cutthorpe and moved onto a welcome at the Bulls Head at Holymoorside. Holymoorside is 3 miles west of Chesterfield off the A632 at the end of the Brampton mile and has become a popular residential area as it is surrounded by the attractive Derbyshire moorland and lies in the valley of the River Hipper. Back to the welcome at the Bulls Head (pictured) , where we had a choice of Theakstons XB and Jennings Cumberland Ale in oversized glasses. A few pints later suitably fuelled by the excellent beers from the Jennings Brewery we sauntered across the village to the Lamb Inn. This former CAMRA Pub of the Year and regular Good Beer Guide entrant didn’t disappoint, a two roomed traditional local with a warm welcome. We enjoyed selecting from a beer list of Home Bitter, Adnams Broadside, Barnsley Bitter, Morrells Scorcher and Timothy Taylors Landlord. The Home Bitter was particularly good and there were no complaints either about the Barnsley Bitter but the Summer Scorcher seemed a bit out of place on a cold dark Octobers evening! Five pubs and a selection of 14 different real ales all worth their places on the bar. We enjoyed visiting all the pubs and sampling the beers and look forward to our next trip to Cutthorpe and Holymoorside in the very near future. Neil Parkin Bakewell Bakewell is a popular spot for a beer or two on a Friday night, as we found out recently. However one word of warning, the beer is not cheap. Be prepared to pay £2 per pint, or more, in many of the pubs. However as the town is so compact it offers the potential for a good crawl. Our night kicked off at the Castle Inn, situated next to Bakewell Bridge, and said to date back to the 16th century. Beers available at this Whitbread pub consists of Fullers’ London Pride, Timothy Taylor Landlord and the ubiquitous Marstons’ Pedigree. The pub consists of a bar and separate dining area although on the night we called many people were also enjoying the outdoor drinking area. Since our visit, the landlord and landlady, John and Katie French have retired and new managers are Bronwyn and Rob. We wish them well. Next stop was the Red Lion in The Square. Things have improved here under Martin Zubertowski’s management and there are now three real ales generally available. These consisted of Tetley Bitter, Courage Directors and Old Speckled Hen the night we called. The pub consists of drinking areas either side of the bar, with a raised seating area for diners. Further along the Rutland Hotel has two real ales - Theakston’s Best Bitter and Old Speckled Hen. Look out for the interesting verse set in stone at the side entrance. Our next stop required a five minute walk out from the town centre to The Manners. This is a locals’ pub with no pretentious. The Robinson’s Best Bitter is served by electric dispense and at £1.63 was by far the cheapest pint all night! It is a friendly pub, worth a visit even if just to appreciate the contrast with the rest of the town’s pubs. Wandering back into the town centre, some of our group called in to the Queens Head, a Burtonwood pub that serves one real ale, namely Burtonwood Bitter. The pub is dominated by TV screens in one wall and was very busy with many people drinking outside and enjoying the evening air. At weekends, beer is served in plastic glasses. Next door is the Peacock, an ex-Wards pub that is now owned by the Pubmaster group. The pub dates back to 1819 according to information on the wall inside and it retains the charm of a market town pub. Three real ales - Greene King IPA and Abbot, plus Back Sheep Bitter, were available. The Wheatsheaf across the road literally, on an island surrounded by Bakewells one way system was comfortable and friendly and offered Banks’ Bitter, Marstons Pedigree and Mansfield cask. So there is plenty of variety in Bakewell, and a lot of people to keep the pubs busy. All the pubs we visited offered real ale and we will certainly be checking out this charming town again to see if any of it’s pubs are starting to achieve the sort of consistently good beer quality that would make them potential candidates for the Good Beer Guide. Jim McIntosh Derbyshire - Real
Ale Pubs for the Summer The summer months are a great time for
enjoying a pint of real ale outdoors. Here are just some suggestions for
pubs where you can enjoy a glass of quality real ale in outdoor surroundings
this summer, as compiled by the members of Chesterfield & District CAMRA.
Whilst outdoor drinking areas are not so common at town centre pubs, in
Chesterfield they can be found at the Market and The Portland Hotel in New
Square, the Boythorpe Inn (opposite Queens Park sports centre) and the
Victoria Inn at Brampton (near Safeway roundabout). Whilst it does not have
an outdoor drinking area, mention should also be made of the Derby Tup at
Whittington Moor, our 'Pub of the Year' for 2001. South of Chesterfield on the A61, there is the Royal Oak at Old Tupton, a popular free house with nine real ales, beer garden and children's play area (pub of the season for summer 1999 and nominated this year as well!). Still in that area, the Shoulder of Mutton at Hallfield Gate is just off the A61 past Higham (one of four nominated for Pub of the Summer). An ideal getaway for a quiet pint sat in a beer garden. Also not be missed is the White Horse at Woolley Moor. Alternatively head south east on Mansfield
Road (B6039) to reach the New Inn at Winsick with its patio and garden or
the Winsick Arms nearby with its large beer garden. A further detour might
take you to the Hardwick Inn, a former lodge to Hardwick Hall which must
have the biggest beer garden in our area! The Church Inn, Churchtown (Darley Dale) and the Three Staggs Heads at Darley Bridge are worth a visit both selling local independent brewers Hardy and Hansons Kimberley Beers. Whilst in the area the Plough Inn at Two Dales is a pleasant picturesque pub tucked away to enjoy a pint outdoors this summer. In Matlock, the Thorn Tree is popular in summer sitting outside high on the hillside with views across the valley to Riber castle. The Boathouse has an outdoor drinking area in which to enjoy the Kimberley Beers. Our journey then continues to the Robin Hood at Baslow (on the A619/B6050 junction) a popular destination for walkers and hikers. Then to the Lamb Inn at Holymoorside, our 'Spring 2000 Pub of the season' with its outdoor drinking patio area. A Further leg of the journey might take in the Hare and Hounds at Barlow, nominated for 'summer pub of the season' with its quiet beer garden overlooking the Cordwell Valley it is well worth considering if only to try the Bass! Jim McIntosh The west of
Chesterfield As part of our commitment to 'research', a minibus load of CAMRA members headed out into the wilds to the west of Chesterfield one night in November 2000 to survey a few local establishments. As there is nothing worse than half-hearted 'research', we covered five pubs in total, paving a selection of eighteen beers to choose from over the course of the night. But where did we go, and what did we find? Read on. We have beer hearing good things about the Blue Stoops, Walton recently, so it was an obvious meeting point at the start of the night. Five real ales were available, including Timothy Taylor Landlord, Black Sheep Bitter and the recently launched Theakstons Cool Cask (admittedly not everyone's favourite). Such a selection is to be applauded and this is definitely a pub to keep an eye on. Next stop was the Robin Hood at Baslow, or to be more precise, about one mile east of Baslow on the B6050/A619 junction), this ex-Mansfield pub now belongs to Wolverhampton and Dudley, and is very popular with walkers, climbers and day visitors to the Peak District. Four real ales are normally on offer - Mansfield Dark Mild, Cask and Riding Bitter supported by Marstons Pedigree - all served in over-sized glasses. We then moved onto Cutthorpe to visit the Gate Inn which had Black Sheep Bitter, London Pride and Mansfield Cask available, and the Peacock. The latter is an ex-Wards house which held a very successful outdoor festival in the summer, Theakston Best Bitter and Greene King Abbot were available the night we called. The last village that we headed for, Holymoorside boasts two pubs. The Bulls Head is a traditional multi-roomed pub that had Theakston Best Bitter and XB available; both served in over-sized glasses. Our final stop of the night was the Lamb Inn, winner of many CAMRA awards over the years. Home Bitter is a permanent beer here plus a selection of up to 5 guest beers, which included Barnsley Bitter and Chiswick Bitter on the night we called. The Lamb Inn is our current Spring Pub of the Season. Speak to our Social Secretary, Geoff Carroll if you feel you can assist with such 'research' In future which, after, all can only make the world a better place. Jim McIntosh This webpage was last updated on Sunday, 02 September 2007 |
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