Guide to railway pubs and breweries

[The Lurker]

Sidcup- the Iron Horse, also notorious for the location of the death of Rob Knox. Better to go over the road and a further minute away to the Hackney Carriage.

 

albany park - the Albany

 

Bexley - the Railway Arms

 

LBG - Redwood Sports Bar is the most recent, right by the forecourt.

 

in my experience most pubs near stations are best avoided; but I have not carried out the extensive research that Roundhouse has.

 

 

[AndyB]

South East

Ash Vsle station - The Swan

 

Being a 10 minute walk I'll understand if this isn't close enough to count.

 

But it's a very pleasant 10 minute walk down the canal towpath. Many a happy lunchtime spent there in my youth!

 

N B. The Old Ford (listed by North Camp stn) is also close to Ash Vale stn.

 

We don't seem to have much listed for Scotland yet. So can I cheekily propose "The Balmoral Bar" close to Ballater station? 

 

[HonestTom]

An oddity is the Moon Under Water in Watford. This isn't a pub at a station so much as a pub that, had history gone differently, might have been a station. The Metropolitan Railway bought the site to extend their line into the centre of Watford, but abandoned the project. Then the site got turned into a Wetherspoons.

Edited February 17, 2022 by HonestTom

[roundhouse]

A few for Scotland

 

Edinburgh  Waverley - Guildford Arms, up the main steps onto Princes Street then cross over the road, its just behind the Apple store.

Edinburgh Waverley - Half way House - out the opposite side of the station and up the first few flights of steps opposite the station exit. A very small pub but worth doing for Scottish brews.

Edinburgh Waverley - The Booking Office (Wetherspoons), up the taxi ramp, its situated on the road bridge that crosses the Norhtern part of the station.

 

Aberdeen - Brewdog, his one is on the upper level in the shopping centre that now encloses the old station frontage. No ales but nice craft beers.

Aberdeen - Aichies, out of the sation entrance and just across the road at the traffic lights, a small bar that doesn't always have ale on but when it does (more to the weekend) is normally Orkney Dark Island.

 

Inverness - Black Isle Brewery Bar, out he station turn left onto Academy Street, cross the road and turn left into Post Office Street, Pub on the corner with Church Street. Excellent ales and craft brews of theirs plus some guests. Pizza's are good aswell.

 

Dingwall - The Mallard, next to the station. its been many years since I was last in here but it was handy for a drink around 9am between catching trains further north when pubs would be open much earlier in Scotland than nowadays.

 

 

[Joseph_Pestell]

On 16/02/2022 at 17:56, roundhouse said:

The number of times that I have walked past that place but never been in (its actually the Patten Arms) . Done most other pubs in Warrington though.

 

We do use The Friar Penketh, a Wetherspoons which is about 5 minutes walk down the road to the side of the Petten Arms. Spoons is handy for food when heading ot Bank Quay station

 The Friar Penketh is iirc the nearer of the two 'Spoon's to the station in a modern shopping centre unit. I think the other one 200 yards further is a bit better for food and they seem to keep more ales available.

The Patten would make a good hotel for JDW.

[Joseph_Pestell]

On 17/02/2022 at 15:13, HonestTom said:

An oddity is the Moon Under Water in Watford. This isn't a pub at a station so much as a pub that, had history gone differently, might have been a station. The Metropolitan Railway bought the site to extend their line into the centre of Watford, but abandoned the project. Then the site got turned into a Wetherspoons.

 

Long time between abandonment by the Met Rly and it becoming a pub.

 

I think that it was a furniture store.

 

Watford (Met) would be a great layout project as a compact terminus. Good availability of Met electric units these days as 3D prints.

[roundhouse]

4 hours ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

 The Friar Penketh is iirc the nearer of the two 'Spoon's to the station in a modern shopping centre unit. I think the other one 200 yards further is a bit better for food and they seem to keep more ales available.

The Patten would make a good hotel for JDW.

Its a modern building but not in a shopping centre.

 

The Glass house is nearer to the shopping area and Central station . It does generally look after its ales better. The Lower Angel a few doors up from one entrance is a great real ale pub though.

[Phil Traxson]

Wales

Porthmadog    "Spooners Bar on" the Festiniog station. Ales but not the large range they used to have. reasonable food too

 

                     "The Australia"  Couple of hundred yards over the river from Spooners. Brewey tap for Purple Moose brewery does food too.

 

                         "The Station" Entrance on Porthmadog standard gauge station, opposite end of town to the other two

 

In all of these expect to hear Welsh being spoken, you're in Wales, the folks are Welsh and it really is their natural language in this area, they're not doing it to be arkward!!

 

                

Edited February 19, 2022 by Phil Traxson
tidying up

[MinZaPint]

Unfortunately the railway has been removed but the pubs are still there, West Moors in Dorset had "The Railway" (now the "Tap & Railway") right outside the station and in Verwood "The Albion" was in the station yard!  

[HonestTom]

One I discovered this weekend was the Hamilton Hall at Liverpool Street - it's the old Great Eastern hotel and they've kept the interior decor. The staff seemed bored out of their skulls though.

[Mike Bellamy]

The Alex in Derby has been mentioned before. Local BBC News have been there to interview @Ralf about the financial situation at Derby County and how this is impacting on the local pubs.

 

Click for Link and scroll down to see inside the Alex - with loco nameplate and railway pictures on the wall

.

[roundhouse]

2 hours ago, Mike Bellamy said:

The Alex in Derby has been mentioned before. Local BBC News have been there to interview @Ralf about the financial situation at Derby County and how this is impacting on the local pubs.

 

Click for Link and scroll down to see inside the Alex - with loco nameplate and railway pictures on the wall

.

Not forgetting the rabbit in the quieter bar.

 

Another  pub that we visit each time we are in Derby.

[tractionman]

For Eastleigh I like Steam Town Brew Co--https://steamtown.co.uk/--right by the station.

 

In Dublin, just over the road from Connolly station is the Brew Dock--http://galwaybaybrewery.com/brewdock/

 

cheers,

 

Keith

[BrushVeteran]

In Oxford we have four real ale pubs within about a ten minute walk from the rail station. The Royal Blenheim situated in St.Ebbes St (off Queen St) normally has seven or eight on but no food at the minute, The St.Aldates Tavern just around the corner in St.Aldates does do good food as does the Old Tom just down the road from this. There is also The Chequers in High St with grand surroundings. There are a couple of Wetherspoons en route from the station but lack atmosphere. If travelling to Oxford Parkway then Kidlington has six real ale pubs with three of them almost next door to each other on the main road these being the Black Horse, Black Bull and Red Lion however the best 'local' real ale pubs are the KIngs Arms and Six Bells which are all linked with the other three on a five minute bus ride from Parkway, otherwise it is a bit of a walk.

York has many fine establishments namely York Tap on the station itself and the famous Maltings adjacent to the river in Station Road.  In Lincoln there are three pubs which I occasionally frequent but two of them are about a twenty minute walk up hill (very steep) near the back of the castle in Westgate, The Strugglers, a small very cosy pub and round the corner in Union Street The Victoria. There is also The Treaty of Commerce down the other side of the railway station in High Street which is about a three minute walk from Lincoln Station.

Back to London and one of my favourites is the Southampton Arms near to Gospel Oak station and in Highgate Road. You can actually watch the trains going over the bridge to Upper Holloway and beyond.

In Llandudno you have Tapps Bar, turn left out of the station along from the  towards the town in Madoc Street on the right hand side, 3 mins.

[BrushVeteran]

Tapps Bar in Madoc Street Llandudno.

[31A]

Two more for Yorkshire which I don't think have been mentioned yet (apologies if they have been).

 

Knaresborough - The Track and Sleeper, in the station buildings on the Up side (there's also The Mitre directly opposite the station entrance, which does food).

 

Harrogate - Harrogate Tap, again in the station building and run by the same people as the York and Sheffield Taps.

[Liam]

Been over two years since I started this guide!

 

I think the guide needs updating, as sadly we have lost a few of the hostelries that featured, such as the Great Western by Exeter St David’s. But perhaps you’ve come across a few new additions while on your rail travels? 

[jcm@gwr]

The Station, Knebworth, the other side of the road, opposite the station entrance.

Community pub with regular variety of ales and beers, mostly local breweries, and

good food, also food/drink themed evenings, with a good atmosphere.

[Hal Nail]

Wye - The Tickled Trout,

Shawford - The Bridge

St Denys - The Junction

Hungerford - The Railway Tavern

[31A]

Apologies if mentioned already but I didn't spot it on a quick browse; the Whistle Stop on the Up platform at Grantham station:

 

https://whatpub.com/pubs/GRN/112/whistle-stop-micro-pub-grantham

 

Opened relatively recently, and usually good for a few unusual East Mids / Lincolnshire ales.

[phil_sutters]

Which ever way you leave London Road Station, Brighton, you will come across a pub - from the south side there is the Signalman and on the north side there is the Open House - nice art work, but the architecture is largely hidden by shrubbery.

Edited April 8 by phil_sutters

[phil_sutters]

South East -

Lancing - The Railway

Uckfield - The Station

 

Oh I do like the oh so appropriate locos shown on the signs.

By the way BBC South East news, reporting on yesterday's rail strike, used a head on view of a London Overground train to illustrate its news item! Has Sadiq's plan to take over all commuter services in the south east come to pass already?

[Johann Marsbar]

9 hours ago, phil_sutters said:

Oh I do like the oh so appropriate locos shown on the signs.

 

 

 

For something a bit different on that front, this is the pub sign for "The Station" which is outside Wivenhoe station on the GE.....

 

 

From the stock, I'm assuming it's Underground inspired but they seem to have forgotten the contact rails !

 

The pub was shut that day (end of scheduled 321 operation last year) so haven't a clue what it's like.......

[Liam]

All new suggestions have been added to the guide!

[Jeremy Cumberland]

8 hours ago, Johann Marsbar said:

 

For something a bit different on that front, this is the pub sign for "The Station" which is outside Wivenhoe station on the GE.....

 

 

From the stock, I'm assuming it's Underground inspired but they seem to have forgotten the contact rails !

 

The pub was shut that day (end of scheduled 321 operation last year) so haven't a clue what it's like.......

Do we rate pub signs for

a. depiction of track

b. prototypical signalling?

 

I wonder what the roller things are meant to be.