Tag Archives: beer

A Brewery Close To My Heart

When we lived in the UK, there were plenty of good local breweries producing bitter that I could sample.  Some of the larger brands would have national reach and one of those was Wadworth and their 6X bitter.  I am very partial to this beer.  I have had occasion when I have had a bad 6X but that is down to pubs that don’t keep their beer well.  Wadworth is based in Devizes and this was where we went to see the Caen Hill Locks.  It would have been churlish not to pay a brief visit to the brewery.  It is alongside the main road through the town so getting a clean shot of it took some patience but I was successful.  I think went to the gift shop because how could I not?

The Mason’s Arms

C59F1955.jpgWhen you have been away from somewhere for a long time, there is a risk in going back to favorite old haunts. They may not be as good as you remember and you can harm a happy memory of a place. Despite this, we decided to take a chance and visit a pub that was always a favorite of ours when we lived in Lancashire. The Mason’s Arms is on the hillside above Bowland Bridge in the Lake District. It always used to have excellent food and a huge selection of beers.

C59F1987.jpgThe beer selection has changed. It is now a pretty normal pub with a few different beers but no longer are there hundreds of different bottles available to sample. That is the only significant change, though. Otherwise, it is just as good if not better than I remember. The food was first class and the view across the valley just as good as it has always been. They have even made some small changes outside to the seating area to make it more comfortable.

C59F1975.jpgThere are not many places that are quite as relaxing to be with a pint in hand and some good food in front of you than looking out over the valley on a sunny afternoon. There is only a limited amount of parking so the place can get busy but it doesn’t feel overrun. One surprise it did provide was the presence of an old boss of mine from my days at BAe. He was having lunch with his wife half way around a walk they were taking. We had quite a long chat and it was great to catch up. When he left, we continued to sit and enjoy our food and the terrific view.