Alcester Tales and Winter Ales

For Nick and myself the Redditch Winter Ale Festival has become a much-anticipated event on our beer sampling calendar, marking the curtain raiser each year for another twelve months of festival fun. This time around our visit to the Rocklands Club in Headless Cross comes with a Stagecoach supplement and some action from Alcester - here comes the tale of the trip...

- St Stephen's Church -

Catching the 10:02 Cross City train from Birmingham New Street, we descend upon Redditch in advance of our Stagecoach connection. A spare half hour or so is put to good use investigating St Stephen's parish church and Mercian Square (home to a small street market and the town library) while the Kingfisher Centre looms large as an indoor shopping arcade.

- A somewhat small Stratford Stagecoach -

It was now time for our bus with a slightly-delayed route 26 being on hand from Stand G at the bus station. Despite my hopes for a double decker it's actually a little Solo minibus that turns up, but all passengers safely squeeze aboard for the ride down through Headless Cross, Crabbs Cross (where the Fleece Inn is a notable landmark) and Studley. The most impressive feature of the journey is Coughton Court, a Tudor stately pile that Nick rather fancies requisitioning as his second home.

- Historic High Street -

Alighting by the police station and the Roman Alcester Museum, we make our way past the Swan Hotel coaching inn to Alcester's intriguing High Street; here several more pubs and taverns rub shoulders with a variety of independent shops and family businesses. The town's architecture is a harmonious mixture of old-fashioned beams and elegant Georgian townhouses, while St Nicholas' Church looks proudly on with its clock unusually positioned on one corner of the tower.

- Jolly in the Holly Bush -

Nick's research had identified three particular pubs we were aiming to try. The first, the Holly Bush opposite the Old Town Hall, serves up some cracking Ebony Stout from Woods of Shropshire before we proceed in turn to the Turks Head (food-orientated but a nice Tiny Rebel brew) and the Three Tuns (Hobson's Mild and a patchwork sofa), those latter two hostelries both being on High Street.

- Black Bull Porter -

To the festival then with our return 26 Stagecoach dropping us off practically on the doorstep (after an unexpected loop of Alcester's outer estates). The function room in the Rocklands Club becomes our home for the next few hours, working our way through the beer list in the company of Mike. Fixed Wheel's Blackheath Stout makes an excellent opening impression followed ably by some Stockporter and a Kinver Cavegirl. Add in a Leatherbritches Hairy Helmet (I always like a silly name) plus a half of No Brakes to finish and I thoroughly enjoy the occasion. Nick also samples the Blackheath Stout along with some Black Bull Porter and Burton Bridge's Damson Porter, sticking steadfastly to the dark side of the ale spectrum.

- The Black Tap Brew Pub -

Taking our leave from the festival, we seek out the Rising Sun Wetherspoons for a bite to eat and then concentrate on sampling a recent addition to Redditch's real ale scene. The Black Tap brew pub opened last year on Church Green East and serves beer produced on the premises - some Scots Wha Hae does very nicely as we ponder life and the universe from the comfort of the main bar.

- Our homeward steed -

All good things come to an end as we wave goodbye to Redditch until next time by availing ourselves of the 19:12 Cross City connection back to Birmingham. Looking back on a fantastic day, Alcester was an absolute delight to explore, the Black Tap a distinctive pub discovery and the Redditch Beer Festival has us off and running for another year of ale activities. Cheers!