Extracts from Eccleshall

Tradition over recent years dictates that the month of March must supply me with a Stafford sojourn, only this year I've decided to go rogue by extending my range out towards the nearby town of Eccleshall...

- A Victoria Park Vista -

It's Saturday 23rd March 2024 and a weather theme for the day is set almost immediately when my initial walk into Wolverhampton is punctuated by a vicious hailstorm. The skies have brightened up by the time the 09:48 Manchester train deposits me in Stafford, hence Victoria Park is its usual inviting self with magnolia trees in full bloom over by the glasshouses. W.G. Grace demands his customary selfie in lawn bowling flat cap attire, while Chell Road is being subjected to ongoing roadworks as part of an 'Active Travel' scheme (whatever that entails).

- The Eagle Inn (not currently flying) -

Plotting my way through a sea of orange traffic cones, I board the number 432 bus which is currently operated by Chaserider (Arriva were the incumbent last time I rode this service). The route ventures along the A5013 Eccleshall Road past a large cemetery and the turning for the Holmcroft estate, then crosses paths with Junction 14 of the M6 motorway. Creswell is up next followed by Great Bridgeford where I note the village hall as the bus utilises Newport Road. I'd never been through Woodseaves before so that section is particularly interesting - spotting the Cock Inn and a small post office - while our approach into Eccleshall itself involves Horsefair and setting down on Stafford Street. Leaping into photographic action, I check on the Eagle Inn at Gaol Butts - the pub is currently closed awaiting new tenants.

- Holy Trinity Church -

Small Lane now connects me onto Eccleshall High Street where both the Royal Oak and the Crown have memorable colonnade arch frontages; the former has been taken on by Joules and is undergoing refurbishment whereas the latter has long been converted into a doctors surgery. The Old Fire Station and a succession of attractive townhouses accompany me in reaching Church Street where Holy Trinity is flanked by a gorgeous array of golden daffodils, albeit any sense of springtime is offset by another of those pesky hail showers. The church foundations are said to date from the late 12th century with the main chancel and arcades constructed in the C13th prior to restoration and alterations being undertaken in the 1860s. 

- Eccleshall Scout Group -

Beyond the church, I investigate the edge-of-town combination of the 1st Eccleshall Scout Group HQ and the adjacent Cricket Club, both amenities sharing a car park off Chester Road. Kerry Lane potentially offers a route towards Copmere End, Elford Heath and Garmelow but I prefer to retrace my footsteps back into the main town centre. Here I confirm that the George Inn (former tap of the Slater's Brewery) is now functioning as the Little George coffee bar with references to Bent's Brewhouse. Stafford Street meanwhile is home to the local post office, a Co-op supermarket and Perry's of Eccleshall Master Butchers, a well-known name in the Staffordshire meat and game dealing trade.  

- The Kings Arms Hotel -

Stafford Street is also where I find the Kings Arms Hotel, which historically acted as a stopping point for stagecoaches between London and Chester. You can tell the building has a fair bit of age to it and there are numerous nooks, crannies and corridors to explore. The chief attraction for me of course is quality cask ales and I'm delighted to see they have one of my absolute favourites, namely Beartown's Creme Bearlee. A silky smooth stout infused with molasses and Madagascan vanilla, it slips down a treat when accompanied by a bag of butchers scratchings courtesy of Perry's next door. Players' Tobacco advert enamels, a solid stove and a high shelf stocked with Toby jugs ensure the interior lives up to my hopes for a traditional pint setting. 

- To Pershall and Croxton -

From one of Eccleshall's oldest pubs to arguably its newest, the Ecclian being a micropub based in what used to be a pet shop; the premises was also the Merckx Belgian Bar for a few years. The friendly welcome cannot be faulted and neither can the Draught Bass, affordably priced at £3.50 a pint as indeed are the other real ales (Bradfield Farmers Pale and Farmers Blonde among them). It's a compact little venue with a big heart and the barfly conversations cover South African rugby expertise. Union Jack scatter cushions and Three Tuns beermats add to the effect while the beer quality definitely merits 2024 Good Beer Guide inclusion. I've time in hand for another quick scout around for photos - including the old finger post sign on the Stone Road junction - and one more pint before the return bus...

- The Bell -

Cue the Bell, a place Roger and I frequented during our Eccleshall Experience of February 2011. We liked it very much that day and I'm still of a similar opinion now, the availability of more Draught Bass no doubt helping in maintaining such high levels of esteem. Mansfield v Colchester EFL action provides a dose of weekend sporting content as I park myself in a side snug furnished with crushed velvet blue upholstery and framed indenture certificates. The 432 only offers a basic two-hourly timetable on Saturdays so I make sure to catch the 14:55 back into Stafford, treating myself to a final Bird in Hand libation (Nuttycombe's Snow Leopard White Mild) before my train home. Eccleshall was excellent, ta very much!