Gilesgate To The Viaduct
Some days call for the long haul. Others are better suited to a short wander and a handful of good pubs. Gilesgate offers a fine starting point for that sort of afternoon. A micropub, a couple of traditional locals and an easy walk to the city centre.
This small crawl would end up becoming more than just a pleasant afternoon out. Somewhere along the route the thought occurred to me that these beers, places and pubs deserved writing down.
The idea for this blog started to take shape here.
Gilesgate. A Good Starting Point.
The Hop Knocker
Area: Gilesgate, Sunderland Road
Style: Micropub
Visit Order: 1
Sampling the cask and a couple of kegs is always a treat, and today didn’t disappoint. This visit delivered both, plus a nostalgic Rohaus Märzen that, just for a moment, transported me straight back to the Black Forest.
| Brewery | Beer | ABV |
|---|---|---|
| Rothaus | Märzen (bottle) | 5.5% |
| First & Last Brewery | Fallen Giant | 4.0% |
| Spaten München | Münchner Hell (keg) | 5.2% |
| To Øl | #SIPA (keg) | 4.7% |
The Queens Head Hotel
Area: Gilesgate, Sherburn Road Ends
Style: Traditional/Sports Bar
Visit Order: 2
The Queens Head has been rebranded as more of a sports bar and this was my first visit since the change. Apart from the rather bright new exterior, the bar hasn’t changed too dramatically.
No real ale here, but a serviceable Murphy’s did the job before moving on.
| Brewery | Beer | ABV |
|---|---|---|
| Heineken Ireland | Murphy’s Irish Stout (keg) | 4.0% |
The Woodman Inn
Area: Gilesgate (top of Claypath)
Style: Traditional Pub with Beer Garden
Visit Order: 3
Great to see this place thriving. The Woodman usuallly keeps three real ales on the bar and it remains a dependable stop when walking down into town
Two of them needed sampling, naturally.
| Brewery | Beer | ABV |
|---|---|---|
| The Consett Ale Works | Red Dust | 4.5% |
| Timothy Taylor’s Brewery | Landlord | 4.3% |
Into the City Centre
From Gilesgate it’s a gentle stroll down Claypath (much easier than going up Claypath). Rhythm established. Short walk, pub, repeat.
The Bishops’ Mill
Area: Walkergate Development/Millennium Square
Style: Wetherspoons
Visit Order: 4
Now the only Wetherspoons in Durham. As a Lloyd’s Bar it gets lively in the evenings. Time for a couple of brews before moving on.
| Brewery | Beer | ABV |
|---|---|---|
| Stewart Brewing | Ka Pai | 5.2% |
| Hadrian Border Brewery | Tyneside Blonde | 3.9% |
The Station House
Area: Under The Viaduct
Style: Cosy pub
Visit Order: 5 and last
A real ale institution beneath the viaducy and a fitting place to finish. The Station House typically keeps five cask ales and rarely disappoints.
What would Durham trip be without a visit here?
| Brewery | Beer | ABV |
|---|---|---|
| The Durham Brewery | Totara | 3.9% |
| GlassHouse Beer Co | Altitude | 4.5% |
Map & Summary
| Today’s Summary |
|---|
| Total Pubs: 5 |
| Total Beers: 11 |
| Cask: 7 |
| Keg: 3 |
| Bottle: 1 |
| Strongest: 5.5% |
| Mildest: 3.9% |
A modest five-pub wander from Gilesgate into the city centre, but an enjoyable one. More importantly, it was somewhere between the first pint and the last that the idea emerged: to keep and share a record of these pub trips.
Every crawl has to start somewhere.
This one happened to start a blog as well.