SPBW North Irish Sea

The North Irish Sea creeps silently up The Lune estuary,an hour before high tide,cutting off road access to The Golden Ball Hotel at Overton. An inn has stood on the site since the mid 1600's. Fittingly as peak tide approached,Cross Bay Zenith was on sale on the bar. 12.09.18

Rovers Return,Douglas this week, and the premier pub in Douglas stocking Bushy's beers. Bushy's brewery is set to move from Santon to the ancient capital of the Isle of Man,Castletown, in due course. Sometimes The Rovers is hard to find for visitors, but is behind the town hall.

Almost a tap takeover. The Woodbourne Hotel, Douglas, multi award winning, including current CAMRA local Pub of the Year. Four Titanic brews on, alongside Okell's Manx Pale Ale, in the former central 'gents only' bar.

This one in Chester has been something special over the years. A unique pub by any standards.

Hospitality struggling, The Bay here a Bushys pub in Port Erin. Also closing tonight, The Manor, Willaston, Douglas. Landmark Port Erin hotel up for sale manxradio.com/news/isle-of-m…

The Conister Arms, Douglas. A Wetherspoons,we're mid Wetherspoons festival . It's rare to see guest ales such as these anywhere in Douglas usually, there's scope for one big cask outlet in town featuring varied guest ales, but nobody yet has run with the concept permanently.

Just opposite Lime Street station, here's a good one!

The Red Cow, Sandwich, very distinctiveexterior, & the last of the pubs we visited in town.Timber frame, grade 2 listed, with traditional games. Several cask ales were on at time of visit.

The Time & Tide Taphouse. A thoroughly modern affair of micropub size. It's Sandwich again, and a great alternative to the traditional pubs in town. Just set a street away from the centre. Opened January 2023, with a good ten or more alternatives. Very knowledgeable bar staff!

The Fleur de Lis, we were in Sandwich recently. Five cask beers, on mainly from Wantsum brewery, relaxed interior with pool to the left of the bar. It's only reopened in recent times. An often overlooked, but charming town a short bus ride from Canterbury or the coast.

The aforementioned Twelve Taps, micropub, Whitstable. Twelve key keg beers on, in relaxed surroundings. Just down from the Wetherspoons, towards the seaward side of the town. Managed to lose the exterior photo before! These gin type roadsigns seemed popular in Kent, saw a few.

The Old Neptune, Whitstable sea front. Harvey's Best bitter on at the time of visit. The bar and floor of the pub are markedly sloped, apparently due to storm damage over the years. More celebration of the oyster trade found on the walls within!

The Smack Inn,Whitstable.Tucked away on a side street only yards from the seafront.Formerly two cottages, the pub's named after oyster catching vessels,Whitstable being famous for oysters.Very welcoming locals pub, just away from tourist areas. Bespoke DIY cocktails available!

A visit to The Twelve Taps, Whitstable, and 12 taps it had. Micropub with a long narrow bar, with the counter side on to the entrance. The CAMRA site reports the beers are all key keg. At our two visits there was a friendly clientele and it was busy. Bespoke glasses obviously!

It's Whitstable, and The Peter Cushing, named after the great man himself, who lived in the town for many years. Lovely building, now a Wetherspoons, sympathetically refurbished with classy light fittings we feel. A formidable brew Conqueror Black IPA (5%)on during our visit.

The Man of Kent,Rochester, only a quarter of a mile from the centre. Focusing on local real ales especiallyfrom Kent,the landlady was immensely knowledgeable about the ales.Attractive traditional pub exterior. An excellent find for us,away from the tourist crowds on the High St.