The pubs visited and the route taken :-

Olde Red Lion Wellow

Maypole Inn Wellow

Queens Hotel East Markham

Brownlow Arms High Marnham

White Swan Dunham on Trent

Bees Knees Laneham

Ferryboat InnChurch Laneham

Plough Inn South Leverton

The weather was kind, after the terrible storms Dudley, Eunice and Franklin the previous weekends, storm Gladys didn't materialise so we set off in the bus with Tony driving in pleasant conditions for February to visit some of the village pubs of North Nottinghamshire. The reasons for visiting the pubs were to survey the pubs on behalf of CAMRA and also it was to see some different pubs, hopefully drink some different beers, have a chat with the locals and licensees and most important have a good day out.

The first village was Wellow with its picturesque village green with the maypole standing proud and the two pubs the Olde Red Lion and the Maypole Inn situated on the edge of the green.

The Olde Red Lion , a 400-year-old traditional pub with wood-beamed interior that includes eating and bar areas plus ample outside seating. Photographs and maps depicting the history of the village are on the walls. Food is available and 3 real ales. Old Lion Ale brewed for the pub by the Maypole brewery is a regular beer, the two other beers available were Wadworth 6X and Castle Rock Harvest Pale.

The Maypole Inn , a former coaching house and previously known as the Durham Ox before extensive refurbishment, does have a separate bar area as you enter through the front door, serving 2 changing real ales usually from the Headstocks and Rufford Abbey breweries but on this day the beers were Greene King Yardbird and Moorlands Old Speckled Hen.

A 15 minute journey passing through Ollerton, Boughton Camp, Kirton, and Tuxford to the village of East Markham, once famous for its apple orchards. The is on the High Street.

The Queens Hotel is an Everards house, comfortable, open plan, offers good value good quality food and we believe has the longest serving landlord and landlady presently in North Nottinghamshire. In the bar area Leeds v Spurs was on the television and with 6 real ales available things were looking good. Everards Golden Hop, Tiger, Old Original plus a changing guest along with Braines Reverend James and Adnams Southwold Bitter are the usual fare, most beers were tried and found to be in good nick.

No time to dawdle no matter how good the beer, tempus fugit. A 10 minute journey passing the entrance to the Pheasantry Brewery, through Darlton, turning off the A57 before Dunham, on through Ragnall and Fledborough until the turning off into the village of High Marnham. The power station, decommissioned in 2003, used to be half a mile further on but our interest in the village is the Brownlow Arms.

The Brownlow Arms stands at one end of the village at the side of the river Trent. Mobile and static caravans and camping are catered for close by, there is a play area outside the pub, walking routes take you along the Trent and with a river there is fishing. The pub, now open plan in the front part with the bar and the eating areas plus there is a sperate side room. Food is available and 3/4 real ales depending on the time of the year. 3 Milestone brewery beers were available to us, the New World Pale and Cromwell Bitter are regular beers.

Doubling back to the A57 and into the village of Dunham on Trent also situated at the side of the river. Dunham has 1 of the 25 toll bridges in England (Wikipedia) and it carries the A57, an important road linking North Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire to Lincoln, North Lincolnshire and the east cost. Our reason to visit Dunham is to call at the White Swan.

The White Swan stands at the side of the main road through Dunham. The large white painted pub has two rooms and a function room, outside seating, a large children's play area, a camping area and its own fishing lake. Food is served daily and there are 3 real ales available. On our visit Draught Bass, Pheasantry Dancing Dragonfly and Pheasantry PA were on the bar and in good condition.

Personally I am always pleased to see Draught Bass on a bar, and it was great to be greeted by the pub dog who checked us out and then took up his favourite position in the front window on the sill.

Right out of the pub car park and an immediate right turn, well you need to take the shortest route to maximise drinking time, then onto Laneham Road and turning off into the village of Laneham. Laneham and Chuch Laneham are often referred to as Laneham but they are separate villages.

Next to the now defunct brewery site of Springhead stands the Bees Knees.

The Bees Knees was once a shop but is now a quirky pub serving 6+ real ales, spirits and wines including 150+ gins, real cider and good food. There are 3 separate rooms, none of them large, and an outside seating area. The Don Valley, Ossett and Pheasantry breweries usually have beer on the pumps and on our visit the beers were Don Valley Bumble Bitter, Ossett Silver King, Ossett Springbok, Pheasantry Dancing Dragon Fly, Revolution Spanish Bombs and Tollgate California Steam. Didn't try it but Matt commented how good the Bumble Bitter was.

A mile further along the road and Church Laneham and the Ferryboat Inn. The road and the grass area outside the pub is sometimes flooded but not this day.

The Ferryboat Inn is like a tardis, open plan as you enter were people can eat, drink or watch television, there is a dining room at the back and also a conservatory plus there is outside seating. In a summer the pub can get full with people from the caravan park. The regular real ales are Pheasantry Dancing Dragonfly and Greene King Abbot Ale, with two changing guest beers, Dancing Duck Nice Weather and Castle Rock Crafty Flanker on our visit, all in good nick and landlord Dan kindly presented us with chip butties.

Back through the two villages to Laneham Road, Rampton hospital on the left, Rampton village and Sundown Adventureland on the right, turning off into South Leverton and at the bottom of the dip turning right into Tow Street and the Plough Inn is on the left opposite the village hall.

The Plough Inn is what you may think of if you imagine an English country pub. A small bar, 2 small rooms, places you have to be careful not to bang your head, friendly locals and conversation. The pub used to house the post office but no more. 2 changing real ales, usually local breweries and we were served Beermats Teamates and Milestone Cromwell Bitter both in good nick.

Unfortunately the Plough Inn was the last pub on our visit but a cracking day, good beer and some good village pubs, well worth a visit.