Castleton is a jewel in county‘s crown and great for beer!
Has a trawl around the many good outlets to be found in the Peak District tourist trap
WHEN it comes to picturesque jewels in Derbyshire’s crown, there is no doubt we are spoilt for choice but if you were compiling a top 10 of the county’s towns, you’d have to say that Castleton would be in it.
It is, in some ways, a quirk of geography that we can claim it, since it’s a whopping 44 miles to get there from Derby, while it is less than 17 to Sheffield and just over 28 to Manchester.
But if you’re a Derbyshire devotee like me, whenever you’re there, it feels like Derbyshire, doesn’t it? The buildings, the way folk speak etc. It’s ours.
It is a superb place to base yourself for a Derbyshire holiday to explore the top end of the Peak District, close to caverns and famous hills, with a multitude of walks of all levels to be had from the centre.
It is something my eldest daughter, Sharon, and her family do quite often in their caravan and, if work schedules allow, I love to pop up and join them, if only for a day.
And one thing they always say is just how good the town is for pubs. You’re spoilt for choice.
I wouldn’t suggest running a pub anywhere is easy in the current climate but, surely, you’ve got a better chance of making a good go of it in a tourist hot spot like Castleton than in many other places.
I’m prompted to knock out this particular column by news of a refurbishment for one of the biggest pubs in the town, the Bull’s Head.
It sits imposingly, not exactly on a corner but as if on one and will be the first pub you see if you’ve parked in the main town car park and walked up Cross Street (your nearest train stops a couple of miles away at Hope).
The Bull’s Head is run by Stockport-based Robinson’s, who embarked on a series of refurbishments during the pandemic and haven’t stopped yet. Reopening the only pub in Longnor, Ye Old Cheshire Cheese, was another recent highlight.
When I last visited the Bull’s Head it was okay but a little dull and dark.
That is something which has been tackled, not least with black beams sandblasted back to their original golden oak colour.
While I only have a picture to go on at the moment, the difference is clear and new pale wood flooring, a new timber main bar and new fabrics throughout have simply lightened the place up. This is clearly more than a quick makeover (they say they have spent half a million on it).
A separate room has been refurbished for functions and a coffee shop, the Cow Shed, has been added, while the pub also has accommodation.
It all looks rather good… but what else is there to go at in Castleton? Lots.
Next up the road from the Bull’s Head, also imposing and very much on a corner, is Ye Olde Nag’s Head, which serves a range of locally sourced brews.
Most pubs in Castleton are open all day; this one adds into the mix opening up at 8am every day to serve breakfast, which is worth knowing.
Also worth knowing on the food front is my Sharon’s favourite, 1530 The Restaurant, pretty much opposite the Nag’s Head. It has a national reputation but, given that and the fact that it’s in a tourist hot spot, this Italian-themed bistro is not overpriced and he service was outstanding on my only visit.
Round a couple of corners, you are on How Lane and the good stuff just keeps coming.
The Peak Hotel, which offers accommodation, has thrived since being taken over by the enterprising Peak District-based Atlantik Inns chain. Just across the road is a relatively new shop, the High Peak
Wine & Beer Co, with a huge selection of beer, cider and spirits. They have tasting events and one such, being held in the Peak Hotel, is coming up on Wednesday, April 10. Look them up on social media for details.
Right opposite is the pub which perhaps lays claim to the best beer selection. The names of licensees since 1746 are inscribed on wooden beams at the delightful Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese (accommodation here, too).
Its six cask ales are sourced from local brewers, with Abbeydale, Acorn and Bradfield usually featuring and guests from Intrepid and Peak Ales also regular.
And there’s more. A little further up How Lane, the Swiss Tap used to be called the Swiss House but the name change signals that, although it’s a BnB, it also has a real ale bar open to non-residents and serving four regular beers. Barnsley’s Jolly Boys Brewery is heavily featured. Beware though, that unlike most of the pubs, this one isn’t open all day, every day.
There’s one more pub, The George, a two-roomed local down Castle Street, which is off Cross Street.
And if, after all of this, you remain in any doubt that Castleton is a great place for the beer enthusiast to spend some time, even the post office has a good range of bottled and canned beers! Sharon says she always calls in.
I think I feel another trip coming on.