As The Crow Flies - Ed.10 - A Guide to Derby City Centre's Best Watering Holes

Now the nights are drawing in, we are firmly into cosy pubs season, which makes Derby  the perfect place for a beery day out. Derby is one of the best destinations in the UK for cask beer drinkers, with a host of traditional pubs all serving exceptionally kept real ale. It does lack some great keg options compared to other cities however, so if you are looking for high end craft beer, it’s probably best to look elsewhere. It’s important to note that this is not an extensive guide on pubs in Derby, I would not be the right person to write such a guide, as whilst I have visited Derby many times over the years, I do not live there. Rather than an exhaustive list, this is intended to be more of a tour of highlights, that can be taken at leisure and with ease in a single day.

STOP 1 - THE BRUNSWICK INN

Opening Times

Mon: 11AM-11PM

Tue-Sat: 11AM-11:30PM

Sun: 12PM-11:30PM

A stone's throw from Derby station. Originally opened in 1842 as an inn for railway passengers and workers. The pub was reopened in 1987 after considerable restoration, and is now a key part of Derby’s Railway Conversation Area. The pub is operated by Everards brewery, and if you are lucky you may be treated to the smell of sweet malt from the on-site brewhouse (managed separately) drifting your way on your approach to the pub.The bar hosts a staggering (and somewhat alarming) 16 handpulls, 13 of which were in use on my visit. There are a handful of their own beers as well as a smattering from other breweries such as Ossett and Wylam. Timothy Taylor’s Landlord is a permanent fixture, and kept very well, but I like to opt for their own Brunswick Brewing Company Bitter “The Usual” which is delicious and only £4 a pint! The pub is a small selection of gorgeous rooms, lovingly restored and cared for. The prow shaped family room is my usual go to. They also serve food, which seems pretty decent pub fare but i’ve not tried it myself to be able to deliver a fair verdict. 

STOP 2 - THE ALEXANDRA HOTEL

Opening Times

Sun-Thu: 12PM-11PM

Fri: 12PM-12AM

Sat: 11AM-12AM

Turning left as you come out of the Brunswick, you will barely have had time to put your coat back on as you walk around the corner and are immediately greeted by “The Alex”, a pub lover's dream. There are 2 rooms, a bar area to the left from where it is easiest to be served and see what is on offer, and a beautiful little lounge to the right. Let’s start with the bar area, where there are 7 handpulls, featuring  a couple of Castle Rock beers, as would be expected in a tenanted Castle Rock pub. Everywhere you look in this pub there is train paraphernalia but the pièce de résistance for me is the massive station flip clock that dominates the bar area. For others it might be the locomotive cab in the beer garden, but I have to sit in the lounge room to stop myself being completely mesmerised by the flip clock in the bar. If there were any lingering doubts about my succession to middle age then this obsession extinguishes them. Luckily for me the lounge is beautifully decorated and clearly militantly dusted, as the vast wealth of brewery and transport related memorabilia are presented in one glorious immaculate clutter. There is also a plaque to commemorate the founding of the Derby branch of CAMRA, in this pub, on the 3rd of July in 1974. If all of this wasn’t enough, they also offer fresh filled cobs, made to order, and if you are visiting during the day then there will be a good chance that the bar will be manned by Anne, who is one of the loveliest bartenders I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. I don’t mind telling you that this is my favourite pub on the list and has strong claims to be in my top 5 boozers in the UK. 

STOP 3 - THE SMITHFIELD

Opening Times

Sun-Thu: 12PM-11PM

Fri-Sat: 12PM-12AM

A lovely walk through the park later, and you will arrive at The Smithfield, which lies opposite a bus depot. You may begin to see a bit of a theme developing here, one trip to Derby will make you realise why it’s so popular with CAMRA members, - the venn diagram of real ale and public transport enthusiasts being an almost perfect circle. The Smithfield reminds me vaguely of The Wellington in Sheffield, in that both of them have a quality of the early 2000s sitcom ‘Early Doors’ about them. Lining the circumference of the front room are an installation of regulars who look like they could live here. It’s a cliche but they really do seem like part of the furniture, specifically like lamps that are simply turned off at the end of the night and turned back on in the morning.  As I order my Bass (for which the Smithfield is known), I can feel their wary eyes on me, the stranger, but they are not to be feared, and in fact are quick with a smile and a hello. On this occasion I spend my time in the Smithfield, pint of bass in my left hand whilst my right pampers a small dog who has trotted over to be my friend. I will also award a bonus point for the campest handpulls I've ever seen. 

STOP 4 - EXETER ARMS

Opening Times

Mon-Thu: 12PM-11PM

Fri-Sat: 12PM-12AM

Sun: 12:00PM-10:30PM

The first of 2 pubs on this list operated by Secret Dining Co., a company set up by former vocalist for 80s punk band Anti-Pasti, Martin Roper. The buildings that now comprise the Exeter Arms were built in 1815 and the lounge area was extended in 2017 to include a nearby cottage. There are 6 handpulls, with Dancing Duck and Marsden’s Pedigree seemingly being permanent fixtures. I’m not enamoured with Dancing Duck beers, but they are at least kept very well here, even if the choice of glassware can sometimes be a bit odd in The Exeter. There are also 8 keg lines but they consist largely of undesirable macro beers and a rather jarring Beartown font that feels very out of place. The atmosphere is very cosy, the exposed brick, wood paneling and lack of soft furnishings could make it feel a little cold if it wasn’t for the welcome roaring fire sitting pride of place in the bar area. Again hot food is served, and seems to be more of a focus here rather than just something that is nice to have. 

STOP 5 - FURNACE INN

Opening Times:

Mon-Thu: 2PM-11PM

Fri-Sat: 11AM-12AM

Sun: 11AM-9PM

Ducking under the dual carriageway and entering a slightly more residential area will put you outside The Furnace Inn. Once a Hardy&Hanson pub and also the original home of Shiny Brewery before they moved to Little Eaton. The small brewkit in the rear is used to brew “The Furnace” beers which are styled as collaborations with Shiny brewery, who maintain operation of the pub itself. Appropriately for its location the bar decor does feel a little like somebody’s living room, whilst it’s not my favourite aesthetic choice, i have to admit it is slightly endearing when combined with the chatter of the locals for whom the Furnace must feel like a home away from home. There are 8 handpulls, mostly comprising of Shiny brewery beers and the occasional guest. There are also 14 keg beers which are a tad uninspiring but they get bonus points for being one of the only pubs where macro beers are largely absent. It was a close call between the Furnace and Five Lamps just round the corner, for being included in this crawl. Full disclosure I have had mixed experiences in both, with dirty glasses and beer that whilst not off, has seen better days. I also prefer the decor in Five Lamps, but there is something charming about the community feeling in The Furnace that keeps me coming back.

STOP 6 - THE OLD SILK MILL

Opening Times:

Mon-Thu:12PM-11PM

Fri-Sat:12PM-12AM

Sun: 12PM-11PM

The second of the Secret Dining Co. pubs, built in 1928, taking the place of an older pub of the same name. Like it’s sister pub, The Exeter Arms, food is a clear focus here and the pub is divided into 3 areas, a dining room, a bar area and a lounge. I do appreciate having separate spaces for people who wish to dine and those that do not, even if the decor in the lounge is slightly kitsch and soulless. The pub is notable for the mural on the side depicting the Silk Mill Trades Lock-Out of 1883/84, it’s no masterpiece but it does give the pub an injection of character which it is otherwise lacking. I have surprised myself in including this pub on the crawl as I have never fully taken to it, gastropubs not being my favourite watering holes. However, like The Exeter, I have always found the beer here to be in excellent condition, and the fact that there is a space just for drinkers side-steps the problem that some food focussed venues fall foul of - making drinkers feel like an inconvenience. There are 6 handpulls, boasting a large amount of Dancing Duck. I opted for an Oakham Citra that was absolutely singing, which placated my misgivings at the £5.20 price tag. The keg beers are best avoided, as they are largely occupied by Heineken owned brands and the one guest on my last visit was Tiny Rebel...

STOP 7 - SUDS & SODA

Opening Times

Mon-Wed: 4PM-11PM

Thu-Sat: 12PM-12AM

Sun: 12PM-7PM

Opposite Saint Werburgh's Church in the centre of Derby lies Suds & Soda. At first glance S&S comes across as distinctly unremarkable, like an amalgamation of every other crafty micropub, but spend an hour or two there and you will convince yourself that it is more than that. It is by far and away the best place for craft beer in Derby, not the most competitive field for sure, but as they say in football, you can only beat what’s in front of you. There are 10 kegs (2 german beers on a font, and 8 craft options on the back bar) and an extensive can and bottle selection to choose from. I should warn those who only drink the flat stuff, that there is no cask beer to be found here. There are 2 handpulls on the front of the bar, but they are not in use, instead they advertise the box cider and perry in the fridge. What a rare delight to find both Oliver’s cider and Oliver’s perry available on a permanent basis though. It’s good to see perry alive and well, and I very much enjoyed my glass of it on my last visit. In fact of all the places I visited S&S had the best selection of cider with some more Oliver’s alongside Little Pomona and others in bottles. There is clearly a lot of time, effort and love being put into making this little crafty pub a success in a city otherwise dominated by cask. It’s this pluckiness that most endears me to Suds & Soda.

Finally, a note on the order this crawl should be undertaken in. The order I have given is largely due to opening times, deliberately placing venues that have later opening hours in the early week towards the end of the crawl. However if you are attempting this crawl Thu-Sun i would strongly recommend doing it in reverse order. Not only because venues such as Suds & Soda and The Furnace close slightly earlier on Sundays, but because the Brunswick and The Alex are an exceptional 1-2 punch of outstanding pubs and I think it is best to end with them rather than to start with them. Also, ending at the Brunswick means you have just a 2 minute walk to the station after a days drinking, as opposed to the 20 minute walk that follows from ending at Suds & Soda. 

We would absolutely love to hear from anyone who attempts this pub crawl, please tag us (@thecrowinn in most places) in all of your adventure snaps and posts.