OF MEN AND DOGS, AND BEER, AND BUSES.... A PUB_CRAWL OF PENWITH

            You, the pub-goer, would like a cheap, cheerful and reliable means of getting about and supping your fill without worrying about driving, policemen, licences, chauffeurs and all the other pitfalls that seem to get in the way of the pleasure of a rural pub crawl.  In many areas, the means is already there.  Five men and a dog demonstrated the fact on a damp and windy afternoon using no less than 10 buses without a hitch, to visit several boozers on the Penwith peninsula, and a couple in the Penzance area for good measure.   All for the price of a First Day  ticket, which for five quid (50 pence for the dog) allows you to get on and off the buses at will, anywhere on the First Western National network including the foreign bits over the Tamar.  Beer being the attraction rather than the transport, it's best to confine attention to a relatively small area, and the number 10 is ideal for the purpose.  This bus service runs most of the day at half hour intervals, though there is the odd gap especially around school chucking-out times, so it's wise to check.  It even plies its trade late in the evening, which makes it ideal for anyone living or staying in the area. 

            Thus it was that an intrepid CAMRA team, which included Phil the Publican, Polar Bear, Roger de Monty and Malcolm O, set off from home base at the Seven Stars, Stithians in the cause of serious research (Monty is the dog).  The uneventful outward journey from home involved a change of bus outside the door of the Blue Anchor in Helston, though even Polar Bear balked at the thought of a pint of Spingo in 10 minutes. So we forwent that pleasure and continued on the number 2 service to Penzance.  This goes around the outside of that town before spiralling in through Alverton, so alighting there gives you the chance of a stiffener at the Globe and Ale House (1, map), which we did with over 20 minutes to spare before the first no. 10 of the crawl.  This left Alverton at 1218, so, suitably stiffened, we boarded it and twelve minutes later were deposited at the door of the Fountain Inn (2), Newbridge.  This was a runner-up in last year's Cornwall Pub of the Year competition, and did not disappoint – in fact, it was so pleasant we overstayed and blew a small hole in the day's schedule by catching a later bus than planned.

            The Fountain nearly closed in 2000, because it made no money -the locals stayed away in droves complaining of poor beer quality, while owners St. Austell Brewery decided they wanted to sell it as a private house and walk away from the problem.  A noisy protest by the locals, supported by CAMRA, persuaded the planning committee that this was not a good idea.  A change of heart - and landlord - swiftly followed, the locals flooded back, and the rest, as they say, is history.  It is now a thriving community pub which has a growing reputation for good food, although it remains a pub with food attached rather than the other way around.  The food was still our undoing, bus-wise, because the lunch menu was different enough to be tempting.  It wasn't particularly cheap, but the cajun chicken baguette was fresh, tasty and much better value than the cheaper but slightly stale affair with iceberg lettuce you are often confronted with.  Landlady Daphne Pounder is usually the wizard in the kitchen, although her partner James Roberts does his turn over the hot plate as well.  Most beers from St Austell's range apart from Black Prince appear here, and one of them is usually available on gravity from the cellar – ask at the bar.  The landlord demonstrates his commitment to the real ales by pulling a wine glass of each and standing it in front of the handpump, so you see what you are getting.

            The pub has Cornish language lessons one evening a week – talk to the teacher Craig Wetherill at the bar any time you fancy enrolling.  Two of our group were delighted to meet him.  Polar Bear has been looking for a source of Cornish 'sayings' to use on his sculptures, while Roger seemed to know Craig from a previous incarnation.  Small county, Cornwall.

            The 1401 bus duly turned up as advertised, hurled itself down the main road to St Just in around 9 minutes and transformed itself into a number 11A (don't worry about it!) leaving PB confused, but we stayed put until Pendeen, another few minutes ride away.  You pass one pub that is definitely worth a call, if you time it right: the Queen's Arms (6) at Botallack.  Sadly, this closes most weekday lunchtimes during the winter so a visit was not on the agenda.  Plain-looking and typically Penwith on the outside, it is a cosy and friendly little free house which sells a couple of decent local ales.  Best to try this one in the summer or weekends and  evenings.  It is the same with the Trewellard Hotel (5), a free house which opens in winter at 1700 most days and sells a local ale or two.  It also doubles as a fish and chip shop if you feel in need of solid fuel during the circuit, and is 12 minutes walk from the Pendeen pubs (the buses stop outside here too).

            Next on our list was the Radjel Inn (3), another St. Austell house and one with an interesting  history.  A former landlord, Willy Warren, is believed to have been the longest serving landlord in the county with 59 years behind the bar to his credit – his great-great Grandfather had been nicknamed 'Radjel' by the locals.  A community pub, it is quiet of a winter weekday lunchtime but supports the usual pub games and comes more to life in the evening.  The beer on offer was IPA, Tinners and HSD, all on handpump.  The pub sign is worth a glance – the picture illustrates the meaning of the name Radjel.

            A short walk (2 minutes) found us at the door of the North Inn (4), a regular Good Beer Guide entry and yet another pub owned by you-know-who.  Another locals' pub, this one has a campsite at the back and does a brisk trade with walkers and other visitors during the summer months.  Landlord and CAMRA member John Coak has been doing some tasteful improvements, moving and extending the kitchen and creating a conservatory area at the back so you can sit and watch the evening sunset (there is one occasionally – he says).  None of this ruins the ambience of the pub itself, though, and you are always welcome to sit and drink and discuss the doings of St. Just with the locals.  The beer on offer was the same as at the Radjel, although the range tends to vary during the summer months.  At this point Malcolm O decided he could do business on behalf of friends in regard to the camp site, which made him and Mr Coak happy men.  The dog was not consulted, but presumably he was happy too, having been taken for a run by Roger to examine the lampposts and smells of Pendeen and fallen asleep on the floor.

            The 1544 bus duly turned up on time, and within minutes deposited us back in St. Just.  The extra time at the Fountain had changed the perspective a bit (or maybe it was the beer), and we decided to forgo the pleasures of the Miners Arms (basic but friendly, and a break from St. Austell) and the King's Arms (ditto, except the break) and go straight for the big one, the Star Inn (7).  A long-term Good Beer Guide entry, this fine beamed house is said to be the oldest in the town, and believed to be at one time a lodging house of John Wesley.  Festooned with bric-à-brac and mining memorabilia, it offers a comprehensive selection of St. Austell ales both from handpump and gravity dispense, and usually has the new and tasty Black Prince which on our visit provided a refreshing and welcome break from the bitters.  Don't expect to eat here, although there are bar snacks - this is a pub where the business is drinking and the entertainment is conversation, and (as we found) a trap for the unwary, who may find difficulty wanting to leave.

            So it turned out, and the other inns on the Penwith crawl had to wait for another occasion.  But we weren't quite done.  After leaving St. Just on the fast service to Penzance, a quirk of timing allowed us to do a quick transfer to the no. 18 service leaving for Truro, and within 12 minutes we were through the door of the Star (8) at Crowlas, barely half an hour after leaving the Star at St. Just.  After a relaxing hour or so in this permanent mini beer festival, we had to consider the final bus services to get us home, but even this afforded us a final glass of something nice and locally-brewed at the Mexico Inn, Long Rock as a change of bus there gave us a final quarter of an hour in which to drink and pee (important by now, before the final leg home).

           The wash-up meeting back in the Seven Stars was unanimous that it were a grand day out, with Monty voting by proxy. Total travel costs were £5 each, plus £2.80 for the leg by Truronian bus to Helston which we used to save time.  Obviously, for serious crawlers the permutations on the Penwith run are endless, as there are 10 pubs to visit outside Penzance and buses are frequent.  Of course, you don't have to go to every one.  A more targeted and leisurely visit to the best one or two, even for an evening meal, might be more attractive to some – especially as the last bus from St. Just leaves as late as 23.45 passing the Queens, North, Radjel, Fountain and the rest on the way.  So why not give it a go?  Support your local bus service and local pubs and breweries all in one go.  Who knows?  You might even enjoy it......

Buses leave Penzance bus station (by the railway station) roughly half-hourly for most of the day, hourly in the evening, and call at Market Jew St. and Alverton.  There is also an hourly daytime Sunday service.

Note: This article originally appeared in One & Ale, the Cornwall CAMRA branch newsletter.  The Number 10 bus crawl also features in 50 More Great Pub Crawls, written by Barrie Pepper and published by CAMRA Books.