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ONE PUB ONLY?
Number Twenty Two
CRAWLING FROM RAILWAY STATION TO THE GROUND?
Number Twenty Two, Quakerhouse, Britannia, Tapas Bar and then bus to the ground
SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT?
Tapas Bar
|  |  Bay Horse
45 The Green, Hurworth, DL2 2AA T 01325 720663 W www.thebayhorsehurworth.com
G Chris Widdell
F Restaurant menu 12-2, 6- 9.30, 12 to 3 Sun
CP TV BM P D
O 11 to 3, 5 to 11 Mon - Fri, 11 to 11 Sat, 12 to 10.30 Sun
The Bay Horse is a quiet, two - room local, two miles south of the real ale bereft ground. It is laid out in English traditional style. It has a plain public bar plus a carpeted lounge that splits into two allowing for food and comfortable supping to co - exist. It looks and feels lived in and part of long established local community. Kevin is trying to widen the beer range and build up a real ale fan base, give him your support if you can. It is described as an “attractive Inn situated in an equally charming village by the river Tees.” (CAMRA 2004) The Bay Horse was my first pub to review back in August 2004. I found it very easy to get in to conversation with the local characters as I returned for a pre match pint later in the year. The village in itself is well worth a visit, good for a stroll after a long drive north and with plenty of local history that the locals are well prepared to share with you.
UPDATE: Our visit coincided with Kevin preparing to move on. When Chris arrives the real ale will stay and food take a greater place in the pub.
BWV 21.8.04: Greene King Old Speckled Hen, John Smith’s Magnet, Cask Bitter, Marston’s Pedigree, St Peters Golden Ale
BWV 10.2.06: Black Sheep Best Bitter, Greene King Old Speckled Hen, John Smith’s Magnet, Wychwood Hobgoblin | |  Britannia
Archer St. DL3 6LR T 01325 463787
G Sue Carr
CP TV BM P
O 11.30 to 3, 5.30 to 11 Mon - Thu, 11.30 to 11 Fri - Sat, 12 to 10.30 Sun
The Britannia kept on drawing me back over my two day visit to the town. It became the perfect evening haunt after the game, and Darlo crawlers were still coming in from the game at eight on a matchday evening.
The Britannia is the local CAMRA Pub of the Year 2005, having a recognisable range of national choices. It is also a winner of Darlington pub in bloom awards, something special in a town that regularly wins national recommendations.
There are two rooms but most of the time the left hand bar is where all congregate. This room extends deep to a raised area at the rear. The whole pub is very traditional style, and when Sue talked of potential redecoration there was an assurance that there were no plans for any redesign. This means that the intimacy that encourages ready conversation will remain. The longest time it took to get into real chat in the pub over three visits was three minutes. The last time ended with a full blown analysis of the game from an unbiased perspective, by new friends completing the 92 club challenge. Ray loved the oversize glasses as standard, I loved the black and white footie pictures. The stripes go the wrong way for local tastes, but then again Sue and Terry are Newcastle fans. And then by great fortune I was offered a copy of the programme from my first ever proper match in 1965, A real treat, thanks guys.
BWV 10.2.06: Adnams Explorer, Brain’s Bread of Heaven, Caledonian Deuchars IPA, Camerons Strongarm, Hydes Original Bitter, John Smith’s Cask Bitter | |  Number Twenty-2
22 Conisliffe Rd, DR3 7RG T 01325 354590 W www.twenty2.villagebrewer.co.uk
G Ralph Wilkinson
F Full lunch menu 12-2 Mon to Sat
MP
O 11.30 to 11 Closed Sun
The label of “popular ale house and canteen" doesn't do this place justice. Well planned division of the building means there is demand for both food and top quality ale, often at the same time. It is a great pub which never disappoints. DAFTS.com describes it thus: “Popular with an over 30s crowd at night and nicknamed Jurassic Park by those who get squiffy on two Bacardi Breezers.” There is just one type of lager and no spirits or silly alco-pops, no music, and a fine for charity for use of mobile phones. Despite or perhaps because of the restrictions, this is a relaxed place for beer and conversation.” Ralph runs a top quality pub that is an example to others of how to get good food and ales to complement each other, without it becoming a gastro-den.
UPDATE: The number of ales has increased, the pub is even busier. Ale is more of a priority than food on matchdays.
BWV 21.8.04: Castle Rock Hemlock, Fuller’s London Pride, Hambleton Bitter, Yorkshire Stout, Skinner’s Jingle Knocker, Village Bull Premium, Old Raby Ale, White Boar Bitter
BWV 10.2.06: Burton Bridge Burton Ale, XL Bitter, Coach House Flintlock Pale Ale, Clark’s Rams Revenge, Hambleton Yorkshire Stout, Village Bull Premium, Old Raby, White Boar, Wylam Gold Tankard, Young’s Bitte | |  Tapas Bar
98 Bondgate, DL3 7JY T 01325 467385 W www.tapasbar.co.uk
G Peter Turnbell
F Ground-breaking Greek and Spanish tapas menu to complement real ale experience 11.30 to 2.30, 7 to 11, 11.30 to 10.30 Sat
MP SK BM
O 11 to 11, 12 to 10.30 Sun
The first comments on this bar go to Peter the landlord. He said, and I found this to be perfectly true, that “the idea of the Tapas name is that the pub is something that you want it to be”. If you want a real ale bar it, is exactly that. If you wish for a different eating experience, then this will fit the bill. Initial reservations were soon conquered and several visits later this bar became one of my favourite haunts, a place to tell your friends about. It is somewhere that will confirm the reputation of Darlington as the place to visit when travelling to the north east.
The Friday evening visit found the early evening drinking crowd on their way home from work. Later that evening the upstairs room become full in the typical Greek Taverna style. By closing time the beer drinkers again held sway. On Saturday it was just as easy to have a pre match pint watching Soccer AM. I chose a particularly memorable day to visit because Peter was to leave us full of impending gloom to watch his team at the Riverside. He was spotted late that day, a very happy man as Chelsea were thrashed and his pub was full to the rafters.
I would love to see this place operating in the true Mediterranean style when the street tables come into play on the street outside. The proposed pedestrianisation will be just perfect.
BWV 10.2.06: Holt Bitter, John Smith’s Magnet, Old Mill Bitter, St. Austell Tribute, Theakston’s Old Peculier |
|  Quakerhouse
2 Mechanics Yard, DL3 7QF T 07845 666643 W www.quakerhouse.net
G Steve Metcalf
F Full lunch menu and snacks 11 to 3, not Sat
MP BM D
O 11 to 12, 12 to 12 Sun
The Quaker Coffee House is a small wooden - floored gem in a small alley off the main square. This is not a quiet coffee house, but during the day it is a good place to find some peace and quiet when out walking the town. It was local CAMRA pub of the year 2003 and has always been a popular venue for visiting football fans. Mick Hubbard a visiting Aston Villa fan described it in the internet football guide as “an Aladdin's Cave of real ales, having nine on tap. It was a fantastic place and also has a separate cafe upstairs.” The excellent website tells much of the life of the pub, a fun place with seriously good choice of real ale tells you much about the character of Steve and his team, Music is live in the evenings, the beer drinking is live every day, “the place rocks,” top banana!
UPDATE: The name is now simpler to comprehend. There are some interesting developments planned, check out the website for more details.
BWV 21.8.04: Cropton Monkmans Slaughter, Darwin Ghost Ale, Shardlow Whistle Stop, Timothy Taylor Landlord, Wychwood Hobgoblin
BWV 10.2.06: Abbey Bells Mondays Child, Blackawton Winter Fuel, Hopback Back Row, Jarrow Rivet Catcher, John Smith’s Magnet, Wensleydale Black Dug Oat Stout, Poacher, Wychwood Dirty Tackle, Weston’s Old Rosie | | | DARLINGTON CAMRA | | 
NORTHERN ECHO DARLINGTON ARENA | | 
LOCAL BREWERY
Wensleydale Brewery Ltd
Manor Farm,
Bellerby,
Leyburn,
North Yorkshire
DL8 5QH
Tel: 01969 622463
www.wensleydalebrewery.com
| | WETHERSPOONS
The William Stead 8 Crown Street Darlington DL1 1LU Opening Times: Sun-Thu 8am-1am; Fri/Sat 8am-2am
The Tanners Hall 63-64 Skinnergate Darlington DL3 7LL Opening Times: Sun-Thu 9am-midnight; Fri/Sat 9am-1am
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