Beers, Boats and Boozers, No.50.

We were ready to move onwards at out normal time the next day and as we were moored just by the lock we got straight into it.

The lock takes you down into the river section of the river Trent. I think this is the highest point of navigation on the Trent so we have done from here to Trent Falls where it joins the Humber, or rather creates the Humber. The white railings ar the foot ways over the rivulets where the river comes in. It is only a short distance before it flows over a weir and into its own bed, but this section does get closed in times of flood.

This Wychnor Lock which takes you up out of the river again and on to the canal. There is then the danger and noise of the A38 rushing past. I really like this little shed/warehouse with the remains of a post crane on the corner. I wonder when it was built.

This is wharf House that is by Brandon Lock. It is quite grand and I assume it has something to do with what looks like an old warehouse close by. However it still looks quite grand. I wonder why.

We moored up next to Branston Water Park so after a few jobs we had a walk round, but not before helping tie up this pair. Just up the tow path, so at the end of the walk was a pub. So we stopped to check it out.

This is the Bridge Inn right by the tow path on the Trent and Mersey. At its heart there is obviously quitre an old building but it has had plenty of additions. I would think that it would have been quite a quaint old fashioned drinking hole until it was done up. Now it is more of a restaurant, doing Italian food and with a good name. It has little spaces along the back of the building, but I imagine the beer garden gets full on a sunny day.

The Bridge Inn  is a Marstron's pub and as can be seen on the logo dates back to 1834 when John Marston set up a brewery at Horninglow, Burton on Trent. Things went well and by 1861 they were up to 3000 barrels a year. They bcame a limited company in 1890 as Marston and Sons Co., but by 1898 had amalgamated with another local brewer, John Thompson whose brewery was at Shobnal Road. The new company moved there, and are still brewing there today. Still expanding they merged again with Eversheds and became Marstn, Thompson and Eversheds. This lasted until 1999 when they were bought out by Wolverhampton and Dudley Brewery. In 2007 the light had been seen and the outfit changed its name from Wolverhampton and Dudley to just Marstons.

I didn't have to make a choice of beers as the only hand pull they had on was Pedigree. This beer started out being called just 'P'. Not sure if that was by the drinkers, or the brewers!! That was in 1952 and now it is the brewerys best seller, at 150,000 hectolitres per year. The name Pedigree was chosen in a staff competion and I think that he bloke on the pump clip is George Peard who I think was the head brewer at the time, not the competition winner. It has the distinction of being the only beer in the country brewed in oak using the Burton Union system. It is fermented in wood and being closed in prevents frothing so much. Apparently this means that the quality is repeatable so every batch tastes the same. It just has Burton spring water, malted barley and fuggles and golding hops to give a 4.5% beer. There was a good head on the pint and a nice colour. There is a definite biscuity taste. Not my favourite brew, but kept right it certainly hits the spot.