Beers, Boats and Boozers, No.75.

We had time to find another pub a little outside of the centre too.

This building is now the hotel attached to the Wetherspoons pub the Hippodrome. In a past life it was the offices of the Middle Level Commissioners and was opened in 1904 and sold in 2014

Above the door is the Commissioners Crest and you can just see that they were formed in 1862. Within the Middle Levels there are also over 30 Internal Drainage boards that look after their little bit. Many are administered from the new offices that have moved to a purpose built building an dock just outside of town.

The old Town Hall was built on the Market place in 1900. To make room the old Market House and fire house had to be demolished. The March Urban District Council was moved out when it became a Magistrates court in 1974. This was closed in 1998 and by the great kindness of a donation The March Civic Trust were able to by it. After refurbishment in 2005 it is now a multi faceted venue for the benefit of the people of the town. The bell is a deep an sonorous one and was presented by subscription to celebrate 60 years of Queen Victoria's reign.

These are the town moorings. Broad Street and the shops are at the bridge, and above the boat is the Ship Inn and a fish and chip shops that had some of the best chips I had had in an age. Opposite is the old Town Hall.

We walked a little in the warm evening air to find the Rose and Crown. This pub is said to be over 150 years old and must have been at least two house at one time as there are room either side of the entrance now. It is slightly old fashioned, but quite interesting for all that. The name Rose and Crown comes from when the Houses of York and Lancaster were united by Henry Tudor. They had about five beers on hand pull.

Oakham Ales was found in Oakham, Rutland in 1993  with a 10bbl set up. They found success quickly and moved to Peterborough when they took over a disused Job Centre to start possible the largest Brewpub ever. The brewery was behind a glass screen and was 35 bbl size. They expanded again by moving to a purpose built brewery in Peterborough with a 75bbl capacity. They sold the old kit from the brew pub and installed a 6bbl so they could experiment and brew small batch beers. They have increased the number of fermenters and other equipment to keep up with demand.

The brewery has several beers that are well known nationally but perhaps Citra is the best. The 4.2% golden beer i was the first in the UK to use 100% Citra hops that was 'discovered' in 2009 by the head brewer. It had only been released by the growers in 2007. He rushed some back home and created the session beer as he didn't have enough to make lots of stronger beer. The first brew was 20th November 2009 as a seasonal beer. It became a permanent beer on the lists in 2011 and now they brew 1.7 million pints and 1.7 million bottles of it every year. It has a nice colour, but a thing white head. This can be forgiven as the hops real are what this beer is all about. At a beer festival I have had girls saying that they don't drink beer and got them to try this, and they love it. Avid beer bellied blokes also love it. It has something for every one. The taste and aroma at first is just like you are drinking grapefruit juice, then there is the dry bitterness in the mouth that gives you that clean refreshing taste too. This beer always makes me think of summer.