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Tuesday 18 September 2018

Boats, Beers and Boozers 2018. No.1

Our winter mooring was at Fettlers Wharf down the Rufford Arm of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Perhaps I should have started with the Hesketh Arms in Rufford, our local to the marina. I haven't as in my head it doesn't count as we weren't on the move.

We were a little late leaving the marina this year through various things so we finally cut the shore cable and set sail into the into the wide blue yonder on 4th April. I made it seem like a long winter because as soon as I get onboard 'Holderness' I start my different life. I like being at home, when we are at home, as I have loads of things to keep me occupied etc, but it is completely different to being on the canals and rivers. I suppose it has become sort of ingrained as I have had the two lives since starting work; half the time at sea and half at home. Well actually at one stage it was more away than at home. I think my longest trip was 8  months away with three at home. Even later I was doing three months away and six weeks at home. At the end things were much better with 6 weeks away and 6 weeks at home!

We moved south back towards Burscough Junction and moored close by. We decided to visit the Ship at the junction, which is actually the village of Lathom. The pub is well know to locals as the 'Blood Tub'. The pub started out in one small house in 1750 and then over the next hundred years was extended in to the neighbouring two houses. It was well placed when the canal was dug as it is right next to the locks and junction. A little canal community grew up with a dry dock and workers cottages to supply trade to the pub. There are plenty of moorings on the main canal and below the locks on the Rufford Arm.

Image result for the ship inn lathom

There are two theories as to why it's nickname is the 'Blood Tub'. One is that as a canal users pub in working days it was also the scene of much disagreement! There were plenty of fights, but the landlady had a strict policy of nobody was allowed in showing signs of combat. She placed a tub of water by the door to allow they to wash off any blood shed before entering. The other story is that one early landlady was a fantastic black pudding maker and one of the main ingredients was blood, mainly pigs blood. The system worked where the farmers brought a jug of blood that was deposited in a tub, and in return, after the same jug had been swilled out with water, was filled with ale!

They had 6 local beers on hand pull including one specially brewed for the pub by Moorhouse's at 4.2%. The brewery was started in 1865 in Burnley, and they built their own brewery in 1870. They nearly went bust in 1985 when a local man, drinking one of their pints heard of their troubles and decided to buy the place, and they have gone from strength to strength. They do brewery tours so maybe something to break the journey over the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

Image result for moorhouses brewery

I also had a pint of Hop Chocolate by Beer Brothers Brewery. Two friends from school started messing about brewing at home and their first  batch was 'special', so in 2015 they set up a micro brewery and two years later had to move to bigger premises in Preston. It was a nice stout of 4.3% that has real liquorice and chocolate in the mix.

Image result for beer brothers brewery hop chocolate

Being greedy, and with a meal, I had one more pint. Well, it wasn't far to stagger back to the boat, and no drinking and driving involved! This was called Pipe Dream 4.3% from George Wright's Brewery that is in Rainford, near St. Helens. It was started in 2003 and very quickly it was realised that they would need a bigger set up. The present brewery is probably the most modern micro brewery in the country.

I think my favourite of the evening was the Hop Chocolate, but it was great to find a pub that had so many local beers to try. I would definitely go again, and the food  wasn't too bad either. Very handy for the moorings too.

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