The Plough - Town Centre Pub of the Season

Originally known as the Sheffield House, the pub was rebuilt in 1934 and has remained structurally the same ever since. For this reason the Plough is listed in CAMRA’s prestigious National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors—the only pub in Doncaster town centre to have achieved this distinction (I believe there is only one other in our branch area, the Coach & Horses at Barnburgh, to have done so).  It’s just the sort of traditional pub we all love with its lively front bar, a quieter lounge to the rear and what must be one of the smallest beer gardens in the country!

The front room is a traditional basic public bar with a horse-racing theme. In here darts and dominoes are played. It is usually very busy and is the sort of bar where good humoured witty banter can be enjoyed. Having described it as basic, it is still cosy and comfortable.  The quieter lounge to the rear also enjoys its fair share of banter and is often full of shoppers during the day who are escaping for a welcome drink.

There are many things to appreciate in this pub. Apart from the ambience and the historic layout, there is the warm welcome from the licensee, bar manager and all the staff.  Nick, the popular landlord, had already done a marvellous job at the Red Lion at Braithwell.  Rod and Val (the previous licensees who had been here for many years) were a hard act to follow. They had resisted numerous attempts to alter the pub with a determination we all admired, and Nick has had the good sense to follow in their tradition.

Another great thing Nick has done is to extend the range of beers. There is still beer from Acorn Brewery but now rotating guest ales as well. And, very importantly, the beer is always in very good condition. Another innovation has been to instigate occasional beer festivals. at day!

The Plough is open 7 days a week – Monday to Saturday 11:00 onwards, Sunday 11:00 to 16:00 and then from 19:00. Every Wednesday is Quiz Night.

The Crown, Belton - District Pub of the Season

It’s been described in the Good Beer Guide as “difficult to find but well worth the effort” and “a haven for the discerning beer drinker”. We can now add ‘Doncaster District Pub of the Season Autumn 2010’. Congratulations to John and Lynn Green, owners of the Crown, Belton, who have won their first CAMRA award less than two years after entering the licensed trade.

The Crown has been one of our better pubs for many years. Winner of a previous award in 2002, it has always had a reputation for the quality and range of its cask ales. When John and Lynn took over in November 2008 they inherited a winning formula. Under the previous owner, at least four real ales were always available. Now the range has expanded to six!

Marston’s Pedigree, Bradfield Farmer’s Blonde, Jennings Cumberland and Cocker Hoop are always available, along with a regularly changing cask ale from Glentworth Brewery. Added to this impressive range is a rotating guest beer, usually from Old Mill or Tom Wood. Old Mill Porter and Tom Wood Bitter have proved especially popular.

Just as impressive is the fact that, since taking over, John and Lynn have increased the pub’s opening hours. Nowadays we are used to rural pubs only opening at night and often not at all in the early part of the week. The Crown opens at 13:00 on weekdays and 12:00 on Saturday and Sunday. As it’s situated behind All Saints Church and not at all visible from the main road, this shows what can be achieved by doing things properly.

The Crown consists of a bar/lounge with a separate games room at the back of the pub. The bar is decorated with photos of the pub at various points in its 79 year history, as well as some of the original Crown Inn on nearby Stock’s Hill. Behind the pub is a play area and beer garden. John and Lynn have ambitious plans to extend the pub outwards and upwards but, no matter what else changes, the Crown will remain a community local with a great beer range.

The Crown runs various activities, including football, darts, dominoes and pool teams. There’s also a golf society as well as a fishing club. More importantly, from CAMRA’s point of view, there’s an annual beer festival in August.

As the book says, it’s well worth making the effort to find this pub.