The Rail Ale Ramble People

Crookham Travel

Quality Tours with Taste since 1977

 

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Forthcoming Tours & Events

All tours start from London unless stated otherwise, but may sometimes be joined en-route

RAIL ALE RAMBLES: Our RARs (primarily day trips by train, sometimes with an overnight option), to interesting real ale breweries and pubs, remain our mainstay and we have now organised over 200 of them since 1977. These tours may be arranged at quite short notice, so check back often.

WEEKEND EXPLORERS: Long weekend trips, in the UK and Europe, visiting interesting breweries and pubs with added rail or cultural interest such as steam railways, narrow gauge lines, tram systems, funiculars, boat travel or museums.

EXPLORER HOLIDAYS: 1 or 2 weeks or perhaps longer, to destinations primarily in Britain but occasionally to Europe and beyond, usually with brewery visits and rail interest.

 

2024

Since the pandemic, we have successfully run twelve full RARs and small-scale day trips, two Weekend Explorers and one full Explorer Holiday. Last year we have run a number of Real Ale Rambles (including the major milestone of our 200th RAR!) and an extended holiday to South West Scotland. We are running several RARs this year as well as planning a full holiday to Devon for spring 2024. Other RARs will be planned for later this year – make sure you are on our mailing list (contact us on crookhamtravel@gmail.com to be the first to hear of these and future tours!).

EXPLORER HOLIDAY

“The East Kent Explorer”

Wednesday 20th to Monday 25th March

An Explorer visit to East Devon.  The extremely full  programme will include:

·         Several brewery visits and scenery via four days coaching, door-to door;

·         One way River Exe cruise to Topsham with real ale on board - see the trains from the river!

·         Seaton Tramway and depot;

·         Pecorama with its hugely expanded narrow gauge railway;

·         Five nights stay in Exmouth at the 3* Royal Beacon Hotel with two brewpubs and a 'Spoons in town. The Meeting Point will be at Exeter St. David’s station.

RAIL ALE RAMBLE 202

“The Thames Valley Tracker”

Friday 5th April

This RAR is packed with interesting places to visit, starting at Slough Station where we'll be joining our coach. During the day, we will visit the following:

·         We’ll head north to the difficult-to-reach village of Hedgerley and one of Buckinghamshire’s finest pubs – the White Horse (GBG)!  This classic pub, numerous times local CAMRA pub-of-the-year (POTY), serves up to seven beers directly from barrels behind the bar and a pint will be included.  In good weather you can enjoy their garden.  It will be a wrench to leave but we’ve got another classic to visit.

·         Our coach will then take us to the heart of Burnham Beeches and the hamlet of Littleworth Common to find the fairly recently reopened Victorian Blackwood Arms (GBG) with four beers on offer.  In this delightful country pub we will have our lunch break – please select from the choices below.  Naturally, a pint will be included.  They have a pleasant garden too if the weather is clement.

·         However much we’d like to stay, we have to head off to our next stop, the community-owned Craufurd Arms (GBG) in the outskirts of Maidenhead.  This is a fine pub which is owned by the local community and supports them too in multiple ways.  We shall hear their fascinating story whilst enjoying your included pint of locally-brewed ale.  We’re so close to the centre of Maidenhead with its other four GBGs that it would be a shame not to have time to briefly explore the town so the coach will drop you off at a suitable point.  You will be provided with a map to help you located these pubs.

·         During the day, you may well have encountered beers from the innovative Stardust Brewery so it seems appropriate to finish the day with a visit to them (with samples, a few nibbles and a souvenir glass).  This independent family-run brewery produces some most excellent beers so I for one am really looking forward to this tour.    

All good things must come to an end and so we’ll finish with the coach dropping us off at 20:00 at Maidenhead station where your Freedom Pass is accepted.  If you don’t have one, buy a return to Maidenhead if travelling from London.

Please contact us at crookhamtravel@gmail.com for the booking form

OTHERS

Monday 15th to Friday 19th April 2024

In April 2024 the Brewery History Society (BHS) are running a trip to Belgium based in Antwerp and we are assisting them in planning the itinerary. They are visiting Brouwerij Het Anker, Brouwerij Bosteels, Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat and the Huisbrouwerij De Halve Maan amongst others. They may be able to accommodate some of us too if spaces allows – if you are interested in joining this trip which is likely to be running in the week commencing Monday 15th April 2024, please contact Tony Fox-Griffith to register your interest.

If you are considering joining the BHS in this tour, please contact Tony Fox-Griffith at crookhamtravel@gmail.com to register your interest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CROOKHAM TRAVEL
11 Attlee Gardens, Church Crookham, Fleet, Hampshire GU52 6PH
Telephone: 07766 663579

email: crookhamtravel@gmail.com

 

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 Page last revised: 14 March 2024

 

 

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