Ale Trail
Tedd and Rob Walmsley embark on an ale trail adventure in Maserati’s first SUV – the Levante
The Ribble Valley has recently been likened to Tuscany by the Daily Telegraph so here was my cue to create a tenuous link and borrow the first ever SUV from Maserati – the ‘Levante’ from our good friends based locally – Bowker Maserati.
It was my first real opportunity to drive this car that is simply oozing with Italian charm and good looks. I relished the chance to take the first part of the journey alone before our designated driver took over and the Bowland Brewery ale trail kicked in.
We started out as you would have expected – at Holmes Mill the exciting redevelopment based in Clitheroe, and featured elsewhere in the magazine. The brewery itself started life in 2003 but has gone from humble beginnings to now brewing award winning cask ales to supply not only a host of James Places but an increasing number of independent pubs bars and restaurants.
Like father like son, Robert is a lover of cask beer and the perfect drinking buddy for our afternoon adventure, trying ales whilst taking in the stunning scenery of our Bowland villages and having our very own chauffeur!
First stop was the beautiful village of Waddington at the pub that takes its name – the Waddington Arms – less than 10 minutes’ drive from the A59 and just two miles from Clitheroe. The village itself is beautiful and full of the characteristic charm of the Ribble Valley and the pub is steeped in history dating back many hundreds of years.
There’s a superb menu to suit all tastes and appetites and there’s a great al fresco space to enjoy in the summer and cosy warm fires for autumn and winter days when it’s not so warm. Six individual en-suite rooms are available which are very competitively priced and it’s a great place to explore the great outdoors and our market town close by.
Sadly we only had time for a pint of our favourite Pheasant Plucker before we headed over ‘th’big ’ill’ on a journey to Newton-in-Bowland and beyond. The Levante is not just a looker, it offers zesty Italian performance and once on the open road our very own ‘Parker’ really put it through its paces. We simply sat back and admired the luxury interior, soft black leather and great cockpit boasting a host of technology including a very responsive 8.4” touchscreen.
We had chosen a beautiful day and simply had to stop to admire the views from Waddington Fell – the scenery in the Ribble Valley is breathtakingly beautiful and only the prospect of another pint dragged us away from our pit stop and on to Newton-in-Bowland.
Newton-in-Bowland is a tiny village within the Forest of Bowland and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, surrounded by fields and woodlands which form a terrace above the river Hodder. Standing proudly at its centre, the Parkers Arms is described perfectly as a contemporary country inn. This award winning pub restaurant with rooms is one of the many fine places to eat drink and stay in the Ribble Valley. It is a regular haunt for everyone from ramblers with their well-behaved dogs to celebrated foodies searching out its burgeoning reputation. They use local produce but can surprise by producing global cuisine to the highest of standards. Sadly today was just about another glorious pint of Bowland Ale but we left with a promise to come back and eat in the very near future.
Our last inn was the Hark to Bounty, which is situated in the grey stone village of Slaidburn set on the banks of the Hodder. The pub has a great outdoor space to the rear of the building and it is the home of the annual steam fair held in June. We joined a lively crowd of people in the garden enjoying great pub classics and many savouring the fine ales as were Robert and I. This time we tried a Hen Harrier – golden and light and a perfect thirst quencher.
With the radio on, we sat back on the journey back to Holmes Mill and reflected on how lucky we are to be surrounded by such incredible beautiful countryside awash with award winning pubs and restaurants many serving beer from our very own brewery – who could ask for more? Ciao!
Bowker Maserati
www.bowkermaserati.com
Bowland Brewery
www.bowlandbrewery.com
The Waddington Arms
www.waddingtonarms.co.uk
The Parkers Arms
www.parkersarms.co.uk
The Hark to Bounty
www.harktobounty.co.uk
