Cambridge Pubs

Mainly looking to find old / historic pubs, but that seems to be hard work in Cambridge, so instead it ended up with more backstreet boozers / community pub, and I think this is where Cambridge really shines.
Sort of a follow on to my recent Oxford video, and inevitably some probably controversial comparisons between the two cities were drawn. For the Oxford video see here: • Oxford Pubs
Pubs visited on this tour:
Eagle: whatpub.com/pubs/CAM/65/eagle...
Mill: whatpub.com/pubs/CAM/123/mill...
Pickerel: whatpub.com/pubs/CAM/137/pick...
Fort St. George: whatpub.com/pubs/CAM/75/fort-...
Elm Tree: whatpub.com/pubs/CAM/68/elm-t...
Champion of the Thames: whatpub.com/pubs/CAM/43/champ...
Free Press: whatpub.com/pubs/CAM/79/free-...
Cambridge Blue: whatpub.com/pubs/CAM/38/cambr...
Kingston Arms: whatpub.com/pubs/CAM/115/king...
There's only one pub in central Cambridge listed in CAMRA's inventory of historic pub interiors, the Champion of the Thames: pubheritage.camra.org.uk/pubs...
...and one pub which is on the list of outstanding conversions and renovations, the Free Press: ocrpubs.camra.org.uk/pubs/172
Music
W. A. Mozart, Symphony No.38 in D major
(Artist: A Far Cry, from KZbin Audio Library)
Chapters:
0:00 Over the top intro (feel free to skip!)
1:03 Eagle
3:58 Mill
6:33 Pickerel
8:52 Mitre / Maypole (not visited)
9:29 Fort St. George
10:57 Elm Tree
12:33 Champion of the Thames
14:10 Free Press
16:04 Cambridge Blue
18:35 Kingston Arms
19:26 Summing Up: Oxford vs Cambridge
21:36 Outro

[@stevo728822]

I drank in the Champion a few times when I was staying in Cambridge. It claims to have the smallest beer garden in the country. It's a triangular area about 5ft x 5ft x 5ft. I'd pop out there for a crafty smoke. Next to the bar is a newspaper holder. I would select a newspaper to try the cryptic crossword. But I found all of the cryptic crosswords had been completed in all of the newspapers. The barmaid told me the Champion was the local of an English professor who would complete each of the crosswords in less than 10 minutes.

[@steveallen1635]

As a resident of East Anglia, Norwich has plenty of Historic pubs. I prefer the drinking experience it offers, to that of Cambridge! Happy Drinking!

[@MistyBottom]

If you trip over in Norwich you'll probably fall into a pub.

[@JohnnyNorfolk]

My pub of choice when I was in Cambridge was The Free Press. Then owned by Chris and Debie Lloyd. It was my favorite pub of all time thanks to them. They moved on and took over The Cambridge Blue and have now retired to Wales I believe. Its the owners that can make or break any pub. Great to see them both again.

[@michaelward2082]

Devonshire Arms and the Tram Depot are my favourites so far but am still exploring

[@user-se7es6uc8v]

If you're in the East Midlands with a day to spare, Oakham in Rutland is worth a visit. It's a tiny town in the smallest county and has just enough pubs for one of your excellent videos. The grainstore brewery is in town and the brewery tap is very characterful. Tiny, but full of people and dogs, with a viewing window to the brewery. They produce a range of ales ( personal favourite the 1050) and you may well bump into the head brewer who is madly enthusiastic about brewing ale. The admiral Hornblower is very popular, 50/50 between beer and food but the beer garden is charming. The Wheatsheaf is also a decent place, again with a pleasant beer garden. There is a pub on the high street called Jinky's which is definitely not your style and a couple of other unmemorable places. There is also a Wetherspoon pub called the Captain Noel Newton which is exactly what you would expect with a couple of exceptions; the ladies toilet is opulent and has won awards ( it has a chaise longue in the middle)! And the landlady, at least when I went in four years ago, saw fit to have fresh flowers on the bar and teapigs earl grey tea as a choice.

[@RighteousReverendDynamite]

A nice way to spend a cloudy and unrushed Thursday afternoon. It is hard to imagine how much different going to The Eagle was when the crews from the nearby RAF and USAAF airbases had a well-deserved rare day/night off compared to now with the hoodied techno-students engrossed in their phones.

[@TweedyPubs]

Yes it was a very pleasant afternoon, even though the weather was a bit glum. I had similar thoughts about the Eagle. At least one table I walked past had four people sat on it (tourists I think) and all four of them were just looking at their phones. I almost wanted to interrupt and ask why they had bothered coming to the pub together if they're not actually going to interact with each other (or anyone else)? It saddened me a bit, presumably they had read in some guide that the Eagle was the "must visit" pub in Cambridge, and there they were being moved along the conveyor belt in the tourism processing facility that is Cambridge. Going through the motions but not really engaging with it and not feeling anything.

[@johndickie5577]

Was on the Elm Tree on a cold evening in 2016. Instead of a beer I asked if I could get a glass of Baileys. Was told no so I went out the door, but turned around and went back in to ask something, just in time to hear the bartenders’ boyfriend laughing and saying “Baileys”. I avoid places like this now where asses are.

[@TweedyPubs]

Sorry to hear that - on this occasion the guy behind the bar at the Elm Tree was very welcoming and pleasant to talk to, but I have definitely had experiences similar to that elsewhere. Similarly those are places I only ever visit once.

[@algonzales1809]

Always prefer the backstreet pub to one on the main road..superb video.

[@andrewdolinskiatcarpathian]

Hi John. It seems to me that Oxford City centre beats Cambridge City centre for atmospheric historic pubs, but perhaps Cambridge back streets have better community pubs than Oxford. All in all, another cracking collection despite the scourge of too many citrusy beers on offer 🤢 As always, thank you. 👏👏👍😀🍺

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Great camera work and editing - very well paced. I must have had a REALLY good time in Cambridge years ago, when a friend lived there, because I cannot remember one single pub by name. Or possibly that’s because of the bland factor you seem to have encountered? Looking forward to see where Tweedy Pubs turns up next! Maybe we’ll see you up in the north west at some stage!

[@TweedyPubs]

Thank you!I have a friend who routinely avoids watching all of my videos, because he's a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to camera work, and apparently my footage is too jerky and/or never level to his eyes. I tried to get him to at least watch the first minute or so of this video, because I thought the intro was fun, but he still couldn't bear it and started telling me all the additional filming equipment he thought I had to buy. I really think it would ruin the experience for me of filming these videos if I had to start lugging full sized tripods and gimbals and so on around! Not to mention all the messing around of constantly setting it all up and packing it all away. It's hard to imagine ever moving beyond this very basic / lightweight / amateur-ish filming setup - basically just a GoPro - but it's nice that most people don't seem to mind. Yes I'm afraid Greene King really does have a lot to answer for in terms of the blandification (is that a word?) of Cambridge's pubs. I know it's not quite the north west, but I was originally considering a trip to York this week. However I ended up staying closer to home with Oxford and Cambridge instead. There are some impressively fast trains to York from London, so I ought to head there some time soon, but I think next week might be tricky as there's the threat of rail strikes etc.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

@@TweedyPubs I guess we'll never satisfy the 'experts' with our homemade videos, but I thought this looked very professional. Pulling something together of this quality based on one trip is part of what makes KZbin so wonderful. Please don't encourage your friend to watch any of my videos - not something I say very often. Or indeed, ever! I did a Roman Gazette in York sometime back and I would imagine you'd be able to find the sort of pub you like there. It's full of amazing old buildings. But it is a tourist honeypot, so you might find they're all smeared in Farrow and Ball. I filmed the Roman Baths under one of them - upstairs looked like a drinkers' pub, though, and I didn't give it a go. In fact, I rarely get the time to visit pubs when I'm out filming, because I spend all my time setting up gimbals and tripods! Struggling to think of any pubs I could confidently recommend. If you ever visit the Lake District, The Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel in Great Langdale is worth checking out. And in Yorkshire, the Tan Hill Inn - it's not aesthetically that pleasing inside, but it is the highest in England and was made famous by Everest Double Glazing!

[@TweedyPubs]

@@WC21UKProductionsLtd I will admit I do sometimes think a tripod might be nice, I like your pieces where you're talking to camera and we can see the full majesty of the tweed from head to toe! As an aside I'm reminded of a few years back when Cassian Harrison, editor of BBC Four, said something to the effect of "middle aged men standing on a hill explaining things" was an outdated mode of programming - not considering that the bulk of the audience of BBC Four (until that point) were middle aged men, and like exactly that sort of thing. And therefore here we find ourselves on KZbin doing it ourselves... I remember that Everest Double Glazing advert! It's on KZbin as well of course. It was a very effective piece of advertising - I've never particularly wanted double glazing, but I've always wanted to visit that pub.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

@@TweedyPubs Thank you for your kind words about the tweed! If you ever do visit Tan Hill, I do recommend walking there - it adds something. Keld is a good starting point. They've replaced the Ted Moult double glazing now. Personally, I detest UPVC windows, but I know this viewpoint is unacceptable!

[@johnsharp8632]

You are almost in my back yard here Tweedy. Of the pubs you visited, the Front Page and the Kingston Arms would be my choice as they are relatively quiet. Greene King have systematically taken over many East Anglian breweries, primarily to get their hands on their pubs. I'm not surprised that Mole Trap was your favourite beer as it is brewed by Mauldons the Essex brewer, whose beers are all excellent. When I visit Cambridge (on my OAP bus pass) I head for the Tram Depot or the Devonshire Arms. The Tram Depot is an Everards of Leicester owned pub. and their Original would be in my top 10 ales. The Devonshire Arms always has several of the ales from the local Milton Brewery, all of which are top notch.

[@TweedyPubs]

Thanks for all that invaluable info John! As it happens I was considering a visit to the Devonshire Arms, it had been recommended by one of the regulars at a pub earlier on the tour, but in the end I decided I had probably had enough and it was time to go home! I will bear it in mind for a future visit to Cambridge. Yes Mole Trap really was a beautifully executed bitter, and as far as I can remember my first introduction to anything from Mauldons. I shall definitely seek them out next time I venture in that general direction!

[@antonybrown4231]

A group of about a dozen of us had a pub crawl in Cambridge last year, and the Devonshire Arms was voted pub of the day. It was our first pub of the day and we lingered far too long thanks to both the great beers and the lovely welcome by the staff. Though we were primarily focussed on beer and atmosphere with style (including history & architecture) perhaps third. I know Cambridge quite well and the best pubs do seem to be in that bit south of the city centre between the Live & Let Live, the Cambridge Blue and the Devonshire. Agree with the GK thing; I suppose at least they promote real ale but variety is something I look for.@@TweedyPubs

[@antonybrown4231]

I thought Mauldons were in Suffolk, in Sudbury? Well they used to be, unless they moved. They might have done as I heard tat Peter Mauldon had retired.

[@midnightroadstudios]

Lovely!

[@SC07T]

Keep it up with this channel. Its excellent. Good vibes, great information and historic facts. Top job 🍻

[@TweedyPubs]

Thanks Scott, really appreciated!

[@johnrob6132]

Enjoyed your punting and pinting or should I say your half pinting tour of the Cambridge pubs. It must be difficult for the normal traditional boozers to keep going especially when a pint costs £6. I suppose it is inevitable that they succumb to the need to change especially in a tourist hotspot like Cambridge and go down the gastro touristy road to survive. At least there seems to be a reasonable number of guest ales even in the Greene King owned pubs. Look forward to the next one.

[@TweedyPubs]

Thank you, and I'm glad you enjoyed it! I think there is a lot to be said for half pints, it allows you to cover a lot more ground and lowers the risk of disappointment of any individual beer. I agree there's a lot to be worried about in terms of the future of pubs. Given this potted case study of Cambridge it was particularly disheartening that the most popular pubs were also the most expensive and the least appealing (to me at least). It really is hard to see how some of the other pubs will survive. One of the cheapest and most characterful pubs I went to only had one other customer (although in fairness it was by then mid-afternoon on a weekday). Small, independent, backstreet boozers seem to be getting gradually suffocated by bland pubco owned establishments which feel more like pub themed chain restaurants than actual pubs. I hope these videos might play at least a tiny part in rekindling our nation's love of proper "pubby" pubs!

[@garrymartin6474]

I noticed Woodforde's "Wherry" and Castle Rock's "Harvest Pale" both of which I would have enjoyed had I been enjoying a similar day out.

[@FrugalMrB]

Nice to see cider (my drink of choice) making an appearance in one of your tours 🍺😀

[@garethlorman1136]

Love the burgers at the Cambridge blue, perfect for a mid heavy session lunch. Love these pub reviews and I just want to get on it. If i won the lottery myself and the Mrs would be free dead within a year😂 cheers!

[@liberty_and_justice67]

Enjoyable, as always🎉

[@anthonycrompton6922]

You need to know how many Cambridge pubs have been closed since the 1990s especially on or off Mill Road 😫

[@stephenpinder9567]

Rejoice that you're spoiled for choice! As I live in the Sates, I'd give my worst enemy's left testicle if I could visit a place like Fort Saint George. Great videos! Carry on!

[@RighteousReverendDynamite]

When Francis Crick lived in La Jolla, California near the end of his career in the 1980s to his death in 2004 when he worked at the Salk Institute, he drove a Jag with the best license plate "AT GC".

[@TweedyPubs]

Didn't know that, that's great!

[@RighteousReverendDynamite]

I think it was nice that Crick and Francis made their announcement first in a pub rather than at a lecture hall or from a newsroom or from a church. (Partly, it was on a weekend so the other places were closed and they probably had tried to figure things out data after work in that back booth.) A happy announcement in that mere humans were able to get their first glimpse into the complexity of creation. Of course, it is fitting as the symbol of St. John the Evangelist was the eagle to impart the nature of his Gospel in which he referenced the Divine nature of his Boss. It goes with many epiphany-like thoughts that come sometimes with drinking. @@TweedyPubs

[@JapanReels]

Greetings from Japan. Which do you think you'd prefer to live in? Oxford or Cambridge?

[@paulstevens7076]

Maypole is my favourite pub in Cambridge.

[@anneroy4560]

It is pronounced 'maudlin' ... you could have had an Adnams at the Mill ... also being Cambridge one of the colleges likely owns the land wherever you place your foot ...

[@user-yw1oo3ee5o]

Nooooooo they are totally gutting the St. Radegan? (possible dodgy spelling apology). I used to pop in there when I worked in Cambridge many years ago (2008-10) and it was a great pub, with lot's of rowing paraphernalia on the ceiling including a rowing boat itself! Good choice of ales and I seem to remember a sign banning use of mobile phones whilst on the premises. I do hope it reopens.

[@TweedyPubs]

Yes, sorry to be the bearer of bad news there! I'm not very familiar with the future plans for the pub, but a friend who used to live in Cambridge sounded very pessimistic when I asked him about it.

[@user-yw1oo3ee5o]

@@TweedyPubs Not good, I have now got to that awkward age where I tell people about pubs that are no longer there and am very sad to have to include the St. Radegan to that list. On a separate note, please keep up the good work on the pub videos, very informative and entertaining for those who like good old fashioned pubs with character and a bit of history!

[@TweedyPubs]

@@user-yw1oo3ee5o Thanks Peter, I'm glad you're enjoying the videos! I completely understand how you feel about closed pubs - it's almost like a bereavement. I once went to the Great British Beer Festival here in London, quite a few years ago. There was a stall there selling pub memorabilia, and one item caught my eye - a badge clip for "Hancocks HB". The guy who was manning the stall was a classic old school CAMRA type (beard and beer belly) and he looked at me with a certain amount of disdain when I showed an interest in the badge clip, I was much younger then and I suppose somehow he'd made a decision I wasn't a serious real ale drinker and was just at the GBBF for a random p!ss-up. "Oh I suppose your surname is Hancock is it?" he said rather flippantly. "No, it was the beer served in my favourite pub - the Cherry Tree in Tintern - it's closed for good now and it would be nice to have something to remember it by." I replied. His face changed in an instant from being sneering and condescending to being filled with sadness and remorse. He consoled me for my loss with genuine warmth, I bought the badge clip, and we parted on good terms.

[@awatt]

Marge ... I see what you did there

[@TweedyPubs]

It was a moment of silliness but I do think some of these shibboleths are a bit ridiculous. I am reminded of Monty Python's "Raymond Luxury-Yacht".

[@harrysingh6577]

Pronounced “Maudlin” I was born here (Cambridge)

[@stuartallen8310]

Academy pubs !

[@salan3]

Just to make you evious, I have just paid £2.34 for a very nice real Ale( hand pull) and usually pay between £2.50 and£3.50 a pint! I would be broke in you neck of the woods!! Lol

[@hillstfan3735]

Kingston : very expensive Cambridge Blue : great beer selection . Had one and would have gone for 2 or 3 other good choices , but non stop loud rap ( so called ) music drove me out very quickly 1

[@alanthomas8467]

Surprised you left the bath out just down the road from the eagle but I did like this vlog thank you