Great pubs to sail to in Kent, Essex, and Suffolk

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steve yates

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I fancy some watery pub crawling, and sailing to each pub gives the perfect reason to enjoy a pint and time to recover the next day, or tide, while sailing to the next one.
What are the excellent pubs worth visiting in easy striking distance of a small sail boat that can get up most creeks? Kieth has already mentioned going up to halstow, and I know the good ones in old leigh and the barge gladys as they are my locals.
But give me the good pubs and and I can hours of enjoyment planning up linking trips to try them.
I’m an ale man by the way, lager only pubs need not apply.
 
steve yates said:
I fancy some watery pub crawling, and sailing to each pub gives the perfect reason to enjoy a pint and time to recover the next day, or tide, while sailing to the next one.
What are the excellent pubs worth visiting in easy striking distance of a small sail boat that can get up most creeks? Kieth has already mentioned going up to halstow, and I know the good ones in old leigh and the barge gladys as they are my locals.
But give me the good pubs and and I can hours of enjoyment planning up linking trips to try them.
I’m an ale man by the way, lager only pubs need not apply.
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Might mention the Kent Ouse , easy to reach Sandwich and moor in the town ; either by arrangement with local Highway Marine or the Old Town quay ; think both dry out ? : the Road bridge at Sandwich can raise by arrangement ; further up stream to 'Plucks Gutter' a riverside Pub and villiage ; with mast lowered one can go further upstream to Grove Ferry ; local Pub with accomodation if required ; along this river are stop overs on the bank ;

Well recommended river to cruise leisurely along .
 
At Lower Upnor, besides Medway Yacht Club, the are The Pier and Ship Tavern. In Upper Upnor there are the Tudor Rose and Kings Arms.

If you want to visit Chatham Marina, then you have the Ship & Trades or Pier Five Bar, plus the Copper Rivet Gin Distillery Bar.

At Queenborough you can have a pub crawl with the closest to the water is the Old House at Home, The Flying Dutchman, Admiral's Arm Micro Brewery, The Rose Inn, Queen Phillipa and The Trafalgar.

At Harty Ferry you have the Ferry Inn on Sheppy or The Shipwright Arms on the mainland.
 
The Deben is your Mecca, well provisioned along its length with good options at Felixstowe Ferry, Ramsholt, Waldringfield and Woodbridge. My favorite has to be the Ramsholt Arms.. popular with excellent food and ale (Adnams) and moorings always available via the Harbour Master, George.
One could spend a whole two week cruise on the river very easily ;-)
 
dolabriform said:
What about a pub with its own jetty / quay?
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Plough & Sail at Snape Maltings is almost on the quay but of coarse its a tricky venture up there and quay is tide bound.
Aldeburgh Yacht Club has a dinghy jetty and welcomes visiting yachts and crew, excellent bar and lounge area. A ten minute walk into Aldeburgh
and you will find an excellent pint in the White Hart and a couple of others.
Orford has a couple of pubs within walking distance of the river but no landing at Town Quay unfortunately, although I have done myself in the evening.
I another area altogether and a little controversial, Mistley Quay. Is it The Thorn or some such pub facing the quay?
Haven't been there for a few years.
 
Expand your horizons!

Southwold - Harbour Inn in the, er, harbour. Next take a few minutes walk to find out if it's true that the Anchor in Walberswick is better. Next day take your dinghy up to Blythburgh to try the White Hart.

River Waveney (Broads) - you could have a week long pub crawl, though Broads temporary licences are a rip-off and lock fee at Oulton Broad (£10?) also has to be factored in (unless you come into the Broads via Great Yarmouth). You'll also need your mast down to get far on the Waveney, but then you get the following. (Those pubs on the north side of the river, which is the County boundary, are actually in Norfolk)
UPSTREAM -
Burgh St. Peter (Waveney River Centre) - Waveney Inn adjacent, or better still walk 2 miles to the Wheatacre White Lion.
Beccles - Numerous pubs to suit various tastes.
Geldeston - Locks Inn (now a community pub).
DOWNSTREAM -
Somerleyton - Duke's Head
St. Olaves - Bell Inn
Burgh Castle - Fisherman's Inn
ON YOUR WAY IN AND OUT
Lowestoft & Oulton Broad - Various pubs (and sailing clubs) I've never visited.

Miscellaneous
Dunwich - anchor off (?) and visit The Ship
Butley River - anchor in Butley River and walk 2.5 miles from Butley Ferry to The Oyster Inn at Butley
Martlesham Creek - not sure whether there's room clear of the moorings to anchor in the Creek, but otherwise get mooring or pontoon berth from Martlesham Creek Boatyard and walk 1/2 mile to the Red Lion at Martlesham.
Paglesham - moor or anchor off the boatyard, and walk to the Plough and Sail (when I visited, the pub wasn't great, but that was many years ago, and worth it overall. (Handy for your trip through Havengore Creek! :) )
 
The Farmers Arms at Orford was always one of our favourites, especially before it was modernised. it’s not actually on the quay but if you can manage to walk a couple of hundred yards you’ll be there. The walk into the village and a visit to the castle is also worthwhile and was a family favourite, especially with our daughter who told me as I was carrying her, aged about three, that it was her favourite place in all the world.
 
johnalison said:
The Farmers Arms at Orford was always one of our favourites, especially before it was modernised. it’s not actually on the quay but if you can manage to walk a couple of hundred yards you’ll be there. The walk into the village and a visit to the castle is also worthwhile and was a family favourite, especially with our daughter who told me as I was carrying her, aged about three, that it was her favourite place in all the world.
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I've never heard the Jolly Sailor called that before and I have been here for rather a long time. The old bar is still the same they just seem to concentrate on food and visitors more these days. Went through a phase of being known as the Miserable Mariner but it is not for me to judge.
Indeed Orford is a genteel and rare little place, fine dining, lovely old church, village shop and a great bakers. Castle is also worth climbing for an excellent view.
 
Seashoreman said:
I've never heard the Jolly Sailor called that before and I have been here for rather a long time. The old bar is still the same they just seem to concentrate on food and visitors more these days. Went through a phase of being known as the Miserable Mariner but it is not for me to judge.
Indeed Orford is a genteel and rare little place, fine dining, lovely old church, village shop and a great bakers. Castle is also worth climbing for an excellent view.
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Slip of the cerebrum I’m afraid but the rest of the tale is true. Knowing the story about Orford, my potential SiL chose to propose to our daughter on top of the castle. An early memory or ours is of the occasion when we went to the butcher of the corner. When it came to operating the till it opened with an explosive ting and the butcher in shorts and apron shot back exactly in the manner of Ronnie Barker in Open All Hours.
 
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Lots of fine suggestions here, but let's not forget the Lord Nelson at Ipswich. Just a street away from the waterfront, big fat leather armchairs, log fires, excellent bangers and mash -- and it's an Adnams pub, as all the best pubs are.
 
steve yates said:
I fancy some watery pub crawling, and sailing to each pub gives the perfect reason to enjoy a pint and time to recover the next day, or tide, while sailing to the next one.
What are the excellent pubs worth visiting in easy striking distance of a small sail boat that can get up most creeks? Kieth has already mentioned going up to halstow, and I know the good ones in old leigh and the barge gladys as they are my locals.
But give me the good pubs and and I can hours of enjoyment planning up linking trips to try them.
I’m an ale man by the way, lager only pubs need not apply.
Click to expand...
I can recommend The Anchor at Rowhedge on the R. Colne where you can moor on their quay right outside the pub or on the green just upstream. If you do it on a spring high tide you can have a relaxed roast Sunday lunch. On most spring tides the flood barrier at Wivenhoe just downstream closes for 2 hours so water height at Rowhedge does not change so no worrying about adjusting your lines. Time your departure for when the barrier re-opens.

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk
 
LittleSister said:
Paglesham - moor or anchor off the boatyard, and walk to the Plough and Sail (when I visited, the pub wasn't great, but that was many years ago, and worth it overall. (Handy for your trip through Havengore Creek! :) )
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I stopped going there when the boatyard started charging to land in your tender. Have they stopped that now?

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk
 
Plum said:
I can recommend The Anchor at Rowhedge on the R. Colne where you can moor on their quay right outside the pub or on the green just upstream. If you do it on a spring high tide you can have a relaxed roast Sunday lunch. On most spring tides the flood barrier at Wivenhoe just downstream closes for 2 hours so water height at Rowhedge does not change so no worrying about adjusting your lines. Time your departure for when the barrier re-opens.

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk
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Moor on the quay outside the pub? thats my kind of place :)
 
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