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Halifax Crawl - 21 June 2024 with Gann
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The Dewdrop Inn, Ilkeston
Ilkeston
DE7 5TE
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 9 of 10) see review guidelines
Old Boots left this review about The Dewdrop Inn
Classic two bar pub in a Victorian building beside the railway station, with a serving hatch in the lobby between two bars all served by a common servery. There’s a small room off to the right from the entrance vestibule where doors lead into the front public bar and a rear lounge. The lounge has five pulls with beers from Hartingtons, Full Mash, Oakham, Thornbridge and Leeds (Kirkstall), a couple of clips were laid on the counter for Whim, Engine Shed Project at the Brunswick in Derby and Dancing Duck which were on in the front bar. The lounge was rammed on my late afternoon visit. The front bar is rather plainer and had the three beers mentioned above and a horseshoe of stuff that dare not speak its name. All round good pub worthy of its GBG2024 entry, but be aware of the opening times.
On 9th March 2024
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3269 recommendations about 2978 pubs]
Will Larter left this review about The Dewdrop Inn
I've been to this pub quite a few times before, but always at the end of a crawl when writing a review is the last thing on my mind. Today I was in Ilkeston for football (Ilkeston Town 2-3 Lancaster City) and had time for a quick pint before my train. Approaching the pub was a nervous moment as there was a large group gathered outside the front door, and it looked like there'd been a fire drill, as they didn't part to let me in, so I went round to the back door, reassured by the sight of unconcerned drinkers inside. (Looks like they were just dedicated smokers having a meeting.) As always, there was quite a line up of beers in the back room (see photo) but it was too warm in here with a roaring fire a bit too much after my walk back from the ground, so I transferred to the front room, where there are two more beers (Thornbridge Jaipur and Ashover Milk Stout), neither of which interested me, especially as I'd already bought a pint of Whim Flower Power. (I make that seven beers, but I could be wrong.) This is an old favourite and was in good condition, but when I've had this beer elsewhere I've often found it to be smoother in both mouth feel and flavour, so I conclude that it was a little green here (NBSS 3). Nevertheless this is a really good pub and I feel a return visit coming on.
On 10th February 2024
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3746 recommendations about 3483 pubs]
Pub SignMan left this review about The Dewdrop Inn
Lovely multi-room traditional pub next to Ilkeston station. You enter into a spacious lobby area via a door with a beautiful blue stained glass pane, to find a tile floored space giving access to a number of other rooms and with a few tables and chairs of its own. Through the door immediately to the left is a rather spartan public bar with fixed bench seating under the front windows and the servery down the back wall. There’s not much in the way of visual distraction here, and the room even felt a little empty and echoey as a result, but it’s a decent enough, unpretentious pub room nonetheless. The servery can also be accessed via a serving hatch in the lobby and from the much nicer rear lounge bar - a cosier space with smart carpeting, dark lincrusta covered walls with large windows down two sides and a nice stove in a stone fireplace to one side. Comfy banquette seating runs around the perimeter supported by smartly upholstered chairs elsewhere, whilst the bar has an unusual panelled counter front and simple bar back with a door through to the serving hatch and front bar. To the right of the lobby, there is another lounge, similarly decorated to the lounge bar but with a few family groups in during my visit, which was sufficient for me to give it a swerve. There might have been further rooms beyond this, but I didn’t fully explore, noting only the beer garden to the rear.
On the bar, a decent selection of ales greeted me - Dark Star Hophead, Thornbridge Jaipur, Castle Rock Elsie Mo, Full Mash Northern Lights and Acorn Blonde - although the latter spluttered its last when I ordered a pint and I had to make do with the Hophead instead, which was in great condition. A replacement for the Acorn had been put on by the time I finished my pint, thanks to the efforts of the genial landlord, and the other staff seemed very pleasant too, chatting to some of the old boys who are clearly in here regularly and offering a warm welcome to strangers like myself.
I really enjoyed my visit to this pub, which is very well positioned to make it the first or last port of call for anyone arriving by train, although a little out on a limb from the town centre pubs. A nice traditional pub with well-kept ale and good service, this stood out as one of Ilkeston’s best boozers and I’m glad I made the walk out here to check it out.
On 8th September 2023
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
custodian 42 left this review about The Dewdrop Inn
Old fashioned place with tap room and lounge entered from a sort of foyer. Fine selection of hand pumped ales and this was a welcome last pub before the station. Would definitely return to this one.
On 21st January 2018
- rating: 9
[User has posted 1693 recommendations about 1691 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Dewdrop Inn
We visited here last Friday, expecting the pub to open at 12 noon. One of the local residents told us it now opens at 3pm, so after a crawl around town we came back. Have to say it was defo worth the return journey. This is a friendly and welcoming pub serving some excellent ales.
The interior is traditional in style, with a choice of three rooms. We headed for the back room to observe the seven ales to choose from. Mrs A went for her fav Brewery Welbeck Abbey and I indulged in the Dark Star Pale. A difficult pub to get out of this one, so allow a lot of time. Check opening times first!
On 6th February 2014
- rating: 10
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Thuck Phat left this review about The Dewdrop Inn
An excellent, traditional Victorian boozer with a friendly welcome. There are very few relatively untouched pubs around like this one and for that alone it's well worth a visit.
Beers were Oakham Bishops Farewell, Castle Rock Harvest Pale, Nottingham Rock Mild and Rock Bitter, Thornbridge Kipling and Blue Monkey Something Blue. A well balanced selection with all that we tried in excellent condition.
The real ale venue in Ilkeston.
On 4th May 2011
- rating: 10
[User has posted 679 recommendations about 678 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Dewdrop Inn
An absolute gem,a fine Victorian building with a wonderful traditional interior.To the left of the entrance is the public bar with a pool table ,a lot of lager fonts and a single handpump.To the right is the Family Room with it's own fireplace and comfortable furniture while around the corridor is another small seating area with bar access from what looks like an off sale counter.This leads on to The Lounge,out of bounds to children ,and the home of a bank of handpumps and the committed ale drinkers.Another traditional fireplace with fitted seating around the walls,a piano and low stools and small tables in the centre of the room.
The ale selection and quality was very high with Thornbridge,Blue Monkey and Nottingham Brewery offering seeming to be regulars.The friendly landlord told us the Blue Monkey brewer is often in and particularly likes the Oakham Bishops Farewell,a compliment that I would expect to be returned if the Oakham boys were in town.
We departed on a crawl around town ,but our first stop in here turned out to be the best on the tour.This is a wonderful pub and my next visit will be to fill my boots with their tip top ale in this GBG regular.
On 4th May 2011
- rating: 10
[User has posted 2730 recommendations about 2730 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about The Dewdrop Inn
This pub used to be called the Middleton and was an Ansells tied house.
The Dewdrop is a large stern looking pub that is right next to the border with Nottinghamshire and well away from the middle of Ilkeston.
Once inside there is a central bar with drinking areas around it and there is a decent choice of real ales on here with some being micro brewery beers the drink i had was very nice but i did'nt write the beers down when in here.
This is a decent pub but a bit out of the way.
On 25th January 2011
- rating: 7
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]