Holly Bush Inn, Belper

Official site of the Holly Bush Inn - www.hollybushinnmakeney.co.uk

Official site of the Holly Bush Inn - www.hollybushinnmakeney.co.uk

This is a lovely unspoiled 18th Century village pub in the pleasant surrounds of the Derwent Valley, between Derby and Belper. The pub has retained a multiple-room layout that I suspect is relatively unchanged with the exception of the newer left-hand seating area that occupies what was once a neighbouring cottage. The front door brings you into a passageway from which each of the rooms can be accessed. Almost directly in front of you is a highly unusual snug style room formed by two long, high backed benches, with a small access point to the bar, which the snug is positioned directly behind. It’s a strange space unlike anything I can recall seeing in any other pub on my travels, although it was sadly occupied when we arrived, so I could only admire it in passing. Turning right, you emerge into the main public bar which has a lovely tiled floor, half panelled walls with faded paint on the upper sections and a series of dark beams crossing the ceiling. The bar is to the left and has a compact dark wood counter and matching bar back that looked pretty old and was adorned with various enamel mugs, pewter tankards, Toby jugs and other such drinking vessels, with a large rifle hung from the beam above. A nice stone fireplace dominates the opposite wall and has a detailed beer board hung above it, whilst the rest of the room has been decorated with old brewery mirrors, framed pump clips, aerial photographs of the pub and village, CAMRA certificates, old photos, maps and paintings and a few ceramic pieces. Ancient looking hard backed settles run around the perimeter of the room, serving small tables with chunky metal bases and it felt like a great room to get settled into for a decent session. Heading back along the passageway, you pass the snug and the aforementioned left-hand room in the extension which looked to have plenty more seating in a slightly brighter room with similar décor to the main bar. Eventually the passageway winds round to a rear conservatory that is almost as big as the whole of the original pub building and offers rows of longer tables and benches under beams decorated with a great array of items ranging from drinking vessels to farming equipment to an old fire alarm and plenty more in between. A small hatch can be used to save the effort of walking around to the main bar and this is also of use to those who have chosen to sit out in the paved garden area which had a small marquee and loads of additional seating when we visited shortly after the restriction on indoor drinking had been lifted. The pub has a reputation for providing a wide selection of cask ales and didn’t disappoint on this visit, with Taylor Landlord, Thornbridge Jaipur, Otters Tears and Makeney (a house beer), Oakham JHB, Whim Hartington IPA and North Riding Porter all available on handpull whilst Marstons Pedigree is poured directly from a jug that is regularly topped up from the cellar. I restrained from participating in such a great bit of pub theatre and opted for the Porter which was luscious and warming and served to me by one of the friendly and chatty bar team. This is an incredible pub that I was very pleased to have been able to visit. There’s so much to explore here that it really demands repeat visits – something it’s location doesn’t exactly help to facilitate – but even if you only get the chance to come here the one time, you can still enjoy the unique snug, interesting décor and maybe even some beer from the jug. A great pub that is well worth making the effort to visit.

This pub is worth the effort of getting here - it's a bit of a pull up the hill from the bus stop in Milford. Once inside, the bar is to the right and features eight real ales and several real ciders. As well as hand pumps, there's Pedigree available from a jug filled directly from the cask, and this was a very nice drink. There are two real fires. The room behind the bar is a snug formed of curved wooden panels with glazing at the top. There's a covered patio to the rear, through which the outside toilets can be accessed, and there's a hatch for customers to order their beers without going back into the pub. I didn't stop long as I was going on to do all three pubs in Holbrook before catching a bus into Belper, but I would like to come back here for a longer session some time, as it's a delightful building and the beer needs further exploration too. Date of visit: 29th November 2017