The Wheel Inn, Belper

Friendly pub with different rooms inside and a terraced area at the back leading onto a pleasant garden area. Beers were available from Thornbridge, Titanic, Taylor, Dancing Duck and Bass. We enjoyed our Titanic Plum Porter in the terrace at the rear f the pub.

I arrived at the Wheel Inn (careful of the step down on entering) just after opening time: 2pm (instead of the former 4pm) to overlap with closing time at the Dead Poets (which is 2.30pm); this was a change instigated by the enthusiastic young woman who runs the pub. When it came on the market in spring this year she was able to persuade her parents to help her buy it, having been manager under the previous owner. I asked about the fireplace, which has some ornately carved sandstone pillars in front of the plainer originals: these apparently came from a house in Derby. She stopped putting up her Christmas decorations for a few minutes and almost dragged me across the pub to look at the garden and to tell me about her plans for next year. I asked whether six real ales was not a lot for a small village pub, but she reckons she knows her trade and her regulars and has never had to throw any beer out. If a barrel runs off in midweek (as the Oakham Citra had when I was here) she waits until nearer the weekend before putting the next one on. Certainly my half of Bass was in good nick. I reckon this pub is in very good hands.

I didn't expect much from this place when I arrived but I was pleasantly surprised by the interior. Several modest sized rooms, each had a cosy feel to them. I like cheesy 80's pop music so I wasn't offended by it being played in the background (at a reasonable volume) but it seemed a little out of place. Not a characterful as its neighbour, the Dead Poet's, down the road but still a nice enough place. Fairly safe choices on handpull were Adnam's Bitter, Speckled Hen, Black Sheep and Pedigree. I'd be happy to call in again but not at the expense of missing a visit to the Dead Poet's.