The Shady Oak, High Peak

Will Larter left this review about The Shady Oak

It's quite a pleasant walk here from the Beehive at Combs, via Long Lane which is mostly traffic free; starting here and walking to the Beehive would also be pleasant. This roadside pub is pretty much isolated, Fernilee being a pretty small hamlet beside the old toll road between Whaley Bridge and Buxton, now the A5004. At the time of my visit there were some long term roadworks which meant that the road was blocked to through traffic. Back in the day I imagine this would have been a place for changing horses - the road is called Long Hill.

The pub is a fine looking building, but as a pub I found it a little disappointing, especially as regards the beer offering. In an area surrounded by breweries (Buxton, Chapel en le Frith, Macclesfield) it is a severe failure of the imagination to have two beers from Hampshire: Ringwood Boon Doggle and Wychwood Hobgoblin Gold. (There was another Marstons beer that I failed to note the name of, and a fourth hand pump not in use.) My half of Boon Doggle was drinkable (NBSS 2) The long building has been opened up into one space, with a couple of dividers, and the bar counter centrally placed on the back wall. A Marstons banner proclaimed a "cider festival", which seemed to consist of a couple of boxed polypins sitting on the bar, which makes me wonder if I'd perhaps made my beer selection from a beer festival? Obviously not.

I guess the place was quiet because of the road works discouraging passing trade, but if that's the case why not make sure the beer stays in good nick by having just one, and make it something decent from a local brewery, not that foreign muck.

Date of visit: 17th September 2022

On 12^th May 2023 - rating: 5
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