A fast train from St Pancras soon brings you to Gravesend; on the south bank of the Thames estuary it may not have obvious tourist sites but there is plenty of attractions for the beer enthusiast as well as some hidden history. One of the prime pub sites has to be The Three Daws, possibly the oldest pub (1400s) in Kent with its labyrinthine rooms (after three visits we still couldn’t easily find the exit), unlevel floors, waterside sun terrace and good food it was an excellent start to the trip. A pint of Maidstone Musket Brewery Golden Ale 3.8% ‘Fife and Drum’ set the tone for the quality of beer we would find, described as ‘…An ale which is akin to taking a refreshing stroll in the garden of England…..’. Indeed.
‘The air was dark above Gravesend…condensed into a mournful gloom…‘, in the novel ‘Heart Of Darkness’ Joseph Conrad described the aspect of the Thames from this coastline with foreboding but he may have been cheered by a pint of Oakham Citra, the 4.2% easy-drinker that it is always a pleasure to find behind a bar, this time in the Rum Puncheon, again with a welcoming atmosphere and a sun terrace.
Luckily so many places seem to have a micropub – The Compass Alehouse was converted from an estate agents in 2014 and follows the template of no bar, a small walled outdoor space, convivial regulars (human and dogs) and the treat of having ale dispensed visibly straight from the barrel.
A good strike rate so far but there was more to come – next to the railway cutting The Jolly Drayman has the feel of a village community pub, with its older clientele in the low ceilinged bar area, fortunately with a discrete TV to keep up to date with the Cricket World Cup Final (which at this point in the match was not looking too good…). The walled garden has two personable cats and a covered area (from nowhere it suddenly rained??) to drink a nice pint of Dark Star Hophead (3.8%).
Having been tipped off by one of the bar staff in the Three Daws we spotted the Masonic Hall with stairs leading to the cellar micro-ish pub ‘The Three Pillars’. What a find! – like walking down into the Winchester Club in TV’s Minder the place was buzzing but relaxing; the beer was excellent – Gravesend brewer Iron Pier’s Perry St Pale (3.7%) and Cast Iron Stout(4.7%) with the option of half pint tankards too.
Potentially the town of Rochester with its cathedral and castle looked like a better real ale destination but a quick visit revealed that the jewel in the crown was The Coopers Arms, with its landlord list back to 1542, feature-filled terrace (was that a Robert Maxwell gnome?) and a very refreshing cask of Thwaites Wainwright, the 4.1% ‘exquisitely lovely’ golden ale. There may be other town hostelries of this standard but we didn’t find them on our short survey, so it was back to Gravesend for a final pint at the Three Daws (as many of the others didn’t open on a Monday).
Honorary mention to Wetherspoons for their breakfasts and an effective conversion of a shop into the Robert Pocock – commemorating the pioneering printing work and historical recording by this son (1760 – 1830) of Gravesend. There is also the world’s oldest iron pier, the burial place of Pochahontas and the story of Gunther Pluschow – the only prisoner of war to escape from Britain and return home in 1915 – via Gravesend.
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