Lovely, historic building

Lovely, historic building

It strikes me that a nice day out should include a bit of shopping, a pub or two and and a nice meal. So that’s what we decided to do. Picking up bags of spice and armfuls of coriander on Radford Road for next to nothing then off to the Fox and Crown for our first drink of the day before descending on the Horse and Groom.

A few years back, we had enjoyed a tasty Thai meal at the Fox, but as we walked through the doors I had a feeling that it wasn’t going to happen today. It was that old grump of mine – loud music that did it. The trouble with me is that I rarely get beyond a first impression, as much as I try not to, so it tends to make me feel sour and gets me nitpicking. I say all this for the sake of some semblance of balance because I really wanted to like this grand old pub.

The pub has an unusual history. Quoting from the Alcazar website:

Research has shown that in the early 18th century there was an Inn, a Gaol and a Bowling Green at this location in Old Basford. The Fox & Crown is seemingly synonymous with The Bowling Green, as both names occur at different times on old documents referring to the same site. Without doubt this is the oldest pub still in existence in the area for miles around.

A revealing document discovered at the Nottinghamshire Records Office is the Will/ Inventory, dated 1707, of Innkeeper James Pearson, also butcher and gaoler. The gaoler is said to have kept a “bowling green” and it is known that close by the gaol was a bowling green at which the company were waited upon by the prisoners, so that their confinement was not very rigorous. The inventory gives enough factual evidence to support the theory that the Fox & Crown public house must have served as Peverel Gaol.

curryandbeer.co.uk - Fox and Crown - Bar

The other customers seemed to be drinking keg lager

We took our pints of Windjammer IPA and Vixens Vice to our seats and took in the pub and tried to get an idea what the favorite beers were by checking out what the customers were drinking. Looking around at the bar with it’s prominent plasma screens, I doubted that I would be here for more than a pint. The other customers seemed to be drinking keg lager. We took our first sip. The beer tasted tired, it had a hazy look, and sadly, tasted a bit like home brew. (yes – I too have drunk some excellent home brews – but you know what I mean).

Sorry for the rant, but I do not get how it can be possible for a pub that is a brewery’s tap, not to be selling consistently good beer!

There was no sign of the pub’s heritage in the interior design, and the legendary thai food was not in existence.

I could well be on my own in my views of this pub. I usually am. In an attempt to give an alternative point of view why not read this review from those daring chaps at Nottsbrew.