A Wild Vista

With cold weather returning to the south of the UK again, and with it, crisp clear air, blue skies, and even a little more snow, it was well worth de-icing the car this morning, and driving the 20-odd miles to St Ives — a handsome market town on the River Great Ouse in Cambridgeshire.

St Ives from Hemingford Meadow (by hchalkley on Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Heading out across Hemingford Meadow, the cold had transformed a marshy splosh across flood meadows into a straightforward march atop an icy mirror. Blades of grass pierced the carapace, giving boots decent purchase on what would otherwise have made for an excellent curling sheet. Continuing on through The Hemingfords, with a pub stop at Houghton (the old watermill here is well worth a visit), we returned to St Ives along the other side of the Ouse, and then repaired to the Old Ferry Boat Inn at Holywell.

A cracking spot at any time, but today with its roaring log fires, convivial patrons, friendly and efficient bar staff, delicious carvery, and sumptuous comfy chairs — well, let’s just say I could still be there now at closing time, well-oiled and in no hurry to move on, were it not for the small matter of having to drive back home and put in an appearance at the office tomorrow.

Now, to that list referenced in the title. You see, The Ferry Boat lays claim to being the oldest such establishment in Britain. As do a handful of other British pubs. Having spent a goodly number of years living in Nottingham, I’m well aware that Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem is also one of that select group of ale houses. So, as of today, I’m bagging “oldest pubs in Britain”. In lieu of anything better, I’ll be taking the list on this page, as definitive. Eight’s a handy number too.

Two down, six to go. And now I have good reason to visit St. Albans, Abergavenny, Loch Lomond, Bardsey, Stow-on-the-Wold and Bolton. All will have a hard job to shift my favourite pub from its prime position though. That’s the Square and Compass, in the tiny village of Worth Matravers, Dorset — and worthy of a post all to itself…

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