The Sun Inn, Beamish A Pint Of Ale Pub Review
The first pub of our holiday, The Sun Inn is an excellent North Eastern pub exactly as it would have been in 1913, but with current, local, ales.
The Sun Inn was built in the 1860s in the market town of Bishop Auckland in County Durham. Today, it makes up part of the town centre in Beamish Open Air Museum, in the state it would have been in in 1913. It was dismantled brick-by-brick for the 30 mile trip north to the museum.
The pub is a small, two-roomed affair and although it’s a tourist attraction in the middle of an early 20th Century town, it has a certain character. Sawdust on the floors, authentic 1918 advertising, costumed bar staff, mirrors and stuffed animals give it a charm. Three (very much 21st century) ales were on tap, two from local breweries and a Yorkshire ale which I opted for: Theakston’s Old Peculier is an ale I can seldom resist. It was served with speed due to the crowds in the bar, but this did not affect its burnt aroma, deep dark colour nor its taste.
The pub is in the Good Beer Guide, but if you plan to visit, bear in mind that there’s a £16 museum entry fee to pay before you can make your way by foot, vintage tram or vintage bus to the pub’s door. Unfortunately, the beer is not sold at 1918 prices!
A comment by Hannah and Mike » Blog Archive » Up North: Day One
August 4th, 2007, 8.02pm
[…] the dentist, the Co-op, the bank and the Masonic Hall but Mike’s favourite stop was the Sun Inn; a 1913 pub that was originally in Bishop Auckland. Hannah’s favourite stop was the […]
A comment by Stockton
August 11th, 2007, 2.44pm
good to see you back blogging and drinking again - look forward to the rest of the series! always a good idea to base a trip around drink, i find!