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ONE PUB ONLY?
The Causeway
CRAWLING FROM RAILWAY STATION TO THE GROUND?
Walk out to the Causeway then back via the Brewery Tap to the Jackson's Arms
SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT?
Cameron's Brewery Tap
CHANGES FROM GUIDE
Closed - Marine Hotel
Jacksons Wharf - No Real Ale
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1 Elwick Rd, TS24 7QT T 01429 273954
G Geoff Eccleshall and Eileen Clyburn
F All homemade pub grub 12 to 3, Mon to Sat
SP TV MB D
O 11 to 11 Sun to Wed, 11 to 12 Fri to Sat
This is an impressive, red-brick, large, unspoiled, multi-roomed pub just outside the town centre and in the shadow of the Camerons brewery. It is also a place to spot players (in the evening, of course). Has your pub been described by your local MP as “serving the best pint of Strongarm?”- This one has and it says a lot about the community nature of the pub, where good, friendly conversation is the by-word. If this was located in a big city it would have a preservation order slapped on it. If it were in a country village it would be the centre of village life, being frequented by all classes and creeds, happily sharing in the camaraderie that love of good ale engenders. My lunchtime hour left me with no doubt that I had found the best real ale haunt for miles. The locals were genial to the extreme, including some great old boys doing Good Old Boy things.
UPDATE: Local CAMRA Pub of the Season (Winter 2005). Now very tastefully extended, it has live music on five days a week.
BWV 13.1.05: Adnams Broadside, Banks's Bitter, Camerons Original, Marston’s Old Empire
BWV 12.2.06: Banks’s Bitter, Original, Camerons Strongarm, Jennings Cocklewarmer, Marston’s Old Empire | |  Jacksons Arms
Tower St, TS24 7HH T 01429 862413
G Debra Wilding
F Sandwiches
MP TV JB P
O 11 to 12 Sun - Thu, 11 to 2 Fri - Sat
Award-winning cellar management has helped the new owners of the last two years to continue the pub’s good reputation for quality ales. The pub has a friendly set of regulars who appear to have been so for a very long time. Hartlepool seems to be the Good Old Boy capital. Is it the sea-air that induces longevity and beer-supping? Just off the High Street, this is the pub for those who are strolling around town looking for a quiet pub without any pretensions. It has several rooms off a central bar laid out in traditional style, with pub games being very important in the community psyche. The Bass leads the real ale trade, being of excellent quality and very popular with the locals. The pub is probably the most obvious choice for those who just want a town centre beer. I had a very pleasant time chatting with Debra and her partner; the humour was quickly to the fore, as was the feeling that I, and you, would be made to feel welcome
UPDATE: The pub was even better on my Sunday lunch-time visit, a really great locals’ ale house.
BWV 13.1.05: Bass Draught, Timothy Taylor Landlord, Young’s Special
BWV 12.2.06: Jennings Snecklifter, Marston’s Pedigree, Timothy Taylor Landlord | |  Camerons Brewery Visitor Centre
Stockton St. TS24 7NU T 01429 868686
G Johan Heum
F Traditional home cooked menu, freshly prepared, plus Sunday lunches 12 to 3 Tue to Sun
CP P D
O 11 to 4.30 Tue - Sun Book up for tours at other times.
If the Wharf is off my personal crawl, it is great to find that this brilliant tap room is now on the scene. It is a real ale fans’ dream to drink in the brewery, perhaps in conjunction with a tour, or at least with a chance to find genuine memorabilia for friends to share.
The beer will be direct from the brewery and constantly changing as the production demands. Each month the visitor centre puts on one of the breweries’ guest ales. My visit found Ray and myself in a bit of a Sunday daze. The visitors were genuine ale tourists, some also taking in a local history tour. One such visitor was Jim Sargeant, the author of the very useful local pub guide. He is a true gent and, along with Johan, helped me to confirm the selection of houses to find and, more importantly, give a miss. The pub itself is very small; really it is the café for the visitor centre. Very comfortable and simply furnished, I would be perfectly well entertained watching groups come and go on their tours either of the interactive centre or, more so, as larger groups come for their sampling session. It has the most authentic whiff of malt and yeast, and the feeling of being a bar that really wants to be bigger than it is. The staff couldn’t have been more helpful. I left as others arrived to sample the upstairs bistro. Next time it will be worth phoning to get a group of mates to join me in the full 40 min. tour. A fiver that also buys a glass and a pint must be worth it.
BWV 12.2.06: Camerons Strongarm | | | CLEVELAND CAMRA | | 
At the Ground 14.9.08
No Real ale in either of the friendly bars at the ground. The Corner Flag is run by the supporters club, small and good for a chat. The Pools Bar is more of a bar that is used by sponsors etc, i.e. suits but has away fans in.
Both will not allow fans on the bigger match days but normally do.
Dave King ( He of the Jacksions Wharf (Codyaker)) has contacted me regarding his new venture near to the ground.
In September of 2008 myself and my business partner (and best mate) Phil McGee took on the tenancy of the MILLHOUSE INN which is located beside the council owned car park which just happens to be 150 metres from the home of Hartlepool United FC.
We’re the closest pub to the ground, we’re now the busiest matchday pub in the town and the memorabilia is back where it belongs, on display in a fine old traditional pub.
The pub has been there for many years and has always been popular with Pools fans but unfortunately in the past also had a reputation as a ‘home fan’ only pub.Well you know my thoughts on that and since myself and Phil have taken over we’ve really changed the mentality of the clientele, now encouraging families and away fans to experience the pre-match build up in a friendly welcoming atmosphere.
As I mentioned earlier we got a very good deal with the brewery which only ties us to beers and we have a free hand on our wines, spirits, soft drinks and food which means our prices are pretty reasonable too.
We stock speciality bottled ales a few cases at a time and then change the selection on a fairly regular basis, for example we are currently selling Camerons Monkey Stout and another Camerons pale ale by the name of Sixth Sense, these will be changed just before Christmas probably although we may keep the Monkey Stout due to it’s popularity with visitors from out of town.
We also sell Camerons Strongarm (served with a massive head) and Trophy alongside the much more commercially popular John Smiths and the usual selection of lagers and cider, we do also take great pride in our cellar management and have quickly built up a reputation for selling one of the best pints in town, this comes from a lot of former club drinkers who regularly drop in for, as they say ‘a decent proper pint’ !
As well as catering for our matchday crowd we encourage local bands and singers to perform on Saturday nights (never, ever a cover charge), we have a thriving quiz night on a Wednesday, two football teams, a darts team, a full Sky TV package on 3 big screens, none of which have been at the pub for over 10 years and we have increased trade five fold since we took over.
We’re very pleased with our investment and hard work and feel like we’ve given back something to Pools fans and football fans in general.
We’d love you to come and visit the next time you’re in the area even though we’re not really a real ale pub but at least we’re traditional in every other sense of the word as far as a good old English pub is concerned.
VICTORIA PARK
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LOCAL BREWERY
Camerons Brewery
Stockton St
Hartlepool
TS24 7HU
Tel 01429 868686
www.cameronsbrewery.com | | WETHERSPOONS
The King Johns Tavern 1 South Road Hartlepool TS26 9HD Opening Times: Mon-Sun 11am-midnight
The Ward Jackson 3-9 Church Square Hartlepool TS24 7EU Opening Times: Sun-Thu 9am-midnight; Fri/Sat 9am-1am
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