The Horse & Groom

The Horse & Groom, Scarcliffe, Derbyshire S44 6SU

A stone-built village pub set back from the main road in a former mining area in North-East Derbyshire, it retains a traditional two-roomed layout with lounge on the left and plainer public bar to the right. The comfortable lounge still seems to have a distinctive “Bass” character with dark wood and red upholstery, and horse racing pictures adorning the walls.

No hot food is served, showing that wet-led pubs can still survive even in out-of-town locations, although the locally-made pork pies are recommended. The pub has featured in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide for many years – on my visit the range was Greene King Abbot Ale and Old Golden Hen, Black Sheep Bitter and Pilgrim from the local Welbeck Brewery. According to a sign in the car park, classic car meets are a regular feature.

The remarkable part-ruined 17th century Bolsover Castle is only a couple of miles away and is well worth a visit.