Cast in Sway

 

Here is an interesting map for you. The New Forest on the west (left) side, Portsmouth and Southampton conurbations, centre and right, and bottom right a small diamond shaped island, which, remains largely undiscovered by pub bloggers.  Though there was a brief expedition by the Famous Five (Four Old Farts and a Friend) in October 2018 (https://ghpub.blogspot.com/2018/10/five-find-lost-island-pt-1-ferry-to.html )  this failed to make much progress beyond the landing point.  On a positive note however Retired Martin has discovered a new island in Sheffield...

 

 

Today's expedition however, in pre-Lockdown2 August 2020, was along the blue line on the map from Hythe to the village of Sway in the New Forest.  Long before 'Concrete Bob' McAlpine got to grips with the stuff, and built the Glenfinnan Viaduct for the Harry Potter movies, Sway found its claim to fame with mass concrete.  The Sway Tower (photo above from Wiki) was built as a folly soon after the material was invented.  There's a fascinating little account of it here...  http://engineering-timelines.com/scripts/engineeringItem.asp?id=125

There are apparently a number of early mass concrete buildings in the Sway area, and one of the least mentioned is the mass concrete former piggery, now the premises of New Forest Koi, where we popped in for a bit of ornamental fish retail therapy (well at least we bought some fish food). (Image Google Maps)

Naturally, as a retired Civil Engineer, I’d be happy to talk concrete all day, but you wouldn't appreciate it.  However Sway also has a couple of pubs - so we couldn't pass by without stopping for a quick drink at the Hare and Hounds, a family owned hostelry.  As the photo shows it's quite a big sprawling pub, but nevertheless as non-bookers we were informed on this lunchtime that there was no socially distanced room inside the Inn - but plenty of room in the rear garden.

So - fully sanitised, we found a table in the garden and very efficient staff armed with smart pad computer thingies, quickly took our drinks order, while we relaxed and watched the pub garden world go by...

In classic Hampshire dining pub tradition there was nothing much going on, just peace and quiet, with one or two families dining outside...

...the distant sound of children in the play area, and a firmly grounded Granny fretting at Freddy frolicking fearlessly, far up on the climbing frame ...

...and tree stump art...

....and the gravity served cask house beverage specially for dogs.

The waitress brought the drinks to the table and the Badger Best bitter was perfect for a sunny summer afternoon,  (GHBSS 3). 

As the lacings slid slowly down the glass it was almost paradise.... in fact the only thing that even slightly dented the calm perfection that is Hampshire dining pubbing, was when a little boy dashed back from the play area to his parents table, to announce loudly and urgently, with appropriate trouser holding gesture, that he needed a wee...

But will it be the same post Lockdown2?...  

Soon, I may have to come out from behind the sofa and have a look....😁

A Window on Hythe History...

 

Last August the second wave/lockdown of the pandemic and Retired Martin's move to Sheffield were still events that were unimaginable* when, with both excitement and apprehension,  I set off to visit one of the oldest pubs in Hythe, and amazingly one which has kept (more or less) the same name since first being opened in 1851.

According to the authoritative source of Hythe history, Graham Parkes, in his book ‘Hythe A Waterside Village’, the site of the pub has been associated with beer and brewing for over 250 years, when a malthouse and possibly a brewery existed from around 1750. 

The Malt, as it is now known, started out life in the 19th century as the Malt and Hops Tavern.  Though the brick building itself is not a historical attention grabber, it still sits on a street of pretty terraced cottages of similar vintage, though some shades of their exterior decor may be more modern.

 

 

Inside The Malt there is now little sense of the pub's history and it is laid out as a 'homely' pub. Sofas, well spaced tables and chairs, vases of flowers, clock over the mantelpiece and the TV playing the afternoon quiz shows...

 

...and the cosy little bar, definitely make it feel like you could be in someone's front room.  The most striking (and probably the main remaining historical) feature is definitely the front bay window (top photo) which lets the sunlight stream into the bright and airy front lounge bar.  There's a rear bar/games room too and out back there is a pleasant secluded garden (I should have been an estate agent).

I mentioned being apprehensive about this visit because I had heard that there was no cask ale here.  Indeed there wasn't, but I needn't have worried, as the keg John Smith's Smoothflow was drinking well (as Retired Martin would say)....and little did I know that post Lockdown2 this might become the pub bloggers 'drink of choice' across the land.

...and it was pleasant just to sit, sipping my classic ale and listen to the other two locals having a go at answering quiz show questions when prompted by the TV.

The sign on the wall said it all really and though this historic pub may be firmly in the modern age, it is still doing a good job of being a great place where locals can relax and socialise over a drink or two.....what more can you ask for?....

 

hmmm...a keg of top craft ale like Greene King West Coast IPA wouldn't go amiss...!

* though of course the threat of Russ' apostrophe check was ever present... (did I get that one right Russ?)