Castle Facing Ruin Unlike Good Boozer in Thulston

Elvaston Castle is one of those perplexing problems for Derbyshire County Council as it’s Grade II listed, set in a terrific 200 acre country park but on its knees.

It’s not open to the public, is on the Buildings at Risk register and the local authority reckon a cool £6.1m is needed to repair it to a level whereby it can be reopened.

There is, apparently a masterplan for the future of this castle…my money is on a mega sized Lidl with a tarmac car park…you may laugh…

Anyway, the initial Elizabethan House was built in 1633 before James Wyatt redesigned it in a Gothic revival style in the 1820s and it was revamped again in 1836 as its Gothic look became even more apparent.

There have been no Sisters of Mercy gigs here though in the intervening period and the house that was built for the Earl of Harrington remains very much in limbo despite a potential Fields of the Nephilim fundraiser concert being in the pipeline.

The gardens are used extensively though and I reckon this place would benefit from a boozer, in fact, that could be the missing link.

A new Microbrewery could take over the castle, open it as a tap house and open it  maybe once a month for three hours and ensure a place in the 2021 GBG…you may laugh…

However, whilst the locals of Elvaston wait for that elusive pub to appear they can draw solace at a pub in the village next door, Thulston.

398 – The Harrington Arms DE72 3EY is on the main drag through Elvaston and Thulston towards the A6 and there is a small housing estate behind the boozer, which probably accounts for local trade.

In fact, there are lots of chimney pots between here and the well pubbed area of Shardlow in one direction and the not so well pubbed areas of Chellaston in the other; therefore with this being the only pub for miles, it’s got a pretty captive audience.

I was in with my lad at around 5pm on a Friday and, having studied the beer board at great length came to the only logical conclusion…a pint of Bass please barman!

(picture for Mark…settling Bass)

I noted that two people before me and four people after me all ordered Bass so it’s fair to say the turnover was good and the quality of the pint was excellent.

Not quite up the Railway Tavern standard but certainly the sort of pint to make people think drinking cask ale is worthwhile.

It’s a fairly small boozer and was full in the main bar area and the smoker section outside with the slightly raised area only occupied by my lad and I along with another couple who looked like they’d been married for a while…

(Married life, 2019)

…but were both friendly along with all the other locals in this boozer and were enjoying their Friday beers.

A proper local that is clean and tidy and researching this piece meant I could finally work out why a pub in Thulston was called The Harrington Arms…