Planning a summer bivi ride over a week or so, hung round beery goodness. There’s a massive number of breweries, which would be your pick to drop in on?

Good beer, nice locations, food/farm shop, that sort of thing.

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EDIT – for location and proximity to North Downs / trails

Harveys in Lewes is South Downs, splendid brewery right on the River, they book up early so try and arrange a date to be there.

Lewes itself is also very nice, fiercely independent town. (I believe they have their own currency still) The Brewery shop is good too and there’s a few nice food places on the same street, always face away from Argos to appreciate the view….

The Lanes pub in Brighton brews its own beer on site and is a fantastic pub with great food.

Triple fff at Four Marks. Press Rat & Warthog is a tremendous mild.
http://www.triplefff.com/

The list is only 3 long so far, jeff, but that’s on it! 😀 Mum lives just down the road.

Tillingboure, top of crocknorth, not sure what facilities they have, nice riding round there

Tillingbourne brewery at the top of Staples Lane / pretty much on the North Downs way.

http://www.tillybeer.co.uk

Shere Drop (Surrey hills brewery) at denbies

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Siren (ride from Swinely)
Wild Weather
West Berkshire

Wiltshire way…

Stonehenge
Hop Back
Downton

Hampshire
Red Cat in Winchester

We did Palmers Brewery in Bridport last year. Lovely old school brewery, very interesting. And the samples at the end were splendid (just get your better half to drive)

http://www.facebook.com/ItchenValleyBrewery

http://www.uphambrewery.co.uk/

http://www.bowman-ales.com/

http://www.vibrantforest.co.uk/

http://www.flowerpots.f2s.com/

Oooh, been years since I’ve been to flowerpots. Can you still camp/bivi in the beer garden for free? That would be ideal for the OP.

I have done the Hogs Back tour, a fun hour or two and good beers. Whether it suits the route (could be a good link) is up to you.

I havent visited the Surrey Hills Brewery (Shere Drop, Ranmore Ale nice beers) I fear they are a bit “corporate” now as they are part of the Denbies estate near Box Hill.

If you are looking for Bivi spots nearish trails you might consider somewhere around Shere/Little London having ridden the Surrey Hills Trails – the William IV or William Bray pubs are decent and close to typical routes.

Brilliant. cheers all. Flowerpots – great shout. think that’s got to be the pick from the Winchester area.

Vibrant Forest looks good too. Put off initially by the industrial state address, but it’s pretty rural, as industrial estates go!

Wasn’t thinking of going as far west as Bridport, but you never know. Also thought of going to Bath rather than Dorset, so cheers for those, CFH.

It would seem that your face has to fit to be welcome in Flowerpots and my group of mtb’ers were not made welcome. I had personally checked availability of food and timings beforehand yet when we arrived they had stopped serving.

Additionally they looked down their noses at my very tall son and his then impressive (clean) ponytail.

Well heeled of Winchester is who they want and not my sort. 😐

If it were me I’d head for the Itchen Valley Brewery, sup some Pure Gold and then hit the ford by the watercress beds for a laugh.

Wadworth in Devizes, mmmm 6X

Sixpenny Handley Brewery in Dorset.

I got absolutely trolleyed on the Hogs Back tour, well recommended. +1 for the Wadworth tour as well.

The Harveys brewery tour in Lewes is almost impossible to get on, which is a shame, and none of the other ones around Brighton are much cop.

You could do the Real Ale Train as well. Lots of good bivvying near the start/end point.

Go here, Flowerpots in Cheriton.

Don’t come tonight or tomorrow, I’ll be there. Your face has to fit, yes but by God the beer is exceptional.

Then go here for Wallops Wood real ale, Dundridge (nr Bishops Waltham.

Then here, The Thomas Lord, West Meon for Upham Ales..

Not sure about the Thomas Lord, bit of a settlement crack at about 3″ off the ground. Looks dangerous.

Joking aside (serious business, beer!), quite a few breweries will have odd opening hours that might not tie in with when we’re coming past.

Pubs however…

So cheers bikebouy for getting the ball rolling – further suggestions for absolutely world class pubs would be very welcome!

Red Cat Brewery Winchester

Brocken Bridge brewery, coming shortly (Meon Valley)