Cambridge Pub Crawl - August 2025

The Pickerel Inn is arguably the oldest licensed pub in Cambridge, with a license dating back to 1608, and parts of the building, particularly the rear wing, dating even earlier to the 16th and 17th centuries. Over the years, the site has had many incarnations including as a gin palace, brothel, hotel, and undertaker’s, with stables and a brewery once located in its courtyard. Nestled beside Magdalene Bridge and just a stone’s throw from the River Cam, The Pickerel offers a picturesque riverside setting, ideal for people-watching and soaking in Cambridge’s timeless atmosphere. The pub was a favourite haunt of C.S. Lewis during his tenure at Magdalene College (1954–1963), making it a spot of particular interest for literature enthusiasts. It’s also said to be haunted by the ghost of a former landlady who allegedly drowned in the Cam in the 1950s.

This pub dates back to 1851 and has been known at different times as The Maypole or The Plume of Feathers, and is now family-run since 1982. It features a main room adorned with a mural of a Maypole scene and a cosy rear bar, with a function space upstairs. A charming suntrap courtyard offers outdoor seating which is covered and heated, complete with murals and fairy lights. Drink-wise the pub offers up to 16 rotating real ales, including from local and micro breweries, around 15 keg lines, cider, plus a wide range of Belgian/Dutch bottled beers, canned beers, gins and single malts. There’s also homemade food, particularly Italian and English classics. Recent awards include: Cambridge & District CAMRA: Dark Beer Pub 2025 Pub of the Year 2018

This pub was named after an oarsman who won a sculling race on the Thames and settled above the pub in 1860, insisting that mail be addressed to "The Champion of the River Thames, King Street, Cambridge". It is housed in a grade II-listed building with an interior largely unchanged since the late 19th Century and is listed on the National (Regional) Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors for East Anglia. Specific features include wood-panelled rooms, Victorian counters, fixed benches and a distinctive part-glazed partition. The rooms exude period charm and warmth. Greene King and guest ales are available, as are classic pub snacks such as pork pies and scotch eggs.

This cosy, backstreet gem features a single-bar layout with eclectic brewery memorabilia, funky bric-a-brac, and a ceiling adorned with flags and crests of Belgian towns and regions. The ambiance is candlelit, relaxed, and unfussy - perfect for laid-back conversation and reflection. There are up to seven ever-changing cask ales, including a regular special from Brewpoint, plus guest picks often featuring dark and golden ales. There’s also an impressive selection of Belgian beers. Recent awards include: Cambridge & District CAMRA: City Community Pub 2022 City LocAle Pub 2023

Originally licensed in 1834 when Sarah Horn began serving her home-brewed beer from her cottage, this pub’s unusual name comes from a temperance newspaper launched at the same time, which lasted for just one issue. Fortunately the pub was a bit more successful and has thrived for nearly two centuries. Inside, the snug is said to be one of the smallest pub rooms in Cambridgeshire. Many of the current hand-pumps date from the 1940s, and the layout was carefully restored after near-demolition in the 1970s. There are three regular ales and rotating guest beers, together with traditional pub snacks and more substantial fare.

Situated on Ainsworth Street, this 1870s corner pub is named after landowner James William Geldart and has remained a beloved local over the decades. The interior is richly decorated with film and music memorabilia. Even the hand-pumps are fashioned from musical instruments. Ale-wise, The Geldart offers up to eight cask ales (including regulars like Adnams Ghost Ship, Oakham Citra, St Austell Tribute) alongside rotating guest beers - always including a dark option. There’s also a wide selection of whiskies and rums.

Known affectionately as The Alex, this is a traditional backstreet corner pub dating from around 1870, and is one of the earliest buildings on Gwydir Street. It originally belonged to Hudson’s Cambridge and Pampisford Breweries and later to Wells & Winch before becoming part of Greene King. Despite this it is mostly free of tie and able to serve a mix of up to five Greene King and rotating guest ales. Although much modernised inside, it retains a traditional feel, with well-prepared food and an enclosed rear beer garden.

Tucked away on Gwydir Street, just off Mill Road, The Cambridge Blue (formerly the Dew Drop Inn) is a much-loved, independent freehouse - renowned as one of Cambridge’s real ale meccas. The building dates back to the early 1870s and originally served railway workers. It was renamed in the mid-1980s after adopting the university’s sporting color when a former rower became landlord. Inside, expect a cosy, traditional vibe, with breweriana, historic pump clips, and vintage beer festival posters decorating the space, creating a warm sense of history and character. The pub is legendary for its sheer variety of real ales - up to 14 on tap at any time, largely from UK microbreweries, plus several keg options. Cider enthusiasts are also well served, with six to ten ciders and perries, including a range from dry to sweet, and it boasts extensive fridges stocked with hundreds of Belgian and international bottled beers.

Historically this pub dates back to the early 1870s. Originally linked to local brewing, after a colourful history it passed through the ownership of several breweries and briefly became a Mediterranean restaurant before re-opening as a wet-led pub in 2023. The pub features light interiors thanks to mirrors and windows, simple seating and real fires during the colder months. Its walled garden is a year-round favourite, complete with canopies and heaters. On the bar you can expect up to eight real ales, including a dark option, plus four still ciders. A growing collection of pump clips is displayed overhead.

Located just a short walk from Cambridge station and owned by Milton Brewery, this pub was originally known as the Midland Tavern, built in the mid-1870s likely as the first building on Devonshire Road, linked to the expanding railway era. Despite its modest façade, the pub opens into a deceptively spacious interior with tall ceilings, divided into front and rear drinking areas featuring wooden booths, larger tables, and plenty of natural light. There is a strong focus on real ale: up to eight cask ales are available, mostly from Milton Brewery (e.g., Pegasus, Justinian, Marcus Aurelius, Mammon) along with occasional guest options. Milton’s Pegasus is a frequent staple. There are also excellent cider offerings earning it the Cambridge & District CAMRA Cider Pub of the Year (2024 & 2025) and Cambridgeshire CAMRA Cider Pub of the Year 2025.

This understated backstreet gem has a single bar complemented by a tucked-away snug. Furnishings are simple, with wooden tables and chairs, a few barstools, and features like wood-panelling, a wood burner, breweriana, and vintage lighting, giving it a nostalgic, traditional atmosphere. Oakham Citra is a consistent favorite on the bar, and other cask ales (sometimes from Nethergate and darker styles) rotate through the selection. The pub typically offers around six hand-pump ales and six still ciders. It also has an extensive rum menu, with up to 140 varieties! It was awarded Cambridge & District CAMRA Most Improved City Pub 2025, and past accolades also include CAMRA Cider Pub of the Year (2015) and Cambridgeshire CAMRA Dark Beer Pub of the Year (2012).