A number of CAMRA beer festivals are due to take place in venues steeped in history, giving visitors the chance to combine sampling fantastic beers while learning a little bit more about a location. With a number of festivals held in churches, castles and museums, there is a little something for every history buff and beer lover.
10th Hinckley Beer Festival - Hinckley
14 - 16 September
This year the festival is dedicated to the town’s most famous brewers, William Bass, William Butler and William Worthington. To mark the occasion special heritage beers will be on offer as created by the three brewers, alongside a range of 70 other beers and ciders. Tim Page, Chief Executive of CAMRA will open the festival, while industry figure Steve Wellington, former Head Brewer at Bass/Worthington and now Master Brewer at Heritage Brewing Co Burton on Trent, will also be in attendance.
Amber Valley Beer & Cider Festival - Belper
28 September - 1 October
This festival is held in a Strutts, a Grade-II listed Edwardian building that used to be home to the Herbert Strutt Grammar School. This year marks the bicentenary of the Pentrich Revolution. Pentrich and South Wingfield Revolution Group will display artwork and historical pieces throughout the event and give a talk on Saturday afternoon at 3 pm where visitors can sample revolution themed one-off special beers from local breweries. With a programme of entertainment on Friday and Saturday, this is a festival for beer, history and music lovers alike.
Nottingham ‘Robin Hood’ Beer & Cider Festival - Nottingham
11-14 October
The venue is a spectacular 17th century mansion built on the original medieval castle, providing spectacular views across the city. The castle is also home to a vibrant museum and art gallery, which customers to the beer festival can visit free of charge. The festival boasts 1,270 different real ales, 250 different draught ciders and a full programme of live entertainment on the Victorian bandstand. If that wasn’t enough, the Festival Fringe Fortnight involves several local pubs who offer an 'extended' festival flavour.
Steel City Beer Festival - Sheffield (poster pictured)
18-21 October
The annual Sheffield Beer Festival is now in its 4th year inside Sheffield's iconic Kelham Island Museum. Kelham Island is a 900-year old man made island by the River Don originally made to provide water for a nearby mill, and one of the oldest industrial sites in Sheffield. There will be 250 real ales on offer featuring brews from all of Sheffield's breweries, 40 real ciders, and a new bar featuring cask-conditioned keg beers.
Hull Real Ale & Cider Festival - Hull
16-18 November
With royal origins, stained glass windows of national significance, and surviving both Zeppelin raids and Nazi bombings during the first and second World Wars, Hull Minster has an amazing story to tell and is a stunning location for a beer festival. The 700-year-old church was recently upgraded to Minster status in May making it an the perfect time to visit Hull, which is also the 2017 City of Culture. Expect a number of beers with an ecclesiastical theme, one-off specials created by LocAle breweries, a number of food stalls and a live music programme which includes the church organist.
White Cliffs Festival of Winter Ales - Dover
2-3 February 2018
This is the 24th year that the Festival of Winter Ales has been held in Dover's Town Hall, Maison Dieu, which was built in 1203. With its superb stained glass windows, collection of arms and official portraits of the Lords Warden of the Cirque Ports it makes for a unique location. Visitors can expect to sample a range of 60 real ales, of which about half are from Kent breweries and the rest are from mostly small independents and micro-breweries.