The Greyhound Inn painting by Herbert Keys

The Lost Pubs of Crich Parish - a pub crawl with a difference!

The earliest record of pubs in the area is in 1577 when it was noted that there were five ale houses although it is not known where they were. By 1846, Bagshaws Directory lists 11 Inns and taverns in Crich and 13 beer houses. Compared to todays tally this seems a huge number as indeed it is. However, the pubs in those days served multiple functions as meeting places, gatherings of Friendly Societies, auctions and sales, wages were sometimes paid and of course beer was drunk. It is known that beer was a substitute for water as in many cases access to safe water was limited, it was also lower in alcohol than todays beer.

This walk will take you from the centre of Crich out to the surrounding villages of Fritchley, Bull Bridge, Crich Carr, Whatstandwell and Wakebridge. It is a long and quite hilly walk which you can break into more manageable sections unless you are feeling particularly energetic. The full route is 8 miles and involves some footpaths across fields so appropriate footwear is advised and should take about 3 hours.

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