CAMRAmble No.4 – Gateshead to Felling

Our fourth CAMRA ramble took us on an easy walk from Gatehead, along the south bank of the river Tyne, on to Bill Quay and then, by taking a hairpin turn, to Felling. It was a bright May lunchtime with a cooling breeze when 17 members (plus 3 canines) gathered at Microbus in anticipation of the 6 mile walk ahead with some enjoyable ales along the way.

Microbus is a quirky CAMRA award winning and 2025 Good Beer Guide listed micropub located in a railway archway directly opposite the entrance to High Level Bridge. It was opened in 2022 by a group of campervan enthusiasts and has six handpulls dispensing a selection of fine ales. The bar is campervan themed and the pub is adorned with paraphernalia reflecting the owners’ enthusiasm for these vehicles. I enjoyed Monk’s Bar Pale (4.7% a.b.v), a very tasty citrus beer produced by a collaboration of Brew York and Northern Monk breweries.

At the stroke of one o’clock we set off on our walk, heading east we passed the famous SAGE Gateshead, which in 2023 announced its new name, The Glasshouse International Centre for Music. The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art loomed large ahead of us as we continued our ramble passing a hotel and fashionable apartments.

The landscape took on a very industrial look as we continued along South Shore Road but we were soon enjoying a pleasant stroll along riverside paths until we reached The Fog on the Tyne, formerly (and now 11/2026) known as The Schooner. Now refashioned, this welcoming smart and popular pub has a very large patio drinking area and offers a huge selection of meals with very amusing names. The “Tina Turner Burger” (simply the breast – chicken) and “Greece Is The Word” burger (Halloumi) being two of my favourites. All three recently installed handpulls were pouring Firebrick – Moustache Foam Bitter (4.6%), Allendale – Golden Plover (4.0%) and Three Brothers – Joy Division Pale (3.9%).

Thanking our host Fred and his team for their wonderful hospitality, a now larger group of 22 and canines set off on a 2.6 mile leg of our walk for the Bill Quay area of Gateshead. Enjoying mostly pathways along the river with some in woodlands we arrived at The Cricketers at Bill Quay. This stand alone, split-level, one-roomed traditional pub has a bar adorned with numerous old photos of the pub and of the area. A great community pub, it serves 2 regular beers from the Marstons portfolio. I enjoyed Wainwright Golden (4.1%) whilst sat in the beer garden, a sun trap of such a lovely day.

Very conveniently and a mere 100 yards up the river bank is The Wardley, an imposing and attractive structure of red brick with stone surrounds to the openings and a quirky, decoratively detailed turret. Rebuilt 1897 this now lonely former hotel was once at the end of Ann Street – one of a number of terraces, now demolished, running down towards the river bank. On our visit the pub was very busy with live sport showing on television screens inside and a large number of drinkers sat in the large area of outside seating. This is where I thoroughly enjoyed one of my favourite beers; Yorkshire-brewed Ossett – White Rat (4.0%).

The final part of our walk was less than 2 miles and within 45 minutes we arrived at two very popular real ale pubs in Felling; The Old Fox and The Wheat Sheaf,both CAMRA 2025 Good Beer Guide listed. At the former and despite there being a good array of other beers available, I couldn’t resist another pint of Ossett – White Rat (4.0%). This superb traditional street pub has a community vibe and is the sister pub of The Wobbly Duck in Eldon Square in Newcastle city centre.

Retracing our earlier steps on Carlisle Street we visited our last pub of the day; the aforementioned Wheat Sheaf. This Big Lamp Brewery owned pub with its green and yellow ceramic exterior has an interior listed by CAMRA of special national historic interest. Rebuilt in 1907, the original three-bay bar-back and panelled counter remain, as do a pair of massive urinals in the outside gents’. Two windows have delightfully etched wheat-sheaves on the side road frontage. As expected there were three ales available from Big Lamp Brewery but to our delight there was also Ratmospheric (4.2%) from Rat Brewery. I managed to get the last half pint of this after enjoying another favourite of mine; Big Lamp – Prince Bishop Ale (4.8%) which was of the highest quality.

Both pubs are within minutes’ walk of Felling metro station

I am anticipating that our next CAMRAmble in August will conclude at a local beer festival. Please keep a look out on the branch diary. I hope that you can join us for what will yet another enjoyable day sampling some of the fine real ales whilst enjoying a pleasant walk in good company.

Tara-a-bit !

@MorpethWolf