Pub 98, Day 36 – Carbrook Hall

By Andy

Historians often agree that the history of Rome – and by extension the history of European civilisation – can be summarised into three key sacks, each of which shaped the destiny of the entire continent:

1. The Sack of Rome by The Gauls (390 BC). This defeat prompted a series of military reforms, which set the foundations for Rome's domination on the battlefield.^[1]
2. The Sack of Rome by the Visigoths (410 AD). This deepened the schism between the Western Roman Empire and the Eastern Roman Empire.
3. The Sack of Rome by the Ostrogoths (546 AD). The fall of Rome was complete as a prolonged siege ensured that the city became depopulated entirely.^[2]

However, contemporary historians may have to add a fourth event to this list, the consequences of which will be deeper and more profound than anything which came before:

4. The sacking of Rob from Pubquest (2016 AD), unless he pulls his finger out and writes a bloody blog soon!

***

 

Leaving The Wentworth behind, we made the short journey to Carbrook Hall.

The Carbrook claims to be the most haunted pub in Sheffield. In reality, what this means is that the building has a bit of history behind it.

During the English Civil War, it was owned by John Bright, a Colonel for the Roundheads. The Roundheads used Carbrook Hall as a war bunker, and devised a plan to capture Sheffield Castle from the Cavaliers. After initial attempts failed, the Roundheads acquired a larger cannon, which enabled Colonel Bright to successfully breach the castle walls in 1644. As reward for his success, Colonel Bright was appointed Governor of York, before passing away in 1688.^[3]

Legend has it that the ghost of Colonel Bright often returns to Carbrook Hall to haunt the pub's patrons. Indeed, according to the landlord he is particularly fond of Smirnoff Ice, which frequently goes missing. This is the sort of finer detail that should convince any sceptics, as the fluorescent alcopop was a well-known popular drink during the 17th-century.

Bravely pushing all this to the back of our minds, we summoned up the courage to enter. The pub's interior instantly reveals the building's history, with ornate oak-panelled walls and a 'hidden' 17th-century door.

However, the fittings fight for attention with garish modern additions, including an assortment of off-putting portraits and a cartoonish chap in a suit of armour. This artificial history actually conceals the genuine features, distracting you from the finer details.

Unfortunately the beer choice was not as inspiring as the architecture, so we were forced to sample cider: on this occasion, Thatchers Gold.

As they were being poured, it suddenly dawned on me that I recognised the landlord. Never trusting my own powers of facial recognition (I once thought Paul Daniels was a rapper, and Rob never lets me forget it), I turned to Rob, who was having the same epiphany.

It was the landlords from one of our favourite pubs, the Star & Garter!

After discovering the Star & Garter's 50p pool table, we had spent many evenings there shortly before its sad demise. Pleasingly, the landlords also recognised us (or at least they claimed to), allowing us to discuss the S&G's closure and their subsequent relocation to Carbrook Hall.

The landlords are a thoroughly lovely couple, although it has to be said, judging by their track record not particularly good at running pubs: the Star & Garter will soon become student flats, and rumours persist that Carbrook Hall will soon meet the same fate.

Picture the scene: Freshers' Week 2020, and an irate student bangs on his flatmate's door:

“This is your last warning: stop fucking stealing my Smirnoff Ice!”

Pub: Carbrook Hall (537 Attercliffe Common, S9 2FJ)

Rating: 6.5/10

Pint: Thatchers Gold

Brewery: Thatchers Cider (Sandford, Somerset)

NEXT UP: Rob's riposte, at The Noose & Gibbet Inn...

References: 
[1] The Battle at the Allia River 390 BCE, http://www.ancient.eu/article/879/ 
[2] Patrick Amory, People and Identity in Ostrogothic Italy 489-554, Cambridge University Press, (1997), p.11
[3] http://carbrookhallpub.wixsite.com/carbrook-hall/about