The idea behind the Trail…
The first ever Real Ale Trail event was in 2009, created with the idea of becoming the biggest supporter of the village pub and along the way celebrate small local breweries too, this was in North East Wales. Worried about the number of pubs closing we gathered an idea to bring new customers to a cluster of small independent rural pubs in the county of Flintshire.
It all started with a problem as things do.
A Tale of Village Pubs, Country Lanes, and an Unexpected Journey
Like many great stories, this one begins with a problem and a rainy day in Wales. The year was 2009, and village pubs across Britain were falling silent. The tightening of drink-driving laws and the smoking ban had cast long shadows over these rural sanctuaries, leaving them stranded like lighthouses without ships to guide. In the small village of Babell, where The Black Lion stood proudly in its field, surrounded by nothing but Welsh countryside and hope, the future seemed uncertain.
But sometimes, the simplest solutions are born from the most pressing challenges. What if, someone wondered, we could bring people to these hidden gems without asking them to drive? What if we could thread together these scattered pubs like pearls on a string, creating something more valuable than their individual parts?
And so, on that rain-soaked Saturday in Flintshire, a modest experiment began. For just £5, a handful of buses quietly wound their way through the Welsh countryside, carrying curious souls between seven characterful pubs. No fanfare, no grand announcements – just good people, seeking good beer and better company.
In the years that followed, this humble idea blossomed into something remarkable. From the dales of Yorkshire to the highlands of Aberdeen, from Snowdonia’s rugged slopes to Shropshire’s gentle hills, the Real Ale Trail began weaving new stories. Each route carefully crafted to showcase not just ales, but the very soul of rural Britain – its village pubs.
The landlords tell it best. Jane Forkings-Russell of The Black in Babell speaks of visitors from “just down the road” discovering her pub for the first time, returning later for evening meals. In Hendre, John Les Tomos of Y Dderwen remembers when fourteen pubs dotted the road between Mold and Afon-Wen. Now only two remain, making each trail a lifeline of new discoveries and returning friends.
Perhaps most surprisingly, it wasn’t until regular travelers began commenting on the spectacular views between pubs that another layer of magic was revealed. Now, the routes deliberately meander down country lanes (careful to avoid those low-hanging branches), where buses full of contentedly singing passengers have become an unlikely but welcome sight in the British countryside.
What started as a response to rural pubs’ struggles has evolved into something more profound – a celebration of British pub culture, a champion of local breweries, and proof that sometimes the best adventures aren’t about the destination, but about the winding road between one warm welcome and the next.
The trail has grown, winning awards and recognition, but its heart remains unchanged – bringing people together to discover the quiet magic of village pubs, one countryside lane at a time. It’s become, quite possibly, the world’s only event dedicated to delivering mature appreciative souls safely to the doorsteps of Britain’s finest ale houses, creating stories and friendships along the way.
Each trail writes its own chapter, each pub adds its own verse, and the story continues to unfold, one pint at a time.
We have now run trails in lots of locations
Such as Aberdeen, Caernarfon, Cheshire, Conwy, Flintshire, Shropshire, Snowdonia, Teesside, Vale of Glamorgan, Wrexham, Wyre Forest, and Yorkshire Dales with hundreds of different ales to sample.
The boom in microbreweries and the production of independent ales means that there is always something new to experience on every trail. No trail is ever the same apart from the scenery. It wasn’t until people kept commenting about the spectacular countryside you get to enjoy between pubs that we took note. Now we try and keep the route on as many small country lanes (without hanging branches), ones that can accommodate a 40ft bus loaded with grown men and women singing their way around the countryside.
“Our local bus service stops about 3.30pm,” said Judy Williams, landlady of The Crown Inn. “Without the the ale trail, many people didn’t know my pubs existed.”
