Camra Good Beer Guide 2013 – Who’s in and who’s out in North East England

LANDLORDS are raising a glass, or drowning their sorrows as Camra’s Good Beer Guide 2014 is out and there are a host of new faces – and omissions.

The annual book, which sells tens of thousands of copies, highlights what the campaign’s branch members think are the places serving the region’s best pints.

And this year, in a shock move, Northumberland’s longest serving member of the Guide, The Star at Netherton – which has been in every previous edition – has been taken out.

In Tyne and Wear there are 10 new entries – The Hotspur, near Haymarket, in Newcastle, The Forth on the city’s Pink Lane, the Trent House on Leazes Lane, the Gosforth Hotel in Gosforth, the Stags Head in South Shields, the Magnesia Bank in North Shields, the Grey Horse in East Boldon, the Blue Bell in Fulwell, the Saltgrass in Sunderland and Hugos at the Coast in Tynemouth.

While in Northumberland the Greenhead Hotel, in Greenhead, the Joiners Arms in High Newton, the Red Lion in  Newbrough, the Bridge End in Ovingham joint the list.

And there are plenty of new faces too in County Durham – the Bay Horse, on Bondgate in Bishop Auckland, the Smiths Arms in Carlton, the Company Row in Consett, Darlington’s Voodoo Cafe, the Bishop’s Mill and Castle Eden Inn in Durham, Durham City RFC, the Fox Cub at Spennymoor, the John Duck in Durham, the Four Alls at Ovington and the Five Quarter in Peterlee.

But in order for new pubs to come in, others must lose out, and this year that sees – in Tyen and Wear – the Old Fox in Felling, the Kings Manor at Manors, the popular Newcastle Arms, the Town Wall, the Trimmers Arms in South Shields, the Railway Tavern and Wolsey inb Sunderland, and the Cumberland Arms and Turk’s Head in Tynemouth go.

In Northumberland the Barrasford Arms in Barrasford, the Golden Lion Hotel in Allendale, The Star at Netherton, and The Mason’s Arms at Norham lose their place.

And in  County Durham, it’s not good news for the Grand Hotel in Bishop Auckland, the Moorings Hotel or Wicket Gate in Chester-le-Street, the Britannia or Tanners Hall in Darlington, the Bridge Hotel or Court Inn in  Durham, the Lord Nelson in Gainford, the Parkwood Hotel in Hartburn, the Jackson’s Arms in Hartlepool, the Green Tree in  Howden-le-Wear, the Red Lion at North Bitchburn, the Lambton  Hounds in Pity Me, the Seven Stars Inn at Shincliffe or the Black Horse Inn at Tudhoe.