Tuesday 31st January was the planned date for the ‘Maritime Trail’ following on from the successful ‘Old Town Trail’ the previous weekend. Although the meeting venue was Beerwolf Books, some keen followers obviously couldn’t resist the new refurbished Wetherspoon Packet Station as the first photograph shows!

In Beerwolf Books, however, we settled around one of the large tables and enjoyed sampling from the range of real ales available. I particularly enjoyed ‘Ale Conner’ from Penzance Brewery on this occasion. This bar and its bookshop attract a wide range of clientele and there is generally a very good vibe; I highly recommend a visit!

After a short stroll along Market Street we arrived at the Grapes. This pub has fantastic views of the harbour and docks, and is popular with younger clients particularly in the evenings. Here we sampled St Austell Brewery's ‘Tribute’, which continues to be a popular choice amongst ale drinkers.

Due to opening hours, we moved to the Quayside Inn in Arwenack Street. This historic pub also boasts wonderful views of the harbour and has an outdoor drinking area on Custom House Quay which is always popular with customers in the warmer months. We then visited the recently opened Verdant Seafood Bar. This cosy cellar bar serves up to eight Verdant beers on tap and has already become a popular choice for both its beer and freshly cooked seafood.

Our next venue was the Chain Locker. This St Austell Brewery pub is always busy and serves up to six real ales, which often includes a limited edition St Austell Brewery 'Cask Club’ beer.

Again this pub has a large outdoor seating area on the quay, but be wary of the seagulls as the sign warns!

Also looking for scraps but definitely not a seagull.

Also situated on Custom House Quay is the ever-popular ‘front bar. Again this bar serves a wide range of real ales from mainly Cornish breweries, but some national breweries are showcased too!

Climbing Quay Hill we reached the Oddfellows Arms. This cosy and convivial free house is popular with locals and visitors. Three real ales from mostly Cornish breweries are usually available.

A good afternoon was enjoyed by all those that attended this event. The intention of these organised ‘beer and cider trails' was to support pubs and bars during the quieter months of the year and I can certainly say that these followers fulfilled their mission! Keep an eye on our social diary for up and coming events and join us if you can!

Words by Jan Curtis

Photos by Steve Barber