Barton Lock and the Marston's Barton Turns pub

 

Here's Barton Lock in the mist of Christmas Eve morning.

I was chatting to the new publican at the Barton Turns pub  - he took over only this month.  Brewery/owner Marstons continue to do little for the pub, once on the main Derby-Lichfield road but cut off in a quiet 'appendix' road since the big A38 dual carriageway was built in the 1980s.

Since the massive new Barton Marina development opened recently - including its big, slick family-style The Waterfront pub - the Barton Turns must surely have suffered from local trade too.

Boaters can't beat the Barton Turns for location, though.  It's a naturally stopping point, with rubbish disposal and waterpoints below the lock and much good mooring above. 

The new hosts don't plan to change too much, but hope to manage it a bit more sharply than before.  I told them about the usefulness of wi-fi to us boaters, and perhaps that seed will bear fruit soon.  They said that Marstons has mentioned installing it.

Why is it called 'Barton Turns'?   Apparently narrowboats would bring coal here from the Derbyshire coalfields, and 'turn' at a winding hole below the lock - long since filled-in, apparently.   It's strange, because when the winding hole did exist and the boats did turn here the pub was actually called The Vine - and had been for perhaps three centuries.

Or so say the new landlords, who've clearly been briefed about its history.   There's an aerial view of The Vine in the saloon bar, dating, I'd guess, from about 40 years ago.

What a shame Marstons itself can't tell us any of this on their website, marstonspubs.co.uk.  It's really a terrible site, geared only to finding new tenants for empty pubs (read: suckers who'll invest their life savings) and not at all helpful to customers.  Try the 'Search For Pubs' link, search for 'Barton Turns' and see what I mean.  

And look at the login, which says 'Marstons customers only', which of course actually means 'publicans'.  These days canalside publicans need all the help they can get, and it's so sad that breweries don't support them on the web.

Comments

[Nick]

I remember a canal guidebook (back when it was the Vine) saying that it (the small settlement there) was so called because this is where the turn from the old main road (is it Watling Street there) for Barton.

[Sarah]

Some of my most unhappy eating/drinking experiences have been in Marstons pubs, and I tend to avoid them now if there's an alternative.