<p>Riseley Route 111 via Three Mile Cross, Spencers Wood &amp; Swallowfield. </p><p>A crawl of four fine pubs in three different villages. Each pub is very different and this crawl will provide a good variety of pubs, a good selection of beer and only one short walk. Please note that busses on this route only run on Thursday, Friday and Staurday nights!<h1>Beer by Bus No. 1</h1></p><p>Local bus &amp; train information hotline: (0118) 901 5900</p><p><h2>Riseley Route 111 via Three Mile Cross, Spencers Wood &amp; Swallowfield.</h2></p><p>We start this crawl by catching the Route 111 bus from bus stop SL outside Reading Station. The bus leaves at 19:10 on Saturdays and 10 minutes later at 19:20 on Thursdays &amp; Fridays. The full evening timetable for this service is included at the bottom of the page.</p><hr><h3>First Stop, <i>The Swan</i>, Three Mile Cross. (0118) 988 3674</h3><b>Brakspear</b> Special; <b>Fullers</b> London Pride; <b>Courage</b> Best; <b>Wadworth</b> IPA, 6X; Guest Beer.</p><p>You will arrive immediately outside The Swan at 19:41 (19:31 on Saturdays). The pub is on Basingstoke Road (B3349, which was the old A33), it has two lounge bars &amp; a family dining room in an old beamed building with an Inglenook fireplace. It is within walking distance from the M4 and Madejski Stadium. </p><p>Sometimes heaving, almost always busy The Swan server a good range of Real Ales and is a popular place to eat (not that we have time for dinner on this crawl!) The beer is a bit on the pricey side as you might expect in a smart pub, but even so it is definitely a drinker's pub and well worth a visit.</p><p>We have an hour and a half to do two pubs and the short walk between them, so you should start to think about moving on at tewnty-past eight (ten-past on Saturday). Now for the short walk... Turn left out of the pub and continue up the Old A33 where between 4 and 8 minutes later (depending on how thirsty you are!) you will find our next port of call on the same side of the road.</p><h3>Next Stop, <i>Farriers Arms</i>, Spencer's Wood. (0118) 988 3132</h3><b>Bass</b> Draught Bass; <b>Morland</b> Ruddles County; <b>Courage</b> Best, Directors.</p><p>The Farrier's Arms, also on Basingstoke Road is a large roadside pub with multiple drinking areas &amp; award winning garden.</p><p>The farrier's is another busy, cosmopolitan pub. Although slightly more basic than The Swan, it still has character (and characters!) and is well worth a visit.</p><p>Our bus to continue up to Swallowfield or Risley leaves at 21.23 (Thursday, Friday and Saturday), the bus stop is on the same side of the road as the pub turn left leaving the pub and it is in front of you. Alternatively, if you want to call it a day, there is a bus back into Reading at 21:34 and 22:34 from the bus stop immediately opposite the pub.</p><p>Now you need to make a decision. You only have time to do one more of the two remaining villages, Swallowfield and Risley. Both villages have two pubs and with an hour you should have time to try both pubs in whichever village you choose.</p><p>Swallowfield's two pubs (The Crown and The George and Dragon) are 10 minutes walk apart but both serve good quality beer and are an interesting contrast. Risley's two pubs (The Bull and The Dog and Partridge) are much closer together. I'll describe the slightly more energetic option first.</p><hr><h2>Option 1 - Swallowfield</h2><h3>First Pub, <i>The George and Dragon</i>, Swallowfield (0118) 988 4432</h3><b>Adnams</b> Best Bitter; <b>Fullers</b> London Pride; <b>Wadworth</b> 6X</p><p>We arrive in Swallowfield at 21:26, ask to be dropped of at the pub, which is on Church Road. The George and Dragon is a smart pub/restaurant with wine bar feel. Definitely used by the wealthy set (mainly for its food which has an excellent reputation) but the beer is in good condition and the place has style.</p><p>With two pubs to visit and a 10 minute walk between them we will have to drink quite quickly, you should be aiming to leave the George and Dragon at a quarter to ten. Turning right out of the pub follow the road (no footpath!), it will bear left past the church, over the first of hump-back bridges (where the pavement starts), after the second hump-back bridge turn first left at the junction and very soon The Crown will be a welcome sight on the left.<h3>Second Pub, <i>The Crown</i>, Swallowfield (0118) 988 3260 </h3><b>Morland</b> Original, Ruddles County; <b>Wadworth</b> 6X</p><p>Situated on The Street, The Crown is a pretty village local. It has a lively public bar with pool table and a quieter lounge bar which also serves as a dining room. The pub has a nice, relaxed old-fashioned feel.</p><p>Our bus home leaves at 22.26 and luckily the bus stop is right outside the pub (on the same side of the road).</p><p><hr><h2>Option 2 - Risley</h2><h3>First Pub, <i>The Bull</i>, Risley (0118) 988 3194 </h3><b>Shepherd Neame</b> Master Brew, Best Bitter, Spitfire</p><p>We arrive in Risley at 21:28, ask to be dropped off at The Bull, you will be able to see both pubs in the village. We only have an hour in Risley so don't loose track of time! Risley is the end of the bus route so you can catch a bus from ither side of the road and it will still go to Reading!</p><p></p><p>The Bull is a pleasant, large pub on Basingstoke Road (B3349). A simple a one bar Shepherd Neame roadside pub but the beer is rare for the area and kept in good condition.</p><h3>Second Pub, <i>The Dog &amp; Partridge</i>, Risley (0118) 988 3406 </h3><b>Fullers</b> London Pride; <b>Whitbread</b> Flowers Original</p><p>A little further along Basingstoke Road, you will find the Dog and Partridge, a tidy village local with two bars and a skittle alley. Possibly not the most inspiring range of beers but usually well-kept. </p><hr><h3>Back to Reading</h3></p><p>We arrive back at the Railway Station in Reading at 22:57, just as time is called! However the bus does go down Southampton street, past the Hop Leaf which is an excellent Hop-Back brewery pub. If you get of there you will have a good ten minutes before time is called (and thirty minutes including drinking-up time) if you want to finish off the evening with a pint of Summer Lightening.</p><p> </p><p>All the pubs are served by a bus stop please tell the driver which pub you want. The pub descriptions are taken from the latest Berkshire Pub Guide and are always subject to change. </p><hr><h2> Evening Timetable:<br/> Reading to Riseley Route 111<br/> via Three Mile Cross, Spencers Wood &amp; Swallowfield</h2><table> <tr> <th align=left valign=top width=200>OUT</th> <th align=left width=100>Saturdays<br/>only</th> <th align=left width=100>Thur &amp; Fri<br/>only</th> <th align=left width=100>Thur, Fri &amp;<br/>Sat only</th> <th align=left width=100>Thur, Fri &amp;<br/>sat only</th> </tr><tr> <td>Reading Station</td> <td>19:10</td><td>19:20</td><td>21:00</td><td>22:00</td> </tr><tr> <td>Three Mile Cross</td> <td>19:31</td><td>19:41</td><td>21:21</td><td>22:21</td> </tr><tr> <td>Spencer's Wood</td> <td>19:33</td><td>19:43</td><td>21:23</td><td>22:23</td> </tr><tr> <td>Swallowfield</td> <td>19:38</td><td>19:46</td><td>21:26</td><td>22:26</td> </tr><tr> <td>Risley</td> <td>19:41</td><td>19:48</td><td>21:28</td><td>22:28</td> </tr></table></p><p> </p><table> <tr> <th align=left valign=top width=200>BACK</th> <th align=left width=100>Saturdays<br/>only</th> <th align=left width=100>Thur &amp; Fri<br/>only</th> <th align=left width=100>Thur, Fri &amp;<br/>Sat only</th> <th align=left width=100>Thur, Fri &amp;<br/>sat only</th> </tr><tr> <td>Risley</td> <td>19:44</td><td>19:49</td><td>21:29</td><td>22:29</td> </tr><tr> <td>Swallowfield</td> <td>19:46</td><td>19:51</td><td>21:31</td><td>22:31</td> </tr><tr> <td>Spencer's Wood</td> <td>19:49</td><td>19:54</td><td>21:34</td><td>22:34</td> </tr><tr> <td>Three Mile Cross</td> <td>19:51</td><td>19:56</td><td>21:36</td><td>22:36</td> </tr><tr> <td>Reading Station</td> <td>20:12</td><td>20:17</td><td>21:57</td><td>22:57</td> </tr></table></p>