Specialising mostly in local ales, The King’s Ditch is Tamworth’s first and only micropub.

Four to Six gravity-served ales straight from the cask are complemented by Twenty Five real ciders, Six Fruit Ciders and Three Perries, all carefully chosen by our passionate team.

The King’s Ditch is characterised by its simple but modern bare brick and wood interior. We have a single ground floor room and a small drinking area upstairs, accomodating around 40 people.

The Beer and Cider being served from a chilled room at approx.  12 degrees centigrade.

We don’t have any fruit machines, TVs or music – we simply have a warm and friendly atmosphere where people can enjoy real ale and good conversation.   Please note!  Children are welcome, to sit and not race around, until 7pm. Dogs are also welcome as long as they bring their owners.

Locale-Pub-logoWe look forward to welcoming you to The King’s Ditch soon! Go to the Blog for our latest news…

 

Opening Times
Please note new times from 4th January 2019.
Monday
17:00 – 19:30
Tuesday
17:00 – 19:30
Wednesday
17:00 – 19:30
Thursday
17:00 – 22:30
Friday
16:00 – 22:30
Saturday
12:00 – 22:30
Sunday
12:00 – 21:00

Photo Gallery

What our customers say...

Independant Review following a visit

http://www.weekendnotes.co.uk/the-kings-ditch-tamworth/

Tony Collins
Excellent quality ales

Excellent quality ales. Run by people who have the time of day to converse with you. Will definitely return. Nice to be able to enjoy a atmosphere with no music, just good conversation. A art sadly lost in our modern lifestyle.

Bill H
Nice, friendly atmosphere

Brilliant micropub with nice, friendly atmosphere!

Luke J
The ale is top class

Great venture - I wish it every success. Staff very friendly. Atmosphere good. Most importantly the ale is top class.

Bob J

History & Background

About Micropubs

Micropubs are springing up all over the UK. A Micropub is a small freehouse which listens to its customers, mainly serves cask ales, cider, wines and no draught lagers, promotes conversation, shuns all forms of electronic entertainment and dabbles in traditional pub snacks. For more information see micropubassociation.co.uk.

So why The King’s Ditch?

TamworthWell it goes back to the very origins of the name Tamworth, they add the worth bit in the name, meaning enclosure, Tamworth = enclosure by the River Tame.

The enclosure in this case consisted of a broad ditch and bank, known variably as the King´s Ditch or Offa´s Dyke or Walferlong. Similar Saxon earthworks and fortifications have been measured at upto 50 ft wide.

The King’s Ditch was still visible and cleared identified on maps in the 19th Century. By 1884 the eastern ditch had disappeared.

Ditch is shown as dotted line

Alignment of Ditch shown as dotted line.

The Northern line has been placed at approximately between 51 Lower Gungate and Bell Corner. From the various historical reports we have found the Ditch may date to either King Aethelfaed’s or King Offa’s rule — that’s over a thousand years ago and well before the castle or church were built.

About us

King's Ditch owners

 

The King’s Ditch was setup by Dave Barnfield, Ade Smith and Ged Fisher. Formerly a cycle shop, after renovation we opened for business on 27th November 2014. It was Ged’s dream from Christmas 2013 to open a micropub, having been to several in Kent, that September.  The premises were found in June 14 and lease signed in October, it took 5 weeks to lay the floor, get the stillage, build the benches (with thanks to John Deeming), source tables and chairs, install the cooling system. Oh and get the Beers and Ciders.

We have a passion for real ale and cider, having been keen followers of the local football team, and Camra members, we have been in many pubs on away days and drunk many pints of good and not so good beers. We thought that we might be able to supplement the beers sold by other establishments in Tamworth. Our aim is to complement the two or three other pubs that sell real ales in the town by using different breweries and beers to the other pubs, the main aim is LocALE from small micropubs that produce a good standard of ales.

Dave decided early in 2015 that working behind the bar wasn’t for him, so he left the company, so Ade orders the beers, and Ged looks after the cider and other items. We jointly run the pub.

 

Find out more

camraMicropub Association

 

Finding The King's Ditch

51 Lower Gungate, Tamworth, Staffordshire, B79 7AS07989 805 828

Download a map:

Map

King's-Ditch-Tamworth-exterior

Finding us from Tamworth railway station:

We’re just an 8 minute walk from the railway station. Head to the island from the station forecourt, follow the path to the right to the crossing, cross road and take the left path towards Domino’s Pizza, pass this building on your left and go up Albert Road. Pass the Albert Pub, until you come to the junction with the traffic lights. Turn left into Lower Gungate. We are 50 metres down on the right.