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 real ciders, Three 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, accommodating 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.
We look forward to welcoming you to The King’s Ditch soon! Go to the Blog for our latest news…
Our Menu
What's currently being served...
Last updated: March 1, 2021 at 9:42 am
Click on the icons on the left-hand side to see more menus.
Supplied free of charge for take out service during COVID-19 restrictions. Free home delivery, minimum order £10, see our news section for details.
£0.00
Heavy Glimmer - Pentrich, Ripley, Derbyshire
Pale Ale with Amarillo & Simcoe hops. Vegan. 440ml can.
£4.50 / 5.2%
$UMO - Mad Squirrel, Potten End, Hertfordshire
American pale ale. 440ml can.
£3.40 / 4.7%
Blonde - Green Duck, Stourbridge, West Midlands
Light and refreshing blonde ale. 500ml bottle.
£3.50 / 4.2%
Motueka - Arbor, Bristol
Gluten free single hopped pale ale. 568ml can.
£4.20 / 4.0%
Everlong - Green Duck, Stourbridge, West Midlands
Fruit beer. 440ml can.
£3.40 / 4.0%
HopLab Pale Ale - Byatt's, Coventry, West Midlands
Pale ale. Version 1.1. 440ml can.
£3.50 / 4.4%
Cereal Killa - Brew York, York
A crossover Gluten Free IPA with juicy and dank Amarillo, Citra and Nelson Sauvin providing contrast to the bitter and resinous ‘West Coast!’ hit of Simcoe and CTZ. Produced with Brewers Clarex ® this has all the flavour yet no gluten! Now tell me, what’s my gluten killin name? Cereal Killa, Cereal Killa, Cereal Killa! Vegan. 440ml can.
£4.35 / 6.5%
Hand Jammer - Shiny, Little Eaton, Derbyshire
Juicy and Bold New Zealand Hopped New England IPA, Wai-iti, Southern Cross, Mosaic. Vegan. Gluten-free. 440ml can.
£4.50 / 6.2%
Midnight Blue - Arbor Ales, Bristol
Full bodied stout with flavours of dark fruits, molasses and roasted malts. Vegan. 568ml can.
£4.35 / 5.8%
Orio - Squawk, Manchester
Ekuanot sour IPA. 440ml can. Reduced from £4.20 to £2.00. Best before date 01.02.21.
£2.00 / 6.4%
4Wood - Shiny, Little Eaton, Derbyshire
Full-bodied, English best bitter. Gluten free. 500ml bottle. Reduced from £3.50 to £2.00. Best before date 28/02/21.
£2.00 / 4.5%
Relax - Magpie, Nottingham
Dry-hopped American pale ale. 500ml bottle.
£3.50 / 4.3%
Magpie Best - Magpie, Nottingham
Classic traditional best bitter. 500ml bottle.
£3.50 / 4.2%
Cherry Raven - Magpie, Nottingham
Cherry stout. 500ml bottle.
£3.50 / 4.4%
Landmark Lager - Wold Top, Wold Newton, East Yorkshire
Gluten free British lager. 330ml bottle.
£2.70 / 4.2%
Scarborough Fair IPA - Wold Top, Wold Newton, East Yorkshire.
Strong and well hopped, interestingly brewed with a Pale predominately Wold grown malt base, a triple hop blend and Maize for the head retention. Gluten Free. 500ml bottle.
£3.50 / 6.0%
Marmalade Porter - Wold Top, Wold Newton, East Yorkshire
Wold Top Marmalade Porter, a complex rich dark porter with a sweet malty base, overtones of bitter orange and hints of coffee and chocolate. Gluten free. 500ml bottle.
£3.50 / 5.0%
Fast and Loose - Green Duck, Stourbridge, West Midlands
Session pale ale brewed in collaboration with Attic brewery of Stirchley. 440ml can.
£3.50 / 4.6%
Wilko's Wobbler - Golden Duck, Appleby Magna, Leicestershire
Strong golden ale. Bottle conditioned (Real Ale in a bottle). 500ml bottle.
£3.50 / 6.5%
Arthurs Ale - Church End, Ridge Lane, Warwickshire
Strong golden ale. Bottle conditioned (Real Ale in a bottle). 500ml bottle.
£3.50 / 6.0%
Mango - Lilleys, Frome, Somerset
Apple and mango sparkling cider. 500ml bottle.
£3.50 / 4.0%
Cherries & Berries - Lilley's, Frome, Somerset
Crafted with the most sublime cherries & berries, this mouth-watering cider is sweet with a soft underlying berry flavour and bold cherry notes. 500ml bottle.
£3.50 / 4.0%
Peach Cider - Lilley's, Frome, Somerset
Apple and peach sparkling sweet cider. 500ml bottle.
£3.50 / 4.0%
Pils - Freedom, Abbots Bromley, Staffordshire
Locally brewed bottled Pils. 330ml.
£2.60 / 4.4%
Helles - Freedom, Abbots Bromley, Staffordshire
Locally brewed bottled Helles. 330ml. Reduced from £2.60 to £2.00. Best before date 28.02.21.
£2.00 / 4.8%
RhuBerlin - Brass Castle, Malton, North Yorkshire
Rhubarb Berliner Weisse – refreshingly and gently sour. Vegan friendly. Gluten free. 440ml can. Reduced from £3.50 to £2.00. Best before 04.03.21.
£2.00 / 3.5%
Hopfest - Mad Squirrel, Potten End, Hertfordshire
Gluten free pale. 440ml can.
£3.20 / 3.8%
Richard's Medium - Dee Ciders, Mold, Flintshire
Smooth cider with just the right balance between sweetness and acidity.
£3.70 / 6.0%
Somerset Scrumpy Dry - Lilley's, Frome, Somerset
Made with a blend of bittersweet apples, this is a very traditional, unfiltered cider.
£3.50 / 6.0%
Hecks Perry - Street, Somerset
Blended Perry produced like a cider, but made from pears, this has a fragrant odour with plenty of fruit taste and real body
£3.80 / 6.0%
Wild Dog - Lilley's, Frome, Somerset
A traditional vintage cider left alone to ferment and mature creating a more wild and rustic cider. Dry and packed full of Somerset character.
£3.60 / 7.5%
Burrow Hill Farmhouse - Somerset Cider Brandy Co., Burrow Hill, Somerset
Medium dry traditional cider.
£3.80 / 6.0%
Rhubarb - Lilley's, Frome, Somerset
Tangy, tart, rhubarb still cider.
£3.80 / 4.0%
Stoke Red - Gwatkin, Herefordshire
Sweet farmhouse cider. Takes its name from the area in which it was originally grown, Rodney Stoke in Somerset.
£3.60 / 6.5%
Vintage Pip - Kentish Pip. Canterbury, Kent
Using the sweet rich dessert apples and a higher percentage of cider apples this, more punchy cider is aged for a year to mellow, giving a rich medium sweet cider with lots of complexity and a long smooth finish. Produced by Kentish Pip at Woolton Farm.
£3.90 / 5.8%
Black Fox - Dunkerton's, Leominster, Herefordshire
Black Fox is hand crafted with up to 14 different, carefully blended cider apple varieties to deliver a deliciously rounded cider with a lively, tangy finish and light honey hues. Medium dry.
A lovely appley aroma, using a blend of apples from Harry's orchard including the classic Dabinett variety. A deep amber, clear, medium dry cider.
£3.60 / 6.2%
Devil's Device - Mr Whiteheads, Alton, Hampshire.
Quite clear and golden in colour with a full bodied smell. Nutty, earthy flavours are dominant in this cider, rich with a good deep body it is medium with a dry aftertaste.
£3.80 / 8.4%
Wise Owl Dry - Wise Owl Cider, Kent
Made from 100% Kentish Apple Juice. Eight different varieties of apple are blended to make a light and flavoursome cider.
£3.70 / 6.0%
Happy Daze - Gwynt Y Ddraig, Pontypridd
Fruity apple aroma, well balanced. A light and very easy to drink medium cider.
£3.50 / 4.5%
Mango - Lilley's, Frome, Somerset.
Smooth, sophisticated Mango cider made with an ample fusion of exotic Mango fruit and Somerset apples. To give a mouth watering tropical flavour.
£3.80 / 4.0%
Strawberry - Lilleys, Frome, Somerset
Easy drinking still strawberry cider made with a blend of apple cider and strawberry juice.
£3.80 / 4.0%
Squeal Pig Perry - Gwatkin, Herefordshire
Medium Perry, fruity, Amber slight hint of red, clear cider.
£3.30 / 4.0%
Moonshine - Broadoak, Somerset
Strong and very drinkable cider with a crisp and refreshing taste.
£3.60 / 7.5%
Fruit Wines - 750ml bottle
Cranberry / Raspberry / Strawberry / Peach / Apricot / Blackberry / Blackcurrant / Black Beer & Raisin / Ginger / Elderberry / Elderflower.
Traditional Mead also available.
£13.00
Wines - 750ml bottle
Red - Merlot
White - Pinot Grigio / Chardonnay / Sauvignon Blanc
Rose - Zindfandel
£11.50
Just Crisps
Sea Salt,
Sea Salt & Black Pepper,
Sea Salt & Apple Balsamic Vinegar.
£1.10
* Please note all drinks and menu items are subject to availability and may change at short notice.
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.
Nice, friendly atmosphere
Brilliant micropub with nice, friendly atmosphere!
The ale is top class
Great venture - I wish it every success. Staff very friendly. Atmosphere good. Most importantly the ale is top class.
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?
Well 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.
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
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.
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.
We look forward to welcoming you to The King’s Ditch soon! Go to the Blog for our latest news…
Well 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.
