Tendring CAMRA - Harwich & Dovercourt Bay Winter Ale Festival 2022
Keep checking back here for more details of the 2022 festival as they become available.
Like our Festival Facebook Page for additional news
At the Kingsway Hall, Kingsway, Dovercourt. CO12 3AB
Wednesday 16th November 17.00 to 23.00
Thursday 17th November 11.00 to 23.00
Friday 18th November 11.00 to 23.00
Saturday 19th November 11.00 to 23.00
Free entry to card carrying CAMRA members at ALL times - Non-members £2.00 entry; Glasses £1.00 deposit
Grub
Our festival is takeaway friendly with some of the local venues even delivering. Ask at reception for more details.
Pie and mash will also be available in the hall between 11am and 3pm-ish on Friday and Saturday.
No Frills
We've tried hard to put on a no-frills festival this year, built around a great beer list. You won't need to purchase a ticket in advance so you still pay on the door. There won't be any special festival glasses this year as we'll be using old stock from previous festivals and there won't be music at any session or food provided within in the hall. Instead we hope that you tuck into the assembled beer and cider, practice the art of conversation and avail yourselves of the wide range of takeaway food close by in Dovercourt Town Centre which, of course, you can consume in the hall as you enjoy your drink.
Out and About
You'll find a warm welcome and everything you need at our beer festival but if you're a visitor to the area and would like to explore a little more there is plenty to see. Our venue is in the Victorian seaside resort of Dovercourt, with its shops, cliffs and promenade and the Bottle Kiln pub. Two minutes down the railway line will take you to Harwich Town station and the historic seaport of Harwich with a number of ancient pubs and fantastic views of the estuary of the rivers Stour and Orwell. A circuit of the old town will allow you to take in the Alma Inn, Globe, and New Bell Inn where you will discover buildings full of history and a great array of real ale and cider.
Any money that's left on the beer cards will be donated to St Nicholas Church Window Appeal.
Information for Travellers
The festival is located in the Kingsway Hall in Dovercourt Town Centre. The venue is a large, Victorian Church which dominates the town's skyline. Bus passengers on the 103 and 104 services from Colchester should alight in the Town Centre and walk up Kingsway towards the sea front. Rail passengers should alight at Dovercourt station which is one stop before Harwich Town on the line from Manningtree. Passengers from further away will generally need to change trains at Manningtree although there are some direct services from Colchester and London Liverpool Street.
Regrettably only assistance dogs can be brought into the hall during the festival.
Resources
Check to see what we've got on our BEER LIST. We hate disclaimers but please note that we simply cannot guarantee that a particular beer will be available when you visit.
Check to see what we've got on our CIDER LIST. As for the real ales we cannot guarantee that a particular cider will be available when you visit.
Facebook event page - why not invite your friends?
Click here to find the venue on OpenStreetMap.
Can you help spread the word? Please print some flyers and put them on your noticeboard!
History
Our little beer festival started in 2002 with a bang - we were literally drunk dry on the Friday night and we even ran out of glasses. The festival continued in the same venue in Dovercourt Town Centre for a further twelve years and we like to think that in that time we built up a reputation as a small but perfectly formed Winter Ale Festival - with a really interesting selection of beers and a nice atmosphere in which to enjoy them.
It was in 2015 that the then Harwich & Dovercourt Bay Winter Ale Festival had to be cancelled at short notice because our venue suddenly became unavailable.
Fortunately the Parkeston Railway Club came to our rescue and in 2016 we were delighted to be able to continue in a new home - we tweaked the festival name slightly to reflect our new location.
2019 saw us return to the Kingsway Hall in Dovercourt.