Visits to pubs (largely) in the UK's Good Beer Guide

Now this is a bit of a tricky one. I called in here at lunchtime on the day the new managers took over, they'd had the keys for less than 48 hours and been open for 90 minutes, so you couldn't expect perfection. The interior looked like it had been fitted out in the last 2 or 3 years, presumabnly by the previous operator, and it was very neat and attractive. They do food, at least at lunchtime, and the menu looked like your typical pub staples, sausage, mash and gravy, chicken curry, you get the idea. The railway station is half a mile away for anyone planning an East Lancs train / beer trip.

Now, the beer. Bit of a mixed story here, they have 4 hand pumps, but only one was serving beer, from the local Cross Bay Brewery, this was hopefully just a reflection of the new ownership, rather than an abandonment of cask beer. In fact the beer hadn't been set up on the cash register so there was some sort of manual overide that took a couple of minutes to sort out. Just fancy, a pub that doesn't seem to want your money! A little difficult to accurately score given the circumstances, but because someone has been brave enough to keep a pub open and going, I've got to give it a 3 and hope that it flourishes and expands its beer choice.

3 out of 5

Looks like a fairly small pub in a largely residential area approximately a 20 minute stroll from the city centre, but a bit larger than you expect when you walk inside, a bit like a tardis. Quite dark panelling perhaps suggests a sombre atmosphere, but no, lively conversation from the bar man and a regular supply of locals nipping in for an evening drink. It is pretty well filled with paraphenalia of all ages and genres, you could probably spend 3 hours just walking around admiring and inspecting it. Multiple rooms of various sizes off the bar area allows you to find a space that you're comfortable in.

Five hand pumps, four dispensing ale and one serving cider, Lilley's Red Rabbit for those wanting a healthy drink (apples!). The beer choice was The Noise & The Rout, an Irish Cream Chocolate Porter, from the nearby Black Lodge Brewery; Fuzzy Navidad from the fairly local (Congleton) Brewery; Trapper's Hat from Brimstage Brewery on the Wirral; and Frosty Bog courtesy of Big Bog on the edge of the city. Four beers and all pretty local - good for them. Great pub, great environment, great time.

4 out of 5

Visited this place on an early Friday evening, it’s an unusual wedge shaped building, see the exterior photo, so has a correspondingly unusual shaped interior, very handy for the waterfront area, 5 minute walk from the Albert Dock. A very nice, quite stripped out interior, with a good portion of the walls displaying the hundreds of hand pull pump clips from the beers thy’ve served over the years. There was a good mix of customers, youngsters, beer drinkers, smart couples enjoying a drink before an evening out, numbers came and went as the evening rolled on.

There were four beers and one cider on a hand pump, the beers were from local breweries - Beartown, Black Lodge, Brimstage and Big Bog - all the Bs! I tried the Frosty Bog from the latter and it was hoppy, refreshing and light, a most enjoyable drink.

According to the Good Ber Guide, the pub has tunnels in the cellars leading to the docks. It speculates that these were perhaps used in days of yore for smuggling purposes or for press ganging men into joining the Navy, interesting.

4 out of 5

Like The Excelsior, 150 yards along the road, see below, another traditional looking pub on a street corner on the edge of the heart of the city. Traditional inside, there was a mixture of office workers, people out on a pre Christmas afternoon drink and horse racing fans enjoying a pint (large screens were showing live horse racing). The number of customers varied quite quickly as groups came and went, but there was generally space to stand in and tables and chairs to choose from. There’s a small snug area at the front and a larger room at the back of the bar.

Six handpumps, serving beer from various breweries, near and far. I tried the Rockin’ Rudolph from Green King, a very pleasant light ale, I wasn’t sure if it was supposed to be a Christmas brew - presumably it was given the name - though it didn’t strike me as a particularly seasonal offering.

Good old fashioned pub, welcoming everyone, good beer choice, what more could you ask for.

4 out of 5

Traditional looking pub on a street corner on the edge of the heart of the city, quite a few good pubs nearby, a good handful of which are in the Good Beer Guide. Pretty traditional inside, although they have knocked an internal wall down to create a larger drinking area, with a bar that is square on plan serving beer from 3 sides to the enlarged room. There was at least one good sized room off this main area. Plenty of table and chair choice on the reasonably busy Friday afternoon that I visited it on.

Six handpumps, serving beer from the very local Rock the Boat, Kirkstall, Big Bog and Liverpool Brewing Company breweries, along with a couple of beers from Timothy Taylor’s - spoilt for choice. I plumped for something different and had the So This Is Christmas Rum and Raisin Porter. The beer was fine, although I didn’t find it particularly fruity nor spicy, so don’t really strike me as a Christmas brew. As for the pub, good location, pleasant interior, great choice of beer.

4 out of 5

Named after the Doctor that did so much to improve housing and health conditions in nineteenth century Liverpool. This place has a sort of modern traditional feel, it’s broken down into a number of small rooms and areas, there’s medical artefacts and paraphernalia on display and a number of framed pictures and facts about the work of Doctor Duncan in display. It was reasonably busy, but then it was early afdternon on a Friday 10 days before Christmas.

Only 3 out of the 5 handpumps were in operation, dispensing Beartown Best Bitter, Beartown Smores and Be Like Water from Neptune Brewery. The latter was badged as ‘Eiswein Tea Saison’, so that sounded a bit different, that’s what I had. It was pleasantly fruity, it was cloudy, it was a very acceptable drink. Just a shame they didn’t have another couple of options available. Perhaps I was just a bit spoilt by the very generous choice at my previous establishment, see below.

3 out of 5

Called in here early on a Friday, 10 days before Christmas. It’s pretty much in the centre of the city, closely surrounded by at least 3 other pubs in the Good Beer Guide. Lots of wood panelling, including the ceiling, giving hot an almost alpine lodge sort of feel. There looked to be a very tempting food offer from a hatch within the premises badged as The One Pan Band, pity it was a bit too early for me. The clientele all looked like people who enjoyed a glass of beer, you could say connoisseurs. No juke box playing while I was there, just the sound of chatter and bonhomie.

Six beers on handpumps plus two ciders, so the choice was very impressive and these all came from near and far. The beer choice was Cathedral Gold from Milestone Brewery, The Dark North from Sanctuary Brewing, Foo and Red Rye from Conwy Brewery, Different from Potbelly Brewery and The IPA from Cross Bay Brewery. The cider choice was Scottish Fruits from Thistly Cross or Tropical Cider from Lilley’s Cider. I had the Cathedral Gold which was a great start to the weekend. Good range of beer, comfortable venue. Great start to the day.

5 out of 5

This place was on my to do list and I was really planning to nip in on another day, but I sort of stumbled across this place while looking for something else, so had to call in for a quick drink. It’s former premises where minor offenders were detained or locked up and it certainly has that look and feel. They’ve done a lovely job of making the best use of the facility, lovely brick arch barrel roof elements, tables placed in what were the cells make a cosy spot. There’s exterior seating, with some weather protection, in the courtyard area. It was certainly pretty busy, but it was 3 o’clock on a Friday afternoon, so perhaps a few people were starting the weekend early.

Five handpumps, with two beers from Kirkstall Brewery - their Best Bitter and Three Swords - two beers from Ossett Brewery - Galaxy and Voodoo (a chocolate orange stout) - and a cider from Broadoak. I hadn’t tried the Three Swords when it was an option the previous evening, so decided to try it here. The Three Swords was a delightful, light and refreshing pale ale, just the sort of thing to quench a thirst. Great pub, great conversion, great re-use of premises, great beer. Great.

4 out of 5

Five stars, been in the Good Beer Guide for every edition of the book (51 years), one of five in the country to hold that accolade. Not bad for a small pub, tucked up a side street in a city that has seen rapid and large development, especially in the last 10 years. The road outside has been blocked off to traffic through what appeared to be the somewhat random scattering of large concrete blocks in the carriageway. The pub looked neat and tidy from the outside and the interior was very similar, a series of relatively small rooms and a fairly small bar. Everything was neat and tidy, it wasn’t too busy for 8pm on a Thursday evening.

Great selection of beer, 6 hand pumps all serving different beers, from a range of brewers including Tetley’s, Fyne Ales, Timothy Taylor’s, Ossett Brewery plus there was Thistly Cross cider if that was your thing.

Very nice pub, great beer choice and a pleasure to have a drink in an establishment celebrating 51 plus years of serving quality beers.

5 out of 5

Called in here for a drink and a bite to eat early on a Thursday evening, it’s a very impressive building from the outside, lovely windows at the front, including curved panes on the corner of the building, some fine masonry detailing, a royal coat of arms along with ‘By Appointment’ over the door, perhaps from its earlier life as a bakery. Its former use becomes a bit more evident if you study the carved letters in the exterior stonework. In the evening it’s very attractively lit up. Inside, it struck me as quite a dark, almost gloomy, it’s a long rectangular room with the bar on the right hand side.

Half a dozen handpumps, four in use serving Three Swords and Mitigating Circumstances from Kirkstall Brewery, Windermere Pale from Hawkshead and Theakstons Best. at least once the sun goes down. I tried the Mitigating Circumstances - described as a hazy pale ale - and it lived up to its billing, very pleasant. I followed that up with a Windermere Pale Ale, you got a free pint (from a restricted range) with a burger. The beer and food were all very good (and they offered a CAMRA discount on the beer). Happy days.

4 out of 5

I first called here just before noon, it was advertised at opening at 11am, but found it closed, so I had to visit a couple of other pubs and came back here later on, when I did indeed find it open. It’s in a prime location, more or less in the centre of the main commercial street in New Brighton. It looked like it had been fitted, or re-fitted, out fairly recently and it had a very pleasant, modern and attractive interior. There were three or four large screens showing the latest sport highlights and a number of groups of people enjoying a drink and a chat, although they seemed to leave shortly after I arrived - coincidence?

There were three handpumps and the beer choice was Hawkshead ITI, Trapper’s Hat from the local Brimstage Brewery and White Rat from Ossett Brewery. I chose the ITI (name apparently comes from the Maori word for little, it's brewed with New Zealand hops) and it was a very light, pleasant pale ale for someone who had spent a fair chunk of the last 2 hours walking around New Brighton. It's a great little modern pub now, just over a five minute walk from the railway station, worth a visit.

3 out of 5

Another fine and very traditional looking building, which inside continues with its traditional approach. One reasonably large room, was fairly busy on a late Thursday lunchtime, with what appeared to be regulars coming and going, so looks like it gets a lot of local, community support. It’s surrounded by plenty of residential streets and there are a few small shops on the road it’s sited on, so it should be in a position to do well.

Four hand pumps, featuring Ossett Brewery White Rat and Yorkshire Blonde, Sleigh Puft - a triple chocolate nougat marshmallow porter from Tiny Rebel in south Wales - and Citra from Oakham Ales. I’ve had it many times before, it’s always fresh, citrusy and refreshing and it was just the same here. A very pleasant half hour was spent here.

3 out of 5

Tracked down The Magazine, a pub in New Brighton, set back a couple of hundred yards from the River Mersey but with open space in front of it, yielding river views and sight of Liverpool docks. It has an attractive, traditional exterior, with dedicated car parking to the right and a beer garden to the rear when the weather is conducive. Inside, there are a number of distinct rooms or areas, so it’s quite traditional again.

Four hand pumps, two with bitter - This Splendid Ale and Abbey Ale - from Facer’s Brewery, a vanilla stout (Pod) from First Chop, a brewer dedicated to producing gluten free beer and a cider and Gladiator from Lilley’s Cider, at an eye popping 8.4% ABV. I played safe and sampled This Splendid Ale, which lived up to it's name and glided down a treat. Refreshing.

3 out of 5

Another early Thursday morning experience, Wetherspoons again, but not as busy as the Captain Alexander, and shock horror, a non traditional Wetherspoons interior, no wood panelling! This is a multi level pub with an open double floor over much of the drinking area, exposed services clearly visible, there’s a glitter ball and a small DJ desk perched over the main entrance door, so presumably it’s a pretty lively evening venue some nights of the week, each to their own.

Not too busy mid morning on a Thursday and, as always with Wetherspoons, a good choice and variety of beer at competitive prices. I chose a glass of Pale Moonlight, a dry pale ale from the once very local but now based slightly further away Phoenix Brewery and it slipped down a treat. I was just glad I was there at a quiet time in the morning, no doubt 11:30pm on a Friday would be a very different experience.

3 out of 5

Nipped in here early (9:30am) on a cold Thursday morning, expecting it to be fairly quiet, but no, quite a lot of people in munching their way through their breakfast. Overseas football fans (Liverpool were playing a Europa League match that night), builders and construction workers plus regular shoppers were all getting fry ups and coffees. It’s a Wetherspoons, so you know what to expect and you won’t be disappointed. It was very pleasantly warm on such a cold day.

Very wide range of beers from near and far at their usual competitive prices, wood panelling, pretty extensive food menu, all pretty much the regular Wetherspoons experience. I tried the Elderflower Pale Ale from Purple Moose Brewery in Porthmadog and it proved just the thing to get a Thursday morning started.

3 out of 5

Called in here for an afternoon drink, after a walk in the local area. It’s the taproom for the Hopstar Brewery, the beer is brewed in Darwen and 2024 will be their 20th year of operation. It’s pretty close to the town centre in a street that is largely pedestrianised. It was fairly quiet just after 2pm on a Tuesday afternoon, only 2 other customers in, but there was a friendly welcome in a very pleasant and relaxed atmosphere. It’s a bit bigger than a lot of recent micropubs, in a medium sized premises with plenty of tables and chairs.

They had 4 of their beers - Smokey Joe’s Black Beer (a favourite from last week), Lancashire Gold, Off t’Mill, JC plus a perry - available on hand pumps, so a pretty good choice. I opted for the Off t’Mill which was a very refreshing and pleasant experience. It looks like they support the local music scene, with bands appearing most Friday and Saturday evenings. Oh, and if you’re a fan of music from the seventies (1970s, just so we’re clear) the juke box is a winner!

4 out of 5

Called in here for a drink after a walk in what was a fairly miserable November day. The pub's in a small village, 2 minutes from M65 junction 5, but little through traffic thanks to what seems to be a long established road that passes by the village. Car park was pretty busy, perhaps lunchtime visitors, so it seemed a popular spot. A sign outside indicates it became a community pub in 2015. Interior is broken up into a number of smaller areas, so there’s the bar, a coffee shop, a restaurant, a spot selling home made birthday etc cards, a table laid out with local craft breads and fruit loafs. We saw food being delivered to a table and wished that we hadn’t had our lunch already

Three hand pumps, 2 serving local beer, so it was a choice between Reedley Hallows Filly Close Blonde (from Burnley) and Hopstar Brewery’s Smokey Joe’s Black Beer (from Darwen). I had the former, my chum had the latter. Both beers went down beautifully, the almost stout like black beer was particularly well enjoyed. There was a flyer on the table outlining the November and December regular and special events - it was jam packed with attractions. Hats off to the local community for rescuing the pub and making such a great thing of it. A wonderful village asset.

4 out of 5

Called in here for a quick drink after a day’s walking. It’s a JW Lees pub, something I don’t see a lot of locally, so this made a refreshing change. Plenty of cars in the car park at 3:30 on a Monday afternoon, a few people inside, so perhaps some of the cars belong to staff. Nice cosy atmosphere inside, gearing up for Halloween and Christmas, friendly welcome and a bit of chat with the barmaid plus four hand pumps on the bar, seems promising. Unfortunately the beer choiuce wasn't quite that good, two handpumps were serving their best bitter and the other two were serving their MPA (Manchester Pale Ale), I tried the latter.

It was a lovely refreshing drink, just what i needed after 10.3 miles, and it slipped down very easily. Well laid out tables, comfortable chairs, good atmosphere in the pub and a beer garden at the rear for the finer weather, who could ask for anything more? I’m afraid I could, the slightly limited beer choice is going to influence my mark. Overall, I’d have to score to as a pretty strong 2.

PS If you’re planning on going for a meal on Christmas Day, book straight away, they’re running out of tables very quickly!

2 out of 5

Called in here for a meal on a Friday evening, we had booked in advance and had really chosen it as a good place to meet up with others and enjoy a meal. But it sells beer and I enjoyed a couple of drinks, so it’s reviewed here. Very attractive from the outside, equally pleasant inside, the place is really a series of rooms and spaces so you get the feeling that you’re in quite a small, comfortable place when you’re really in a much larger establishment. Nice atmosphere inside and based on my visit I woiuld suggest that the vast majority of guests go there for a meal and a drink, rather than an evening drinking beer.

The food was good and there were three handpumps at the bar, but only two in use, serving Hen Harrier from Bowland Brewery and Moorhouses Pendle Witches Brew. I tried the Hen Harrier and it was a most enjoyable and pleasant drink, the beer drinkers at the table greatly enjoyed it. A little difficult to score this one, since it seems to be a pub restaurant with a couple of real ales, it could be a strong 2 or has it just done enough to get over the 3 threshold. Let’s be generous.

3 out of 5

New bar! Surely got to be worth having a look at, open less than a week, but let's see what the offering is. Now it isn't open on a Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday - at least not at the moment - so you perhaps need to check the opening days / times before your first visit. I wandered in shortly after opening time and it was fairly quiet, but it got steadily busier over the hour or so I spent there. It's a reasonably sized space, quite unadorned and stripped back, two or three large TV screens showing sports and with large glazing and glazed doors at the front so it's very 'open' and you have a great view of the street scene. Suspect the doors might be left wide open in good summer weather which I'm sure will be very pleasant. There's no food offering, but apparently they have food trucks out front on a Friday and Saturday late afternoon and evening if you fancy a bite to eat with your drinks, seems like an enterprising idea.

Now, the beer. Sorry, no cask beer, no hand pumps, around a dozen taps on the wall at the rear of the bar serving lagers, cider, Guinness plus a couple of beers from the fairly local Farm Yard Brew and one from the very local Chain House Brewing. I chose the Farm Yard Ale Chaff, which was served ice cold so not really ideal, to my palate, and was priced at £6 a pint. Hmm, not an ideal introduction to their offering, I was given a very nice small bowl of popcorn - which was lovely. I was approached by one of the co-owners and I did voice my concerns, he said that it was early days and that hand pumps and a price reduction were being considered. Personally, I’m much more likely to return when both of these points have been addressed.

2 out of 5

I’ve passed this place fairly regularly over the last 4 or 5 years, usually in the middle of the day, when it doesn’t seem open. But I made the effort to visit it in the middle of a Friday afternoon, when it was open. It’s a repurposed commercial building - a bank, judging by the decorative brickwork at the front - though you’d be hard pressed to recognise it as such. Closed Monday and Tuesday, open from 4 to 10pm on Wednesday and Thursday, 2 to 11pm on Friday and Saturday and 2 to 9pm on a Sunday, so you need to plan your visit a bit carefully.

Inside it’s a very pleasant, relaxing area, small to medium sized, faint music playing in the background and it was clearly well supported by the local population when I was there at 3:15pm. Two hand pumps, both serving local beer, Pheasant Plucker from Bowland Brewery and Monument Ale from Southport Brewery. I chose the latter because you don’t see it around as much as you do the Clitheroe beer. It was a very pleasant light ale, which could only have been better had the weather been a bit nicer. A lovely spot and seems to be the heart of the village.

3 out of 5

Hadn't been in here for a couple of years, but there’d been a recent change in management and so I decided to call in for a Friday lunchtime drink. Nicely laid out, decorated and furnished inside, not too busy, so no problem finding an empty table. Friendly greeting from the bar staff and a good atmosphere, families and walkers were coming in for a drink and some sustenance. There’s a beer terrace outside at the front, but the weather wasn’t really up to it, and it is on a bit of a sharp bend in the village, so it may not be everybody’s cup of tea.

Two hand pumps, one serving Timothy Taylor Landlord - reasonably local - and the other dispensing Sharp’s Atlantic - not quite so local. The Landlord was a good pint, as usual, and slipped down comfortably and easily. Overall a nice spot, comfortable pub, reasonable prices, a third beer option would have seen it get an extra mark, but it was a a 2 on my visit.

2 out of 5

Called in here for a drink after a walk. Located in the heart of what is a very attractive village, although not one built for the motor car, driving through the village and parking in often not easy. There’s a large outdoor seating area in front of the pub and inside there’s a series of spaces that are all accessible from the bar, but are all slightly differently laid out, some for sitting down, eating and drinking and others purely for grabbing a seat and enjoying a drink. It’s a nice little set up.

It’s been in the Beer Guide for the last 10 years - there’s a plaque on a shelf celebrating the fact. There were five hand pumps all serving beer from local breweries - Ossett, Bowland, Goose Eye (two offers from them) and Lancaster breweries. I opted for the Bowland Gold which was a delightful, pale beer and very pleasant on a warm summer’s afternoon. They know what they’re doing and they do it very well.

4 out of 5

Interesting pub, not quite your typical traditional pub exterior and it seemed to have some sort of (temporary?) temple like structure next door to it - see photo. Inside it looked like it might have been fitted out in the 1980s and everything was still in good condition. It seemed to me to be a good example of how pubs were fitted, or re-fitted, out 40 years ago, but what do I know!

It wasn’t too busy, though we were getting towards the end of the evening. Five hand pumps, 4 offering beer - Proper Job from St Austell, Hophead from Dark Star Brewing and London Pride plus Golden Rays from Fuller’s - so a good beer choice. I tried the Golden Rays which was a very tasty and refreshing light ale. Overall, it was a fine end to the evening.

4 out of 5

Hmm, in the Good Beer Guide, but on a Friday night seems to be more popular with youngsters having a bop to a local covers band. Nothing wrong with that, just wasn’t quite what I was expecting. You could spill outside to enjoy your drink, in slightly quieter surroundings, which was precisely what I did. Not sure if there was another bar somewhere in the premises, but if there was it wasn’t evident (to me).

Pretty limited beer choice on my visit, they only had Summer Pale from the fairly local Cellar Head Brewing Company on offer, which was a very fresh, pleasant pale beer. On the basis of this visit, I couldn’t really recommend the pub, perhaps I wasn’t there on the best night.

1 out of 5

Wetherspoons’ pub so you pretty much know what to expect. This one is named after the chap who set up the first printing press in the town in 1786. His other interest was botany and he encouraged sailors to bring natural history specimens from foreign lands back to him.

It’s the usual Wetherspoons’ set up, a good range of beer at very competitive prices, a wide ranging food menu at reasonable prices and, this time, not quite so much dark wood panelling.

2 out of 5

This is a comfortable and friendly spot, you walk into a medium sized room, which was full on the evening we visited, so we were ushered into a rear room lined with books and maps that accommodated all of us very nicely. There was also a small beer terrace at the back. There didn’t seem to be a bar as such, we gave our order to the staff and they returned shortly after with the beer.

Now for some reason, I didn’t get a clear idea of what beers were available, nor the beer that I had, but what I can say is that there was a good choice from local microbreweries and I enjoyed what I had. I’ll have to go back and get some proper details.

3 out of 5

Another pub that’s a little tricky to spot, this time because it’s in a cellar which is accessed at the side of a building and it’s not immediately obvious from the road. Once you go down the stairs there are a series of smallish rooms and a bar in the largest of these. Headroom is a little limited and cosy might be the best way to describe the place.

But, there was a good selection of beers available - six to choose from when I visited - and I opted for Spring Tide from Shivering Sands, a nearby micro brewery, there were also beers from 4 other micro breweries, so plenty of choice. The Spring Tide was a lovely drink, a pale ale that was very refreshing and just what was a needed.

3 out of 5

Well this place took a bit of finding. It’s around 1 mile east of the town centre, right by the river side, it’s supposed to be the first pub you can spot if you’re travelling up the Thames from the North Sea to London, though the extensive concrete breakwaters and protection do a good job of separating the pub from the river. The last half mile or so of the town centre approach is through what looks like a very unpromising industrial estate. Not sure how many people have set off to visit, but never quite made it.

The building itself doesn’t really clearly proclaim itself as a pub, so it needs a determined effort to locate it. Four hand pumps, but only one serving beer, in this case Adnam’s Ghost Ship so I plumped for that. It’s a traditional pub inside and very historic (it’s reputed to be the setting for the Ship in Dickens' Great Expectations), presumably popular with people that work on the industrial estate, fishers and walkers on the Saxon Shore Way and England Coast Path. Pretty limited beer choice when I was there, hence a low score.

2 out of 5

Called in here for a drink in the middle of a Friday afternoon, having completed a week’s walking. It wasn’t too busy and it was at least open. Seats out the front overlooking the fairly large village green and plenty of space inside. Seemed to be filling up with people who were finishing work early, starting the weekend early or perhaps a bit of both.

Three out of four hand pumps were operational, with TT Landlord, Sussex Best from Harvey’s Brewery and finally Turtley Tropical from the Little Critters Brewing Company (5.5%) all available. Should have tried the latter, never seen it before, but following a reasonably brisk 13 miles I’m afraid a pint of lager hit the spot instead. Not cheap, it was £11 plus for 2 pints, but perhaps that’s the price you have to pay if you live in this attractive spot in Kent.

3 out of 5

A very attractive and well lit up pub, just on the edge of the city centre. Fairly small inside and from the conversations between the customers and landlady it's clearly a favourite of the locals. Just the spot for a quiet pint in traditional and comfortable surroundings. Interesting display of knick-knacks and historical hand tools adorning the walls, just the sort of things to get a conversation started.

Four hand pumps here and I was back on the Sussex Best from Harvey’s Brewery, it had always been good before and there was no exception here. Overall a very pleasant, traditional pub and a good spot for a nice glass of beer. I hope this place continues to thrive and is well supported by the local community.

3 out of 5

Traditional pub from the outside on the edge of the city centre and it's one that's been in the Good Beer Guide for a considerable time, picking up various accolades along the way. Equally traditional inside, it wasn't particularly busy when I visited, but it was getting towards the end of the evening, so perhaps I'd simply missed the peak.

Four beers on hand pumps and I tried the More's Head from the nearby Wantsum Brewery. I didn't realise at the time just quite how appropriate this was, Sir Thomas More's decapitated head was believed to have been pinched by his sister and hidden in a vault in St Dunstan’s Church, which is 100 yards along the road from this pub. A very nice and enjoyable pale ale, if you can forget about the historical unpleasantness.

3 out of 5

Wetherspoons’ pub so you pretty much know what to expect. This one actually offers accommodation, two floors above the ground floor bar, so if you're looking for a room, a good value evening meal, a spot of beer and a cheap breakfast then this could be just the spot for you.

The usual Wetherspoons' set up, a good range of beer at very competitive prices, a wide ranging food menu at reasonable prices and a lot of dark wood panelling.

2 out of 5

Traditional pub in a residential street, very attractive from outside and just what you would expect when you walk inside. There's a good sized front room and a rear corridor which leads to a simple but very comfortable rear beer garden. It seems to be the sort of place that is well supported by the local community and why not, it's a very pleasant watering hole.

You can access it from the beer garden at the back, but perhaps not advisable unless you happen to know Canterbury fairly well. There were four hand pumps and I tried the Gadds No 7 from the Ramsgate Brewery, which was a lovely pale ale. Could, and perhaps should, have stayed here a bit longer, but there were still plenty of pubs in Canterbury left to visit. On we go.

3 out of 5

Wonderful old commercial premises that apparently have had a host of previous uses but has now been repurposed as a pub. No bar as such, a couple of blackboards listing a range of cask and keg beers along with various ciders and gins. The landlord takes your order at the table - inside or at the small seating area outside at the front - and returns a few minutes later with your drinks.

There were 2 cask beers from the nearby Tonbridge Brewery, so not too much choice, but the Traditional I had was a good drink. Got chatting to the landlord who is - unsurprisingly - clearly a beer enthusiast, he had plenty of suggestions of places to go and drinks to try (and some to avoid!). Good to see traditional city centre premises given a new lease of life. Well worth a visit.

4 out of 5

Traditional looking pub on a street corner close to the city centre, there's a seating area outside and there wasn't too much passing traffic at 7pm on a warm Thursday evening, so overall a very pleasant spot. It was quiet inside and fairly olde worlde, there were wooden floorboards, tables and chairs. Not too many customers inside, most people chose to take their drinks outside.

Four hand pumps, but only three serving beer - Goldsmith from Hopfuzz, Long Man bitter from the Long Man Brewery and Summer Light from Canterbury Ales (ooh, that's clever). I chose the latter, hadn't seen it before and it proved a good choice, very pleasant. Overall, it was a good spot to spend some time relaxing after a hectic day.

3 out of 5

Well this was quite smart and upmarket, the sort of place where you might book a table in advance and turn up for drinks and quality food. There are waiting staff to take your drinks orders, thus saving you having to trek to the bar and order for yourself. Two hundred yards away is what appears to have been the former Foundry brewery premises, so presumably they have outgrown that location as the business has prospered.

The pub is part of the Canterbury Brewers & Distillers business and they had 5 various beers on hand pumps including brown ale, pale ale and a porter, so plenty of choice. I tried the Foundryman’s Gold and it was a most enjoyable and refreshing drink on a warm summer evening. If you want to drink a beer and possibly dine with a bit of style then this could be the place for you.

4 out of 5

OK, on the down side it’s a 15 or 20 minute walk from the town centre, but on the plus side, great beer terrace, great pub, great beer choice (their own beer plus guests beers) and a pizzeria (if that’s your thing). It’s situated on a fairly quiet side road, off a main road, in a largely residential area. Looks great from the outside.

They had around eight of their own beers available direct from the cask, plus another half a dozen or so of their beers in kegs, plus guest beers and a good range of ciders. No idea what the pizzeria offering is like, but if it’s anything like the beer choice and taste then this place could be heaven.

4 out of 5

Wetherspoons’ pub which was undergoing some (cosmetic?) improvements on the outside when I visited, as the photo shows. Once inside, you could be in pretty much any one of the Wetherspoons chain.

The usual set up, a good range of beer at very competitive prices, a wide ranging food menu at reasonable prices and a lot of dark wood panelling.

2 out of 5

A very nice spot, convenient for the town centre. Beer served from the cask and a good range of cider from the Kent Cider Company and the Bibbenden Vineyard available as well. Nicely decorated and fairly busy when I visited, but just watch out, it closes fairly early most nights and it’s 10:30pm closing on a Friday and Saturday, which is a bit of a shame.

Four beers mainly from local breweries and all very different, a Tonbridge bitter, a Pig & Porter IPA, a stout from Tiny Rebel in south Wales and a Tonbridge Kölsch style beer. Something for everyone. Great pub, great choice, great atmosphere. Recommended.

4 out of 5

Slap bang in the centre of town with the large, spiral, interactive, aerosol art work just in front of it. Apparently this was a previous entry in the Good Beer Guide, but not in the 2023 version (and unlikely to be in in 2024 book). Beer terrace at the front of the pub, large sliding glass doors at the front means that in good weather inside flows into outside. There’s a neat, tidy and modern look inside.

Beer choice was pretty limited, only 2 hand pumps, one serving London Pride and the other Yowler craft cider from the Kent Cider Company. It wasn’t busy, but there was a group sharing what looked like some tasty food on the beer terrace. Not, presently, a pub for the beer drinker.

1 out of 5

Historic pub on the edge of the town centre. Nice stripped out interior, lots of wood from the floorboards to the tables and chairs. Lot of ‘graffiti' on the walls and ceiling, which on closer inspection turned out to be dates, names and times of people from all over the world that have swum the Channel, as individuals or part of a relay. Some people have even swum there and back! Fascinating.

Four hand pumps, Timothy Taylor Landlord , Sussex Best from Harvey’s Brewery plus two other local drinks, Dynamo from Wantsum Brewery and a Cherry Cider from Dundas Tun. Had the Harvey’s, very nice, but should probably have chosen the Dynamo, don’t remember seeing that before. No time for a second drink, too many other pubs to go to that evening.

3 out of 5

Called in here at the end of a days’ walk, attractive pub set on the village green, looked a lovely spot. The bar is an L shaped room and there were already half a dozen customers in by mid / late afternoon. Very pleasant and comfortable, but somehow I felt its interior didn’t quite live up to the exterior, shame.

There were three hand pumps, but only one serving beer, Sharps Doom Bar. On that basis, sorry, its got to be a slightly sub optimal score.

2 out of 5

Situated right by the harbour (unsurprisingly) in Folkestone. There’s a nice outside seating area and inside there’s a lot of wood on display in what looks like a carefully created, slightly olde world style with scattered decoration. Suspect the interior is not as old as it looks though it’s all very nicely presented. Not too busy when I visited, though it was quite late in the evening, perhaps I’d simply missed the peak evening busyness.

Three hand pumps, two in operation, with Young’s London Original popping pit of one and Gadds’ No 5, from the Ramsgate Brewery, in the other. I chose the latter, a ale ale that went down very nicely on the beer terrace. A nice pub, slightly limited beer choice, so can’t quite reach a mid ranking score.

2 out of 5

I met a guy in The Chambers - see below - who was bemoaning the passing of the traditional pub, no music or quiz machines, but a dart board in the corner and chap with a flat cap and a dog on a lead enjoying a pint in another corner. Well he ought to visit this place. Just on the edge of the town centre in a largely residential street this looked like a very traditional pub from the outside, and inside was no different.

Three hand pumps, though two not in operation, so I had Kent Brewery’s Session Pale, which was a most enjoyable pale ale. It was pretty quiet, game of darts going on between two of the other three customers, perhaps Tuesday is a quiet night for the East Cliff. If you want a pleasant trip down memory lane, stop in for a drink here, just remember it’s cash only.

3 out of 5

Wetherspoons’ pub in a converted church, plenty of original features on display plus a modern staircase to provide effective access to the upper floor, very attractive ceiling. Not entirely clear how it got its name, perhaps from the railway engineer who built the nearby London, Chatham and Dover Railway, though this project was certainly not his finest work.

You know what to expect, a good range of beer at very competitive prices, a wide ranging food menu at reasonable prices and a lot of dark wood panelling. Yes, this place has it all and it has retained a lot of the original church features.

2 out of 5

According to the Good Beer Guide app and website this place isn’t open on a Tuesday evening, but open it was and also packed out (pub quiz underway - what was the next UK number one single for Blondie after Sunday Girl?). So a very lively atmosphere, not many seats left, but there were a couple of tables in a sort of corridor like space at the back of the room.

Beer served from casks at the back of the bar, I tried the Bounder from Leatherbritches Brewery in Leicestershire, a nice golden ale that went down a treat. They seemed to have slightly limited beer options, but they also had a good range of ciders available. A great spot, looks like they’re well supported by the local community.

3 out of 5

The Chambers is on a street corner and if you go in what looks like the main door, you end up in the cafe side of the business. It’s more direct to go in the door 15 yards from the corner and go downstairs, because this is a cellar bar. You can get to the stairs through the cafe, like I did, so it’s not the end of the world. I was a bit surprised at the apparent lack of beer offering in what turned out to be the cafe.

Downstairs is very nicely laid out and very atmospheric. There were 4 hand pumps, but only two serving beer, Adnams Ghost Ship and Goldsmith from Hoppfuzz Brewery in nearby Hythe. I went for the latter, a very enjoyable light ale. It looked like they were getting another beer sorted out for one of the unused pumps. Not too busy, only two other drinkers in while I was there. A very neat bar.

3 out of 5

Small micro pub in what looks like former retail premises and it was pretty busy when I visited in the early evening. Closing times vary, from 6pm on Sunday to 9pm on its ‘late nights’ on Friday and Saturday, perhaps that’s why it seemed so popular. It’s nicely laid our and decorated with additional room at the rear of the pub. Good choice of beer, largely from local small producers.

Beer is served direct from the cask in a rear room, I tried Kent Brewery’s Pamplemousse, a pink grapefruit IPA, nice and refreshing on a summer’s evening. Good atmosphere in the pub, just make sure you get there in time.

3 out of 5

Called in here for a drink at the end of a day’s walk. The pub is on the old coast road between Folkestone and Dover, on the eastern outskirts of Capel-le-Ferne, the A20 bypass of Folkestone means the old coast road is fairly quiet. There’s a small campsite at the back of it and a slightly larger one across the road, so they seem to have a pool of customers on their doorstep. It was reasonably busy for 4:30pm on a Tuesday afternoon.

Three hand pumps, but only two serving beer, Master Brew from Shepherd Neame and Buccaneer Pale Ale from the Nelson Brewing Company in Chatham. It’s not the biggest bar in the world and it was a fairly nice afternoon, so I retired to the the beer terrace which is situated next to but slightly higher than the road, so all in all a pleasant end to the day.

2 out of 5

Just up the road from the County Hotel, I visited on a (quiet) evening, perhaps Wetherspoons had attracted all the Monday night trade. Reasonably attractive from the outsude, a couple of fairly large rooms, plenty of space inside, sports TV playing (to perhaps try to add a bit of atmosphere).

The only beer on a hand pump was London Pride, so I chose that. Nice pint but I’m afraid the whole place was rather desolate. There was one other customer in when we arrived and one different customer there as we left. A little dispiriting.

1 out of 5

The only pub in the 2023 Good Beer Guide that’s in Ashford (perhaps a bit unexpected, Ashford is apparently the largest town in the UK that starts with the letter A!) and it’s a Wetherspoons.

So it’s wide choice of beers, drinks and food, sold at very competitive prices in a sort of “stack ‘em high, sell ‘em cheap” approach. Pretty much like every other Wetherspoons in terms of look and feel.

2 out of 5

Well we only went here as it was serving food, we were hungry and it was very convenient for us. The building itself is quite interesting, it looks like a timber barn but I suspect it’s 20 years old rather than 200 years old. It’s pretty much dominated by the restaurant operation.

No hand pumps, no real ale, a few versions of gassy lagers and a Guinness tap. Food was OK (it’s a Harvester), but you wouldn’t go there for the beer. Perhaps an ideal spot for a young family.

1 out of 5

This pub was the chosen end point for a long day’s walk, didn’t really know what to expect, but it all turned out rather nicely. It’s a reasonable sized pub in a small village in the Kent countryside between Ashford and Folkestone. Looks like it’s had some money invested in it in recent years, building exterior looks very smart, lovely large outdoor decking area at the front, nice car parking area at the rear. Interior has quite a traditional look and feel, perhaps fairly recently renovated or established with a dollop of cash.

Five hand pumps inside, three dispensing beer (Goacher’s Fine Light Ale, Timothy Taylor’s Landlord and Harvey’s Sussex Best Bitter) and two serving Biddenden Kentish Cider (based in Ashford). I’m afraid after a long, hot, sticky walk I opted for an alternative, but it was great to see a good choice of beer available. It was also nice to see a village pub thriving - and open at 4pm on a Monday afternoon - well done Stowting.

4 out of 5

Like the Elephant, another very attractive traditional pub, but this one’s considerably older. It’s been part of the Shepherd Neame (SN) business for almost 300 years (SN’s claim to fame is that it’s the oldest brewer in the country and it’s brewery in Faversham has been in production for 300 plus years). So it’s an historic pub, with a small front room and larger room to the rear, lots of wooden beams and columns, very atmospheric.

Plenty of hand pumps, but a bit of a limited range of beers, I only noticed 3 hand pumps that were working amongst the 8 or so on display. So we tried the SN Master Brew, which seemed fine. The only slight disappointment was that they could perhaps have offered a bit more, but perhaps their volume of beer sales means it’s not economic or they can’t get through it quickly enough. Bit of a shame.

3 out of 5

Wetherspoons pub in the centre of Faversham, as expected there’s a good range of drinks at very competitive prices, a wide ranging food menu at reasonable prices and a nicely refurbished / repurposed building with plenty of wood panelling on the interior. In this case, the pub recognises one of Faversham’s great benefactors, whose bequest on his death saw the establishment of educational and recreational facilities in the town. Nice, high, sculpted ceiling over the bar area clearly reflects the building’s use at some time.

The offer is a good wide range of beers and other drinks, there’s a beer terrace out the back. One of the downsides to W’spoons is that, with the exception of some of the more dramatic interiors - see the Opera House in Tunbridge Wells - they’re all much of a muchness, Peterhead is pretty similar to Maidenhead. This might suit some people, but it’s not everybody’s cup of tea.

2 out of 5

Closes early (7pm) on a Sunday evening, presumably they don’t get enough trade at the end of the weekend to justify opening longer, so we had to make this our first stop of the evening. It’s a fine looking old pub from the outside with a date stone above the Saloon Bar door indicating that at least that part of the building was built ing 1918. Inside, it’s an attractive interior featuring a lot of timber.

Five hand pumps, but only three serving beer, Best Bitter from the Long Man Brewery near Eastbourne, Estuary Porter from Shivering Sands Brewery just outside Ramsgate and Broadside from Adnams in Southwold. I plumped for the Best Bitter again and wasn’t disappointed. Great to see the exterior fabric of an old pub cared for and the place itself adapted to the twenty first century.

4 out of 5.

This pub might be regarded as being in Faversham, but in reality its a couple of miles from the centre of town, down a narrow, single track lane. If you're walking there, you're probably looking at a 40 minute stroll, perhaps not ideal in the dark. As for the pub itself, it’s fairly small, low ceilings, historic and with beer served direct from the cask. So it’s got a lot going for it. There’s not much else around there, except for a boatyard that’s accessible from the car park, it probably needs to be pretty good to attract customers.

There were about 6 casks set out against the back wall, with local beers from Goachers (based in Maidstone) and the Kent Brewery (Prohibition and the Quiet American). It was wonderful to find this place still going in what must be a challenging location to run a business from in the twenty first century. Plaques on the wall indicated that it’s well regarded by local CAMRA members. Probably needs as much support as possible - go visit!

5 out of 5.

Yes, it's a Wetherspoons so you probably know what to expect, a good range of bear at very competitive prices, a wide ranging food menu at reasonable prices (with the option of adding an alcoholic drink for a nominal supplement), a pretty grand building refurbished in the Wetherspoons style, named after a local dignitary or referencing the building's previous use and a traditional wood panelling interior. Well you have all that and more here. The entrance looks fairly typical Wetherspoons, the bar area is what you might expect, but the rear premises are something else.

You can sit on the former opera house stage and enjoy your drink, looking out on the boxes, stalls and balcony (no access to these areas). Outstanding, you can be a star for an hour!. There was a sign saying that one day a year an opera is performed, that must be quite some evening. Wonderful re-use of a great building with moderate alteration, largely to the front of house.

Well done Wetherspoons.

5 out of 5.

Micropub in the town centre in what appears to be former commercial premises. Stripped out interior with exposed services on the ceiling and some simple light fittings with a mix of wall decoration. Bar at the back of the room and a good selection of tables and chairs scattered across the room. Obviously a lot of competition in an area like this, but the place was pretty busy with people enjoying a natter and a drink.

I chose the Caravan Bitter from the Pig & Porter Brewery in Tunbridge Wells and it was a very pleasant drink. They had 3 other beers on hand pumps along with a couple of ciders. Great to see a small independent pub doing well and being supported by the local community.

3 out of 5.

So it's a pub, just off the town centre, with the Fonthill Brewing Company in the rear premises, and, unsurprisingly, a good selection of Fonthill beers and other guest beers, there were 6 beers and 2 ciders on hand pumps when I went. The brewery is in the former stables, which was a key feature of The George in its coaching inn days. Beer terrace out the back which was pretty busy on a cool Saturday evening. I was tempted to eat and I enjoyed a nicely cooked and presented burger and chips which went down very nicely.

There were a lot of beers on - Creedence, Good Morning Captain and Best Bitter from Fonthill - plus 4 other guest beers and 3 or 4 ciders. Spoilt for choice, I settled on the Fonthill Best and greatly enjoyed it on the beer terrace at the back of the pub. The brewing part of the business runs a separate bar at the back of the premises, though with the choice available at the George bar, I think you'd have to be a regular local to have to or need to stray too far from the offerings there.

4 out of 5.

Tucked away in The Common, a verdant and leafy open access area to the north west of Tunbridge wells town centre. It's a lovely location, popular with walkers, runners, dog walkers etc and next door to the pub is what appears to be an abandoned, small scale, quarry, though this is all nicely grassed / vegetated over now. A large building, they also offer accommodation, and a sizeable restaurant area, looks like they serve good food. There's outdoor seating available, which was pleasant on a mild July evening.

Four hand pumps, three serving beer - Harvey's Sussex Best, Got the Face On (from Pig & Porter brewers in Tunbridge Wells) and Mystic - plus a cider, the Earl's Reserve from nearby Tonbridge.

So, in summary, perhaps best regarded as a fairly smart restaurant, with the advantage of some good choice in beer.

3 out of 5.

This pub is in the town centre and if you're not too familiar with Tunbridge Wells it can prove a bit difficult to find (I know it tested me). You can either access it from a car parking area on Sussex Mews, off Linden Park Road - it's nicer than it sounds - via a passageway off The Pantiles between (in 2023) Pantiles Oriental Carpets and Bella Vou (plastic surgery clinic), look out for the A board advertising its presence. Once you get there it's very pleasant, very little traffic of any description, outdoor seating area with rain protection and a very nice interior, dark wood and wooden floorboards.

Six hand pumps serving 4 beers from different breweries (including Fonthill) and 2 ciders, one from Scotland flavoured in a whisky cask - 6.7% - wasn't brave enough to try it. I had the Best Bitter from the Long Man Brewery in nearby East Sussex. This was a beer that appeared regularly in our tour of south Kent and was a very fresh and pleasant drink. Good beer / cider choice, tucked away in a quiet and pleasant location, who could ask for anything more!

3 out of 5.

Small pub tucked away just off the town centre, a 5 minute walk, in what appears to be a largely residential area. I visited fairly early on a Saturday evening and it was fairly quiet when I arrived, but was getting busier by the time I left. Small traditional bar, nicely laid out and furnished. Though it's situated on a road corner, I didn't notice any noise intrusion into the pub.

Four hand pumps dispensing a cider, Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter plus a beer from Timothy Taylor's (Landlord) and Marstons (61 Deep) when I visited. I tried the Harvey's and thought it was a fine, nicely kept beer. Overall, a great little Beer Guide pub.

3 out of 5.

Called in here for a drink before and after an afternoon walk. Very handy for the railway station (though it's a request stop only, so be sure to tell the conductor you want to leave the train there, when you get on board). I hadn't been here for something like 30 years, but it's still a very nice little pub, reasonable sized room around the bar, with a little side room offering seats for ten or so more people and with some seating outside on either side of the road. It was fairly quiet at 2pm on a Friday afternoon, apart from the walking party I was with.

There were three handpumps dispensing Black Sheep, Lancaster Blonde and Butterley (from Ossett Brewey). When I returned at around 4:30pm there were a good number of locals / regulars enjoying a drink, so it looked like it was well supported, which was good to see. A pretty good choice of beer, a comfortable spot, nicely situated on the western outskirts of Blackburn in the very agreeable and leafy suburb that is Pleasington. Pretty good beer choice so it's got a lot going for it - easy to see why it's popular.

3 out of 5.

Popped in here for a drink following a walk on a warm summer's day. Nicely situated on the south bank of the River Lune, in an area which is evolving and becoming more developed - latest nearby addition is some university accommodation, which perhaps brings a bit more custom to this pub and neighbouring businesses. It's a great old building - looks very nice from the outside - which has been modernised and nicely fitted out, beer garden to the rear, and the interior seems to be set up for dining in the evenings and regular tribute music acts at weekends.

There were a couple of handpumps dispensing Robinson's Dizzy Blonde and Cumbria Way. There was nobody else in on the early Tuesday afternoon we were there, so a little difficult to judge atmosphere.

Perhaps more of a dining pub than a beer drinking pub, but that perhaps reflects the environment it's in, no point in trying to run it in a manner that isn't sustainable. At least it had moderate beer choice.

3 out of 5.

Another pub with railway links, immediately adjacent to the now defunct Hest Bank station and right next door to the level crossing and footbridge over the West Coast Main Line, which is at its closest point to the west coast at this spot. It's a relatively new micropub, small to medium in size with a small amount of outdoor seating around the building's perimeter. Six handpumps were on the go, offering beer from all around the country (Somerset, Greater Manchester, Vale of Glamorgan, South Yorkshire, Argyll and Derbyshire). I chose the Jarl from Fyne Ales.

Quite a bit of railway memorabilia inside, nice table and chairs arrangement and a small back room that is almost cut off from the rest of the pub. Very keen, knowledgable and enthusiastic owner who was saying that the pub had recently been judged for a regional award and he was waiting with baited breath to find out how he had got on. Good luck to him, he's on to a winner.

5 out of 5.

Only really one word to describe this place, remote, remote, remote. Often busy with walkers, people who have come to view the nearby Ribblehead railway viaduct and visitors arriving courtesy of Ribblehead railway station, which is 250 metres away (so perhaps not as remote as I thought). Quite traditional inside and busy on the day I was there. Five handpumps were dispensing beer from local breweries, I opted for the Whernside Pale Ale from the Three Peaks Brewery and managed to grab a seat at a table.

Lots of railway memorabilia inside, pictures and similar on the walls, the bar rail is in fact an old section of railway line, directions to the toilets describe them as "loos with a view" (of the railway viaduct). Small beer garden out the back which I chose not to visit because there was lots to look at inside. A great spot with fine railway history and very welcome shelter and refreshment for visitors.

4 out of 5.

Now the 'official' address may say Carnforth, but don't let that fool you, this place is a stone's throw from Ingleton. Tucked away off the A65, the village and pub is accessed via a narrow road. It's a traditional looking building but once you step inside you realise that it's been sympathetically updated to the 21st century. Five handpumps operating, with beer from local brewers, I had the Black Sheep Blonde - which was very pleasant and seemed pretty reasonable at £3.50 a pint.

A number of tables and chairs in the bar area were very clearly set up for dining, there's a nice, small beer garden to the rear with views of the rolling Yorkshire Dales. The place was fairly quiet on the day I visited, but there are a number of local camp sites and holiday accommodation nearby, so weekends and school holidays may be a.very different matter. Lovely tucked away spot, good beer choice, nice beer. Recommended.

4 out of 5.

My second pub in Warton that day and a slight contrast to the earlier one. Set on the main road through the village, with a large car park at the front and a medium size beer garden to the rear. Four handpumps were in action on the day I visdited, three serving beer from three different local brewers and the fourth from Lacons Brewery in Norfolk! I setled for a glass of the Norfolk Gem from Lacons and decided to drink this in the beer garden, which had a few people in it for an early Tuesday afternoon in May.

The place had the feel of a community pub that is well used and appreciated by the village. People seemed to be being served very generous plates of food in the beer garden and there was evidence of an outdoor bar at the back of ther building, though this wasn't open on the day of my visit. Nice glass of beer, nice rural views from the beer garden, who could ask for anything more.

3 out of 5.

Visited this pub on a glorious day in late May, it has a reasonable amount of covered seats outside, all nicely laid out. It's in the fairly small village of Warton (to avoid confusion, that's the one one near Carnforth, not the one on the north bank of the river Ribble)- which also has a pub in the Good Beer Guide. It's the brewery tap for the Old School Brewery, whose beers all have some sort of educational name - Hopscotch, Detention, Headmaster, Textbook, Blackboard and similar. Nice bar with a very agricultural / rustic theme and a fine outdoor area too, opens early 10:30am but also closes fairly early, usually at 9pm.

I settled for Textbook a very pleasant blonde beer on a hot early summer's day and a great way to close out a spot of moderate exercise. Very handy for the small, free, public csr park next door and for access to Warton Crag which offers a grear view over Morecambe Bay on a fine day. The car park can understandably get very busy during pub opening times, but there is some roadside parking available in the village.

Surely a future entry in the Good Beer Guide.

4 out of 5.

If I'm honest, I stumbled across this spot when I was trying to get a cup of tea in Clitheroe, but I thought I recognised it from the Beer Guide, saw the sticker in the window and thought I better explore further. Glad I did, 4 handpumps, though one out of action, two were serving beer from Good Chemistry Brewing (No Nonsense and Storms Pass) which had presumably come up all the way from Bristol! They also had Unshackled, with their name against it, so I'm not sure if they've got a microbrewery up and running or if someone's making it for them.

Anyway, it was very comfortable inside, large picture windows allow you to watch the comings and goings in Clitheroe town centre. The Storms Pass was a very pleasant and enjoyable drink. There seemed to be a beer garden / terrace out the back, there was an attractive timber finish to both the walls and the walls, and hopefully this fairly new hostelry will go from strength to strength.

4 out of 5.

Called in here at the end of a day's walk in the area, looked like a reasonable spot for a refreshing drink after some exercise. It's a little off the beaten track, but very handy for a local bus stop, Tewitfield Marina, the north (active) end of the Lancaster Canal and nearby holiday complexes. It was very smart inside, with a slightly stripped back look in the bar area. Four handpumps serving beers from local producers, I opted for a pint of Dizzy Blonde from Robinson's and it was very enjoyable indeed (perhaps helped by the earlier 10 miles of walking).

Beer was served in a friendly and engaging manner. There seemed to be some nice and fairly chic public areas beyond the bar, these all looked fairly upmarket. The beer price was also fairly upmarket (£4.80 per pint), but it's a reaasonably large place in a spot which perhaps can and needs to make sure it's income / expense ratio correct, or it won't be there too long. Almost a 4, but not quite.

3 out of 5.

Let me say at the start that this place does not set itself up as somewhere on the beer drinker's pilgriimage. It is a family owned pub, a couple of miles south of Dumfries, in a small community on the east bank of the River Nith. It's set up as a pub offering good familty food and was a favourite of my parents. I was on a weekend catch up with my siblings and partners and we booked a table for the Saturday evening. It serves traditional pub food, has a nice, neat, beer garden and usually leaves you well satisfied at the end of the evening.

The bonus is that they normally have Criffel Ale on the single handpump, supplied by Sulwath Brewers in nearby Castle Douglas, and it's usually very pleasant (consumption was interrupted by a barrel change on the evening we went). I'm including it here, because it's clearly a pub that serves beer and the low mark is because the principal offering drawing customers is the delicious food, not the beer. Look on it as a family pub with the bonus of a handpump.

2 out of 5.

Slightly tucked away, on the edge of the city centre and situated on the north bank of the River Ribble, with good access to the impressive Miller and Avenham parks. Great pub with a very pleasant beer garden and a fairly large function roon which is used fo all sorts of community events - music, poetry, screening of football World Cup matches and more. Great choice and variety of beer, the Continental Bitter is a very enjoyable, zesty pint on a hot summer afternoon.

There's a bar, a snug and conservatory and other seating areas betwen the bar and a very pleasant beer garden. Can get very busy, especially on a sunny day and when they have one of their beer festivals on. They also serve good food and often have a barbecue or hog roast set up during beer festivals. Only slight downside currently (Spring 2023) is that access to their premises in a vehicle has been made very difficult due to road closures associated with the River Ribble flood defence works, still, worth making an effort.

5 out of 5.

Situated at one end of the principal shopping street in Preston and very handily placed for the railway station (90 seconds away) and because of this well served by numerous adjacent bus stops. Popular spot for people before they board a train or the first spot they head to on leaving a train (there's even a screen at the bar showing up to date train information). Quite traditional layout inside with the bar occupying a central island with service on 3 sides. Usually have a good range of beer on handpumps and usually from local producers.

There are a number of TVs inside showing all manner of sporting events, a pool table at the back of the pub plus a beer terrace at the very back which allows a spot of al fresco drinking. So, handily placed, good transport links, good range of beer, a few activities to keep you amused, sounds like and is a pretty good combination.

4 out of 5.

Have passed this pub a number of times and for some reason it never strikes me as very appealing or interesting from the outside, but I thought I better give it a try. Glad that I did, quite stripped back and plain inside but a very nice atmosphere on the Friday afternoon that I visited. Four beers on handpumps, three of which were supplied by Brewsmith, an east Lancashire microbrewery, and the one that I had - their Ernest and Jones bitter - was a very nice drink on a sunny afternoon.

There's a small area out front with a couple of tables and chairs - it's a one way street so traffic generally fairly light - and it is around 100 metres from the main shopping boulevard in Preston, so very handily located. I spent a very enjoyable half hour in there watching (a fairly small proportion of) the world going by.

Why hadn't I been in here before, I ask myself!

Called in here on a late Thursday lunchtime, the place was pretty quiet, but got a friendly welcome as I had a look at the very wide range of beers they had on offer. The bar is housed in what apears to be a refurbished outbuilding (or Barn) at the back of The Royal Hotel (presumably, hence the name). Medium to large in size, very nicely laid out, a range of chairs and tables and an outstanding range of beers from the Kirkby Lonsdale Brewery (they put the 'ale' in Kirkby Lonsdale). They're sited 200 metees along the road.

They seemed to have at least 10 handpumps, with a different beer in each, also had a range of ciders available as well. Great atmosphere, comfortable suroundings, great range of drinks, friendly service - who could ask for anything more. Suspect it could get very busy at weekends, hardly surprising. Just a pity it's not a little closer to home, but that's hardly their fault (ring the estate agents!).

A very worthy 5 out of 5.

Small brewery tucked away in Cartmel, a village famous for food and drink and with plenty of places available to sample both. In the south east corner of the village, on the east bank of the River Eea (how many rivers in Britain have no consonants in their name?). Very small bar in front of the rooms where brewing takes place, but a nice outdoor searting area (with retractable roof - this is Cumbria!) that is bordered by 2 or 3 other local artisan shops.

They had 4 of their beers available on the day I went, all with local names or reflecting local traditions or tales, Sir William Marshall's Crusader Gold, The Flookburgh Cockler, Sir Edgar Harrington's Last Wolf and The Cartmel Thoroughbred. Plenty of their bottled beer also on sale. Forget about a walk in the lakes, an afternoon in the sun in the patio area could be just as enjoyable.

Called in here for a lunchtime drink when I was in the area, it was a beautiful day and this just added to the overall splendour of this pub, which seemed to also be serving some very good food. Nice outside seating area at the front, on a fairly quiet road through the small village. Quite a smart place - it all looked recently refurbished - but also had three beers on hand pumps for the thirsty visitor.

Two were from the Coniston Brewing Company - Bluebird Bitter and Old Man Ale - plus Loweswater Gold from Cumbrian Ales, which was what I had and was very enjoyable.

Great pub, interesting history to it if you visit the web site, in a spot that was slightly off the beaten track, at least on the day I visited, could perhaps be overwhelmed at Bank Holiday weekends or in high summer. Thoroughly recommended, a strong 4 out of 5.

This was the second pub that I went in to in Settle on a late Tuesday afternoon in early April, it's on the main road through the town, close to the market square. Good choice of beer, perfectly nice surroundings, perhaps a slightly cramped / squeezed feel to the bar area, probably as a result of being in an nineteenth century building that's been adapted as required over the years.

Good choice of Thwaites beer the day I was there, I had a nice glass of the IPA. Slightly more expensive that the drink in The Talbot - the other pub in the Good Beer Guide in Settle - but the overheads are probably greater here.

Good pub, almost a 4 out of 5, but for me, The Talbot was slightly better, hence a strong 3.

Called in here for a late lunchtime drink when I was in the area, the bar was reasonably busy with a mixture of what looked like locals and visitors, plus people calling in to book a table for a meal in the evening. Overall, a very good atmosphere, nice range of beer and a beer garden out the back, apparently.

Had a glass of beer (Stanley's) from the relatively nearby Kirkby Lonsdale Brewery, very nice indeed.

Great pub, just off the main route through Settle, near the central car parking area by the main road, when it's not being used on market day or for other community events. Nice friendly feel to the place, will come back again.

Nipped in here in the early evening for a pint after a 14 mile walk on a bright and fairly warm April day. In the mood for a refreshing drink and we weren't disappointed.

Had a pint of Ruskin's from the local Kirkby Lonsdale Brewery, just what we needed. The Kirkby Lonsdale Brewewry are part of the same company that own and operate The Royal Barn in Kirkby Lonsdale, 250 yards away, another pub in the Good Beer Guide, but I'll save that for another day,

Nice pub, a little olde worlde, plenty of seats and tables in the front and it looked like they had more accomodation to the rear (plus bedrooms). Very nice village, a lot of pub, bar and restaurant choice, not far from the south east edge of the Lake District, but usually not overloaded with visitors.

Interesting. Combines beer with music, specifically LPs, so you can browse the racks of records, choose one and ask for that to be added to the record queue, more about this later. Pretty good choice of beer, I had the Vinyl Pale Ale which is brewed for them by the Kirkby Lonsdale Brewery.

The pub itself is a reasonably long rectangular room, with plenty of tables and chairs. It's close to the University of Central Lancashire Student Services building and surrounded by other university buildings and accommodation blocks, so probably a favourite of students. Seems to have a programme of weekly special events.

Back to the music. If that's the main reason you're going then you probably want to make sure they're playing it through the speakers in the small stage area in one conrner of the pub. If they're playing it through pub speaker system - speakers in the ceiling - then what you hear is a bit of a mess, all mush, little music. Not great, disappointing.

Overall, good beer, but perhaps a nice idea, poorly executed.

Called in here on a Friday afternoon, it's at the side of the A6 on the way north out of Preston, perhaps a 15 minute walk from the city centre. It's a very tradiutional, old fashioned pub with small rooms off the bar area. Good beer choice and I took advantage of their sausage roll offering and wasn't disappointed.

Had a glass of Hazy Pale Ale, brewed by Play Brew Company all the way over in Middlesborough, very acceptable.

There used to be 3 pubs at this spot, The Unicorn was next door until it was knocked down in around 2020, across the road was the Mitre Tavern.

But The Moorbrook is still there and deserves to be supported.

Well it's a Wetherspoon's so the advantages are cheap beer, good value food, good range of beer and plenty of space so lots of tables and chairs, plus they've kept a historic building going and alive. The downside is possibly that's it's pretty similar to every other Wetherspoon's in the country and a little soulless.

They always have a good range of beer. There's a beer garden area out of the back and three or four tables outside, at the back of the footway at the front of the building.

For 3 or 4 years this was The Otter's Pocket, a pub specialising in pies as well as serving good beer. Now refreshed and rebranded it's kept up the serving of good beer in a stripped back room. Loved it, great choice of beer, nice atmosphere, it's on a narrow one way street that doesn't get a lot of traffic, yet only 50 yards from the main shopping street in Preston.

All in all, very good. Good beer, good atmosphere, good location. If this was in York they'd be queuing out the door and halfway down the street!

I called in here after being in the Crafty Beggars Ale House, similar sort of set up, but it somehow just seemed to operate slightly better than the previous pub. Perhaps the bar location and layout just felt liked it worked better. Managed a glass of Solace from the Neptune Brewery in Sefton (Merseyside), very nice.

Quite small and austere inside, but at 7:30 on a Thursday evening there were a number of tables and chairs still available. Car parking seemed to be a bit of an issue, but I managed to park up in a side street 150 yards away. Enjoyed the drink.

Newish pub that's opened up in the middle of some retail premises in Fulwood, north Preston. I called in before 7pm on a Thursday evening and it was already pretty busy. Good range of beer, I tried the Hops Be Trippin' supplied by the Cross Bay Brewing Company in Morecambe, very nice, then (just) managed to get a seat.

Quite small inside, but a good atmosphere, seems that a number of people call in with their dog as part of their evening stroll. My only minor issue was that it was a little like being in someone's garage, a very boxy, and slightly austere room. Perhaps I'm just being fussy.

Called in here for a late afternoon drink after a walk in the area (doesn't open until 4pm from Monday to Friday). A bit unusual, because it's really part of Bentham Auction Market and it's on the upper floor of a converted barn, so overall quite unusual. Good choice of beer, eight or ten people in there at 4:10pm on the day I visited, so clearly popular.

Had a glass of Zenith IPA from the Cross Bay Brewing Company, in Morecambe. Very nice indeed, probably enhanced by the walking earlier in the day.

Great pub, nice village, just tucked away in a quiet spot, but fairly easily accessible via Bentham station which is on the Leeds to Morecambe raillway line.

I call in here regularly for a catch up with former colleagues and before that have been a semi regular for the last 30 plus years. They now have a reasonable and changing choice of beer.

Used to have a near monopoly position in Penwortham, very few immediate competitors. The recent bypass has had a very positive effect for Penwortham, not sure if it's benefitted The Fleece. Bonus, a nicer environment, but at the price of a lot less passing traffic. The other thing the bypass has done has refreshed and envigorated the restaurant / pub scene, so a lot more competiotion now.

Could just be me, but it always used to feel that they didn't have to try too hard, because they were the main pub in town. Not sure if that ethos has really left, recently spent an hour in there on a lunchtime, whilst joiners working on some sort of refurbishment job on the premises cut up sheets of ply / mdf in one corner of the pub. Didn't do much to make to make conversation easy!

Nice beer garden for the summer months, can get very busy at Bank Holidays when the weather is good.

Small pub with a friendly atmosphere, good range of beers that are changed regularly. Small room at the rear offers a bit more accommodation and there are some tables and seats outside at the front (until 10pm) and in the summer more tables and seats in the alleyway on the right hand side. Recent highway bypass has meant that traffic from the once very busy and congested A59 is now reduced to a trickle, making a seat outside a lot more attractive, especially in late afternoon and the evening.

Serves food (range slightly limited) which looks good.

Can get busy, especially at weekend evenings. Part of the re-emerging Penwortham town centre following the bypass coming in to operation.