The Snap Tin, Poynton

 

The Snap Tin

83 Park Lane, Poynton, Cheshire SK12 1RD

TEL: 01625 630009

Not a traditional pub, it's a bar that looks like it's in former shop premises, and it's a restaurant bar. But it has a good range of drinks. (For those who don't know, a snap tin was what miners used to put their lunch in to take to work. Poynton was historically a coal mining area.)

decor - 3

light brown, tables a but close together

ambience - 3

friendly and relaxed

It wasn't busy when I was there, but I hear it gets lively on weekends.

real ale - 1

It does a lot of foreign ales with fancy foreign names but there's at least one recognisable cask ale

service - 3

Good but a bit distracted

features - 4

serves food

dog friendly

child friendly

music night on the last Saturday of the month

toilets- 4

Score 18 out of 30

The Farmers Arms, Poynton

 

The Farmers Arms

90 Park Lane, Poynton, Cheshire SK12 1RE

TEL: 01625 875858

I can't find out anything about the history of this pub so far, and it seems to have been refurbed fairly recently so it's not possible to tell the building's age from its appearance.

decor - 4

ambience - 3

cheerful

real ale - none

It is a Robinsons pub

service - 3

features - 3

serves food

child friendly

location

toilets - 4

Score 17 out of 30

I've given it an extra point for location because it is near some fine countryside with a good network of footpaths and not far from Lyme Hall and Park.

 

The Boar's Head, Poynton

 

The Boar's Head

2 Shrigley Road North, near Poynton, Stockport SK12 1TE

TEL: 01625 409853

There has been a pub on this site for centuries but the current building, which replaced an older one, was built in 1906. In the mid-nineteenth century the local coal mine owner disapproved of the amount of drinking his employees did and had a Temperance Inn built right next door to it. The Temperance Inn is still there though it got a licence to serve alcohol in 1996. I may get a photo of it on a return visit. (I do intend to make a return visit as this area has nice walking routes and is also on the Middlewood Way, which goes from Marple to Macclesfield. I'll get a picture of the Boar's Head too. I didn't have my camera with me on this visit.)

decor - 5

posh, browns and greens, comfortable seating and little vases of flowers on the tables.

ambience - 4

friendly, relaxed

real ale - 1

Though it has up to three guest ales. Two of them were not available on my visit.

service - 3

A bit inattentive, even though the pub wasn't busy at the time.

features - 5

serves food

Welcomes 'walkers, muddy boots and dogs'

dog friendly

darts

quiz night once a week

toilets - 4

Score 22 out of 30

The Alehouse, Clitheroe

 

The Alehouse

12-14 Market Place, Clitheroe BB7 2DA

TEL: 07547359853

Didn't get a picture, I may get one on a return visit to Clitheroe.

This place opened in 2015 and is not a traditional pub but is converted from a double shop premises. I'm all for new bars being opened since so many traditional pubs have closed down (and are still closing down) but the premises have to be suitable. This place is too narrow and cramped to make a good pub. What redeems it is that it serves nothing but cask ales. 

decor - 1

very few pictures or ornaments, wooden interior upstairs and down.

ambience - 2

Lively but both the upstairs and downstairs rooms are narrow and cramped, making it difficult to move around safely between the bar and your seat, and avoid being walked into  by male customers who have already imbibed a bit.  The small space  means there are few seats anyway. 

Service - 1

slow

Real ales - 5

Five taps on the downstairs bar that serve nothing but cask ales

features - 2

Does gift cards to give to family and friends

TV in downstairs bar

toilets - 3

Disabled access is almost non existent. Narrow entrance. The toilets are up a steep flight of stairs and there are none on the ground floor.

Score 14 out of 30

The Swan and Royal hotel, Clitheroe

 

The Swan and Royal hotel, 26 Castle Street, Clitheroe BB7 2BX

TEL:01200 423130

This was a 19th century coaching inn and is now a grade II listed building. Its famous visited include Mathatma Ghandi in 1933 when he was inspecting a nearby cotton mill, and Winston Churchill and the jet engine pioneer Frank Whittle in 1940 and 1941 when they were discussing agreements for the development of the jet engine. The Riot Act was read from the steps of the building during the Cotton Riots of 1861 to 1865. This was the period of the Cotton Famine during the American Civil War, when cotton exports from the Confederate states were blockaded by the Union navy. The shortage of raw cotton for the textile mills in Lancashire caused them to close or go to short time working, which caused loss of income and hardship to the mill workers.

decor - 3

drab teal and brown

ambience - 3

lively

service - 4

real ales - 1

Timothy Taylor

features - 2

dog friendly

accommodation

toilets - 3

Score 16 out of 30

The White Lion, Clitheroe

The White Lion, 11 Market Place, Clitheroe BB7 2BZ

TEL: 01200 426995

decor - 3

muted greens and browns

ambience - 2

underventilated and muggy

service - 2

slow

real ale - 0

features - 4

dog friendly

pool

darts

TV

toilets - 3

Score 14 out of 30

 

The Bull's Head, Castleton, Derbyshire

 

The Bull's Head

Cross Street, Castleton, Derbyshire S33 8WH

TEL: 01433 620256

This is the first pub in the village you come to if you approach from the direction of the railway station at Hope. I haven't been able to find a date for it, so no idea how old it is. It was refurbished in March 2024.

ambience - 4

relaxing

decor - 4

comfortable seating

warm, light brown wood interior

service - 3

real ales - 1

features - 5

serves food

also serves savoury bar snacks and scones

accommodation

dog friendly

*location - I don't often give a point for a pub's location but this one is in the lovely Hope Valley, and in a village with Peveril castle (called Peak castle until the 19th century when Sir Walter Scott wrote Peveril of the Peak) on the hill above it.

toilets - 4

Score 21 out of 30

If you can get to Castleton on 29th May it holds the Garland Festival, which is believed to date back to at least the 17th century.

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, Castleton, Derbyshire

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese

Howe Lane, Castleton, Derbyshire S33 8WJ

TEL: 01433 620330

Doesn't look it from the outside but this place was built in 1660. It got its first ale licence in 1748 and was named Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese in 1876. It is now a restaurant pub and guest house (check its website for room availability) as well as serving a good pint. 

decor - 3

ambience -4

relaxing

service - 3

bit inattentive but friendly

real ales - 4

features- 5

serves food

dog friendly

muddy booted walkers friendly

quiz night

accommodation

toilet - 4

fully supplied

Car park is opposite, across the road

 

The Brown Cow, Burrs Country Park, near Bury

 

The Brown Cow

Burrs Country Park

Woodhill Road

Bury BL8 1DA

TEL: 764 3386

Ambience - 1

noisy

decor - 1

shabby, dark and unappealing

real ales - 2

service - 2

offhand

features - 4

bug beer garden

serves food

child friendly

dog friendly

toilets - 3

Score - 13 out of 30

Castello, Rochdale

 

Castello

415 Rochdale Old Road

near Bury

BL9 7TB

TEL: 0161 763 4754

It's a restaurant bar rather than a pub but it's a good one. You can stop for just a pint or a coffee.

Ambience - 4

decor - 4

Swish, nicely presented

Service - 5

Impeccable

real ale - 0

features - 4

serves food

well maintained flowery beer garden

child friendly

dogs allowed in the garden

toilets - 5

Score 22 out of 30