The Pack Horse, Affetside, near Bury

 

The Pack Horse

52 Watling Street, Affetside, Bury BL8 3QW

TEL: 01204 884584

It's a restaurant rather than a pub, all the tables are set out for diners and there is no bar space just for drinkers. But it's the kind of restaurant where you might not get a table if you haven't booked. It has an upmarket menu and a very swish setting.

    It is at the highest point, 900 feet above sea level, of the Roman road that ran from Manchester to Ribchester. It was originally built as a manor house and did not become a pub until 1650. It got its name because pack horse trains travelling from Lancashire to Yorkshire frequently stopped there. 

    For a long time the skull of a 17th century farmer, George Whewell, was kept behind the bar. He was the man who executed James Stanley, the 7th Earl of Derby, in 1651 during the Civil War. Whewell is said to have volunteered for the job because James Stanley was part of the Royalist Army that overran Bolton and massacred its inhabitants. They included Whewell's family. Nobody knows how his skull came to be kept at the pub but it was there since the late 1800s, when the Butterworth family owned the pub.

    According to an article in the Bolton News it was still there in 2022. The pub apparently had a major refurb in 2023 and the skull was placed in a glass case with an account of its history inscribed on the glass.

ambience - 3

decor - 4

Refurbished only two years ago and has kept the historic features: huge timber beams and open fireplaces.

real ales - 4

service -4

Polite and attentive

features - 2

serves food

weekly quiz night

toilets - 0

The trouble was, they weren't working when I visited. The water supply to the cisterns had failed. Naturally that's an unusual occurrence but I can't review what isn't there.

Score 17 out of 30

Fabulous views over Winter Hill

The Saracens Head, Warburton, Cheshire

The Saracens Head

Paddock Lane, Warburton, Cheshire WA13 9TH

TEL: 01925 753761

A rural pub out in the Cheshire countryside, which was a 17th century coaching inn.. I came across it because it is just 50 yards off the GM Ringway route. It is mainly a restaurant but has a bar area for drinkers. 

ambience - 3

Don't know what it's like when it's busy. I arrived just as it opened on a day early in the week, so it was quiet. I'm guessing it's lively at times. There's a huge, well designed dining room that takes up a lot of space but it's well separated from the bar area if you're only in for a drink.

No canned music and no tellies. (I like that)

decor - 4

Pale walls and lots of huge old wooden beams. A very traditional feel.

service - 4

Fast and attentive

real ale - 2

It's a Greene King pub but has two guest ales.

features - 5

Serves food, classic pub menu

Play barn and play area for children.

big pub garden

dog-friendly

The fifth feature is one you will only see in early November. This is when the Warburton Soulers perform a traditional folk play about death and revival. Their first performance of the year is at the Saracens Head on 1st November, unless that is a Sunday, in which case the first performance is on 2nd November.

Find out more about the Soulers and soul-caking on 

www.larchfieldhouse.co.uk/Souling/WarburtonSoulingPlay.htm

 

toilets- 3

Good, newly decorated and very clean. But no loo roll.

Score 20 out of 30

The Pace Egg pubs

 There are only two places I know of in the country that still do the ancient Pace Egg plays during Easter. One is Heptonstall in Yorkshire. The other is Middleton in Greater Manchester. The Middleton Pace Egg players perform their short play seven times in seven of the local pubs and collect money for charity. Middleton has been lucky in that all of its town centre pubs are still open, none have been closed down. I didn't get round all six of them, only three but I've named all seven pubs and expect to get round the rest and review them sometime soon.

The Pace Egg play: Saint George the champion of England is challenged to a fight by the Turkish champion. The plot involves a couple of his men (this year played by two six year old boys) and Captain Slasher having a go at the Turkish champion and losing.  St George gets wounded and has to be cured by the doctor. The doctor has a horse though nobody seems to know why. St George wins in the end. Then the players collect money from the audience. Back in the day the players would have collected money (and beer) for themselves, now they collect for charity. This year (2023) they were collecting for the Stroke Association.

The Dusty MIller

34 Middleton Way

Middleton M24 4DF

This pub was renamed the Edgar Wood in 2018. It was closed temporarily while its licence was reviewed. According to articles in The Rochdale Observer the police asked for its licence to be reviewed after there had been a few fights on the premises. One of the conditions for getting its licence back was that it had a name change. Not all the regulars were happy with that. The name Dusty Miller is historic. there has been a pub on the site since the 1770s and it was so named because it was near the local flour mill. A lot of people still call it The Dusty Miller.

The Roebuck

18 Middleton Way

Middleton M24 4DF

TEL: 0161 643 7066

Ambience - 3

decor - 4

tasteful greys and greens

service - 4

fast and friendly

real ale - 0

But serves the full range of other drinks

features - 3

pool table at the back

child friendly

dog friendly

toilets - 4

Score 18 out of 30

Britannia Inn

6 Middleton Way

Middleton M25 4DF

ambience - 3

decor - 4

comfortable seating

service - 4

real ale - 0

But serves the full range of other drinks

features - 3

quiz night

child friendly

dog friendly

toilets - 4

Score 18 out of 30

Harbord Harbord

17-21 Long Street

Middleton M24 6TE

TEL: 0161 654 6226

A Wetherspoons pub so it serves food and has a range of real ales and ciders

New Inn

34 Long Street

Middleton M24 6UE

The Olde Boar's Head

111 Long Street

Middleton M24 6UE

I should have got a picture of the inside of this (I've just got photos of the yard when the Pace Egg players were performing.) because it's very old. This pub dates from the 16th century and has most of the original interior layout and features. The session room at the back, which is now used for functions, is where the local magistrates once held their court hearings. It is now mainly a restaurant pub with a space at the back just for drinkers though as pub restaurants go it's friendly .and not offputtingly posh.

ambience - 5

decor -4

plain wood beams and tasteful cream and brown colour scheme

service - 5

real ales - 3

features - 1

serves food

toilets - 4

Score 22 out of 30

The Ring O Bells

St Leonards Square

Middleton M24 6DJ

I have in fact been into this pub before, five years ago, and reviewed it (I'd forgotten, only realised when I reviewed this blog this week.) Here's the link to that review:

https://ups-and-downs-pubs.blogspot.com/2018/04/ring-o-bells.html

The Ribchester Arms, Ribchester

 

The Ribchester Arms, Blackburn Road, Ribchester PR3 3ZQ

TEL: 01254 820888

Disabled access: No ramp that I could see but level access inside

Decor - 3

wooden floors, greyish-green pale paintwork, a bit drab

ambience - 4

Lively. Piped music but muted so that it's possible to have a conversation without shouting.

It's mainly a restaurant pub, with smallish drinking area in front opf the bar surrounded by dining rooms and outside dining space.

service - 4

attentive and professional

real ale - 2

Cumberland Way and The Blonde when I was there

features - 2

serves food

Has accommodation 

toilets - 4

Score 19 out of 30

The Anglers Rest, Bamford, Peak District

 

The Anglers Rest

Taggs Knoll, Main Street, Bamford, Hope Valley, Derbyshire S33 0DY

TEL: 01433 650317

A village pub in the lovely Peak District. The sign at Bamford train station says this pub is half a mile along the main village street. My legs told me it was a mile, and from the station it's all uphill!

It's not often I've seen places that have taken advantage of the legislation that allows pubs to be registered as a community asset. The local people have done that here, they took it over in 2013, and they've not only kept open the pub but also the village post office and the cafe that are in the same building.

Access: disabled toilet and level access through the side door, level access at the front door. A few steps inside between the pub and the cafe/Post Office area.

decor - 2

Bit dark and unremarkable

ambience - 3

ale - 4

service - 2

Slightly amateurish and disorganised feel. Though it was busy when I was there.

features - 5

pool table

child friendly

cyclist friendly - first pub I've seen that positively welcomes cyclists and has dedicated bike parking space

beer garden

Serves food

toilet - 4

Score 20 out of 30

The Pride of the Peaks, New Mills

 

The Pride of the Peaks, 59 Market Street, New Mills, High Peak SK52 4AA

01663 745243

Built in 1865, originally named the Railway Hotel. 

ambience - 3

Pleasantly buzzy

decor - 1

Walls in cosy if drab shades of brown contrasted with fussy crystal light holders and big ornate silver framed mirrors. Not your typical pub decor. Would suit a Las Vegas casino more than a high street pub.

service - 5

very fast and very friendly

ales - 3

features - 5

food

DJ and music

child friendly

dog friendly

beer yard at the back with a pod (outbuilding) available for private booking

toilets - 4

Score 21 out of 30

disabled access - front entrance level with pavement*

*I'm starting to report on disabled access in pubs because a buddy and I now have mobility issues, so I've become more disability aware. But I'm offering it for information without adding it to the scores, because some pub buildings are so designed that it is not possible to adapt them or put in disabled loos without major structural alterations. The fact that pub builders of yore took no account of disabled access is not the fault of the current proprietors!

The Packhorse, Hayfield, High Peak

 

The Packhorse

3-5 Market Street, Hayfield, High Peak SK22 2EP

01663 749126

Hayfield is the village the mass trespassers walked through on their way to KInder Scout in 1932, and the village held a commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the event on 8th April 2022.

The Packhorse is a restaurant pub near the church.

decor - 2

white ceiling, painted-over beams, ugly greenish-grey walls, few pictures or ornaments.

ambience - 3

Not unpleasant, despite the offputting choice of wall colour. Piped music, something I never like even when it's not loud. Mostly wooden seats with a few padded chairs and benches.

service - 5

fast and courteous

real ale - 3

features - 5

Food. I don't do food reviews but their website indicates they are proud of the quality of what's on the menu.

Weekly quiz night

child friendly

dog friendly - or so I surmise because they have a dog water bowl with fresh water placed inside the front door.

Location, in the heart of the Peak District with excellent walking country just yards from the front door

toilets - 3

Decent but the hand dryer has been fixed low above a wooden shelf and there is no space to get your hands under it to dry them.

Score 21 out of 30

disabled access - uneven cobbles at the front and a step up to the front door

The Park Inn, Shaw, Oldham

121 Buckstones Road, Shaw, Oldham OL2 8DW

This pub is literally down the hill from the Black Ladd, and is in the edge of the suburbs of Shaw and about 10 minutes from the tram stop. The only view is of the old mill in the centre of Shaw, but it's only a little way downhill from Shaw Clough Country Park, if you fancy a walk.

decor - 5

Can't fault it, fairly recently decorated, light and bright, much more like a restaurant than a pub. And it has all straight back, comfy chairs. Unlike a lot of pub dining chairs, they don't have the struts at each side that stick into your bum.

ambience - 4

service - 4

features - 6*

serves food 

dog friendly, in the tap room

family friendly

pool table

live music

quiz night

real ale - 4

toilets - 4

Score 27 out of 30

*I know I originally only allowed for up to 5 features, but I've changed that rule because so many pubs have so many different additions.

The Black Ladd, Grains Bar, Oldham

487 Buckstones Road, Grains Bar, Oldham

01706 847541

This is worth a visit just for the views. It is near the top of the hills above Oldham, surrounded by fields and gives a wonderful view over most of Manchester. And yet the nearest tram stop is only a 20 minute walk straight down the hill, at Shaw.

decor - 4

Black and white beamed interior, stone floor in the bar area. Seats comfortable enough.

ambience - 4

Relaxed, traditional feel

Real ale - 1

one only, Black Sheep

Service - 4

Fast and attentive

Features - 3

serves food, English pub menu

Family friendly

Has to have a point for that view

Toilets - 3

In decent condition,  but short of soap

Score 19 out of 30

Top Brink Inn, West Yorkshire

Top Brink Inn, Brink Top, Lumbutts, near Todmorden, OL14 6JB

01706 812696

This was built in 1843 and was originally three weavers' cottages. Then one of the weavers applied for a beer licence, to supply the textile traders taking pack horses between West Yorkshire and Manchester. The three cottages have since become one establishment, with an extension at the front to accommodate more dining space. The pub is out on its own, on the edge of a very small village, and close to Stoodley Pike and the Pennine Bridleway.

ambience - 5

decor - 5

It has a slightly cliched country pub decor, with lots of horse brasses on the walls,  but this works. The seating is comfortable, and there are three different areas to sit inside, with outdoor eating areas at the front and the back.

real ale - 4

features - 4

Serves food (medium length pub menu, check their website for the current choices).

It also warrants a point for the location, right under the Pennine hills in the Calder Valley.

Dogs allowed

Children allowed

Service - 5

Very attentive and prompt

Toilets - 5

Pristine

Score 28 out of 30

Stoodley Pike and the surrounding hills

The Hopwood Arms, Middleton, Manchester

The Hopwood Arms

753 Rochdale Road, Middleton, Manchester M24 2RA

01706 359807

This is not a traditional canalside pub, by which I mean, one built at the same time as its canal to serve the canal workers. It dates only from the 1930s. But it backs onto the Rochdale canal on the edge of Middleton and is in a nice, semi rural location.

Ambience - 4

Decor - 4

It has a spacious open plan bar area and a beer garden with comfortable seating and canopies at the front.

Real Ale - 2

Service - 4

Prompt and friendly

Features - 4

child friendly

Serves food

hosts meetings of the mini owners club

children's play area

Toilets - 4

Score 22 out of 30