The Pint Pot, Salford

 

The Old Pint Pot

2 Adelphi Street, Salford M3 6EN

TEL:

This can be reasonably described as a scruffy student pub. I have passed it many times on the bus, I finally went in with a friend because it is close to the section of the Salford Trail that goes through Peel Park. It is very definitely a student pub, we were the only greyheads in there.

   It is set back from the main road and slightly downhill from it. The disabled access is rubbish. It looks like it has a door that is level with the car park but it wasn't open when we were there and the staff looked blank when we asked how anyone with mobility problems could get into the pub from the outside. There are only two ways to get into the pub, one involves steep steps down from the car park, the other a longer winding set of steps that starts at pavement level on the main road and winds alongside the River Irwell to the beer garden.

   The building used to be a school. It opened as a pub called the Adelphi Riverside in the Eighties and changed its name to the Old Pint Pot in the mid-Nineties. 

decor - 1

The place is supposed to have had a makeover as recently as 2019 but that doesn't seem to have included a refurb. The paintwork is old, chipped and grubby. The seating is comfortable but shabby and looks old.

ambience - 4

No matter the scruffy appearance, has a lively, friendly vibe. Has piped music, which I hate but at least it was all indie rock, my favourite music.

service - 3

A little bit slow, but okay once we'd got the bar person's attention. 

ale - 1

It's a Marstons pub but has one guest ale. This was Wainwrights when I was there.

features - 4

live music upstairs

serves food

open mic night

big beer garden with nice view of the Irwell

toilets - 3

No soap

Disabled access non-existent

Score 16 out of 30

The Cavendish, Keighley

 

The Cavendish

84 Cavendish Street, Keighley, Yorkshire BD21 3DF

TEL: 01535 681737

Keighley seems to be short of pubs, this was the only one I saw in the town centre when I was there. It was closed for two years from 2020 until February 2022, when it was bought by the Admiral Taverns group. It was built on the site of a previous pub,  the Oddfellows Arms. In 1899 the brewery T. Ramsden & Sons had acquired the Oddfellows Arms on condition that they demolished it and built a grander pub. In this period Cavendish Street was undergoing redevelopment to make it wider, to accommodate more traffic.

decor - 3

Big open bar space with a pool room at the back.

ambience - 4

I was there during the day, when there was a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere. I'm told it gets lively at night.

service - 3

real ale - 1

1 guest ale

Regular beer is Doombar and Boltmaker

features - 4

karaoke and DJ

quiz night

live music

dog friendly

toilets - 3

Disabled access okay, there are no steps into the building

Score 18 out of 30

The Moorcock Inn, LIttleborough

The Moorcock Inn

Halifax Road

Littleborough OL15 0LD

TEL: 01706 378156

This pub is also a B&B and a restaurant. It has been serving customers since 1641, according to a sign on the premises. I can't find out anything independently about its history - so far - but the bar area looks seventeenth century, it has thick stone walls, thick timber roof beams supporting a low ceiling and a stone floor. The restaurant section next to it is less solid in design and looks like it was a later addition, perhaps 19th century. This pub is only two miles out of LIttleborough town centre but it is in the middle of moorland and about a  mile below Blackstone Edge on the Pennine Way.

   In 2022 there was a report that it planned to close due to having lost a lot of business during Lockdown Year but in June 2023 it's still there. Check out its facebook page for its live music nights.

ambience - 2

The bar area is cosy and would be worth a 4 on its own but the restaurant section is a bit characterless.

decor - 2

Unoriginal white painted walls in the restaurant section. Makes the place bright but looks boring, no  pictures or decoration. The bar area has more character.

Ales - 3

In the bar 

Service - 5

Can't fault it

Features - 5

serves food

dog friendly

child friendly

accommodation

live music in the evening

toilets - 4

Nothing to dry your hands on

Score 21 out of 30

It's on the edge of spectacular countryside, the Pennine Bridleway passes half a mile from it.

 

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 foir 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

Crooke Hall Inn near Wigan

 I can't figure out why I didn't get a photo of this pub, since I usually photograph every pub I go into. But anyroad, it's at:

Crooke Road, Crooke Village, near Wigan WN6 8LR

01942 236088

The pub is next to the Leeds-Liverpool canal, in countryside about 2 miles out from the western side of Wigan town centre. There is a set of steep stairs to get into it from the canal side but it's built on a hill so the front door is level with the road.

ambience - 3 

nice, homely, comfortable.

decor - 3

fairly new, creams and browns, wooden floors.

service - 5

very friendly and welcoming

real ales - 4

Two Timothy Taylors. I tried the Gin Pit pale ale, a local brew from Wigan, when I was there.

features - 3

serves food

nice beer garden next to the canal

acoustic nights

toilets - 4

Score 22 out of 30

These photos are just to show that the pub is in fact in the countryside and there is a certain amount of wildlife hereabouts. Non-locals tend t think the Wigan area is all industrial and grim. 

The Kings Arms, Haworth

 

The Kings Head, 2 Church Street, Haworth BD22 8DR

01535 645197

ambience - 1

Overloud piped music

Decor - 3

Pleasingly rustic, dark exposed beams, cream ceiling, stone floors, pictures of old Haworth

Service - 1

A bit 'Yorkshire', a bit dour and unfriendly

Ales - 4

Four real ales named for the tourist trade, Anne, Charlotte, Emily and Branwell, plus two others

Features - 5

TV

Serves food

 quiz night

 live music

 dog friendly

Toilets - 3

Score 17 out of 30

The Royal Oak, New Mills

 

The Royal Oak, 25& 29 Market Street, New Mills, SK22 4AA

01663 744415

decor - 3

Spacious, bright, mostly wooden seating

ambience - 0

This is because, after visiting the pub myself, I found a review about it on Tripadvisor for April 2022 from Nikki 1792, which says "Awful discrimination - had my full drink taken away and kicked out for kissing my date. Apparently the landlord has no problem with the 'gays' as long as there's no show of public affection."

I've no way of checking the details of this incident but assuming it is accurate - I loathe discrimination. If the landlord dislikes PDAs in his pub that should apply to everybody. And it doesn't warrant kicking people out, just ask them to observe more decorous behaviour. Simple. Fair.

And by the way, it is not the 1970s we're in, it is the 2020s. Being openly gay became socially acceptable some years ago. Catch up.

service - 0

If the staff discriminate against gay customers, the service has to be s---

real ales - 2

A Robinson pub

features - 3

dog friendly

TV screen

live music on some evenings

toilets - 3

Score 11 out of 30

Not lowest score I've ever awarded (The Abbey in Oldham had that distinction) but low enough to be an embarrassment. I have another trip planned to New Mills but this pub won't be seeing my money again.

                                                          

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 Blazing Rag, Mossley

The Blazing Rag

15 George Street, Mossley OL5 0HW

01457 837184

It's an unusual name, though not the only such in the country, there are Blazing Rag pubs in Buxton and Nottingham as well. According to Wikipedia, the name is associated with hound trailing, which dates to the 18th century, where hounds were set to follow the scent of a rag soaked in paraffin and aniseed. The rag was customarily burned in the pub fire at the end of the trail. 

    I have no information whether hound trailing was ever carried out in the Mossley area. In the few areas in Britain, including Devon and the Lake District, where scent trailing by hounds is still carried out, there is much evidence that it is being used as a cover for illegal fox hunting. The CPS and the police seem strangely reluctant to prosecute this crime.

lancs.live/news/local-news/bid-end-feral-illegal-fox-19469153

independent.co.uk/news/long-reads/fox-hunting-uk-britain-mobs-driving-communities-apart-a7948516.html

somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/trail-hunting-licences-suspended-somerset-4740051

Decor - 2

Newish decoration, comfortable seating, but completely bare walls in an unattractive shade of pale grey. It's the first time I've seen a pub with no ornaments, pictures or posters whatsoever.

Ambience - 2

A friendly regular's pub, but the decor gives it a clinical feel.

Features - 3

It has a TV screen and shows the football.

In normal times it had live music. This may return.

dog friendly

Real Ale- 3

Service - 3

(Allowing for the fact that pubs are still under coronavirus restrictions, so it's table service only.)

Toilets - 5

Perfect

Score 18 out of 30

No disabled access. (This doesn't attract or subtract any points as a lot of pubs are in old buildings that aren't practical to adapt. But I'm going to start mentioning it from now on, with reference to how accessible the building is for people with mobility impairments.)

See what I mean about the bare walls

 

 

The Gate, Diggle

The Gate, 
217 Huddersfield Road, Diggle OL3 5PQ
01457 870100

Previously called the Hanging Gate, it has recently had a change of management and a bit of a makeover. A nice, relaxing country pub on most nights, it gets lively when there's live music on. There has been a pub on the site since 1803, the current building dates from 1926.

Ambience - 4

Decor - 4

Service - 3

Varies a bit but usually prompt and friendly

Real ales - 2

Features - 5

Serves food

Live music at least once a month

Beer garden

Dogs allowed
accommodation

Toilets -4

Pristine and a few touches like popourri and hand cream

Score 22 out of 30

The Rising Sun, Mossley

The Rising Sun, Stockport Road, Mossley, OL5 0RJ

Originally licensed as a beerhouse in 1850, then as a public house in 1870; the landlord had to improve the facilities and build stables to get his new licence. Now a Freehouse with eight real ales and two farmhouse ciders. It's on the 353 bus route and has parking next to it (on the right of this picture).

decor - 4

white walls and dark beams, in keeping with the pubs age and style. Snug at the back retains period features. Some might think the stone floor and plain décor looks bare, but the seats are comfortable. It has wood burning stoves, very cosy on winter evenings.

ambience - 3

Bit rowdy when the football is on, otherwise okay

service -4

fast and friendly

ales - 5

It usually has eight ales and two ciders. This is a dedicated real ale pub with its own website (www.risingsunmossley.co.uk ) . There is a new ale every week, but always something from local brewery Millstone Mossley.

features - 4

Two screens in two rooms [I haven't previously mentioned the availability of TV and sports programmes in pubs, but some people like this sort of thing, so...]

dogs on leads permitted

quiz night on Tuesdays
DJ and live Bluegrass music once a week (different days)

toilets - 3

Score 22 out of 30

The Moon and Sixpence, Glossop

 UPDATE: Pub closed, July 2015

 
The Moon and Sixpence, Bernard Street, Glossop SK13 7AA
01457 865777

Pleasant neighbourhood pub with a live music stage at the narrow end of a big open room, with small bar near the door. I could not find out why it is named after a Somerset Maugham novel, but I suspect this is not its original name. Good for a quiet drink duirng the week, lively on band nights.

ambience - 4

decor - 3

dark brown and cream theme

service - 4

attentive, friendly

ale -1

freehouse, one guest ale

features -3

beer garden

live music

small side room with pool table

toilet - 3

score 18 out of 30



The Railway, Oldham

The Railway, Rochdale Road, Royton, Oldham

There's no indication why this pub is called the Railway when it is a long way from any train station. But a look at the street atlas shows that there is a footpath which starts near the back of the pub and runs between houses in a straight line until it stops at the Rochdale-Manchester Victoria railway line; it looks very like it follows the route of a former branch line.

Ambience - 3

Piped music, not too loud for conversation

Decor - 4

Newish comfortable seating

service - 4

ale - 1

JW Lees cask ale

features -4

serves food during the day
live music at weekends
Quiz night
Comedy night

toilets - 3

Score 19 out of 30

The Swan, Delph

The Swan, King Street, Delph OL3 5DL

01457 874611

This pub was first licensed in 1807 though the building looks older. During the 1860s it was used for auctions; it was then the biggest pub in Delph. The licensee in 1862 was prosecuted for having customers on the premises after hours (lock-ins are not a new phenomenon it seems) and its licence was nearly withdrawn in the 1890s for having inadequate sanitation.

     Although it looks big on the outside, the inside is cosy, with a wood burning stove in the winter. I have revisited it in April 2014, and from what I read in the Saddleworth News, it has recently come under new management. This shows in the change in décor. It used to be unusually bare with no ornaments and few pictures on the walls, now it has a few (unremarkable) pictures and some white swan ceramic ornaments. As far as I can tell, it still welcomes all comers and is a great place for quiet relaxation.
    Changed management again early in 2015. The decor has not changed much, and it now serves food and has live music one Saturday a month.

ambience - 4

decor - 2

The new ornaments and pictures are too variegated and cluttered to add anything. I preferred the previous minimalist arrangement.

service - 5

ale - 3

three real ales. I tried The Governor on the last occasion I was there.

features -5
Welcomes dogs
Pool room
wi fi
serves food
monthly live music

toilets - 3

nothing wrong with the modern sanitation! Clean, decent, adequately supplied

Score 22 out of 30