The Shepherds Rest Inn, West Yorkshire

The pub is so rambling that it's difficult to work out which is the front and which the back. The top photo is the view from the car park, the photo below is the view from Lumbutts Lane.

The Shepherds Rest Inn

Lumbutts Road, Todmorden, OL14 6JJ

01706 813437

On the Pennine Bridleway national footpath, and near Mankinholes Youth Hostel, with fantastic views across the Calder Valley. On weekdays it only opens from 5pm.

Decor - 3

Muted, tasteful colours, comfortable seating

Ambience - 4

Features - 3

family friendly with a children's play area

dogs allowed in the bar

serves food

Real Ale -3

Spitfire, Manchester Pale Ale when I was there.

Service - 2

A bit slow and offhand. I had food when I was here, it took longer than usual to arrive. (I find food is generally served in 20-30 minutes in pubs.)

Toilets - 5

Pristine

Score 20 out of 30

Looking northwards along the Calder Valley towards the village of Lumbutts, with Stoodley Pike on the hill on the horizon on the right of the picture.

Cockerels that live at the back of the pub. 

Tophams Tavern, Smithy Bridge

18 Smithy Bridge Road, Littleborough OL15 8QF

01706 377768

Nice pub, near the Rochdale canal and less than a mile from Hollingworth Lake. Bus 454 from Rochdale passes the door. 

   I don't think I've ever had a drink here before, despite wandering along this stretch of the canal a few times. I'm glad I recorded it this time. The Smithy Bridge pub on the other side of the canal, which I had been to before and quite liked,  was permanently closed and delicensed in April 2016. 

ambience - 4

lively

decor - 3

This is an open plan pub with wooden floors, and comfortable seating

real ale - 2

service - 3

prompt if a bit offhand

features - 2

dart board

unusual regular's memorial

toilets - 5

Score 19 out of 30

I've seen quite a few pubs which have memorials to long time regulars. They are usually discreet brass plaques on the wall in some unobtrusive part of the pub. But this one has a big and interesting memorial to a regular who was a canal enthusiast. Check out the photos. I'd love to know who the Nautical Numpties were.

The Olde Boars Head

Ye Olde Boars Head

111 Long Street, Middleton M24 6UE

TEL: 0161 643 3520

This is across the road from Middleton library and Jubilee Park. It has a good claim to be the oldest original pub building in the country, having opened in 1623 (though the Scotch Piper in Lydiate, Merseyside dates from 1320). Inside are six rooms, and one impressively huge room that used to hold the local magistrates court sessions. It is now available to hire for events. 

    If you want to know more about the pub's history, go to the website of the Middleton Archaeological Society  (middletonas.com) and look up their guide to the Olde Boars Head. (The direct link doesn't work.)

Ambience - 5

Decor - 4

Lots of dark timber and cream painted walls, a variety of comfortable seating in a variety of rooms of different sizes.

Service - 4

Friendly if a bit slow

Real ales - 2

A JW Lees pub, has their bitter and pale ale.

Features - 3

Serves food, medium-length pub menu with a steak section, main meals and sandwiches

Function room for hire

Family friendly (but not dog friendly)

Toilets - 4

Score 22 out of 30

Ring O Bells

Ring O Bells

St Leonards Square, Middleton M24 6DJ

TEL: 0161 654 9245

This pub opened in 1831 and is at the top of the hill behind Jubilee Gardens and the town library in Middleton. It hosts a maypole on May Day and a Pace Egging festival on Easter Monday, which is when this photo was taken. You can see "The Doctor" in the top hat and frock coat at the foot of the steps. 

Ambience - 4

lively

Decor - 3

Dark wooden beams and cream painted walls, gives it a traditional feel. Most of the seating is wooden and not so comfortable, though.

Real ales - 2

This is a JW Lees pub, and has Lees bitter, lager and pale ale.

Service - 5

Very fast and friendly. Though when I was there, I think they had extra staff to deal with the extra customers who'd come to watch the Pace Egging. 

Features - 4

Sunday lunch

Pool room

Quiz night

Rather nice beer garden

Toilets - 4

Would've scored 5 if it wasn't for the dirty floor

Score 22 out of 30

The White Lion

The White Lion

109 High Street, Lees OL4 4LY

TEL: 624 3621

This pub stands out on its own at the top of Lees High Street, and at one time was in Yorkshire, before they changed the county boundary  by half a mile and put it into Lancashire. It hosts events for Yorkshire Day, which is celebrated in the eastern districts of Oldham that used to be in that county.

Ambience - 3

The sign over the door says "Your friendly community local", and it is friendly, if a bit rowdy at times. I didn't get a chance to ask whether it has been designated a community asset. For those who haven't heard of this, it is a method of saving local pubs by making sure they aren't closed down and 'redeveloped' into something else, or simply demolished.

Decor - 3

Wooden floors and furniture, dark green walls and carpets, comfortable seating.

Features- 1

Serves food, a small but good pub menu.

Real ale - 0

Service - 2

The service is good - when you get it. The trouble is, there are a lot of seats in front of the bar and when they are fully occupied by drinkers, it can be impossible to get near enough to the bar to state your order. I hate that situation in a pub because I'm not tall enough to be easily visible. I had to wave a tenner over one of the drinker's heads to get the barperson's attention, and then the bar-proppers were reluctant to move so I could pick up my pint.

I prefer pubs which either only have bar stools at the sides of the bar, or else have a notice that asks patrons to move away from the bar once they've got their drinks.

Toilets - 3

Score - 12 out of 30

The Front House

The Front House 

33 Oldham Road, Springhead, Oldham OL4 4PH

Ambience - 3

Lively without being rowdy

Decor - 4

Nicely decorated cream walls with red and gold pattern, comfortable benches and chairs.

Service - 4

Friendly and attentive

Real ale - 2

They had run out of one of the real ales when I was there, the other one available was Bombardier.

Features - 4

pool table

karaoke, disco and bingo on different week nights

TV screens

toilets - 3

The Top House

The Top House

38 Co-operative Street, Springhead, Oldham OL4 5TB

TEL: 0161 624 1556

Ambience - 4

A friendly pub, just off the main road through Lees and Springhead..

decor - 4

Pale colours, newish comfortable seating

Service - 5

Fast and attentive, friendly staff

real ales - 0

Features - 2

TV screens

pool table

Toilets - 5

Pristine

Score - 20 out of 30 

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 Commercial, Mossley

The Commercial

58 Manchester Road, Mossley  OL5 0AA

Tel 01457 321287 

This three storey pub is said to be the first in Mossley (Bottom Mossley) and was originally a coaching inn, before the railways were built. It has a two-sided bar, with  a raised small stage on one side.

Ambience - 3

decor - 2

Shabby and grubby, needs redecorating.

Has benches aloing the wall but no chairs, only stools

Service - 1

surly

real ale - 0

None

Features - 3

pool 

darts

live music at weekends 

Toilet - 4

grubby floors, otherwise okay

Score 13 out of 30

The Best O' Brass

Best O' Brass
147 Manchester Road, Mossley OL5 9AB
Tel: 01457 832201

A friendly locals' pub on the main road through Mossley.

Ambience -5

Decor -  4

Cream, green and maroon theme with photos of the surrounding countryside on the walls. For a small pub, it has a lot of comfortable seating.

Service - 5

friendly and prompt

ales - 3

Three real ales. I had the Hobgoblin on my latest visit

Features - 3

allows dogs

child friendly

disco at the weekends

No space for traditional pub games like darts and pool. It's a small pub and narrows at one end, due to being on the end of a row. 

Toilets - 4

clean and fully supplied. Water not very hot, but I prefer that. The hot water in public lavs is often too hot to rinse your hands safely.

Score 24 out of 30