EE FR
Ale
FIGHTING FOR DRINKERS’ RIGHTS IN THE HEART OF LANCASHIRE SINCE 1973
Cry
issue 129, Summer 2022 05 09 11 14
Preston Parade South Ribble Scene Riley’s Rambles: Todmorden Pub of the Season
16 18 20 22
Historic Preston Pubs: Part 11 Chorley Chatter Preston Brewpubs Cycle Ale Trail
24 25 28 29
Summer of Pub CAMRA’s Beer Styles: Part 1 Real Ale Trails CAMRA Member’s Investment Club
CENTRAL LANCASHIRE BRANCH
Chairman’s Welcome
Branch Contacts Chairman ADRIAN SMITH t: 07495 448555 e: chairman@centrallancs.camra.org.uk
Membership Secretary POST VACANT e: membership@centrallancs.camra.org.uk
Treasurer DAVE WOOLCOCK e: treasurer@centrallancs.camra.org.uk
Secretary & Webmaster GORDON SMALL t: 01772 746118 e: secretary@centrallancs.camra.org.uk
Pubs Officer RICHARD LANGFORD t: 07974 799224 e: pubsofficer@centrallancs.camra.org.uk
Pub Protection Officer POST VACANT e: pubprotection@centrallancs.camra.org.uk
Cider Officer EDD FLETCHER e: cider@centrallancs.camra.org.uk
W
elcome to our Summer 2022 edition of Ale Cry. This time last year we were just getting used to being able to go to the pub again, and with the passage of time, it all starts to feel like a bad dream. During the periods of lockdown we heard many dire warnings about the impact COVID would have on the pub and brewery landscape. As things reopened, apart from price increases, there didn’t appear that there was a significant problem. However over the last few months, there are continuing tales of pub and brewery closures. While pub closures are often caused by pubco and brewery owners cashing in on sites worth more for alternate uses than as a pub, brewery closures are being caused in the main due to the real financial problems they face in the current climate. A squeeze at one end with rising prices for materials, utilities, transport costs and wages and at the other end by the need to keep wholesale prices low enough to sell their products into the limited market available to them. The spate of recent closures include relative newcomers to the scene such as Fallen (Stirling) who have been brewing since 2012 and Beatnikz Republic (Manchester) who have been around since 2017. Woods (Shropshire) had been trading since 1980, but the alarm bells have started ringing when it was announced earlier this week that Kelham Island (Sheffield) had also gone. First brewing in 1999, their flagship beer Pale Rider was CAMRA’s Champion Beer of Britain in 2004. Talking to local breweries, they all cite the same problem – access to market. The pubcos control huge swathes of the pub estate and restrict what can be sold. Small
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brewers are either frozen out completely or forced to go down unsatisfactory routes such as the SIBA Beerflex DDS scheme – where SIBA tell the brewers the price they can get for the beer and sell it on to the pubs at vastly inflated figures. If independent breweries are going to survive and prosper, they need better access to market. I believe this is something CAMRA should be tackling head on rather than pushing for things like a 1p a pint reduction in beer duty, which once again focuses on price rather than quality. What do our readers think? As ever, if you have any thoughts, comments or feedback (about Ale Cry, the local branch or CAMRA nationally) please get in touch with us via email, you will find a contact list in this magazine, or better still, come along to one of our forthcoming meetings or events. Please also remember to visit our website www.centrallancs.camra.org.uk for all the latest information and local news and if you are on Facebook, please search for CAMRA Central Lancs and like our page. In addition, you can now follow us on Twitter, search for CAMRA Central Lancs. We also produce a monthly newsletter which is emailed to Branch members on the 1st of each month. If you are not receiving this, it might be because we do not have an up to date email address for you or perhaps because your membership options need changing. Please go to https://camra.org.uk log in and go to edit membership details/marketing preferences in the members area to amend your details and options. Kind Regards ADRIAN SMITH
Branch Chairman
Social Media Officer STEWART GRIEVE e: socialmedia@centrallancs.camra.org.uk
Ale Cry Editor ADRIAN SMITH t: 07495 448555 e: editor@centrallancs.camra.org.uk
Social Secretary POST VACANT e: social@centrallancs.camra.org.uk
Young Members EDD FLETCHER e: youngmembers@centrallancs.camra.org.uk www.centrallancs.camra.org.uk @CAMRA_CentLancs CAMRA Central Lancashire Branch camra_central.lancs All material copyright © Central Lancs CAMRA No part of this magazine may be reproduced without permission. Disclaimer: Views expressed in this magazine are those of the individual authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the Editor, Branch Committee or CAMRA nationally. Central Lancs CAMRA accepts no liability in relation to any advertisement or article and recommends the reader make their own enquiries. It should also be noted that inclusion of an advertisement in this magazine should not be deemed an endorsement of quality by Central Lancs CAMRA. Design & Layout: Stewart Grieve Design Ltd e: stew@stewartgrieve.co.uk www.stewartgrieve.co.uk Printed by: Printplus, Cocker Avenue, Poulton-le-Fylde, FY6 8JU t: 01253 299620 www.printplusgroup.com
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Dog Inn Advert 268mm x 185mm.pdf
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PRESTON PARADE
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fter telling you in the last issue about Preston Council’s decision to refuse planning permission for a micropub in the former bank near the Adelphi pub, we are glad that the council has given the go ahead for a microbrewery and tap quite close by. Chain House brewery have been granted permission to open premises in an alleyway off Friargate called Clayton’s Gate, near the Plau pub. In fact, it more or less adjoins the rear entrance to the Plau, where their outside seating is. Drinkers will be able to sample the beer which will be produced in a former house up the alley. Chain House brewery was registered in 2017 by Ryan Hayes, who, after brewing as a hobby in his parents’ garage, is now brewing in the garage of his own house in New Longton. He now plans to have the microbrewery on the ground floor of the two-storey building on Clayton’s Gate, with a bar and seats there, plus use the upstairs for a further 25 people to sample the goods. The bar has been granted opening times of noon to 11pm, extended to 1am on Saturdays. It may be some time before the new addition to the real ale scene comes to fruition, but it is something to look forward to. Preston have a long way to go to catch up with Chorley in the micropub stakes, but it is a move in the right direction. There is even talk of the owner of one of Preston’s outer venues hoping to open a second location in the centre of town, around the Guildhall Street/ Cannon Street area. We shall see. HOPWOODS TAP HOUSE, the upmarket bar on Church Street, duly opened in March. The pub offers the widest range of cask and craft beers in Lancashire with 34 taps in total plus a wide selection of craft beer in cans. The bar has a spacious feel with a lofty ceiling and ‘industrial style’ lighting. A long bar counter with an impressive blue tiled front is uncluttered with just the four chrome finish handpumps. The 30 keg taps are mounted along the back wall, with a large display board detailing what is on offer. Flip chart style drinks menus are on the bar to help customers bewildered by the range on offer. When the pub first opened it was only from Friday to Sunday and beer prices were probably the highest in Preston with cask ale at £5.50 a pint. This is an upmarket venue aimed at people willing to pay more for something different. The prices have not deterred customers, and increased demand sees the pub now open 7 days a week from noon. They have introduced a Cask Club with real ale at £4 a pint and 2-4-1 cocktails on Monday to Thursday. To encourage CAMRA members, they have joined the Real Ale Discount Scheme and give our members a £1 a pint (50p a half) discount up to 8pm each day,
which also applies to the Cask Club deal. As a final note, the ladies toilet is somewhat different (not that I’m a great connoisseur of these things), especially if you are an ABBA fan. I will not spoil the secret, you’ll have to go there to find out. Local authorities have plenty of powers to stop developers trampling unchecked over planning rules, but when it comes to closed pubs, they rarely seem to use them. So we welcome the news that the company that demolished a listed pub in East Lancashire (Punch Bowl at Hurst Green) without planning permission has been told by Ribble Valley Council to rebuild the pub exactly as it was before demolition. If only more local authorities would follow this example, it might encourage developers to stick to the rules. There has been a change of bar manager in the FRIARGATE TAP, with Alys having left to run the White Bull at Bilsborrow, which is just out of our branch area. Our loss is the White Bull’s gain, but there is no need to worry, for Connor, her understudy at the Tap, has taken over full responsibility for running the bar and has said things will carry on as normal. Meanwhile, the TAP END, near the Lane Ends pub, has had a fourth handpump installed to give a greater range there. It is not all good news as it looks like the last pint has been pulled at the SADDLE pub at Bartle, as it is now all boarded up and awaits demolition to make way for a garage and some shops. Another Thwaites pub bites the dust. Another Preston pub whose future is in doubt is the OLDE BLUE BELL on Church Street, the only outlet for miles around selling Sam Smiths, including their one cask ale, Old Brewery Bitter. The pub has been there since 1716 and is Grade II listed. Sam Smiths took the decision to close the pub, when the manager left and they could not get a replacement! Apparently they are not going to sell it to a competitor, so it is in limbo land. A sad end to what was the first winner of the prized George Lee Memorial Shield forty years ago. Looking farther afield than the borough of Preston, but still within its environs, there are some good developments in and around Goosnargh. Firstly, there are new licensees at the GRAPES in the village. Nicola and Mark have been there since August of 2021 and the place is much improved and is proving popular with people from near and far. They are keen on their real ale and now sell four
CLAYTON’S GATE
cask beers. Moorhouses Pride of Pendle and Titanic Plum Porter are semi permanent, with the two other pumps dispensing other beers from the Admiral Inns guest beers list. A new food menu has been introduced and is proving equally popular. It includes ‘amazing’ pizzas plus classic pub food and ‘grazing’ plates and burgers. Other attractions are a fortnightly quiz on a Thursday and monthly live music. The pub has a large beer garden and is both family and dog friendly. It opens 2–9 Mon, 2–11 Tue, 12–11 Wed/ Thur, 12–12 Fri/Sat and 12–10 Sun. Check their website for food availability. Goosnargh is a pleasant village, with two other real ale outlets, with the STAGS HEAD on the main road and opposite the Stags is the micropub, the TAP AND T’ALES. There is a bus service to and from Goosnargh provided by Preston Bus numbers 45 and 46 running approximately every half hour during the day, with the last bus back to the bus station being just after eight o’clock at night, so you could make a day of it. Check on Preston Bus website for actual times and use WhatPub for pub opening times. Also recently reopened in the countryside around Goosnargh is the renowned YE HORNS INN. A 17th century Grade II listed building; it was bought by a local building company after its closure by the previous owner, and has undergone a substantial www.centrallancs.camra.org.uk
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Red Lion.pdf Saved to Dropbox • 16 May 2022 at 14:26 SNUG AREA IN YE HORNS INN
makeover. Gone is the microbrewery, with a number of luxury homes and cottages built around the site. The pub has been extended, with a large luxurious restaurant now part of the attraction. It will still be a pub though, with the casual drinker welcome. The Horns now has two bars, one side serving the restaurant and the other, named the Whisky Bar being a comfortable place to have a drink, including a separate snug in the top corner. This is the original bar that used to be open to the snug area behind – one of only 3 remaining examples left in the country – and one of the main reasons for it becoming a listed building. The bar is now enclosed at the rear, and although the original brick front with sliding screens has been retained and lovingly restored, it is barely distinguishable from countless island bars around the country. Matti is the bar manager and is keen on serving his beers in fine condition, with Bowland Hen Harrier and Timothy Taylor’s Landlord on permanently and initially Moorhouse’s White Witch and Wainwright,
but these could change. (Indeed a visit just after Bank Holiday found only White Witch available as everything else had sold out). The Horns is open 12–12 all days except Sundays when it is 12–11. Just outside our branch area, but in the Preston postal district is a new micropub in Garstang. On the main High Street, it is called the KITCHEN TAP, and a really good addition it is to the real ale scene. Not that the man in charge is a complete stranger; for many years he was the landlord of the Forrest Arms in Longridge. Alex has been “mine host” at several other pubs in Longridge and also the Sirloin at Hoghton. He is now concentrating on his project to add something different to Garstang with his micropub opening in December 2021. With three real ales on sale, he is building up
the cask profile. On our visit the three beers consisted of two from the Crankshaft brewery – Propshaft at 4% and Sherpa at 4.2% plus Bank Top Flat Cap at 4%. As may be surmised from the name, food is also a big draw with a selection of excellent freshly made pizzas and an attractive range of various Scotch eggs, plus breakfasts and brunches. Described as simple food for casual dining, it is made with locally sourced ingredients. They also do takeaways. It is open 10am–10pm all days except Sunday when they finish at 9pm, with food available at all times. There are quite a few real ale outlets in Garstang and a regular bus service from Preston, so it is well worth a visit both to the Kitchen Tap and the other pubs. PAU L R I L E Y
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PUB
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Free wifi Dog friendly
8 hand pumps. large range of Gins food served 7 days a week Sky & BT sports Live music Real fire
LANCS AL B TR F TH
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CAMRA pub of the season - Autumn 2021
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Red Lion
196 Blackburn Rd, Wheelton PR6 8EUU A warm and friendly atmosphere with great beers, wines & spirits.
Beer garden Car park
Shepherds’ Hall Ale House, Chorley The award winning Micropub has expanded.
We already have 5 cask lines, 10 keg lines, extensive whisky, cider, wine and gin menus BUT we need more… Bringing you the
VICTORIA ROOMS With ale still at its core we are seeking to bring our brilliant drinks offer to more customers, in luxurious and safer surroundings with hospitality and community at the heart of everything we do.
We look forward to welcoming you.
NOW OPEN 63–67 Chapel Street, Chorley PR7 1BS
www.centrallancs.camra.org.uk
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THE
OLD VIC SUNDAY NIGHT QUIZ WITH CASH JACKPOT
Serving breakfasts, lunchtime specials and all traditional pub food. Also sandwiches, salads and delicious home made pies.
Private area available for Parties and Functions • 7 Handpumps revolving up to 25 cask ales including many local brewers each week • Sky/BT showing all major sporting events
• New enlarged covered and heated outdoor area with large screen TV • Live music – 1st Saturday of the month • Real fire
Fishergate, Preston Opposite Preston Railway Station 01772 828519
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• Included in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide • Upto 20 gins on our new gin menu • Live train arrival and departure times shown
SOUTH RIBBLE SCENE
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his time around we start with news of a pub closure in the South Ribble area. The NABS HEAD at Samlesbury Bottoms closed on March 11th and has subsequently been put up for sale on behalf of Thwaites Brewery with an asking price of £450,000. Described on the Thwaites website as a ‘fantastic country pub’, it was the nearest Thwaites house in our branch area to their brewery site at Mellor Brook. This depressing news highlights the reality that as time goes by Thwaites pubs are becoming more and more of a rarity in our branch area. It was revealed in a recent Ale Cry that there is now just one Thwaites pub remaining in Preston, while already this year there have been reports that the Saddle at Lower Bartle is to be demolished, and that the former Grill & Grain at the Boatyard site at Riley Green is to be redeveloped as offices. Some good news from Leyland is that the OLD LEYLAND GATES on Golden Hill Lane will be re-opening early this Summer. There had been suggestions that the pub may have closed for good, with it not having re-opened since closing for the first Covid lockdown in March 2020. After two years of uncertainty Greene King have recently announced that they will be spending £500,000 to refurbish the pub and bring it back into use. Elsewhere in Leyland the DUNKIRK HALL on Dunkirk Lane has recently had a short period of closure while new tenants were being sought. The pub reopened after some refurbishment work had taken place inside and out, and on a recent visit was found
to be selling Greene King Abbot Ale and Ossett Blonde. A recent newspaper article about Star Inns planned investment in Lancashire pubs mentioned this pub as one where significant future investment could be expected. Also in Leyland, in the last Ale Cry I described the internal changes at the GABLES on Hough Lane, which had seen the central bar removed, with the pub opened up to now comprise one large lounge room. The beer range has been drastically reduced since pre-Covid times, and on a recent visit the only handpumped beer available was Wainwright (warning – this will not be the last you will read of Wainwright in this South Ribble Scene). Some people were worried recently when there were reports that the BEER BOX on Station Road in Bamber Bridge was to be sold off by its present owners. However it is anticipated that there will not be any major changes at this Good Beer Guide listed micropub, with CAMRA Central Lancashire having been informed that it will only be sold to a buyer who will continue to run it in a similar way, or even grow it as a business. If such a buyer cannot be found, then the present owners are saying that they will continue to run the micropub themselves. It’s good to see the return of Beer Festivals in the South Ribble area. Already this year there have been events at NEW LONGTON SPORTS & SOCIAL CLUB and at BAMBER BRIDGE FOOTBALL CLUB, while just ahead of this Ale Cry being produced there will have been a first ever Beer Festival at ST MARY’S COMMUNITY CENTRE in Leyland. Looking ahead, I am aware of plans also being in place for Beer Festivals later in the year at PENWORTHAM CRICKET CLUB and at ST GERARD’S PAROCHIAL CENTRE in Lostock Hall. Finally, as in previous South Ribble Scenes I’m looking in a little more detail at a particular area of the borough. This time it is Walton-le-Dale, a locality that has not been featured for quite some time in these pages. It was a Sunday afternoon in April and this is what was found. Approaching from Preston, I started at the YEW TREE on Victoria Road, these days a pub on its own triangular island
surrounded by three busy roads. The Yew Tree is strongly food oriented, and came across as something of a sports bar with several televisions showing live football. There were three handpumps on the bar, but just one was in use, which I understand to be the usual situation. The beer available was Wainwright priced at £4 a pint. I continued along Victoria Road passing the long closed SIR ROBERT PEEL. The pub still sports a hanging pub sign, but as time goes on the picture of Sir Robert Peel is gradually fading away. Crossing the road the second pub to be visited was the WHITE BULL, a former CAMRA Central Lancashire Pub of the Season and a Good Beer Guide entry as recently as 2019. A pub which has recently undergone a refurbishment, and has been under new management since January. As at the Yew Tree there were three handpumps on the bar, with just one beer available, and again this beer was Wainwright. It used to be that Boddingtons was the popular beer in Walton-le-Dale – now the beer of choice appears to be Wainwright. However I have to say that at £3.10 a pint it was considerably cheaper than at the Yew Tree Next, a short walk and we have the TAPS & WINE BAR on Chorley Road, a relatively new establishment housed in the former Walton-le-Dale Conservative Club premises. Quite a contrast to the first two pubs, I was confronted by a bank of six handpumps, and more importantly five of them were in use on the day. I went for a pint of Blackedge Session Pale, while the other beers available were Blackedge Black, Marble Manchester Bitter, Oscars Top Dog, and you guessed it – Wainwright. This being a Sunday, all beers were specially priced at £2.80 a pint – the Wainwright being a whopping £1.20 a pint cheaper than it had been at the Yew Tree. My final destination was to be THE HUNTERS on Hennel Lane in Walton Park. A Thwaites house, and with many Thwaites pubs still selling their former beer, I was prepared for another appearance of the mighty Wainwright. However in quick succession, I was pleasantly surprised and then unpleasantly disappointed. The three handpumps were showing three interesting beers Thwaites Brit Crop, Thwaites IPA, and Thwaites Gold, but they were also showing that these beers had SOLD OUT. Unfortunately I have to assume that this unsatisfactory situation is a regular occurrence, as two weeks later on a Saturday, I turned up again to give them a second chance, only once more to find that the three handpumps were not in use. Pubs closing. Pubs with no real ale. I’m hoping that future South Ribble Scenes will have better things to report about Thwaites Brewery. GORDON SMALL www.centrallancs.camra.org.uk
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THE POTTERS ARMS BROOK STREET, CHORLEY
Black Sheep, Doff Cocker & Guest Beer
Central Lancs Community Pub of the Year 2019
FREE
TUESDAY IS CASK ALE DAY ALL AT £1.99 A real pub with darts, dominoes, and a real fire
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RILEY’S RAMBLES: Todmorden
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his issue’s ramble takes us to what once was the borderland between Lancashire and Yorkshire. Historically, the River Calder, which runs through the town, marked where the two counties met, with half the town in the red rose county and half in the white. Many years ago, local government reorganisation changed all that and now the whole town is in West Yorkshire. In its heyday, Todmorden was an important centre for woollen mills and then cotton, but over the years, these industries declined, and many of the mills and their chimneys are gone or converted, such that it is now considered a commuter town. There are many interesting walks in the area, with both the Pennine Way and Calderdale Way passing close to the town, but we are here for the beer, and there are some excellent reasons for having a day out going round the pubs of the town. I will tell you how to get here by train at the end of the article, but the trail starts at the railway station.
Coming out of the station, turn left and you will see the WHITE HART, the Wetherspoons pub, which has been refurbished to a high standard with a downstairs bar with the full range of beers and a smaller upstairs bar with a more restricted range. Not as big as some Wetherspoons, it is comfortable and popular. There are four regular cask ales in Moorhouses Pendle Witch, Phoenix Wobbly Bob, and stalwarts Abbot Ale and Ruddles, plus up to six (at least four) changing guest real ales also on sale. I am glad to say that on our visit they were not all high gravity guests. It is open 8am till at least midnight. On exit, go down twenty yards and turn left to reach a pub called the POLISHED KNOB. It is more attractive than it sounds, being a friendly pub that has seen a refurbishment that includes leather car seats, believed to have been designed for the original Mini, around tables. Live music is a popular feature here at weekends after 9pm. The pub usually has four changing
cask ales. Unfortunately, it presently seems to be closed from Tuesday to Thursday, only opening at 4pm on Friday until 1am, then open Sat, Sun Mon at noon till 10pm (1am Sat). You will have noticed on your left on the way to the previous pub, a rare thing: a Tourist Information Office, full of interesting leaflets and gifts to buy as souvenirs, all about the town and district. It might strike you that a small town like Todmorden can have such a thing, but a city such as Preston cannot. On the other side of the road is the public market dating from 1879 with its 42 indoor stalls and the adjacent outdoor market. Included in the indoor market is a compact bar called the MARKET TAVERN, which opened in 2019. It has high stools at the bar and seating in adjacent aisles and in fine weather there is some outside seating on the Bramsche Square side of the building, where you will also find some public toilets. Three cask beers are available consisting of Reedley Hallows Old Laund Bitter and
Pendleside plus a changing guest, which is often a rare beer style or a dark beer. The bar is not open on Tuesdays, but is open other days from 11 until 5, (10–4 on Sundays). It may stay open later if there is an event on in the market, but it is closed on Bank Holidays except Good Fridays. On coming out of the market, you have a choice of turning left or right. If you turn right and go under the railway arches and up the road a short distance you will come to the ALEHOUSE, a welcoming micropub set back from the road. It consists of a single room with the bar to the rear and several seat options. A recent winner of pub of the season for Halifax and Calderdale, it has five real ales which on our visit ranged from Prospect Nutty Slack Mild at 3.9%, through Eagle Crag Pale Eagle at 4%, up to a Tomos A Lilford beer at 4.4%. There is generally one dark beer among the guests. www.centrallancs.camra.org.uk
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The pub is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, opening at 2pm on Wed and Thurs and noon other days. It closes at 8 Weds, 9 Thurs/Sun and 10pm Fri/Sat. To return to the centre turn left on exit to pick up the trail. If you had turned left in front of the outside stalls on leaving the market hall you would go along Brook Street to see on your right our next pub which is actually called THE PUB. Todmorden’s first micropub, it opened in 2017 in a former cafe. Small, with a simple layout with room for about 20 downstairs and 12 up the flight of steep stone steps, it makes for a friendly, intimate atmosphere to enhance the superb choice of six constantly changing guest beers. These ranged from Brew York’s Calmer Chameleon at 3.7% to Hophurst’s Porteresque at 5.5%. There is usually a dark beer on sale. Over 30 distilled gins are also stocked. The Pub has been highly commended in the pub of the year competition. It opens at noon all days and closes at 9 pm except Thurs when it is 10pm and Fri/Sat when it is 11pm. To reach our next venue, turn right and right again to reach Rochdale Road where you turn left to see the former bank, now HONEST JOHN on your right. Spacious with two separate rooms, its former use
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is evident with some of the features such as the heavy safe doors and ornate roof. It is really a food venue, but the casual drinker is welcome. Light bites are available, such as toasties plus more substantial dishes. It has two regular beers in Bradfield Farmers Blonde and local brewers Eagles Crag with their Eagles Feather at 3.7%. It is open 10am all days and closes at 9pm except for Friday and Saturday when doors close at 10pm. Opposite is the ROYAL GEORGE, which only had one cask beer on when we went, namely Bowland Hen Harrier. It is closed Mon/Tues, opens at 3pm Wed- Fri and noon Sat/Sun, closing at 11pm except Fri/Sat when it is midnight. It is a venue for regular live music. Walking further down the main road and over the Rochdale canal we find our last pub, the GOLDEN LION (unless you haven’t been to the Alehouse yet). Grade II listed, dating from the 18th century and tastefully refurbished, it reopened in 2014. Inside it is divided into various zones including sports and quieter snug areas and a raised dining section to the rear, which also leads to an outside patio. The main bar area has stone flooring and an open fire. Six changing real ales are available and recently they ranged from Ilkley Mary Jane at 3.5% up to Eagle’s Crag Golden Eagle at 5%. Opening times are
3–11 Mon–Thurs, and Fri/Sat noon–1am, Sun noon–11pm with food including Thai orientated meals available Mon–Thur 3pm–9pm and Fri–Sun 1pm–9pm. It is but a short walk back to the centre and the railway station for your journey home. Todmorden is easily reached from Preston railway station, but it does involve changing trains at Blackburn, as there is not a direct train. The good news is that you do not have to wait a long time for the connection. Typical timings are to catch the 10.46 York train, alighting at Blackburn at 11.02. You then catch the 11.19 train to Kirby and it gets you to Todmorden at 11.54. Return you could catch the 17.36 train back to Blackburn for 18.13, then catching the 18.22 train to Preston, arriving at 18.40. An adult return ticket costs £16.99 each, but if you are 55 or over you can get an Explorer 55 rover ticket for £15.90 saving you a bit of money. If you have a railcard, you get a third off these prices. If two people are travelling together, you can get a duo ticket from Preston to Blackburn for £9.30 and also a duo ticket from Blackburn to Todmorden for £15.90, totalling £25.20 for both of you in total, (equivalent to £12.60 each) as long as you travel together, saving you a considerable amount. You can check all details on the National Rail enquires website. PAU L R I L E Y
THE WHEATSHEAF Spendmore Lane, Coppull, Nr Chorley, Lancashire
PR7 4NY
Free House with 3 ever changing Cask Ales – including Prospect, Bank Top, Blackedge & Coach House • Free entertainment: Pool — Tuesday Quiz — Wednesday 9pm • Friday/Saturday night live music • Sunday — Chase the Ace 6pm • Beer garden • Dogs & muddy boots welcome
OPENING TIMES
Monday – Thursday from 3pm
Friday from 2pm
Saturday & Sunday from 12pm
www.centrallancs.camra.org.uk
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of Pub the season
SUMMER 2022
RIVINGTON BREWERY TAP ROOM
I
t gives me great pleasure to announce that the Central Lancashire CAMRA Pub of the Season for Summer 2022 has been awarded to the RIVINGTON BREWERY CO. TAP ROOM. There can be few more idyllic places to while away a few hours on a sunny summer afternoon than this, the beer garden providing uninterrupted views across the tranquil waters of the reservoir to the Pigeon Tower and Rivington Pike beyond. You could be forgiven for thinking you were in the Lake District, such is the scenery, and I think we’re sometimes guilty of looking further afield when we have such beautiful countryside on our own doorstep. The brewery itself, based behind the Tap room at Home Farm was formed in 2014 and has gone from strength to strength over recent years. This is a craft brewery that focuses on more modern and innovative beer styles, is hugely committed to using local goods and services, and produces hop-forward beers with
a wide range of styles and strengths. New beers are regularly added to the brewery’s portfolio and through regular self-critical analysis and critique from other local like-minded brewers they ensure that the beers are the very best they can be. Housed in a converted stable block, the Brewery Tap opened in 2019, is a recent addition to the Good Beer Guide and showcases the brewery’s extensive range of ales with two cask ales on handpump and a further fifteen real ales on keg taps…cider and guest craft ales are also available. The bar is lofty, with bare stone walls and a large stone-topped bar counter and was recently extended into the adjoining stable block providing a family-friendly dog-free zone. You’ll find plenty of seating in the main tap room and the recent extension, both of which are heated and there are also large covered and uncovered areas outside for drinking. Walkers and their dogs are welcome and it is a great location for campers with its own campsite accepting caravans & motorhomes. The presentation will be taking place at 2pm on Sunday 17th July and we’d encourage you all to attend to sample what this great pub has to offer… expect a warm welcome and to find innovative beers packed with huge flavour and character. RICHARD LANGFORD (PUBS OFFICER)
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www.centrallancs.camra.org.uk
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HISTORIC PRESTON PUBS
PART 11 FYLDE ROAD
I
n the latest instalment of our look back at the closed pubs of Preston, we focus on the area in the vicinity of Fylde Road. We will start our tour on Brook Street, to the north of Aqueduct Street and the COTTAGE. This was a former Tetley’s house that carried the name the NEW CATTLE MARKET until about 1992 when it was renamed. There had been a pub on this site since the mid 1800s, but the original structure had been demolished and replaced (probably in the 1960s). In later years the pub sold Burtonwood beers prior to closure in 2002. Heading west from here, our next pub is towards the bottom of Parker Street. The BROOKHOUSE was a former Matthew Brown pub that closed in 2000 and was subsequently converted into student flats. The current picture on Google Streetview from 2018 shows the building looking rather scruffy and unloved, but the framework for the hanging sign above the entrance is still visible. A short walk down Old Lancaster Road brings us to the LIME KILN which stood on the corner with Aqueduct Street. The pub was originally surrounded by houses, but these are long gone and this imposing building now stands alone. A one time Matthew Brown house, it had been taken over by Banks’s when it closed in 2008 and was converted into a Chinese restaurant. With red and white tiles and bright green paintwork, the colour scheme was quite striking. The name can be traced to a number of lime kilns that were situated on land opposite the pub, that owed their existence to the Preston – Kendal canal which used to run nearby. Sadly for those of us interested in industrial archaeology, the lime kilns and canal are long gone, and the pub exists only in memory. Continuing our tour we head down onto Fylde Road and head back towards the city centre. On the corner of Carlton Street stood the curiously named DOCTOR SYNTAX. This pub opened around 1840 and prior to this another pub carried the name – situated on Molyneux Square, which is now Lancaster Road close to the Guild Hall. The pub was named, not after the fictional character but
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after a famous racehorse that won seven consecutive Preston Gold Cups between 1815 and 1821, the race being held on the town moor – now Moor Park. Details of brewery
ownership are non existent, but during the 1980s and 90s the pub was selling Matthew Brown beers. It closed in 2009 and is now a Chinese Restaurant.
Just west of the railway bridge and on the same side of the road is our next pub which carried a number of names during its lifetime. The PRINCESS ALEXANDRA was a Thwaites pub which was nicknamed Th‘Ole In’T Wall, and the name was
later changed to this. The origin of the nickname is unclear, with various equally unlikely theories having been put forward. Perhaps the most likely explanation is that there used to be a set of stone steps that led from a hole in the wall and ran alongside the railway track down to the pavement, thus allowing railway workers to effect a short cut to the pub. The 1992 Preston Guild real ale guide records this pub as selling Boddingtons and Tetley Bitter and describes it as basic and noisy with a large projected television screen and pet parrots in cages on the bar. It is perhaps not surprising that its days were numbered. As the pub’s fortunes declined, further name changes to Tap & Spile and Rooney’s followed, with the pub finally closing in 2000, after which it was used for student accommodation. The last pub in this issue’s review is the WATERING TROUGH on the corner of Fylde Road and Maudland Bank. This one time Whitbread/ Chesters house was owned by Vaux when it closed in 2002 to become student accommodation. ADRIAN SMITH
All the excellent photographs used to illustrate this series of articles come from the Jim Holderness collection, and we gratefully acknowledge this and being able to use them. In part 12 we will be looking at the London Road area and would welcome any contributions from readers who frequented any of the closed pubs in this area. www.centrallancs.camra.org.uk
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CHORLEY CHATTER
I
n the main, it is more good news from the Chorley area in this issue of Ale Cry. Over the St George’s Day weekend, we held the first Chorley Pub Festival, with 14 pubs working together to provide 4 days with the widest possible selection of real ales. A good number of beers (and breweries) not normally seen in the town were available. The BOB INN even had a temporary bar within the market hall with 5 additional handpumps. The weather was good with plenty of sunshine and the town was really busy with loads of visitors. Most of the pubs involved reported having a really good weekend, with one or two close to running out of beer. Hopefully this is something that we can repeat again next year, maybe making it a fixture in the calendar much like Chorley Live in October. In issue 128, we announced the opening of RILEY’S TAPROOM, which proved popular despite the lack of cask beers although a number of the craft beers available were real, just served from membrane kegs. In early April a couple of handpumps appeared and there are now 2 changing
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cask ales to add to the interesting selection of craft beers. The first week saw beers from Rivington and Cloudwater on the bar, and subsequent offerings have been similarly varied. Coupled with sensible pricing for a rather smart outlet, this pub has proved an instant success. Shortly before issue 128 went to press, BEN’S TAP & BOTTLESHOP opened on Market Place. There are 6 cask beers on offer, mainly from their own range but also with guest ales from a variety of breweries. With a further 10 craft ales/lagers on offer along with loads of bottles and cans, this is a welcome addition to the (already vibrant) town scene. Details of the keg line-up can be found on a board to the left of the bar, and a smart electronic display lists all the cans, although with 9 pages to go through, it takes a while – so ideal to have a pint in hand while waiting. Fans of real cider are also catered for with Cornish Orchards, a regular on keg plus a changing selection of bag-in-box varieties as well. Third of a pint glasses are available for people wanting to try a variety of the draught products. The bar interior is decorated in stripped down pallet wood, with an interesting mix of seating. There is a further small seating area upstairs and a small rooftop terrace. The views from here are not exactly spectacular (unless you are a fan of rooftops), but it makes a great secluded suntrap for the days when the weather gods are smiling. The council have also allowed a small amount of outdoor seating in Market Place. Food is not available but drinkers are welcome to bring
their own – and there is plenty of takeaway food available from the market. Prices are very reasonable and with the pub situated roughly halfway between Riley’s and the Bob Inn, this is one of the shortest (and best) mini pub crawls in the area. At a time when sales of cask ale are suffering in some pubs, it is good to be able to report outlets that are actually putting real ale in. The Greene King owned HARTWOOD HALL has started serving Greene King IPA, while CHORLEY GOLF CLUB at Heath Charnock has had Timothy Taylor’s Landlord on the bar. In Higher Wheelton, the Thwaites owned GOLDEN LION has reopened after a period of closure and is run by the MV Pub Group who have a number of other pubs in the area. Opening day saw three Thwaites ales on sale, Amber, Gold and Mellor Mango (a seasonal golden ale at 3.8%). Let us hope that it has more predictable opening hours than under the previous tenants, when opening times were a bit of a lottery. The new operators plan to open at noon every day, through until midnight or slightly later at weekends. Food will be served until 8pm daily. At a time when Thwaites pubs are closing across the branch, it is good to see someone else giving this one a go. We hope they are successful. A short distance away, the TOP LOCK remains closed. However, we are aware that a well known local licensee is in advanced talks with Star Inns, and is confident that a deal can be concluded swiftly. Given this individual’s passion for real ale, this is great news and we hope that this pub reopens before too long. Just up the road in Withnell a new outlet, the VIEW BAR & BISTRO has opened at the Oak Royal Golf Club. It offers a “relaxed dining atmosphere or somewhere to enjoy a drink and take in the view”. It looks like they have one real ale on, which appropriately enough seems to be from Withnell’s brewery. Down in Adlington, the OLD POST OFFICE has increased opening hours and a beer garden has been added which gives pleasant views into the adjoining park. Of course, it’s not all good news, with several pubs closed and seemingly gone for good. The SEVEN STARS on Eaves Lane in Chorley has been sold and planning permission sought to convert the pub into residential use. The PARKERS ARMS (Chorley) has finally been demolished and planning permission has also been sought to change the ROBIN HOOD at Mawdesley into housing. None of this is particularly surprising, the phrase ‘Location, Location, Location’ applies as much to pubs as anything else, and these pubs were just in the wrong position. ADRIAN SMITH
Brewery Tap and Shop open Friday & Saturday 12pm-9pm
Cask Ales brewed and bottled in Leyland Cask and bottled ales available to trade Local delivery service for bottles and bag in box beers - call us or see our Facebook page for weekly availability This pub proudly serves beers brewed by
ASSURED INDEPENDENT
Thirsty Duck, Burscough May 2022
Please look for this logo at the bar or ask a member of bar staff
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INDEPENDENT BEER AWARDS 2021
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17E & 17F Boxer Place, Leyland, Lancs PR26 7QL enquiries@crankshaftbrewery.co.uk 07415 816107 Crankshaft Brewery
@CrankshaftBrew
GUILD ALE HOUSE – 7 rotating cask ales – Craft beers and lagers – 3 real ciders – Large range of Belgian ales – Wine & Prosecco
• Live music • Quiet lounge • Yard of ale • Dog friendly • Free Wifi • Open everyday from noon till late
56 Lancaster Rd, Preston PR1 1DD www.centrallancs.camra.org.uk
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CAMRA CENTRAL LANCS BRANCH AND ...
PRESTON BREWPUBS
A
s many Ale Cry readers will be aware, work is currently in progress for a brewpub to be established in Preston city centre later this year. This brewpub will be run by Ryan Hayes, and will be located on Clayton’s Gate, one of the old alleyways leading off from Friargate. Ryan is the owner of the CHAIN HOUSE BREWING CO, which was founded in 2017 and which had previously been operating from garage premises in New Longton. Last year Ryan instigated an on-line crowdfunder to help finance the costs involved in setting up the brewpub. Over 200 people came forward to support him, but subsequently progress has been slow to get everything in place so that work on the brewpub could commence. In April a planning application was approved (with conditions) that granted permission for the creation of a public house and microbrewery to go ahead. (for more information on this – see Preston Parade on page 5) This won’t be the first brewpub to have been located in Preston, but it will be a welcome return of an old tradition that was once extremely common in the area. The CLAYTON’S GATE term brewpub is actually a 1980s invention – a brewpub being a pub that sells beer that has been brewed on the premises. Prior to that time, the landlord of a pub which was selling such beers would advertise the availability of ‘home-brewed ales’. In the early part of the 20th Century Preston was something of a hotbed for pubs that were producing these home-brewed ales. If you look at pub advertising from this period you will see almost every Preston pub is promoting the availability of their own particular home-brewed ales. By the 1950s pubs brewing their own beer were becoming more of a rarity. An article in the Lancashire Evening Post from August 27th 1957 titled ‘The pub with its own brewery’ featured the MEADOW ARMS on Meadow Street, then described as being ‘one of four hostelries in the town which still carries on the age-old tradition of brewing their own beer’. In the article the then landlord Sam Baines is quizzed about his brewing methods, saying that ‘at the present time it forms 75 per cent of his trade’, while a couple of his customers are happy to extol the virtues of his beers. The article goes into great detail and provides a fascinating account of brewing as it was then carried out at the Meadow Arms. We are told ‘Landlord Sam stays up one night every week to brew nine and a half barrels of mild beer for his older customers in his one-man brewery at the rear of the premises. The whole process, carried out in the same way as it has been for centuries, takes about 13 and a half hours, after which the wort as it is known, is allowed to ferment for one week before being sold as beer’. Apparently the distinctive brewing smell was popular with some people, with it written ‘for at least two hours the maltreeking steam pours out from the brewhouse ventilator, titillating the nostrils of potential customers in the neighbourhood. But
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neighbours don’t mind that in the least. One told me: I’ve lived here for some years now and have got used to the smell’. The article reveals something about the beer tastes of his customers. ‘A lot of his customers are old-timers who regularly pop in for their ‘daily’. The younger ones however, prefer a dark beer which, says Mr Baines, is probably a little sweeter, though he did not think there was much difference in the gravity’. The writer Alan Dawson finishes by giving his verdict on the Meadow Arms beer. ‘I sampled Mr Baines home brew for the first time. My verdict: Delicious. There is much to be said for these home breweries. Ask any old-timer’. The tone of the article gives the impression that pubs like the Meadow Arms would probably not be around for too much longer. In fact just a few years later the Meadow Arms was to become a Vaux tied house, and in the 1980s it was to have the indignity of being re-named Mister Pickwicks. The pub closed in 1996, and while the building still stands, the premises have now been converted for residential use. The MOOR PARK on North Road is recognised as being the last of Preston’s original home brew pubs, having been run by ex-Preston North End footballer Jimmy Dougal in the 1960s. There was no commercial brewing at all in Preston in the 1970s and 1980s, but in June 1992 Preston got its first brewpub for almost 25 years when the Little Avenham Brewery was started up by Dave Murray in the cellar of the GASTONS pub on Avenham Street. The first brew was Clog Dancer, and this was soon followed by beers named Pickled Priest, Torchlight, and Pierrepoint’s Last Drop. For several years Little Avenham Brewery was a thriving business, and the beers became increasingly available in pubs throughout the country. The Gastons pub was sold by the owners in 1995, with the brewery being relocated to the Preston Wine Company premises on Hawkins Street. In 2010 there was talk of Preston once again having a brewpub, with John Smith looking at a possible re-location of his Hart Brewery business to the Golden Cross on Lancaster Road. This came to nothing, as did a subsequent plan to set up his brewery at Nonno’s on Corporation Street, while a re-location to the longclosed Clover Inn on Meadow Street was also considered a possibility. He was determined to find a home for his brewery in Preston, and eventually was to take possession of a unit on the Oxheys Industrial Estate. A brewpub in Preston in 2022 is likely to be very different to its predecessors. Ryan has gained a good reputation for the quality of his beers in recent years, and although some have been available in cask form, he has concentrated mainly on producing a range of craft kegged beers and canned beers. If all goes to plan you will be reading more about this exciting enterprise in the next few editions of Ale Cry. GORDON SMALL
Masons Arms Most Improved Pub of the Year 2018
· · · ·
4 rooms 2 bars 5 rotating cask ales Gin and wine bar
98 HARPERS LANE, CHORLEY PR6 0HU
· Ciders, lagers and spirits · Open everyday · Free wifi
· Sky, BT & Racing · Dog friendly · Family friendly
Home Made Pizza 5–9pm, Tue–Sun
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(01257) 232745
www.centrallancs.camra.org.uk
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Cycle Ale Trail North-West Preston loop
T
he weather should be warming up, you’ve got a bike and you like real ale – time for a relaxing cycle ale trail! This one is fairly easy – no steep hills, mainly off busy roads and with plenty of scenery, and it takes in 6 pubs that you might not normally go in. Five of them are foody pubs with beer-gardens so you might want to use this trail to scope out prospective pub-food trips. It also uses a good chunk of the western sections of the rather marvelous Guild Wheel to get off-road where possible. (If you haven’t already done it, it’s well worth having a go at the full circuit https://www.visitlancashire.com/dbimgs/guild-wheel.pdf) This trail does visit the only two pubs on the Guild Wheel. Obligatory warning – know your limits: cycling whilst drunk is not a good idea – I stuck to half-pints. Also, this trail is intended for daylight hours – there is no street lighting for most of the circuit. I did the trail on a Saturday starting at about 3pm – check Whatpub opening times if you fancy doing it on a weekday. If the idea of slogging up any hills puts you off, get your bike electrified – I have and it is life-changingly brilliant. Here is the overview of the route:
the long incline you will probably hit the Preston West Distributor Road (PWDR) roadworks. At the far side of these the Guild Wheel takes you over a road bridge, but we don’t go that way – keep straight on the cycle path towards Blackpool, past the Lea Gate pub on the right. Ignore the road to the left to Freckleton, and 200 yards further on is a right turn to Clifton – take it (bit dangerous crossing busy traffic). About 500 yards up this road turn right onto Ash Lane which takes you out into a pleasant country lane. At the T-junction turn left on to Lea Lane and the Smiths Arms pub is about 200 yards up the road on the right.
Leg 2: Lea Town to Salwick (2 miles, fairly flat)
Leg 1: Penwortham to Lea Town (6.4 miles, some uphill bits) The weather was warm, hazy sunshine and we start at the BARREL AND BEAN micropub in Lower Penwortham / Middleforth, (Green circle on map) and just off the Guild Wheel route. Only one handpump on at the moment – Cross Bay Blonde – need some fuel for the longest section of this trail (6.4 miles). Head towards Preston for a few hundred yards until you get to Tinkerbells nursery (which used to be the Bridge Inn pub) on a nasty blind left-hand bend – opposite is the pedestrian cobbled bridge across the river to Broadgate – cross over the road carefully, go over the bridge then turn left to join the Guild Wheel (clockwise). It is pretty well-signposted. Follow the Guild Wheel all along the riverside paths to the docks and out towards the estuary. It brings you back a bit at the engine shed and takes you up to the Blackpool Road cycle path past car showroom country. At the end of
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The SMITHS ARMS is a Thwaites house that does food, and has a beer garden and a pool table. Wainwright and Hobgoblin Ruby were on offer when I called in. I chose a half of Wainwright – very nicely kept – and relaxed outside watching the minimal traffic go by in the stillwarm haziness. Saddle up and backtrack about 80 yards and bear right to go around the Salwick/Westinghouse nuclear fuels
works. Be warned – the road surface is absolutely appalling over this section. Turn right at the crossroads (opposite the now-defunct Windmill pub) and follow the road past Salwick railway station all the way to a T-junction and the Hand and Dagger pub.
Leg 3: Salwick to Bartle (<2 miles, fairly flat) The HAND AND DAGGER is a very rural pub by the canal, with food, a huge beer garden, chickens and glamping pods. It even has 4 cycle racks (concrete). Beers on offer were Marstons Pedigree and Bowland Boxer Blonde and I drank my half in the garden. Very peaceful. But getting cooler. Time to move on, so turn left out of the pub and head east along Treales Road over the canal. Pass through Bolton’s Croft and the road turns into Blackleach Lane and you hit a T-junction at Bartle Hall – turn right. 300 yards down this road on the left you will find the Sitting Goose pub (smack in the middle of PWDR roadworks on my trip).
Leg 4: Bartle to Cottam (< 2 miles, fairly flat) The SITTING GOOSE is another
LEG 1: PENWORTHAM TO LEA TOWN
Thwaites pub that does food and has a beer garden (and a real fire was burning when I called in). Beers on offer were Thwaites Gold and IPA. I went for the IPA and sat in the garden. Definitely cooler. Just past the pub is the new roundabout for the PWDR – bear left and head towards Preston, past the now sadly-defunct Saddle pub, for a few hundred yards until you find Hoyles Lane on the left. Go down Hoyles Lane until you encounter Cottam village green on the right. Turn right down Miller Lane and you will pick up the Guild Wheel route again at the bottom. Turn left and follow the Guild Wheel for a few hundred yards – when it emerges alongside Merrytrees Lane you will spot the Ancient Oak on the other side of the road: our next stop.
Leg 5: Cottam to Miller Park (5 miles, fairly flat with some downhill bits) The ANCIENT OAK is an Ember Inns large family pub that usually tries to put on a good selection of real ales, even if some are settling in the cellar. It also has a beer garden and does food. When I called in there were four available – Black Sheep Twilighter IPA, Doom Bar, Wainwright and
LEG 4: BARTLE TO COTTAM
LEG 5: COTTAM TO MILLER PARK
Timothy Taylor’s Landlord. I chose the Twilighter and drank it outside in the quite-busy outside seating area which I think they enhanced with little hut things as a result of Covid rules. Retrace your route on the Guild Wheel and keep going (counterclockwise) for a mile or two, past the UCLAN Sports Arena. When you cross over Savick Brook and the Guild Wheel turns right, leave the Guild Wheel route and proceed straight on up Savick Way. Bear right onto West Park Avenue until you meet Blackpool Road. Turn left and use the cycle lane (probably chock-a-block with parked cars!) for only a hundred or so yards, then carefully cross over into Larches Lane and sharp left on to JOURNEY’S END
LEG 3: SALWICK TO BARTLE
LEG 2: LEA TOWN TO SALWICK
Ribby Place to get onto Ashton Park, then go round the perimeter path anti-clockwise to the far corner. Carefully emerge on to Pedders Lane and go down to the traffic lights at the bottom of the hill opposite McDonalds. Head straight across then turn right at the roundabout. This will take you back to the docks swingbridge and you can pick up the Guild Wheel again and go back along the river (you’ve been here earlier). Go straight on past the cobbled stone bridge and keep going until you hit the Continental on the edge of Miller Park. THE CONTINENTAL is a wellknown and very popular Preston pub – it also does food and has a large beer garden, and has a really wide selection of real ales. It also has bike racks near the front door and our journey is over. There were eight real ales on and I chose the Black Band porter from Kirkstall and drank it in the garden. It had started to rain gently and had cooled quite a lot. Lancashire weather! I’m going to have to do this route again when we have some real sunshine. DAV E WO O L C O C K www.centrallancs.camra.org.uk
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SUMMER OF PUB
C
AMRA’s ‘Summer of Pub’ campaign is back this year to get as many people as possible enjoying the season of good – or at least better - weather by heading down to their local for a pint. We will be celebrating how our nation’s pubs offer numerous benefits to people’s mental and social well-being and play an instrumental role in the communities they serve. After two years of lockdowns, restrictions and unprecedented pub closures, this is a time to celebrate being able to return to our locals and to recognise everything they have done throughout the pandemic. Campaigning to support Britain’s pubs is something anyone can get involved in and can be as simple as stepping out the door and taking a stroll to a local. If you can encourage some friends or family to join you, then all the better. Drinking cheap supermarket booze at home does little to improve your life – but change that setting to the social environment of a pub and you can increase your happiness, make friends and connect with others in your local community, while still enjoying the tipple of your choice. CAMRA’s National Chairman, Nik Antona, said: “We are kicking off on 2nd May to coincide
with the first Bank Holiday of the summer, and the celebrations will run until the last summer Bank Holiday on 29th August. This is the first time in two years that we’ve been able to come together and support pubs, clubs, brewers and cider makers in this way, and I urge everyone to make the most of this summer by joining in with Summer of Pub however they can. The financial aftershocks of the pandemic, combined with recent tax hikes mean that this is a difficult time for the trade. It is vital we give them all the support we can, so that we can continue to enjoy everything that makes our nation’s pubs so special for many summers to come. If your idea of a perfect summer involves a pint and a beer garden, then get involved, and start your Summer of Pub.” So head down to the pub, make friends and memories, and – most importantly – shout about how much you love your local this Summer. You can join the fun by supporting Summer of Pub on social media. Let us know how you’ll be celebrating by sharing photos of you and friends in the
pub using the hashtag #SummerofPub. To find out more and see Summer of Pub events near you, visit www.camra.org.uk/ summerofpub. There will be loads of things going on in our area over the summer. We are encouraging our licensees to share the information with us so we can post on our website and on social media, so make sure you are following us on Facebook for the latest updates. ADRIAN SMITH
CAMRA GOOD BEER GUIDE 2022
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CAMRA’s Beer Styles
Part 1
A guide to the Champion Beer of Britain Beer Style Categories
B
eer is the world’s third favourite drink. The most popular beer style is lager but beer is much more than this. Most beer drinkers might have an idea what a traditional bitter is, however, do you know how this differs from a Pale Ale or Golden Ale, and what exactly is a Barley Wine? The situation is made more complex by the growth in the number of brewers brewing international recipes, experimenting with new beer styles and digging up very old ones as well. This leaflet will help cut through some of the jargon and is designed to show you the 12 beer style categories, which CAMRA uses for judging its prestigious Champion Beer of Britain Awards.
Champion Beer of Britain Even if you aren’t a regular real ale drinker, the likelihood is that you will have heard of the Champion Beer of Britain. This iconic beer competition is run annually by the Campaign for Real Ale to find the best real ales in the UK. The beers are chosen for the competition through a national vote by CAMRA members and by the recommendations of CAMRA’s Tasting Panels, which are based around the
country. The results are compiled and the best scoring beers are put forward to be judged in categories (detailed in this leaflet). This is done firstly at a regional level with the winners in each style going forward to a national judging. Thus, to win CAMRA’s Champion Beer of Britain requires not only a great tasting beer that a beer drinker would want to try again and again but one that has been consistently good over a period of two years. A tall order, meaning that the winner really is the best of the best!
Ingredients and flavours There are four basic ingredients in beer: water, yeast, malt and hops. Like a good chef, brewers will decide which ingredients to use to get the end result they desire. If the brewers want a strong beer, they will use a high level of malt, as it is the malt that provides the food for the yeast, which then produces the alcohol. Malt also gives the beer its sweetness and body as well as most of its colour. Malt is barley that has been germinated and then heated. A beer’s colour can range from very pale yellow to black, according to how long the barley is heated for, and at what temperature. The malt gives caramel, biscuity
and roast notes, including chocolate and coffee. Black malt can also give a burnt bitterness. But hops are usually the main source of a beer’s bitterness. There is a huge range of hops and you will come across British beers using hops from Europe, the New World and even Japan as well as Britain. Hops contribute to fruit notes; citrus, peach and tropical are not unusual. They can also give floral and peppery notes. In stronger beers, the combination of the ingredients tends to give very complex flavours including caramelised fruit and you may also pick up the warming impact of the alcohol. The other two ingredients, water and yeast will also have an impact on flavour. For example, some beers, such as Pilsner, require soft water whereas Porters do better with water high in calcium carbonates such as in London. Conversely, if a brewer is trying to showcase the hops in a beer, they will choose a yeast, such as an American strain. This can have a more neutral taste compared to the type of British yeast that would be used in a traditional Bitter, where the yeast gives a fruity edge.
Champion Beer of Britain Beer Style Categories 1. Milds: up to and including 4% ABV ‘Mild’ used to mean fresh and reflected the fact that the beer was not aged. Although an old style of beer, Mild is not widely available in many parts of the country but May is a good time to find it as some pubs participate in CAMRA’s Make Mine Mild campaign. These beers are light drinking and not very hoppy. Colour There are two types of mild: light or pale Milds and dark Milds and so the colour can be dark brown to black to pale amber or even gold. In addition, Scottish 60 Shillings or Scottish Light Beer fits into this category. Usually, they are dark brown to black in colour.
• Pale Milds
These beers differ from Bitters and Pale Ales in that they are lightly hopped and may have a light fruit character. They are malty and the beer may be sweet with a little butterscotch/toffee (diacetyl).
• Dark Milds Dark Milds are frequently sweet with a light bitterness. The dominant flavour is of malt and roasted notes of chocolate, coffee and liquorice are often noticeable. Caramel and butterscotch/toffee (diacetyl) may also be present.
• S cottish 60 Shillings or Scottish Light The dominant flavour should be malt
and butterscotch/toffee (diacetyl) may also be present. As with the other Milds, they are lightly hopped.
2. Session Bitters: up to and including 4.3% ABV These are ‘traditional’ Bitters with a light to medium body. They are often called Bitters and Best Bitters. Colour Usually, amber to dark brown. Flavour These beers should have a malt character with noticeable hops; typically earthy, spicy and peppery but may also be floral or piney. Fruit may also be present, sometimes of citrus but must not dominate the taste. Bitterness may range from light to strong. A little butterscotch or toffee (diacetyl) may be present but should be minimal.
3. Premium Bitters: 4.4%– 6.4% ABV ‘Traditional’ stronger Bitters with a medium to full body. Colour Usually, amber to dark brown. Flavour Medium to strong malt flavour with noticeable hops; typically earthy, spicy and peppery but may also be floral, piney or citrus. Fruit may be medium to strong but should not dominate. Stronger Bitters may have estery notes such www.centrallancs.camra.org.uk
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as pear drops and the bitterness may range from medium to strong. A little butterscotch or toffee (diacetyl) may be present but should be minimal.
4. Session Pale, Blond and Golden Ales: up to and including 4.3% ABV These are refreshing, light drinking beers.
• P ale Ales incorporating British and New World Pale Ales Colour Dark gold to amber. Flavour Malt should be present but must be light in character. Hop flavours must also be noticeable and may vary from traditional earthy or spicy English and German hops to citrusy and tropical New World hops. Minimal or no butterscotch (diacetyl).
• B londs incorporating British and New World Golden Ales Colour Straw to gold in colour. Flavour These beers have a minimal malt flavour with the fruit being medium to strong and citrusy or tropical. The hop may vary from traditional earthy or spicy English and German hops to the citrusy New World hops. Golden Ales will have pronounced fruity, citrus hop notes and may have a strong bitterness. Minimal or no butterscotch (diacetyl).
5. Premium Pale, Blond and Golden Ales: 4.4%–6.4% ABV These beers are refreshing but fuller bodied than the Session varieties.
• P ale Ales incorporating British and New World Pale Ales Colour Dark gold to amber. Flavour Malt should be present but must be light to medium in character and should not dominate the flavour; fruit may be minimal to strong and citrusy or tropical. Hop flavours are noticeable but may vary from traditional earthy and spicy English and German hops to citrusy New World hops. Minimal or no butterscotch (diacetyl). Medium to full-bodied.
• B londs incorporating British and New World Golden Ales Colour Straw to gold. Flavour Minimal or no malt should be present. Hop flavours are noticeable and may vary from traditional earthy and spicy English and German hops to citrusy New World hops. Minimal or no butterscotch (diacetyl). Golden Ales will have pronounced fruity citrus hop and may have a strong bitterness.
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6. British & New World IPAs: 5.5% and above IPA stands for India Pale Ale. It was the Midland town of Burton on Trent that became famous for this style of beer, exporting it around the world including to India, hence the name. These are strong hoppy beers with moderate to strong bitterness; usually bittersweet. The finish is long and complex.
• British IPAs Colour Amber to pale brown. Flavour These beers are hoppier than Premium Bitters. The benchmark is a Bass recipe from the 19th century comprised of pale malt, brewing sugar and East Kent Goldings and Progress hops. More modern hop varieties can be used but they should be English in style rather than New World. There is often honeyed/biscuit malt aroma and flavours with pepper, spicy, earthy, piney or floral resins from the hops. Fruit, if evident, should not be the overwhelming citrus kick of New World IPAs.
• New World IPAs Colour Straw to pale brown. Flavour These IPAs are ‘hop forward’ but with a balance of malt, hops and fruit. They are more complex than Premium Pale Ales and Blonds and can have fruit levels akin to New World Golden Ales being noticeably fruitier than British IPAs. The fruit can be citrusy, tropical or of white wine. Floral notes are not unknown. The malt makes less of an impact than with traditional British versions, although New England IPAs (NEIPAs) tend to have a greater malt balance than the more assertively hoppy West Coast versions.
• Black IPAs Colour Typically dark brown or black. Flavour The roast character should be zero to light, complementing rather than dominating the hops and fruit in the flavour. Typically, little residual sweetness.
7. Brown and Red Ales, Old Ales and Strong Milds: 4.1%–6.4% These are darker beers with malty notes. Colour Light brown to black.
• Brown Ales Malt is to the fore sometimes with roast and/or some smokiness and nut-like flavours. There may be some hop character and a light to moderate bitter or dry finish. Fruity flavours such as raisins or sultanas may be present. Occasionally, sweeter variants can be found where more caramel and chocolate notes are evident.
• American Brown Ales As Brown Ales but overlaid with fruity hops, sometimes intense, which may lead to pronounced bittering. Fruit may often be citrus and/or tropical.
• Red Ales As with Brown Ales and American Brown Ales, malt is to the fore, often with roast and nutty flavours. Rye may be present, creating a tartness, but should be balanced and not dominate. American Red Ales are fruitier. • Strong Milds These include unaged Old Ales. They have a light to rich malt character, sometimes with caramel and fruit such as raisins and sultanas. Lightly hopped. C A M PA I G N F O R R E A L A L E 2 0 2 0
Finding out more CAMRA runs a number of tutored tasting and training sessions on beer around the country, most of which are open to members and non members. Many of these take place at CAMRA’s beer festivals including the Great British Beer Festival. CAMRA members also have the opportunity to be trained to join one of its many Tasting Panels, which provide beer descriptions for CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide and put beers forward for the Champion Beer of Britain. TO BE CONTINUED IN ALE CRY 130
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REAL ALE TRAILS
O
ur first Chorley Real Ale Trail was launched in January 2018. It was so popular that all copies had gone in about 15 months, so an updated version was issued in July 2019, followed by the first Preston Real Ale Trail a month or so later. These also proved very popular and with stocks dwindling and some new outlets to include, by the early part of 2020 we were once again thinking about reprints of both guides. Then came lockdown and nothing could be done until things had settled down a bit, but with things seemingly back to ‘normal’, thoughts turned once again to reissuing the trails. We’re delighted to announce that new versions of the Chorley and Preston Ale Trails are now available. The Chorley trail once again includes all the pubs serving real ale in the town centre. There are now 22 pubs within a very short distance of the bus station. Unfortunately this has meant that two excellent pubs, the MASONS ARMS and PRINCE OF WALES (Cowling) that were in the original trails are no longer included, as there simply isn’t room for them. The cover picture once again shows the iconic Astley Hall; this time post renovation. Focussing on the central area has allowed us to include a larger scale map with more details. The trail has been funded by Chorley Council,
and we thank them, not only for this but for their support of the ‘night-time economy’ in the town whenever this has been possible. It is a shame more councils cannot show similar levels of support. The Preston trail is a bit different in that it doesn’t include all the real ale outlets in the centre, but our selected ‘best of’. Unlike the first edition, we have not split them into separate mini trails, but have simply listed them alphabetically. Again we have used a larger scale map for the centre with a couple of inset maps to allow us to include three outlying pubs that deserve inclusion. Instead of featuring the Harris Museum on the cover we have opted for the Wallace & Gromit sculpture outside the Market Hall. The sculpture was created by Peter Hodgkinson, who is Preston born and renowned for his ‘The Splash’ sculpture of Tom Finney that stands outside Deepdale. These trails are now available from the pubs that are featured in them and online on the branch website – https://centrallancs. camra.org.uk/viewnode.php?id=64000 . Information on individual pubs is limited by space, but a QR code is included, which links to the WhatPub page for each pub, giving you all the up to date information you need. We hope you find these trails useful and any feedback would be welcomed. ADRIAN SMITH
The Orchard Craft Beer Bar
10 Craft beers and lagers 2/3 cask ales Select Gins & quality spirits Fine wines Outdoor German style seating Free Wifi Background music Live music Saturday during summer
Open everyday from noon till late Preston Market, Earl Street, PR1 2LA
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10 Litres CO2 – £8.00 10 Litres Mixed Gas – £9.00
A Real Asset in the Fight for Real Ale
I
have been drinking caskconditioned beers for more years than I care to think about and can well remember some outstanding brands that have long since vanished from the scene, albeit that in some cases the name lingers on, but usually in a packaged format and bearing scant resemblance to the original. Boddington’s Bitter, the ‘Cream of Manchester’, comes immediately to mind, a stunningly dry, hoppy and at the time, unusually pale brew, which enjoyed a fine and deserved reputation for value and quality. It did not take Whitbread very long to put an end to all that once they had acquired the company. Another victim of the Whitbread brewery steamroller was Wethered’s of Marlow, whose traditional, malt tinged tawny bitter enjoyed a similar reputation in the home counties, while Tetley Bitter, when brewed in its rightful home in Leeds, had managed to cultivate almost legendary status. Sadly, there were also far too many smaller breweries up and down the land who succumbed to predatory takeovers during the 1970s and 80s, with the consequent loss of more than a few highly respected, quality beers such as those from Higson’s of Liverpool, Morland’s of Abingdon, who had the splendid claim to be ‘Artists in Brewing since 1711’ and Webster’s of Halifax. At the same time, most of the major breweries in this country had lost interest in real ale: keg was king, it was less demanding, benefited from a much longer shelf life and made life so much easier for those running the pubs. There would be no tapping and venting of barrels or worries about having to add finings to clarify the stuff, indeed, all you probably needed to know was how to use a large spanner! It was against this background that I joined CAMRA in its early days, keen to help try and reverse this trend and to maintain as much as possible of our brewing heritage. Over the coming years I took part in Branch activities, joined protest marches and rallies and even lobbied parliament on more than one occasion, but I was still looking for some way to become more directly involved in the whole business of brewing and retailing beer and in particular, real ale. I then discovered the existence of the CAMRA Members’ Investment Club (CMIC), a group that maintains a low profile but is comprised entirely of CAMRA members who have effectively decided to put their money where their mouths are by contributing modest monthly sums towards a fund, which invests exclusively into businesses directly or indirectly involved in the production and/or distribution of cask-conditioned beer. From its humble beginnings, the CMIC Fund has grown to a value well in excess of £20 million and is managed by a committee of twelve elected Campaign members, who between them have a broad level of expertise in investment fund management, tax planning and the brewing industry itself. Sizeable holdings in major brewers such as Marstons, Heineken and Greene King, as well as pubcos including Youngs and M&B provide us with the right to attend AGMs and therefore the opportunity not only to ask searching questions of the board, but very often to also bend the ear of individual directors after formal business is complete. At the other end of the scale, we have also provided limited financial support to a small and very carefully chosen number of established microbreweries such as Loch Lomond, Nethergate, Bedlam and even a couple in Belgium! Needless to say, foremost in the committee’s mind is that we are custodians of other people’s money and the degree of investment risk in every decision made is always of paramount importance. On the social front, brewery visits both here and overseas are arranged from time to time and
are usually over-subscribed, while the CMIC’s own AGM is held every June and invariably at the splendid Victoria Hotel in Beeston (near Nottingham) and is one of the highlights of the year in many members’ calendars. The buffet lunch has become almost legendary! The Fund is run along the lines of a unit trust and CAMRA members can invest from as little as £5 per month up to a maximum of £166 (£2000 per annum). All dividends JOHN WESTLAKE are reinvested in order to enhance the overall investment performance, so no income is payable, but members can withdraw their own funds at any time without penalty. It must be remembered, however, that investment performance, although very creditable to date, cannot be guaranteed and that the value of any monies invested can go down as well as up. So, if you are a CAMRA member and fancy joining a sister wing of the Campaign that is able to campaign quietly behind the scenes through direct access to influential people within the brewing industry, combined with the very real possibility of turning a profit at the same time, why not find out more about us? Go to: www.cmic.uk.com JOHN WESTLAKE
LAST ORDERS Crankshaft Brewery have won the Thirsty Duck (Burscough), Lancashire Brewery Challenge 2022. 19 local breweries, including such notable names as Marble, Blackedge, Problem Child and Bowland went head to head over a series of matchups, with the brewery whose beers were drunk quickest proceeding to the next round. Not exactly scientific, but sounds like great fun and congratulations to Haydn and Angela on their victory. The BRIG N BARREL, which was the first micropub in Bamber Bridge, closed suddenly in early May. Despite an enthusiastic local following, it hasn’t been possible for the owners to continue. A few parties have already expressed an interest in reopening under one guise or another, so hopefully the period of closure won’t last too long. Elsewhere in this magazine we reported that the OLDE BLUE BELL in Preston had closed with an uncertain future. As we go to press, rumours are circulating of imminent reopening, with workmen’s vans parked outside and lights on internally. Given that this is a Sam Smith’s pub, there is no chance of confirming anything with the brewery, so we will all have to wait and see. Good news for Preston’s live music venue the FERRET, as the nomination to have an Asset of Community Value (ACV) granted, has been accepted. This is an important step towards the long term future of this valuable venue.
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These are the events we are aware of in the local area over the next few months. For full details, please refer to the festival websites/ social media. If you are holding an event, please let us know so we can promote in Ale Cry. There is no charge for this listing. White Coppice: Coppicefest, White Coppice Cricket Club 2nd–4th June Chorley: Thirsty Magpie Beer Festival, Victory Park, Chorley 2nd–5th June Broughton: Broughton & District Club, Whittingham Lane, Broughton 23rd–25th September Leyland: Oktoberfest, St Mary’s Community Centre, Broadfield Drive, Leyland (formerly the Priory Club) 7th–9th October Fleetwood: Fleetwood Beer & Cider Festival, Marine Hall, Fleetwood 27th–29th October
Branch Diary Mon 6th June Committee meeting Market Ale House, Leyland (7.30)
Sat 18th June Halifax trip Thurs 23th June AGM Black Horse, Preston followed by talk from local historian Steve Halliwell (7.30) Mon 11th July Committee meeting
Shepherds Hall Ale House, Chorley (7.30)
Sun 17th July Social and Pub of the Season Presentation Rivington Brewery Tap (2.00)
Mon 8 August Committee meeting Moorbrook, Preston (7.30) th
Advertising With a print run of 5,000 and magazines available in pubs and clubs across the area and beyond, an advert in Ale Cry is probably the best value targeted advertising around.
If you are interested in advertising in Ale Cry, please contact editor@centrallancs.camra.org.uk for further details.
Publication Dates
Sat 13th August Stockport trip
The next issue of Ale Cry will be published on 1st September 2022. Deadline for copy and advert submission is 1st August 2022.
Thurs 25th August Social
Ale Cry online
Mon 5th September Committee meeting
Digital versions of this and previous Ale Crys are available at: https://issuu.com/clcamra
(details TBA)
Starting at Winckley Street Ale House, Preston (7.30) Lostock Ale, Lostock Hall (7.30)
Thurs 15th September Social
Starting at Shed & Garden, Chorley (7.30) For full details of trips, visit the branch website or contact Adrian Smith on 07495 448555 or email chairman@centrallancs.camra.org.uk
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Branch meetings may be subject to last minute change. Updates will be posted on the branch website, and our social media channels.
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