View Full Version : Towns that disappoint and surprise
I've been tipped that Yarm was a good pub town since working with a Teessider in 2008. Having lived in Stockton a year I took a visit. Within two hours and three pubs I was back where I started on Black Sheep pale.
Better are the towns between Preston and Manchester. Leyland, Chorley, Bamber Bridge all small towns with multiple offerings each. Nondescript towns punching above their weight..
Any other comparables?
ROBCamra
09-08-2019, 15:57
Farnworth near Bolton. I'd planned to visit 8 pubs in a circle from the train station. I found that 7 of them are absolute crap.
The best of them by a country mile was Bridgewater Hotel (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/18484/) a Sam Smiths pub and I don't like Sams beer.
Bucking Fastard
09-08-2019, 16:14
I've been tipped that Yarm was a good pub town since working with a Teessider in 2008. Having lived in Stockton a year I took a visit. Within two hours and three pubs I was back where I started on Black Sheep pale.
Better are the towns between Preston and Manchester. Leyland, Chorley, Bamber Bridge all small towns with multiple offerings each. Nondescript towns punching above their weight..
Any other comparables?
Bedford springs to mind,a town with a lot of pubs but it's often a struggle to find a good pint.I had three seperate evening attempts last year and cast my net quite wide.There were a number of "walk in and then immediately walk out " on spotting the ale options but through perseverance I eventually found something worth drinking.The Good Beer Guide was no help at all.
Farnworth near Bolton. I'd planned to visit 8 pubs in a circle from the train station. I found that 7 of them are absolute crap.
The best of them by a country mile was Bridgewater Hotel (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/18484/) a Sam Smiths pub and I don't like Sams beer.
I grew up in Walkden, Worsley village was as exotic as it got.
Brainypool
09-08-2019, 16:49
With no exceptions the pubs in Newquay ranged from barely tolerable to truly terrible. That’s if you can call any of them pubs.
Mobyduck
09-08-2019, 21:07
Basingstoke, disappoints and no surprises..
london calling
10-08-2019, 20:02
Apparently London is pretty shit.
Aqualung
11-08-2019, 10:09
Apparently London is pretty shit.
It is but it's a city.
NickDavies
11-08-2019, 10:38
Most Gone Downhill Town might be Henley-on-Thames (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/areas/henley-town/oxfordshire/)
The sheer number of closed pubs speaks for itself. Brakspears flogging the brewery was the final nail in the coffin.
Aqualung
11-08-2019, 11:26
Having done the JDW tour I could rattle off a wholr raft of horrible towns. Here's a selection of the worst :-
Ellesmere Port
Consett
Whitehaven
Workington
Swadlincote
Crediton
Poole
Basildon
Clacton
Harlow
Yate
Cosham
Borehamwood
Hatfield
Potters Bar
Ormskirk
Chorlton-cum-Hardy
Kirkby
King's Lynn
Corby
Biddulph
Uttoxeter
Haverhill
Woking
Littlehampton
Telford (Central)
Bedworth
Stratford-on-Avon
Trowbridge
Mexborough
Parts of Greater London :-
Barking
East Ham
Ilford
Romford
Wembley
Harlesden
In Wales :-
Ebbw Vale
Llanrelli
Shotton
Neath
Blaenau Ffestiniog
Cwmbran
In Scotland :-
Fraserbutgh
Peterhead
Irvine
Alloa
Glenrothes
Coatbridge
Cumbernauld
Wishaw
East Kilbride
Livingston
and in NI :-
Newtownards
Lisburn
Lisburn may be the worst place of all. This list says nothing about the people there or the quality of the JDW that may or may not be there.
london calling
11-08-2019, 19:22
Staines,Windsor and Uxbridge were pretty mundane I thought.
london calling
11-08-2019, 19:23
Staines,Windsor and Uxbridge were pretty mundane I thought.
And Swindon
Aqualung
11-08-2019, 20:01
Staines,Windsor and Uxbridge were pretty mundane I thought.
You can look at the river in Staines and the Castle in Windsor while accidentally tripping up tourists. Uxbridge has Boris the Buffoon as the MP!
Staines,Windsor and Uxbridge were pretty mundane I thought.
Windsor is fine if you throw Eton in as part of the package, there's at least 5 decent pubs.
Agree with Staines, never much cop though that's true of most of the surrounds like Chertsey, Addlestone etc.
I recall Doncaster (with one honourable exception) being pretty naff.
Aqualung
12-08-2019, 09:18
I recall Doncaster (with one honourable exception) being pretty naff.
I went to Doncaster last year and it far exceeded expectations. It's not in the PUG crawl league but I only went to 2 that I didn't like a t all.
Al Bundy
12-08-2019, 12:47
Birkenhead is dire. Blackburn is woeful. Rhyl is crap. Fleetwood is poor. Chorley, however, is surprisingly very good.
london calling
12-08-2019, 20:17
Birkenhead is dire. Blackburn is woeful. Rhyl is crap. Fleetwood is poor. Chorley, however, is surprisingly very good.
Yeah Fleetwood is dire.
london calling
12-08-2019, 20:22
Windsor is fine if you throw Eton in as part of the package, there's at least 5 decent pubs.
Agree with Staines, never much cop though that's true of most of the surrounds like Chertsey, Addlestone etc.
I recall Doncaster (with one honourable exception) being pretty naff.
Add Sunbury and Egham to the Surrey list.
Add Sunbury and Egham to the Surrey list.
Egham at least has the USC!
NickDavies
12-08-2019, 20:45
Yeah Fleetwood is dire.
At least it's not Blackpool.
Maldenman
12-08-2019, 21:01
Egham at least has the USC!
Anyone remember the almighty squabble about The Red Lion (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/35654/) in Egham on BiTE?
sheffield hatter
12-08-2019, 21:20
At least it's not Blackpool.
I second that emotion.
And I thought these two in Fleetwood were half decent: The Steamer (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/19185/) The Steamer (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/19185/) (Sorry, still haven't written up my review notes. Can't believe it was six months ago!)
Mobyduck
12-08-2019, 22:14
Add Sunbury and Egham to the Surrey list.
Agreed.
Mobyduck
12-08-2019, 22:15
Egham at least has the USC!
Also agreed.
Mobyduck
12-08-2019, 22:19
Anyone remember the almighty squabble about The Red Lion (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/35654/) in Egham on BiTE?
I do, did it not extend beyond the Red Lion as well?
oldboots
13-08-2019, 08:21
Most North Yorkshire market towns are particularly awful, with special mentions for Northallerton and Thirsk.
aleandhearty
13-08-2019, 11:56
Admittedly it's a while since I've been, but I always thought Barnsley town centre punched way under its weight, especially considering the town's mining heritage. Yes, there's the Old No.7 (Acorn Brewery Tap) and the Arcade Ale House, but not an awful lot else, despite a couple of new openings in Gateway Plaza. However, there is life in the suburbs where a raft of micros have sprung up in recent years
Pangolin
13-08-2019, 16:29
Was about to post Bridgend as, with the exception of the Spoons, did not find anywhere that tempted me to a second, if there was anything drinkable to start with. Then I stumbled across the 4 pubs at the very South end, which ranged from good to excellent. Verdict on town centre still applies though. Lord knows what it will be like when Ford pull out.
No town disappoints me more than Rhyl with just one good pub, the Cob & Pen (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/52094/) near the station and micro pub The Dove at Rhyl (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/86112/) 10 minutes walk from the centre.
In contrast, much smaller Prestatyn is improving all the time with new openings and a decent pub crawl can be had there.
Most North Yorkshire market towns are particularly awful, with special mentions for Northallerton and Thirsk.
Selby looked OK ish as I passed through to the Wethers with time to spare between trains.
oldboots
17-08-2019, 19:48
Selby looked OK ish as I passed through to the Wethers with time to spare between trains.
Yes looks "ok" from my drives through the town but I've not done it beer-wise, so can't say. Where on earth were you going to change trains at Selby, York is more obvious if going to/coming from Hull.
Had a trip round Boroughbridge (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/areas/boroughbridge/north-yorkshire/) today which has improved but still not somewhere to recommend.
Aqualung
17-08-2019, 22:41
No town disappoints me more than Rhyl with just one good pub, the Cob & Pen (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/52094/) near the station and micro pub The Dove at Rhyl (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/86112/) 10 minutes walk from the centre.
In contrast, much smaller Prestatyn is improving all the time with new openings and a decent pub crawl can be had there.
I didn't mind the JDW in Rhyl but imagine it must be Hell in the peak holiday season. They are keen to open an outlet in Prestatyn and probably have a better chance of pulling it off there than in Conwy.
Yes looks "ok" from my drives through the town but I've not done it beer-wise, so can't say. Where on earth were you going to change trains at Selby, York is more obvious if going to/coming from Hull.
Had a trip round Boroughbridge (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/areas/boroughbridge/north-yorkshire/) today which has improved but still not somewhere to recommend.
Was going from Thornaby to Hull to watch me Salford, but ahead of schedule. I'm a bit of a Wethers ticker too so any excuse....
Bucking Fastard
19-08-2019, 08:06
Yes looks "ok" from my drives through the town but I've not done it beer-wise, so can't say. Where on earth were you going to change trains at Selby, York is more obvious if going to/coming from Hull.
Had a trip round Boroughbridge (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/areas/boroughbridge/north-yorkshire/) today which has improved but still not somewhere to recommend.
Been there a number of times.It's one of those towns where the best option in the 'spoons,in this case the oddly named Giant Bellflower.
(http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/79627/).Elsewhere you can go on quite a crawl and not find any decent ale,but there is a very good curry house.Watching the tide surge up the Ouse is another plus point.
Aqualung
19-08-2019, 14:28
Had a trip round Boroughbridge (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/areas/boroughbridge/north-yorkshire/) today which has improved but still not somewhere to recommend.
I don't even know where that place is!
RealAleRobUK
20-08-2019, 16:58
Most North Yorkshire market towns are particularly awful, with special mentions for Northallerton and Thirsk.
I agree this has been my experience too. I used to really like the Little Three (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/29812/) in Thirsk though, but on my most recent visit I wasn't that impressed. It is always possible I was being particularly uncharitable on the day though, but it's fair to say the ales on offer were all a bit samey. It's probably still the best in Thirsk though, with The Three Tuns (JD Wetherspoon) (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/29810/) coming second place (at least for the beer selection).
Otherwise in these North Yorkshire market towns you seem to be stuck with variations of Black Sheep and the big national stuff. Such a shame to be in these picturesque market towns when the mediocre beer lets the pub experience down.
A worthy mention goes to The Castle Tavern (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/36110/) in Richmond however, which offers beers from the Richmond Brewery.
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