The Diamonds Of Dale Street....

A last-minute bargain Travelodge deal led to me spending a recent Sunday night in Liverpool, enabling me to call in to some cracking pubs that I had never previously visited, in particular within the area of the city around Dale Street....

Rain had given way to a hesitant sunshine as the train pulled into Lime Street station. I got my bearings, and set off for my hotel which was only 5 minutes' walk away. Fortunately, I was walking in the right direction so I was able to get checked in, bag dropped off, and order a pint in the first pub within 20 minutes of arriving in Liverpool. Mind you, I was in a good spot. I could see the Excelsior from my hotel room and if it hadn't been for a tree, I would have been able to see another one too, and it was to that one that I'd headed first.

The Ship & Mitre, which takes its name from its former names, the Flagship and the Mitre, has a striking 1930's art deco exterior. Situated at the end of Dale Street opposite to the entrance to the Queensway Tunnel which takes you under the Mersey and over to Birkenhead, it offers a friendly welcome to a steady flow of customers who seemed to be a mix of regulars and visitors like myself. The pub has an unspoilt interior, with seating in several areas to the front of the bar, whilst to the rear the room has a nautical theme. There is memorabilia throughout the pub including a bank of old hand pumps which were at the side of the table where I was sat, whilst several hand pumps were in use on the bar, with beers from the likes of Carnival and Abbeydale. Now the pub has a number of its own Flagship Beers, which are brewed using the Stamps Brewery plant in Bootle, but there didn't appear to be any on today, so instead I went for a pint of a 3.9% pale ale called New Alchemist from a new brewery to me, NewBrew. The brewery is based in Newport, near Telford in Shropshire, and this beer was a pleasant pale bitter which I rated as a solid NBSS 3. It was a sound start to the afternoon, in what was one of the best pubs of the visit.

A Liverpool classic; the Ship & Mitre

Less than a minute's walk away was another traditional pub, the Excelsior, which I could see from my hotel window. Named after a sailing ship, it has a prominent street-corner setting, and is next door to the former offices of the long-lost Liverpool brewery, Higsons. The pub is attractively decorated, with a central bar, on which a number of hand pumps had Wetherspoon-esque style clips proclaiming 'Coming Soon'; in fact the only beers on were from Taylors (you come all this way and its beers I could get at home, I thought). Nothing I could do about it so I ordered a pint of Boltmaker and went to sit a stool at the bar facing one of several TV screens which were showing the Men's Single Final between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz. As Alcaraz broke serve, I took a sip of my beer. Very good it was, in excellent condition, at the ideal temperature, and full of flavour. So much for my earlier whinge to myself! A definite NBSS 4. I stayed here watching the tennis for a while as a variety of folk - couples, the guy on his own, a family with two young kids, the odd group - came and went in this friendly pub.

The Excelsior, Dale Street

It was a few minutes' walk along to the next pub. The Vernon Arms was one of the quieter places I visited, and yet was another attractive traditional pub. Situated on the corner of Vernon Street, it consists of a long room which contains a long bar down one side and a further room beyond. As in the Excelsior the tennis was showing on a couple of TV screens, and seemed to be drawing the attention of those dotted around the room, which were predominantly over-50's blokes. From the choice of 5 beers on hand pump, I went for a pint of Salopian Shropshire Gold. Now this is a beer that, whilst I've had it many times, I hadn't had for some time, and I have to say it was excellent, another well-kept pint, and another NBSS 4. I had intended to pay the £3.90 it cost on my card, but the guy behind the bar told me that there was a minimum £5 charge for paying by card, so I hastily produced a fiver and paid cash instead! Incidentally and unusually, I noticed some low doors that were slightly open on the street side, whilst there appeared to be a hatch next to them which suggested it was the barrel drop to the cellar. Another pub that is well worth a visit.

The Vernon Arms, Liverpool

It was only a short distance further along Dale Street to the next pub. This is one of 3 pubs in Liverpool run by Manx Brewers, Okells, Thomas Rigby's, named after a former wine and spirit merchant in the city. I thought I would try a pint of the Okells bitter but unfortunately there was a distinct whiff of vinegar as I went for my first sip, which subsequently confirmed it was off. I got it changed quickly enough without any fuss, swapping for a Kirkstall Three Swords, which was in great condition (NBSS 3.5). The pub, which is Grade II-listed, is an attractive wood-panelled, multi-roomed affair with an outside courtyard which it shares with its neighbour the Lady of Mann (also run by Okells along with the Fly in the Loaf across the city on Hardman Street). The pub was busy with the tennis once again attracting a lot of attention, whilst at several tables people were eating, which reminded me I was getting hungry. I went for a burger and chips, reasonably priced and plenty of it too which filled a gap. I quite liked  Thomas Rigby's, after that initial blip, and it is another you should call in when on Dale Street.

Thomas Rigby's

Now the next three pubs aren't actually on Dale Street itself, but they are close enough for it to make sense to include them in the same tour. The next pub was only a few yards away from Thomas Rigby's, next door to another famous old Liverpool pub, the Hole in the Wall, just off Dale Street on a narrow lane called Hackins Hey. The Denbigh Castle has been recently refurbished and opened out, with exposed stonework, and it was pleasant enough, but lacked the character of the previous pubs I had visited over the preceding hour or two. Nonetheless, the service was friendly, my half pint of Kirkstall Bitter was decent enough (NBSS 3), and I caught the end of the tennis here as Alcaraz beat Djokovic leading to emotional scenes at Wimbledon. I watched the presentations along with most of the other customers and then I was on my way.

The Denbigh Castle, Liverpool

I turned right out of the pub, crossed over some waste ground passing a couple of large and striking murals on the back of a couple of buildings. I soon arrived at my next stop, the Grade II-listed Lion Tavern which is on a street-corner near to Moorfields railway station. And it is to the railways the pub owes its name; the Lion was the name given to the original locomotive which worked on the Liverpool to Manchester Railway, designed and built by George Stephenson, which was the first inter-city railway link and the first steam-only line in the world when it opened in 1830. Whilst the pub has an attractive exterior, it is inside where the Lion reveals its glories (opening image). The bar is stunning, with polished wood, intricately-etched and stained glass, and a brass foot rail. There are mosaic floors and a tiled corridor; no wonder CAMRA describes the Lion as having a historic interior of national importance. 

The Lion Tavern; check out that interior

Beer-wise, the Lion was no slouch either, having one of the most interesting choices of the tour, with beers from independent local breweries like Peerless, Rock The Boat, and Liverpool on the bar. I ordered a pint of Triple Blond from Birkenhead-based Peerless, which was a clean-tasting and refreshing pale ale (NBSS 3.5). I asked the lad who was working, who was the only other person in the room, if I could take a photo of the bar, which was no problem and he discreetly headed off to check if any glasses needed collecting from elsewhere in the pub whilst I was snapping away. The guy came back, the music switched from the retro soundtrack featuring the likes of Status Quo and the Turtles to a more eclectic and indie selection including Echo and the Bunnymen, and then amazingly War on Drugs. That prompted conversation, I said how much I'd enjoyed the band's recent gig at the Piece Hall in Halifax and how great it was to hear them on a pub soundtrack. The lad - Billy - said he hadn't heard much from them but liked their sound. He told me he had just got his degree in songwriting from BIMM in Manchester, played in a band, and was looking to the future whilst he worked here. I'd finished my pint, and so got a half of the Liverpool Pale Ale, which was likewise on great form (NBSS 3.5), and carried on chatting. The Lion is a pub you shouldn't miss if you are in the city; beautiful surroundings, great beer, and a great atmosphere.

I walked past an abandoned former Yates' Wine Lodge, the entrance to Moorfields Station, and then I was back on to Dale Street. I retraced my steps, headed back to the Travelodge but then walked straight on, crossed the road and over to St John's Lane where I came to Doctor Duncan's. This was the former flagship pub of long-standing Liverpool brewers Robert Cain (of which there is another new incarnation based in the original brewery on Stanhope Street) and is another architectural gem. Today the pub is free of tie and sprawls over a number of rooms, with medically-related memorabilia alluding to the eponymous Dr Duncan, who was the first chief medical officer for Liverpool and a tireless campaigner for better living conditions in Victorian times. There were 4 beers available on hand pump, from which I went for a pint of Luna from local brewers Neptune. It was a very pleasant 4.3% session pale ale (NBSS 3.5) which I drunk in a beautiful room to the right of the bar with some beautiful dark wood, glazing, and a tiled fireplace. My only companions were two elderly American couples, whose conversation had been a quiet soundtrack until both of one of the couples went to the loo leaving the others to start complaining about how tiresome and irritating the other couple were! That's pubs....

Doctor Duncan's, Liverpool

And as I finished my pint and left Doctor Duncan's I was undecided as to whether to take the sensible option and go back to my room at the Travelodge, or whether I should go for the holiday option and head to the Ship and Mitre for a nightcap. I had thoroughly enjoyed my few hours exploring the diamonds to be found in and around Dale Street...

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