Rambling Round The Red Rose City....

New blogging territory as I make my first visit to the historic city of Lancaster for many a year. And I find a thriving, interesting, and down to earth place which is home to a large number of pubs and bars....

I haven't been to Lancaster many times over the years.

Once I had called in on a trip on my way back from the Lake District probably back in the 1980's and have vague memories of a couple of ok places but not much else. Back then Lancaster had two breweries, Mitchells, and Yates & Jackson, whose beers I'd first tried in the Dales villages of Bentham and Ingleton where they had a smattering of pubs. Yates & Jackson (the better of the two in my opinion) ceased brewing in 1984 when they were taken over by Thwaites, whilst Mitchells carried on brewing for longer, but became a pub group only. They subsequently acquired York brewery, who had been brewing in the city since 1996, in a cross-border foray, but the company eventually folded in 2018. 

My only other and most recent visit to the city was to watch football probably around 2012 when FC Halifax Town had played Lancaster City aka the Dolly Blues in an early round of the FA Cup. a game which Town won quite easily but I seem to remember there was a skirmish between the rival fans at the opposite side of the ground to where we were standing. The 3,500 capacity ground, which has a very picturesque setting with a backdrop of the castle, has a very unusual name, the Giant Axe, which apparently is due to the exterior wall of the grounds of the sports club to which the football club was originally affiliated having, when viewed from above, the same shape as an axe head, accommodating as it did other sports like cricket, tennis, and bowls.

Sport was not on the agenda today as my train pulled into Lancaster station, which appeared to be undergoing a major refurbishment. I'd got the 10.27 train from Halifax to Preston, then caught an Edinburgh-bound train for the 15 minute journey to the historic county town of Lancashire, arriving at around 10 past 12. The CAMRA Good Beer Guide lists 6 pubs in the city, which includes a pub situated at the station, which conveniently just happened to be on the platform on which I had arrived. Tucked away behind scaffolding and plastic shrouding was a covered drinking area outside the Tite & Locke, behind a low fence with planters incorporated at intervals. I couldn't see how to get in, but a guy collecting glasses pointed me in the direction of a gate and I was soon inside facing the bar within an attractive room with bare brick walls, railway memorabilia, brewer's duck egg paintwork, and long tables with bench seating. Above the bar was a screen displaying the latest train times.

The pub, which opened in 2022, pays homage in its unusual name to William Tite, who built Lancaster's historic Railway Station in 1846 and Joseph Locke, the railway engineer whose many projects included the construction of the line north of Lancaster to Carlisle via the notoriously bleak Shap Fell on the eastern edge of the Lake District which is of course an integral part of the West Coast Line. The pub is run by Lancaster Brewery, who started out in 2005, and features a selection of their beers on hand pump, along with plenty of beers on tap along with a wide selection of wines and spirits. The pub runs across three further rooms within the large station building, which enable the visitor to sit in First, Second, or Third Class. In common with many station bars up and down the land, the toilet facilities are accessed from the station platform. I ordered a pint of the 4% Blonde and was asked if I wanted it in a straight glass or one with a handle. A long time since I'd been asked that question, and just for a change, I went for a handle, and my pint was duly pulled into a dimpled glass. 

I sat at one of the long tables facing the bar and planned out my visit to the city. It was just gone half past noon and it was pretty quiet, and I enjoyed chilling over my pint, which was refreshing, fruity with a smack of hops, and in great form (NBSS 3.5). All in all, it made for a very pleasant start to my visit to Lancaster.

Tite & Locke in pre-scaffolding times (image from pub's Facebook page)

I decided to have a walk around to the castle (opening image), which is situated on a hill overlooking the city. Parts of it date back to the 13th century, when it was built on the site of a Roman garrison. The castle was attacked by the Scots led by Robert the Bruce when they raided the town in 1322, and was then restored and strengthened by John O' Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, and later enlarged by Elizabeth 1st. In 1612, it was the site of the infamous Pendle Witch Trials, and the castle and the city were involved in the War of the Roses between the Houses of Lancaster and York, and today the red rose is still seen in many signs around the city, with for example Lancaster Brewery incorporating it in to their branding. The prison was used as a jail for many years and between 1955 and 2011 operated as a Category C prison for male offenders. 

I didn't have time to go on in to the castle today, although I made a mental note to do so next time I visit the city, so instead I limited myself to pottering around the attractive streets and alleyways below the castle before going off to the next pub on my list. I set off down the hill towards the River Lune, which played a big part in the development and growth of Lancaster. The river is tidal and this enabled the city to become a major port, and in the 18th century it was 4th most important in the country's slave trade, but gradually the river began to silt up and Lancaster's role diminished, with other ports like Glasson Dock and Heysham growing up nearby. 

I was soon at the pub in question, whose name reflected the city's maritime history. The Three Mariners, a Grade II-listed building dating back to the 15th century, is the oldest pub in Lancaster. It also is one of only two pubs in the country with an original gravity-fed cellar, situated on the first floor. The pub is set back from the roadside, built into the hillside, and has an attractive frontage complete with rows of mullioned windows. Inside, there are low beamed ceilings and several rooms with nooks and crannies, with a small bar facing you as you walk in. The pub is run by Robinsons, but aside from the usual beers you'd expect of theirs, there were a number from other breweries. But before I could order anything, the girl behind the bar said they couldn't accept any walk-ins for food. Now the reason I go to a pub is for a drink, and it is always guaranteed to irritate when it is assumed I am only here for the F-word. So I said I'd only come in for a pint, if that was ok? She looked relieved and said it was. I went for a pint of Legacy, a 4.4% golden ale from Lacons, and asked if I could sit down. Yes, if I could find somewhere. Which I did. A stool in a little corner away from the bar. The beer was full of citrus flavour and aromas, a little bitter with a hoppy finish. It was very good indeed (NBSS 3.5). I relaxed. Perhaps I'd been a little harsh in my initial reaction. After all, the girl had been polite, and it was Father's Day, and she was probably under orders to ask and some people never think to book ahead. Which was shown almost immediately when a couple came in and asked for a table. What name is it? Oh, we haven't booked. Sorry, we can't accept any walk-ins for food. Off they went. And then a group came in. Same result. OK, girl behind the bar, you win. And then a group of four, plus a big black dog came in. Third time lucky, they had booked! However, they came over to the table near me and sat down, and any peace and quiet I'd had was gone. They were all pretty grumpy with the central action involving a running argument between one of the couples, a large guy with a salmon pink jumper and glasses and a lady with dark hair and glasses, with the dog being constantly berated for refusing to sit down. Their food order was compiled loudly with military precision, as the warring couple continued to snipe at each other. I drained my glass and got up to leave. The dog, by now sitting down, looked at me with pleading eyes. I share your pain, mate....

The Three Mariners

It was only a few minutes walk to the next pub, although it took me a few minutes to work out how to get in. The Cornerhouse is, as the name implies, situated on a corner on New Street. It is based in a former department store, with a step up to get in from the street to a little wraparound balcony. Trouble was the name wasn't prominent enough if you were passing by. I walked in to a shiny place which bore more than a little resemblance to the type of niteclub that was around when I was a yoof. I spotted four hand pumps on the bar, but I had to wait as the girl behind the bar was dealing with a customer complaint from a couple. She spotted me and mouthed sorry, won't be long. She sorted the complainants out and a couple of minutes later she was on my case. I ordered a pint of the 4% Swan Blonde from Kendal brewers Bowness Bay, and went to sit down at a table opposite a corner where a singer with guitar was belting out classic country with the football playing out on a TV screen on the wall above where he was stood. It was a funny place, tacky to an extent, with one room given over to a restaurant, but the beer was fine (NBSS 3) and the staff were welcoming, so whilst it might have looked like a resting night club it was a friendly enough place to go for a pint, with a generally middle-aged and older mix of customers.

Ooh, look, it's the Cornerhouse....

Meanwhile, a few yards away up the road is the Sun Hotel. This is not currently in the Good Beer Guide, but has been over the years. I walked in to a opened out room with exposed stonework, two fireplaces, wood panelling and floorboards with the bar stocking a good range of cask beers from both Lancaster Brewery, who run the place, along with a number of guest ales. There were a few tables around the side of the room, whilst to the right as you go in was another room which was more heavily furnished with old dining tables. The pub is also a hotel with 16 rooms available for visitors drawn to this historic city with its various attractions like the castle, the riverside, and the Lancaster Canal, with the seaside resort of Morecambe only a mile or two away. 

I ordered a pint of the IPA, a 4.2% pale from Lancaster which as had been offered at the Tite & Locke was served in a dimpled glass with a handle. It was another fine beer (NBSS 3.5). The pub was reasonably busy with people coming and going all the time. Meanwhile groaning plates of Sunday lunch were being carried past at regular intervals, and I had already started to get a little hungry before I got here. I checked on their website which said "We leave the majority of our tables free from reservations so please feel free to join us when you please. We don’t want to put time restrictions on your seat so you can stay as long as you like once seated. Weekends remain walk ins only". Take that, Three Mariners! And so, I went to the bar and ordered the roast beef, and a few minutes later a large plateful was delivered to my table, which kept me quiet for a good while. It was spot on, and I can highly recommend. In fact, I really enjoyed the Sun Hotel and glad I decided to go off-piste rather than just following the Good Beer Guide listings as it is tempting to do in an unfamiliar place.

My Sunday lunch led me to scupper my plans to visit the White Cross, a canal side pub which was a little further out of the way as I only had a limited amount of time left before I needed to get back to the station for my train home. But it did mean there were still two other CAMRA pubs to attract me back on my next visit! So I made my way back up towards the castle, and a few minutes later I arrived at my final Lancaster pub of the day, the Jailor's Barrel. Set in a former shop, this bar opened in 2007 with a internal refurbishment in 2016 which has created a pleasant space with exposed stone walls, with the bar and its high wooden-shelved back the room's centrepiece. There were four beers on cask, one of which was from the other Lancaster brewers Lune Brew, who started out in 2023 brewing both cask and keg beers, and who operate out of a Grade II-listed former silk mill in the Galgate area of the city. I had however enjoyed one of their beers the previous day at Kobenhaven in Halifax, so instead I went for an old favourite, the 4.3% Loweswater Gold from Cumbrian which I'd not had since my last trip to the Lake District. It was the beer of the afternoon, a well-rounded beer with a fruity body and a slightly bitter finish (NBSS 4). And sat in this lovely, quiet bar, it was an enjoyable way to conclude my visit to this interesting city.

The Jailor's Barrel, Lancaster

It was a few minutes' walk back in the sunshine to the station and a few minutes after arriving there I was on the train back to Preston. I had a little time to wait there, so I took the opportunity to pop out of the station and nip up to the Old Vic for a quick pint of Swan Blonde before catching the train back to the White Rose county on the other side of the Pennines....

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