The warm weather continued as I made a first proper visit a nearby East Lancashire town to have a wander around and check out a few of the local pubs....
It is only 31 minutes on the direct train from Halifax to Burnley but despite its relative proximity, this was the first time I had got the train here. In fact my visits to the town have been few and far between since a short period in the 1970's when I would drive over to watch the odd First Division match on a free Saturday when Burnley were at home. But with 4 pubs in the Good Beer Guide - although two were way out in the suburbs and not really doable in the time I had - and plenty of others in the town centre it is certainly worth an afternoon's exploration. And as I found, this former cotton and mining town has a rich industrial and economic heritage and social history that can stand up against the majority of places up and down the country. And being a town that has brought us the likes of a diverse mix of people including cricketer Jimmy Anderson, actor Sir Ian McKellen, several of the members of agit-rock band Chumbawumba, and businessman Dave Fishwick, who inspired the film 'Bank of Dave', there are many reasons that make this unassuming town well worth a visit, even if like me you just stick to the pubs and soak up the atmosphere.
It had been a last minute decision to go, and when I boarded the train it was busy with plenty of passengers seemingly heading to Blackpool to celebrate the upcoming Bank Holiday weekend, including a group of predominantly female students who seemed to be taking a phenomenal amount of luggage with then for a weekend away, and kept the rest of the carriage amused with their conversation and chatter as we left Yorkshire behind and headed into Lancashire.
Burnley Manchester Road Station is situated on the edge of the town, with the centre straight down the hill. I walked across a bridge over the canal alongside which was an attractive-looking pub but unsure of its real ale credentials I gave it a miss and carried on down the hill passing first the impressive Town Hall and then the equally impressive Mechanics Hall next door. Opened in 1855 as a Mechanics Institute, it was part of a movement that grew up from around the 1820's in the wake of the industrial revolution which recognised the need for an educated and skilled workforce to manage the machinery and repair and improve the complex mechanisation that had revolutionised the production of goods and materials. Institutes were set up in many locations around the country and provided education through lending libraries, lecture theatres, classrooms, and laboratories, and often provided wider opportunities for learning and betterment. In Burnley, the local population flocked to the place to enjoy classes in arts, science and technology, and the Mechanics consequently became the focus of the town’s cultural activity. It closed in 1959 as the world had changed significantly since it had opened, and was then bought by the council and opened as a concert hall. Today it is the town's premier entertainment venue, hosting a wide range of concerts and events, including the world-famous Burnley Blues Festival. And like the town hall next door, this spectacular building is Grade ll listed.
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| Burnley Mechanics Hall |
I continued my walk into town. A yellow sign on a lamp post warned the road would be closed on the following Tuesday and the local branch of Virgin Money had a notice on the door advising it would be closing early the same day because of the parade of Burnley's promotion-winning Championship team. Meanwhile, I turned left off Manchester Road and a couple of streets back I came to the first pub on the day's itinerary.
The New Brew-m is a micropub on a quiet street which is effectively the tap for the Reedley Hallows Brewery who are based in the nearby settlement of the same name. The brewery was set up in 2012 by a former head brewer at local brewers Moorhouses, since when they have established themselves firmly as part of the local beer scene.
I walked in to a long room with the bar to the right in the first part of a well-presented room where a number of the local beers were on sale on hand pump. I ordered a pint of New Zealand Pale, a 4.5% pale with with hints of lemon and lime, plus a lttle vanilla in the finish, which was most enjoyable (NBSS 3.5). A cash-only bar, I'd handed over a fiver to pay for my beer and got £2.50 back in change which I queried. "I think you've given me too much back, love" I said to the friendly lady behind the bar. "No it's £2.50 a pint", she replied. " Is it happy hour?" I asked. "No it's that price all the time" she replied, then adding "oh, sorry, except Mondays, when it's £2.00 all day!" Not surprisingly the place was busy with plenty of folk of a certain age chatting away and it was impossible not to get caught up in the friendly atmosphere so much so that, having managed to get a seat at the end of the bar, with my glass almost empty I decided to get another pint. A cracking little bar which is a must-visit if you are seeking out a pint of cask ale in Burnley.
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| New Brew-m. Burnley |
Diagonally opposite is another small bar, Hatters, which by contrast was almost empty. But the young couple who ran it were both very friendly, he behind the bar and her sat in front of it, and I was made to feel very welcome. The place was more modern with craft beers on offer including one from Verdant alongside three on cask. I ordered a half of Moorhouses Premier Bitter which I hadn't had for a while, which was quite pleasant, not too bitter (NBSS 3). One of the other beers on cask was a beer called Hatter's Sunkissed Pale. I asked if it was their house beer, it was, brewed by a local brewery but not Moorhouses, the guy stressed. So I ordered a half while I was there and I have to say this 4% hoppy pale was very clean tasting and reffreshing. Prices again were very competitive here, with my halves coming in at £1.35 each, and the craft beers were similarly good value in comparison to elsewhere. They were bracing themselves for a long day the following day when they were opening at 9am to cater for the early kick-off for Burnley's final Championship game of the season. A lovely little bar, one that is definitely worth calling in.
Mentioning Moorhouses, they are of course another local brewer, having been established in the town way back in 1865. But up until 1978 the company only produced soft drinks and hop bitters (used to aid digestion) and it was only from then that they started to produce any cask beers. But over the past 47 years they have picked up multiple awards for their beers, many whose names are inspired by the myths and legends surrounding the 1,835ft Pendle Hill which keeps a brooding watch over the town. In 2000 their delicious and well-balanced Black Cat Mild won CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain, whilst beers such as White Witch and Blond Witch are a familiar sight on the bars of many pubs on both sides of the Pennines. Their strong premium bitter, the 5.1% Pendle Witches Brew, meanwhile is inspired by the infamous Witch Trials which took place in 1612. The company has steadily evolved over the years and in 2024 took over the popular Manchester craft brewers Squawk.
And it was a pint of another Moorhouses beer that I had when I called in to the next pub. According to the map, it wasn't that far away but that didn't allow for having to skirt round the sprawl of the Charter Walk shopping centre. I ended up going down a slip road and cutting through a car park round the back where the Bridge Beer Huis (opening image) lay in wait. A distinctive flat-iron shaped stone building, it has been a pub for many years and has been run by the same couple since 2003. It consists of a large open-plan room with a small snug to one side. As the name kind of suggests it offers a range of continental beers both on draught and in bottles, which are served alongside 5 cask beers which normally includes a couple of Moorhouses. The place was pretty busy, with several people sat outside enjoying the early evening sun with their drinks, whilst inside the majority of the tables were taken. I ordered a pint of Pride of Pendle from Moorhouses, a light amber ale with an ABV of 4.1% which, according to the brewery's website, was inspired by "the wild horses that ran free and embodied the spirit of Pendle Hill." It was a soft, easy-drinking well-balanced beer with a slightly dry finish (NBSS 3.5). A guy approached me as I sat enjoying my pint and asked me if I used to work at some place or other, but I hadn't, so he apologised for mixing up with someone else. No problem, I said, and I felt a little bad as he retreated to his seat, seemingly disappointed with his memory. Another great pub with a friendly atmosphere and the same sub-£3.00 a pint prices that seemed to prevail elsewhere in the town.
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| Bridge Bier Huis, Burnley |
I re-traced my steps and ended up close to the local Spoons, so with time running out before my train back, I decided to pop in and have a quick half. The Grade ll listed Boot Inn dates from 1911 andsits in a prominent location on a busy street corner, and is an example of the so-called Edwardian baroque style of architecture. It was busy inside and it didn't help that there was a typical Spoons scenario at play here, one where there are not enough staff on, and those who were seemed to be adopting the "who's next?" cop-out option rather than using their eyes. Eventually a pleasant young lady appeared and I was able to order myself a half of Reedley Hallows Nook of Pendle, which is a 5% amber ale. It was ok (NBSS 3), but my wait to be served had eaten into my available time and so my visit here hadn't really been worth it.
I had toyed with the idea of visiting the Burnley Miner's Social Club, but with time running out I'd dropped the idea. But I had been intrigued because of its links to a special part of the town's history. Burnley had been a significant mining town from the 18th century when up to a dozen pits were located in what is the town centre today, its trade and fortune having greatly benefitted from the coming of the Leeds-Liverpool Canal. But the last deep mine on the Burnley coalfield, the Hapton Valley Colliery closed in 1981, bringing a chapter in the town's economic history to a close. Going back to the First World War, over 4,000 men, comprising 15% of Burnley's working age male population were killed in the fields of Flanders. Many of them were miners who had joined the East Lancashire Regiment, which became better known as the Accrington Pals. Those who came back from the trenches had discovered Benedictine liqueur, a secret blend of 27 herbs and spices produced by the monks at the Abbey of Fecamp in Normandy, and having a glass of it became ingrained as part of the tradition and culture of this part of East Lancashire as a means of remembering those Pals who had fought to save their country. Today the Miner's Club remains the largest single outlet for Benedictine in the world.
I did call in one more place before catching the train back home. I came to a place called the Big Window (there is indeed a Big Window!) at the bottom of Manchester Road, and decided to pOP in for a half. I walked into a large open plan room and found the pub to be quite busy. There were 4 hand pumps on the bar which apparently are recent additions to a pub that otherwise featured more of the Carling/Dark Fruits-type drinks. A guy in front of me had just ordered a pint of cask when I got to the bar, and when it was my turn I went for a half of Phoenix West Coast IPA. Unfortunately it was not at its best (NBSS 2.5) and probably hadn't had enough pulled through, suggesting that maybe 4 hand pumps is a step too far. But otherwise another friendly, good value for money pub.
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| There's the Big Window |
I set off walking back up the hill to the station. I'd had a most enjoyable time on this hot afternoon in Burnley, and whilst it's probably not the best place to go if you are seeking more cutting edge beers, it is well worth going to for a decent, good-value pint in some of the friendliest pubs you could hope to visit in what is a most interesting town....
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