South Ribble Scene

Unfortunately for the second successive issue of Ale Cry the main news from South Ribble involves a pub closure.

The pub in question is the BRIG ‘N’ BARREL in Bamber Bridge, and in May it came as a big shock to many when the owners announced its permanent closure. Going back to June 2019 the Brig ‘n’ Barrel had been the first of two micropubs to open in Bamber Bridge in quick succession, the other being the Beer Box. Together, and with the already existing Withy Arms, they made Station Road into a great pub destination for local real ale drinkers. Initially there were rumours of people being interested in taking over the Brig ‘n’ Barrel business, but nothing is known as yet.

Another pub recently closed, but hopefully only temporarily, is the NEW HALL TAVERN at Samlesbury. Not great news for Samlesbury as it was only three months ago that we reported the closure of the Nabs Head at Samlesbury Bottoms.

More news from Bamber Bridge concerns YE OLDE ORIGINAL WITHY TREES on Station Road, just a short walk from the Brig ‘n’ Barrel. In May the pub, a Robinsons Brewery house being run by Inglenook Inns, was put up for sale by the Fleurets agency with an asking price of £395,000. It was suggested in the property information, that although the premises were presently used as a pub, that they ‘may suit alternative use’. The pub is currently listed on the Fleurets website as having been sold subject to contract, so we must now wait to see what this means.

There is some good news on the horizon, with it being reported that the PLEASANT RETREAT in Lostock Hall is soon to get a £190,000 facelift. Owned by Star Pubs & Bars, their website already has an artist’s impression of what the pub will be like, re-branded as a craft house and with a new name, the ‘Tap & Barrel’. The pub overview describes the proposed establishment as ‘a quirky and stylish pub with an unrivalled drink offering in the area’. It all sounds very interesting.

As anticipated in the last South Ribble Scene, the OLD LEYLAND GATES, on Golden Hill Lane in Leyland, has now re-opened after being closed for over two years. Following a refurbishment costing a whopping £500,000, it now has ‘an upgraded kitchen and bar, a deluxe big screen TV, and an improved beer garden’. On a visit soon after the re-opening the cask beers available were Timothy Taylor Landlord, Morland Old Speckled Hen, and Greene King Abbot Ale. The new landlord is understood to be a keen real ale drinker, and it is hoped that he will be introducing some guest beers in the near future.

Many people will have watched the recent BBC TV series ‘Field Of Dreams’ which saw Freddie Flintoff assemble a team of underprivileged teenagers to play cricket at the VERNON CARUS SPORTS CLUB in Penwortham. Not concentrating on the cricket, something I did spot in the final episode was that the refurbishment of the club house had seen the removal of the two handpumps. This needed further investigation, and following a quick visit I have to report that Vernon Carus is no longer selling real ale. Hopefully this will only be temporary, but in the meantime I’m

sure that cricket-loving real ale drinkers will be welcomed at the neighbouring PENWORTHAM CRICKET CLUB, which has one beer always available on handpump, and which on the day of my visit was Lancaster Blonde.

In each issue of Ale Cry I like to feature a particular area of South Ribble to try to make sure that pubs in all parts of the borough get at least an occasional mention, and this time it is Lostock Hall. Ale Cry readers will be well aware of the LOSTOCK ALE micropub on Hope Terrace, which was the CAMRA Central Lancashire branch ‘Pub of the Season’ for Winter 2021-22, and which serves six changing guest beers, but what of the other pubs in the locality?

I started off at the Farington Moss end of Lostock Hall visiting the ANCHOR on Croston Road, a pub that was in 2020 the first ever recipient of a CAMRA Central Lancashire branch ’10 Years In the Good Beer Guide’ award. The Anchor has five handpumps, but I was told that most recently just two have been in use, with Blackedge US Ale and Moorhouses White Witch being the beers available.

Next it was the PLEASANT RETREAT on Watkin Lane. It may be some time before the proposed ‘Tap & Barrels’ transformation takes place, but it was good to see that this pub is already selling real ale. In recent years this has not always been the case, although the pub has long retained an impressive set of four handpumps. Understandably only one handpump was in use, with Wainwright Gold being the beer available.

From there I headed up towards the railway station to call in at THE VIC, a pub that had a major refurbishment in 2017, when it was re-named after previously being known as the Victoria.

For many years, both before and after the refurbishment, it was not selling any real ale, but there are now two handpumps, with Robinsons Unicorn being the one beer available on the day of my visit.

I then looked in at OUR LADY &

ST GERARD’S PAROCHIAL CENTRE

on Brownedge Road, a club which has been receiving many good reports in recent months. A former CAMRA Central Lancashire ‘Club of the Year’, it is once again proving to be popular for real ale drinkers in search of interesting beers. There are three handpumps, which on my visit were dispensing Durham White Gold, Moorhouses Blonde Witch, and Ossett White Rat.

Finally I completed my day’s research at the WISHING WELL. Located at the junction of Leyland Road and Brownedge Road, this is a pub which has prospered as a sports bar since a refurbishment in 2015. While the Pleasant Retreat and The Vic have had long spells with no real ale, the Wishing Well has been a pub that usually has had something worthwhile available. There are two handpumps, with Ossett Yorkshire Blonde being the one beer on sale when I visited.

All in all it was quite gratifying to find that every pub in Lostock Hall is once again selling real ale. GORDON SMALL