I had passed Mexborough many times on train and always noticed the South Yorkshire pub in the distance, have a guess which fully functional pub in Mexborough was the only one that did not open.
I doubt many people go to Mexborough for a day out and even less would walk round its estates in search of pubs.
Mexborough
1: Montague Arms
 |
| Photo taken by Alan Winfield |
A decent looking pub with a nice curved frontage.
This pub was on the opposite corner to the Old Market Hall Wetherspoons where i planned to start my pub crawl,but the Montague Arms was open at 10.15 am so i was straight in for a drink.
There was a large single room which had an island bar and a DJ rig plus a pool table, there was a tatty carpet and bench seating.
There were no real ales on, i had a drink of John Smiths Smooth which was a pretty poor drink.
The pub was fairly busy and a bit rough and ready, but i was happy enough until Cliff Richards came on the sound system singing some crap, i had to make a quick exit to the Wetherspoons.
2: Old Market Hall
 |
| Photo taken by Alan Winfield |
A Wetherspoons pub that is housed in an old market hall hence the name.
One very large room inside which was divided up by bookcases which did not work in my opinion.
I had a drink of Geeves Clear Cut which was a very refreshing drink.
I should have took my time with this drink as real ale is not on in most of Mexborough's pubs.
I did a walk down the pedestrianised High Street to get to my next pub.
3: Bulls Head
 |
| Photo taken by Alan Winfield |
There were two small rooms either side of the entrance, the right hand room had a pool table in it and was empty, the room to the left was quite busy with some very lively locals, i had a drink in this room, there was also a larger room to the rear which was empty.
There was bench seating and small stools for seating.
No real ales, i had a drink of John Smiths Extra Cold which was extra cold and extra crap.
I soon got talking to the locals and one of them must have got on with me as he offered to buy me a pint, i declined the offer as i had lots more pubs to do.
very much a locals pub that some would feel out of place in, i was happy enough having a crap drink here.
I walked off the High Street and onto Bank Street where i found a new bar.
4: Memories Bar
 |
| Photo taken by Alan Winfield |
Housed in a old stone building, this bar looked crap from the outside but was even worse inside.
There was a smallish square shaped room with the bar to the front right, the seating was very strange with two long tall tables and stools there were lads sat facing the bar watching rugby,with nowhere to sit i propped the bar up.
There were no real ales on, i had a drink of John Smiths Extra Cold which did refresh me after walking round trying find another pub that would open before 12 and failing.
I walked back down the High Street as it was now just gone 12 so the pubs should be open by now, they were.
5: Boy & Barrel
 |
| Photo taken by Alan Winfield |
Not the best of looking pubs but i will go in any pub.
There was a decent sized room inside which seemed decent enough to me, there was a pool table on a raised area and a DJ rig.
There was comfy bench seating and chairs.
No real ales on, i had a drink of keg Stones Bitter which was a decent enough drink.
6: The Falcon
 |
| Photo taken by Alan Winfield |
A decent looking pub situated at the West end of Mexborough's shopping street.
There was a small bar room to the right which looked very nice and a larger lounge to the left, both rooms had very comfortable bench seating, there was a pool table in the bar room.
The pub is an Old Mill tied house so i was well pleased, there was one real ale on which was Old Mill Bitter, this was a very nice drink.
A very pleasant and comfortable pub to have a drink in, i really liked this pub.
7: The Imperial club & brewery
 |
| Photo taken by Alan Winfield |
I know i bang on about not liking clubs and not being allowed into them, but i was assured that anybody could tip up here.
I was allowed in and it was not too club like, the brewery was to the front and you could see people working in it, there were a couple of rooms one had a pool table, the seating was comfy bench type.
There were five Imperial real ales on, i had a drink of Imperial Bitter which was a very nice drink.
A shame that i had the place to myself.
I walked back through the town centre to get to my next pub.
8: The Sportsman
 |
| Photo taken by Alan Winfield |
A large looking pub that is situated at the bottom end of Adwick Road.
There was a single opened out room that had different areas, there was comfy bench seating and a pool table.
No real ales on, i had a drink of John Smiths Smooth which was a pretty poor drink.
The pub was quite busy with a good mix of locals.
I quite liked this pub just a shame there was not a real ale on.
While in the Sportsman i realised i had forgot to do a pub/ club which was closer to the town centre, i had to retrace my steps and go up a side street.
9: Concertina Band Club
 |
| Photo taken by Alan Winfield |
This place looked a bit grim from the outside and once inside it seemed like a club which i do not like drinking in, but i was allowed in despite not having a GBG on my head.
There was one large room which had comfy bench seating, there was a stage but it was not in use as it looked more like a storage area.
There were four real ales on, i had a drink of Concertina Club Bitter which was a decent drink and cheap £1.56 a pint.
The pub /Club was almost empty on my Saturday dinner visit.
Not my sort of place at all.
I walked to the East side of Mexborough where there were three pubs fairly close together.
10: George and Dragon
 |
| Photo taken by Alan Winfield |
A decent looking stone built pub which is set sideways onto Church Street.
The pub was quite smart inside with a single room which had different areas, there was a dining area to the right which was empty and a conservatory to the far right had a pool table in it.
There was comfy bench seating and normal tables and chairs.
Two real ales on, i had a drink of John Smiths Cask which was a nice drink.
The pub was fairly quiet but there were people in the garden as it was a very warm day.
I thought this was a very pleasant pub that would suit most peoples tastes.
11: New Masons Arms
 |
| Photo taken by Alan Winfield |
A large stand alone pub situated on the busy Doncaster Road.
The room had been opened out but had different areas, the front area was comfortable being carpeted and having comfy bench seating, the rear area had a pool table and darts board.
There were three unclipped pumps on the bar, no real ale then, i had a drink of John Smiths Extra Cold which was a pretty poor drink.
The pub was fairly busy on my Saturday afternoon visit.
A decent and comfortable pub.
12: The Ferryboat
 |
| Photo taken by Alan Winfield |
A nice looking pub that is set sideways onto Church Street.
When i first tried to do this pub the landlord said he was not quite ready to open.
When i returned a bit later he was ready.
The pub is very pleasant inside being carpeted and having comfy bench seating, it had an olde worlde feel to it.
There were three pumps all unclipped, this left John Smiths Smooth, asked for a drink of this and the landlord said he would buy it as i had come back, he went onto say that real ales did not sell or Guinness due to lack of custom.
This is a very pleasant and comfortable pub to have a drink in.
I walked up Harlington Road and past the Star Inn which i would do on my way back.
My next pub was on an estate off Harlington Road.
13: Dog Daisy
 |
| Photo taken by Alan Winfield |
A modern looking estate pub and just the sort of pub i like to go in.
There were two separate rooms inside, i had a drink in the bar room which was fairly big and had comfy bench seating a pool table and a darts board, a very comfortable room to have a drink in, the lounge was larger and looked even more comfortable.
There were no real ales on, i had a drink of Worthington Cream which was drinkable and quite cheap.
I thought this was a very pleasant pub to have a drink in.
14: Star Inn
 |
| Photo taken by Alan Winfield |
A bare brick built pub that is situated on Harlington Road.
There were two separate rooms inside, i had a drink in the lounge which was to the front, this room was carpeted and had comfy bench seating and normal tables and chairs, the bar room to the rear also looked smart and had a pool table in it.
The pub is a Samuel Smiths tied house, there were no real ales on, i had a drink of keg Samuel Smiths Old Brewery Bitter which was a very nice drink and cheap at £1.80 a pint.
I quite liked this pub, one i could settle in for a session.
I had to walk back towards the town centre and then up Park Road to get to my next pub which was just North of the town centre.
15: The Park
 |
| Photo taken by Alan Winfield |
A very large looking pub.
There were two separate rooms inside, i had a drink in the bar room which was very comfortable being carpeted and having comfy bench seating, the lounge was larger but not in use as there was a birthday party going to take place in it.
There were no real ales on, i had a drink of John Smiths Smooth which was a poor drink.
The bar room was very busy with a mixed bunch in on my Saturday afternoon visit.
I did a complicated walk through Mexborough's finest estate to get to my next pub which was well away from the middle of Mexborough.
16: The Highwoods
 |
| Photo taken by Alan Winfield |
A large looking estate that serves the Highwoods estate that is around it.
There were two separate rooms, the bar room was packed and no seats available or anywhere to prop the bar up, i made a massive mistake by going in the lounge which was quite big and had bench seating, this room was being used as a kids play room with them charging around and jumping on the seating ,i have no problem with children but not when they take over an whole room.
There were no real ales on, i had a drink of John Smiths Smooth which was a pretty poor drink.
I walked back to the middle of Mexborough to do my last pub there before doing the short walk to Swinton.
But the South Yorkshire was not open and it was after 5PM on a Saturday.
Swinton
17: Robin Hood
 |
| Photo taken by Alan Winfield |
A decent looking pub that is close to other pubs in Swinton's small shopping area.
There was a single room inside with the bar facing, the room was carpeted and had leather bench seating, there were three unclipped pumps on the bar.
No real ales on, i had a drink of John Smiths Smooth which was a poor drink.
This is a decent pub just a shame there was not one real ale on.
I did a short walk away from the middle of Swinton to get to my next pub as i wanted to end up close to the train station.
18: Ring O' Bells
 |
| Photo taken by Alan Winfield |
A decent looking white painted pub that is close to a church.
There was a single irregular shaped room inside which was carpeted and had comfy bench seating, the pub had an olde worlde feel to it.
There was one real ale on, this was Concertina Bengal Tiger which was a very nice drink.
A very pleasant pub that was quite busy on my early Saturday evening visit.
If anybody knows what country or what the flags outside represent i would be happy to know.
I did a short walk off the main road to get to my next pub.
18: The Sportsman
 |
| Photo taken by Alan Winfield |
The pub had two rooms, i had a drink in the bar room which was comfortable and had a pool table in it, the lounge looked smarter.
There was one real ale on, this was Kelham Easy Rider which was a very nice drink.
There was decent background music playing and live group was setting up in the lounge as i was leaving.
I thought this was a decent pub to have a drink in.
19: Cafe Sport
 |
| Photo taken by Alan Winfield |
A modern bar that is opposite the Butchers Arms.
The bar was packed outside on my early Saturday evening visit, so i was surprised to find it empty inside.
A single room with a wood tiled floor, leather settees and leather chairs for seating, two TVs were blasting out modern music.
There was one real ale on which was Black Sheep Bitter, this was a decent enough drink.
20: Butchers Arms
 |
| Photo taken by Alan Winfield |
A 70s built pub that is set in Swinton's shopping precinct.
There was a smart lounge to the front where i had a drink, this room was carpeted and had bench seating, there was a separate bar room to the rear which had a pool table in it.
There were no real ales on, i had a drink of Stones Bitter which was decent enough.
21: The Station
 |
| Photo taken by Alan Winfield |
A large decent looking pub which is next to Swinton's train station.
There was a smart bar room where i had a drink, this room was carpeted and had comfy leather bench seating, there was also a pool table in this room, the lounge was larger and looked very smart.
There were two real ales on, i had a drink of John Smiths Cask which was a very nice drink to end my pub crawl on.
This was a great day out on a really nice warm day in two South Yorkshire towns that most people will never visit.
I think you're right, Alan. The only other people who visit are Beer Guide tickers or folk who take the wrong turn off the A1.
ReplyDelete"I doubt many people go to Mexborough for a day out and even less would walk round its estates in search of pubs."
ReplyDeleteI certainly don't mean this in a bad way Alan but you are certainly unique in some ways mate. :)
"A decent looking pub with a nice curved frontage."
Agreed. But, judging by your remarks below those looks can be deceiving! :)
"which was divided up by bookcases which did not work in my opinion."
I take it you're a fan of separate rooms?
"i was happy enough having a crap drink here."
As Martin and others like you have said, it's not always about the beer.
"Not the best of looking pubs but i will go in any pub."
After looking at the photo I was going to say "what an odd looking pub". :)
"A very pleasant and comfortable pub to have a drink in, i really liked this pub."
In this case the book can be judged by the cover. (thumbs up)
"Not my sort of place at all."
Not only that by I find it odd with a name like Concertina they appear to have concertina wire on the roof!
"asked for a drink of this and the landlord said he would buy it as i had come back"
Very decent of him.
"I thought this was a very pleasant pub to have a drink in."
Right up your alley from the sounds of it. :)
" Star Inn"
Did you notice your photo of this one has what appears to be part of a rainbow in the bottom left?
"i had a drink of John Smiths Smooth which was a poor drink."
The John Smiths is not fairing well on this day!
"But the South Yorkshire was not open and it was after 5PM on a Saturday."
Wow.
"If anybody knows what country or what the flags outside represent i would be happy to know. "
I've tried looking Alan but no success so far. :(
"i had a drink of John Smiths Cask which was a very nice drink to end my pub crawl on."
Finally! :)
Looks like it was a great day for some exercise, and some beer!
Cheers
Thanks for your observations and comments Russ.
ReplyDeleteI dont why that rainbow is on the Star Inn photo.
John Smiths Smooth and John Smiths Cask are two very different drinks,the smooth as a very bad chemical taste to it,the cask is a very nice proper brown bitter.
I like to be called unique as i like to be different to other people, my wife also says i am unique, i am not sure if that is a good or bad thing.
A shame about the flags, i thought you would be the man to sort that one out for me.
Yes lots of walking which i always enjoyed doing while going in pubs along the way.
Cheers Alan
"John Smiths Smooth and John Smiths Cask are two very different drinks,"
DeleteSo much for my keen eyesight! (blush) Thanks Alan, obviously I missed the fact they were different drinks. :)
"A shame about the flags, i thought you would be the man to sort that one out for me."
So did I (sigh). But I'm still poking around the Internet when I get a chance so there's hope yet. :)
Cheers
John Smiths Cask is rare now, but as Alan says a lovely drink at its best (e.g. Cheshire Cheese, Gee Cross, near Hyde). Martin
DeleteYoure right! I'd never heard of it!! How many of these are still open? Some great little boozers there Alan
ReplyDeleteI think only two have closed down the Park in Mexborough and the Station in Swinton,i would have thought the Station would reopen as it is a nice smart pub and too close to the train station to build loads of houses on.
DeleteInteresting post Alan and I agree with Ian - some very interesting pubs. I wonder if there is any relevance to the pub name Sportsman in South Yorkshire as you came across two and I knew of another near Scholes/Thorpe Hesley on the other side of Rotherham where I grew up.
ReplyDeleteEven though I lived fairly close to Mexborough I don't recall going there much either.
Tough day for you with all that John Smiths Smooth, though interesting how the cask is so much better than the keg. Is that all down to the excess carbonation, or do they sterilise the life (and taste) out of it as well? I've noticed the same with Black Sheep Bitter and GK IPA on keg - both pretty bad in comparison to cask.
There does seem to be lots of pubs called The Sportsman in South Yorkshire, i have done quite a few in Sheffield.
DeleteI have to take the rough with decent real ales, because i visit all open pubs i see when on a pub crawl.
Another great pub crawl Alan. After a bit of searching I found a match for the flags, they are Help For Heroes.
ReplyDeleteWell done Luke!
DeleteI eventually realised it wasn't a country or some such but I should have considered a charity. (blush)
Thanks goodness I can scratch that off my to-do Internet list. :)
Cheers!
I had to look on Google Maps to find out exactly where Mexborough actually was. Some nice looking pubs and some not so nice, I find it amazing so few have real ale.
ReplyDeleteI've been round both Mexborough and Swinton, though not done as many of the pubs, obviously. Never did see the South Yorkshire open, either.
ReplyDeleteI have the misfortune of living in mexborough(bit rough) the montague and boy and barrel used to get a bit rough on saturday nights, the highwoods is closed now and very run down, pretty sure the barrel is shut too. Memories had a lot of nobheads too. The falcon was the most pleasant pub. Don't drink anymore though so don't go in any of them now. Weatherspoons has the most sterile corporate feeling.
ReplyDeleteThe concertina club usually has events etc but never been in personally, does look like a bit of a shithouse(bit like mekki itself) on the outside and is out of the way.
Explore the best bars and clubs of an amazing foreign city whilst making new friends, meeting awesome people from all over the world and getting drunk! If that sounds fun then the Krakow Pub Crawl is simply unmissable. It’s the ultimate tour of Krakow nightlife ran by friendly, fun loving and extremely knowledgeable party guides
Delete