Latest reviews from Haltwhistle
| 68 /100 2 CENTRAL PLACE, “A incredibly lovely club with a large spacious bar area. Members only but a CAMRA card will get you in. Three real ales at good prices in good condition. Yates, Big Lamp and Jarrow on my visit. Dog-friendly. People-friendly too. Certainly worth a look-in.“ |
| 68 /100 Arkwrights (Beer Store) WESTGATE “Normally the sort of place I wouldn’t rate... but passing by I noticed the shop sign advertising ’30 local real ales’. Went in, counted them up, yeah, about 30. Wylam, High House, Allendale, Anarchy... I could only buy one as I’m backpacking by train, but for those of you looking to up your Northumberland rates, this is the place.“ |
| 64 /100 Black Bull (Bar) BLACK BULL LANE, MARKET SQUARE “A lovely pub just off the main street (Westgate). A long main bar with a partially-carpeted stone floor and a wood fire, with a smaller, more modern and ’eat-y’ room to the side. Four real ales - two national and two locals - available, with two more being readied on my Tuesday afternoon visit. A good place for a Northumberland tick or two.“ |
| 80 /100 2 CENTRAL PLACE, “Proper old fashioned working men’s club with a real community feel. Big rooms, including a function/concert room where a family celebration was setting up. We sat in a large bar with loads of photographs of local interest, and clippings from the local press. There was also a groaning trophy cabinet, and the Comrades seems to rule the local roost in terms of pub games and footy. Haltwhistle lays claim to being the centre of the United Kingdom, although Scottish independence will fettle that if it comes about. We visited early on a Friday evening and it was pretty quiet, but the locals were friendly and welcoming. There are only three real ale taps, hence the relatively low score for selection, but the beers sampled by our company were in tip top condition, and the Brains Craft Atomic Blonde I had was exceptional. Didn’t sample food or notice a menu. This place is just under an hour by train from Newcastle, and there is also real ale at the Black Bull and the Manor House. We bought a discount ticket that got us to Haltwhistle, and allowed us to get of and back on at as many stations as we liked on the way back. Great way to spend a summer evening, plan your own route. 24/12/2016. I’ve been back since, and love this place to the extent that despite the hour train ride on a local route, Haltwhistle always comes into consideration when planning an outing: I will concede that ale selection is conservative, and more "real ale" than "craft", and you won’t find an esoteric bottle selection but the last time we went was on a Saturday morning, when the man responsible for the selection and maintenance of the beer was behind the bar serving, and it was clear it’s a labour of love for him. No matter how pedestrian the selection appears, he keeps it in such peak condition that the beer becomes transcendent, art.
Coupled with the comfort and ambiance of the club, visit, and you will understand why this place is a factor in a plan to retire to Haltwhistle. We were highly amused when a regular entered on the morning we visited , and, observing that about three of the twenty-odd tables were occupied said "Christ! the place is rammed!"“ |
