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Telegraph
6 days ago
- Telegraph
The best pubs in England, according to you
The Telegraph's guide to the 500 Best Pubs in England prompted a flurry of responses from readers – clearly opinions are strong when it comes to your favourite traditional venues. We've poured over the hundreds of comments beneath the guide to highlight some of the pubs you recommended. The pubs you love from our selection In general, there was plenty of support for the pubs on our list, each chosen by guru Will Hawkes for 'their charming character, welcoming staff, rich history and – of course – award-winning beer'. Of The Strugglers Inn, Lincoln, D Richardson wrote: 'Unexpectedly finding an outstanding pub is one of the truly great experiences. One such example was walking into The Strugglers when looking for a pint in a 'proper pub' before going on for a meal. The exterior was inauspicious, but walking into the main bar, I immediately knew that I had struck gold. I ordered a pint of mild and wandered through to the snug. Within five minutes I was chatting with a group of locals. It was such a profoundly wonderful experience, I said to them that it was one of the occasions that proved God exists. I virtually had to be dragged out to go to dinner.' The discovery of an unexpected treasure also inspired reader Joe Rice to comment: 'Me and my brother were in Manchester recently searching for a drink after a Santana gig. Found The Circus Tavern – what a gem! A welcoming atmosphere and a great line-up of proper ales.' Meanwhile, John Moyes took the opportunity to shout about one of his locals: the Limeburners Arms in Nether Kellet, Lancashire. 'I regularly visit and there is no doubt it is a little gem,' he said. 'Wonderfully, it serves cask beer (usually just one) which is always well kept. It is owned and run by one man, Joe Moore, who is a full-time sheep farmer and he opens the pub when he is not working. He is well supported by his regulars and this was clearly demonstrated not so long ago when he spent some time in hospital. During that time, a small group of people ensured it remained open on a voluntary basis.' David Bissett was another reader to express approval for our list: 'Great to see so many good pubs,' he writes. 'I've just come back from one of these, The Coach and Horses at Weatheroak Hill, Worcestershire. The own-brewed IPA (Icknield Pale Ale) is very good, as is the Holdens Golden Glow they have on. The common denominator of all these pubs seems to be they are either independent free houses or not part of any of the large 'PLC' faceless chains – long may they continue, they are the fabric of the country.' Maxwell Sawyer's affection for one of our 500 pubs goes back a very long way. He explained: 'When my parents moved to Stamford from London in 1953, our first home was the small tied cottage at the right-hand end of the Jolly Brewer (it is now part of the pub), then called The Brewery Inn – kitchen and bathroom on the ground floor, one bedroom on the first floor and one (mine) on the top floor. My father was a drayman for Melbourn Brothers (the local brewers), hence the cottage, and my mother played the piano in the pub during the evenings.' What makes the perfect pub? Mr Bissett believes independent ownership is key, and other readers shared their thoughts on what makes the perfect pub. 'Great ale and staff, and their ability to look after that ale,' said Anthony Booty. 'No TV screens or fruit machines. Personally I hate music pumped through speakers at a volume that makes everyone speak louder. I miss bar stools in many pubs I have visited since the pandemic. In a good pub, regulars all have nicknames as no-one remembers their proper names. Nice to have customers who are chatty but not overly chatty. In winter, a nice fire is essential, even if it's a log-burner.' Emma Dixon added: 'I want different things depending on the season: in winter I want a fire or a burner at the very least. Dim lighting and an overall feeling of 'hygge' as well as decent beer and wine. In summer I want an agreeable beer garden – ideally with a view – and a Provençal rosé by the glass.' The price charged for a pint is also critical, according to readers. 'I paid a shade under £7 for a Guinness in my local last week,' said one. 'I won't be going back.' Thomas K added: 'The perfect pub is my local, which sells real hand-pulled ale at £3.80 a pint. Yes, £3.80 a pint!' The pubs you think should have been included Many readers took the opportunity to recommend pubs they felt deserved inclusion, and they weren't all independent businesses. 'Didn't see many 'Spoons' on here,' said John Smith, one of several to express his backing for the budget pub chain. Mark Turvey recommended The Folly at Napton in Warwickshire. 'The 'history' is to some extent manufactured, as it was not always a pub,' he admitted, 'but the decor, the proper pub atmosphere and the welcome extended to locals and visitors alike make this a canalside gem.' Richard Lotherington praised The Halzephron Inn near Gunwalloe, Cornwall, for its 'excellent food, well-kept beers and the best view in the country, over Mounts Bay'. Stephen Gibbs had yet another Liverpool-based pub to add to our pick of 10. 'Well done on your Liverpool choices, a very fair selection I think,' he said. 'But please note The Grapes pub on Roscoe Street in Liverpool city centre is my absolute favourite.' Alison Durham's favourite? 'The Princess Louise on Holborn… or The Crown in Belfast.' Rob Trevor suggested an extra pub in West Yorkshire, to go with our selection of 12. 'The Three Pigeons in Halifax is an absolute gem,' he said, 'with a faithfully restored 1930s interior, traditional cask ales from Osset brewery, and warm welcoming staff. Perfect for a visit to the Piece Hall or Halifax Town football club!' Paul Thomas directed fellow readers to The Plough & Harrow in Litlington, East Sussex. 'It has a great garden and the food is fantastic. It's quintessential pubbing in the heart of the cosy green hills of the South Downs.' R Lowth added: 'Can't believe The Old Crown in Hesket Newmarket [Cumbria] is not on the list! The first community-owned pub in Britain with a great selection of cask beers from the brewery next door.'
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Yahoo
Southampton and New Forest pubs named among best in England
Two pubs in Southampton and the New Forest have been named among the country's best in the Telegraph's top 500 English pubs listed. The watering holes featured in the guide were chosen by Will Hawkes, who made selections based on their "charming character, welcoming staff, rich history and award-winning beer". In Shirley, the Park Inn made the cut, while The Royal Oak in Fritham near Lyndhurst was the only pub in the New Forest to be listed. The Park Inn reacted to the news on its Facebook page, saying it hasn't been a "bad couple of years" after also winning Camra South Hants Pub of the Year in 2024 and being a finalist in 2025. READ MORE: 'Enviable' Hampshire town among UK's best for al fresco dining and pub gardens Will Hawkes said that while Shirley has "plenty of pubs", the Park Inn "beats the other hands down" in terms of atmosphere. The Park Inn in Shirley was a stand out for the Telegraph, despite Shirley being home to plenty of pubs. For the Telegraph, Will said: "On a recent Friday afternoon, this tidy street-corner pub was busy at 5pm: locals sat at the bar, chatting amiably, while three pugs slumbered in the sunlight flooding in through an open door. "Beer is served in immaculate condition, and for those who enjoy local specialties, there are Marmite-flavour cashews." The Telegraph praised The Royal Oak for being a "family friendly" historic pub where "good walks" are nearby and pets are welcome. READ MORE: One of Hampshire's best-known hotels to undergo multi-million pound refurb Will explained that a sunny day at the New Forest pub "brings jeopardy as well as delight". The Royal Oak in the New Forest was called charming. (Image: Paul S/Tripadvisor) He said: "This charming three-room New Forest pub is pretty small, all things considered, but it has a huge garden – so you can imagine what happens when it starts to rain (although a marquee helps take the strain). "Run for the past 26 years by the McCulloch family, the Royal Oak's focus is on high-quality, traditional, local food (served only at lunchtime) and drink – from pork pies to ales brewed in Hampshire and nearby Wiltshire. "Accommodation comes in the form of three shepherd's bothies." The Royal Oak is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays but offers handmade from scratch woodfired pizzas on Thursdays.
Telegraph
04-07-2025
- Telegraph
The 500 greatest pubs in England, according to our expert
Welcome to The Telegraph's expert guide to the 500 Best Pubs in England. Chosen for their charming character, welcoming staff, rich history and – of course – award-winning beer, they represent the very best the country has to offer. Our expert, Will Hawkes, has been writing about pubs for decades, visiting thousands across England in his never-ending search for perfection, and each of the establishments on the list has been tried and tested. To help you navigate this selection, enter a postcode or county name. You can also use the filters provided – for example, 'family friendly', 'serves food' or 'overnight stay' – to further narrow down your search. We hope you are inspired to visit as many of these pubs as you can. Do you agree with Will's verdict on your local? Has he missed a gem in your neighbourhood? Let us know in the comments section below. Search Best in county Great beers Beer garden Pets welcome Family friendly Historic pub Live music Overnight stay Serves food Good walks County list About the guru My love of pubs has deep roots. Before I could get into them, they were getting me in trouble. While still in single digits, I guilelessly repeated a term I'd heard my dad use – 'boozer' – to describe the Six Bells, the local in my Kentish village, to a fellow child. That verbal indiscretion earned me a finger-wagging rebuke from my primary school teacher. But it didn't put me off; quite the opposite, in fact. In the years that followed, as life took me from Kent to Birmingham to London via regular pit-stops in Glasgow, Devon and Hampshire, my enjoyment of a good pub has grown. My current local favourite is the Blythe Hill Tavern in south London, but I have pubs I return to again and again all over the country, from the Roscoe Head in Liverpool to the Blue Bell in York. Methodology I've written about pubs for more years than I care to recall, and have developed strong opinions about what makes a great one. Atmosphere, of course; fixtures and fittings that engender warmth, happiness and cosiness; good beer, particularly cask ale; and a sense of place. Of great importance too, I think, is that the cost of entry should be the cost of a drink. That's why I've picked few gastropubs. I also haven't included a lot of micropubs, since – while they often have superb beer – they can be short on ambience and history. A great pub needs character, and only the best micropubs reach that level. To fill in the gaps in my knowledge, I've spent the past few months travelling the length and breadth of England. I've trudged across bridges and under dual carriageways, taken ferries, trains, trams, taxis and – many – buses, dodged angry dogs, picked my way across soggy fields and chatted to a wide variety of people. I've visited every ceremonial county in England, and every pub on my list. This is not my final verdict. I'll be keeping a close eye on my selections, making sure they deserve to remain. If standards drop, they'll get the chop, giving other pubs the chance to replace them. I'd love to hear your opinions too. Credits: Designers: Olga Petrusewicz with Kevin He. Picture editor: Kate Mayger. Developers: David Green and George Ioakeimidis with Alexander Ivanov. Additional production by David Stevenson. See other related articles See more travel stories Join the conversation Show comments The Telegraph values your comments but kindly requests all posts are on topic, constructive and respectful. Please review our commenting policy.
