Swan Hotel (JD Wetherspoon), Leighton Buzzard

An imposing old 'Posting House' right in the centre of town, and still operated as a hotel by Wetherspoon. However, there is not a lot of character left inside, apart from a few heritage features such as fireplaces, although it has only been partly opened out so there's a range of different seating and dining areas. Lots of local history panels, including some about the Great Train Robbery and the pop band Kajagoogoo. A courtyard beer garden can also be found on the left-hand side, starting under cover of the old entrance archway and expanding further back. Fairly routine selection of cask ales from the two banks of five handpumps, with just Orkney's Red McGreggor and Monkey Wrench from Daleside (£2.30) available in addition to the regular trio of Ruddles, Doom Bar and Abbot.

This branch of Wetherspoon's occupies quite a grand building on the High Street. Inside is the typical 'spoon's carpeted. interior. The bar is off to the rear right. An outdoor area can be found to the rear left. Hotel rooms are upstairs. So are the toilets. The pub was fairly busy, but there was little to no atmosphere. Service at the bar was quick. The usual Greene King Abbot, Ruddles Best & Sharp's Doom Bar were all available. Guest casks were a fairly mundane selection of Oakham Bishop's Farewell, Tring Colley's Dog, Otter Bright & Ringwood Forty Niner. No traditional ciders are served. I ended up with a Mad Squirrel $umo on keg. Below average by Wetherspoon's standards.

Nice Spoons bar/htel, old inn building allows for a better feel than some and its in 2026 Good Beer Guide. Light and airy spaces around and nice pub

This was my first visit to a Spoons hotel. It seemed much the same as others but being an old building and not a shop allows it to be split into small areas. On my lunchtime visit it did seem that a lot of people were there for the food. On the bar there were ten pumps with the predictable 2 GK beers, Doom Bore available soon and Adnam's Broadside. More interestingly there was Cotleigh Commando, Hook Norton Flagship, White Park Kelly's Stout, Red Squirrel London Porter then Elgood's Cambridge and Concrete Cow Fenny Popper both available soon. I went for the Red Squirrel Porter which was in very good nick. This is GBG 2015 listed so three beers being unavailable was unfortunate. Despite that it's a reasonable sort of place but think it unlikely I would return partly because the town is so far from the station.