Wagon & Horses, Lancaster

I used to come in here quite a bit when I lived in Lancaster - about 10 minutes walk away - in the early 1980s. The landlord was an ex-jockey and a bit of a rogue - he told me he only ever won once, because usually it was his job to ride a fancied horse very badly, so that the stable's second string would win at a good price, but on one occasion he realised that his horse was so good that if he didn't win he would lose his licence. Such is life. In those days it was a Hartleys pub, the only one in Lancaster, and a pretty basic affair. I remember they had a TV here for the 1982 World Cup semi-final when the German goalkeeper nearly knocked off the head of a French player and didn't even get booked, never mind sent off and banned for several months. No VAR in those days, of course. Nowadays this is a Robinsons pub of no character whatsoever. The two beers available at the time of my visit were Dizzy Blonde and Cumbrian Way, which I think may have been a Hartley's beer. It was in reasonable nick (OK, NBSS 3) but not enough to make this a must-visit, even if it turned out to be the only pub showing the World Cup semi-finals. Date of visit: 25th February 2023

A Robinson's house, and one of many fine old buildings on St George's Quay that has now found a new purpose. Although it features a mix of traditional and modern elements in terms of furniture and decoration in the L-shaped bar, it feels a bit sterile. A small patio beer garden can also be found at the back. With a total of seven handpumps on the counter, I found Dizzy Blonde, Chilly Blonde, Cumbria Way and the Gratitude (£3.95) which helps raise extra funding for the NHS.

Go in through the door and you will see a room with tables, chairs and a bar that serves beers and spirits. Its nice.

A short five or so minute walk out of the town centre, The Wagon and Horses is situated on St Georges Quay on the banks of the River Lune. Rather larger inside that one might expect, it’s very much a food orientated establishment with much light timber everywhere and a rather contrived rustic pub feel to it. There’s a distinct family pub/restaurant feel to it, with large wooden tables designed for groups, comfortable but modern seating, and, as appears to be the vogue nowadays, cushions all over the place, as though it’s trying to look like an old peoples’ home. There’s a few photos of the old St Georges Wharf in days long gone, but there’s little else of note, apart from a framed list of landlords dating back to 1841, of which there have been 15, the present incumbents having been in situ since 2008. On my recent early afternoon mid – September visit, the pub was quiet, with just several couples finishing off their lunches. A rather sterile atmosphere existed, with no pub atmosphere, nor anything to suggest that the pub was in any way a community local. Accommodation is offered and there’s live music on Friday night (which the interior layout does not readily lend itself to), indicating that the pub is not putting all its eggs in one basket, so to speak. I have very hazy memories of coming here in the late 1970’s – it was a Hartleys Brewery outpost. In those days and, probably, much smaller then. Older drinkers will not need reminding that, in those days, Lancaster had two operating breweries in town ( Mitchells plus Yates and Jackson ) and a visit to The Wagon and Horses enabled one to sample the products of three different breweries when in the city. The Wagon and Horses is now, of course, a Robinsons outlet, which, on my visit, was offering Unicorn, Dizzy Blonde, Citra and Trooper. Perhaps surprisingly, I don’t recall seeing any Hartleys branded beers on, nor any evidence of their former period of ownership. The bar staff were welcoming and friendly, and the pint that I had was in good condition, but I’m not a big fan of Robinsons beers, which always seem to lack distinctive taste to me. Had there been an outside drinking area at the front overlooking the river, I might conceivably have scored the pub a 6, but, as there isn’t I won’t. If you’re a first time visitor Lancaster, there’s a few pubs that I’d recommend before this one