Eagle & Child, Leyland

Here we have a very historic old inn next to a pretty church and graveyard, it’s on Leyland’s heritage trail and you ought to visit when in town. Sadly in the hands of Marstons these days (no guest beers) and the interior is a bit more ordinary, but it is a well run pub with a friendly and hard working manager, he clearly keeps the ales in good nick and my Wainwright was spot on. The ale range was identical to the one listed below 4 years ago but with Wainwright Gold replacing Hobgoblin Gold, the other 4 pulls are for cider or unused. Lose the giant TV screens and replace the laminated menus with good home cooked food, you would then have a truly classic old pub rather than a decent one.

Appealing 16th-century pub, reasonably claiming to be the oldest in the town, with the black-painted stonework on the corners and door / window surrounds standing out against the white-painted walls. The multi-room interior is pleasingly traditional, and there is a proper little beer garden to one side. Just four real ales on handpump in these coronavirus days: Pedigree, Wainwright, Bombardier and a very good pint of Hobgoblin Gold (£3.25).