Three Swans Hotel, Market Harborough

An old coaching inn in the centre of Market Harborough, it has now been considerably extended towards the rear and includes extensive accommodation as well as function rooms and so on. There is also an attractive patio area at the rear with plenty of shade for the sunny weather. Internally it consists of a couple of rooms, with the main bar being at the front. A glass porch was inset in to the front of the bar and this had been etched with a three swans motif. Décor wise it might be described as traditional with a contemporary twist – sanded wooden boards on the floor, some varnished wood panelling on the lower part of the walls and so on, but more modern touches as well such as spotlights on a track and exposed filament bulbs hanging above the bar. Fireplaces were at either side, one with a gilded mirror above and the other a large clock, whilst the rear wall was covered in some unusual purple buttoned velvet padding. The room at the rear was perhaps a little more atmospheric with flagstones on the floor and a beamed ceiling, but this too still managed to be quite contemporary in style. Despite three pumps on the bar, two had their clips reversed leaving Wadworth’s Horizon as the sole offering. The solitary cider meanwhile was Magners. Probably one of the better spots in the centre of Market Harborough, but then that’s not exactly difficult.

The Three Swans is a lovely building externally which has had the Best Western treatment inside. There are still original features and it's not a bad spot but you can always feel the dead corporate hand. The upside of this is that it seems to host various conference teams and so the atmosphere can get lively and there's occasionally some totty around. Two beers were on when we visited, Nobbys Guilsborough Gold and Langton Hop On. Both very local breweries and judging by the pump clips displayed behind the bar, most of the Three Swans beer comes from these two breweries. No bad thing as they both produce quaffable ale. One of the better spots in Market Harborough for a reliable pint.