The Lamplighter, Northampton

This is a corner pub in an old terraced street just to the North of the main town centre. Inside it's a single wooden floored room with low tables and chairs. There is a smaller room at the rear that looked like a dining room. There is also what looked like a paved patio to the far right where a few people were sitting in the warm May sunshine. Although there were six hand pumps only three beers were available but this was because their May beer festival was on and they had a metal rack with fifteen casks on it. for the record the bar had two festival ales and Oakham JHB. I went for the Nene Valley Big Bang Theory from the hand pump as there was no cooling arrangements for the beer other than an ineffective ceiling fan and the weather was quite warm. Sadly this was served in one of those horrible dimple jugs and I didn't have time to ask for anything different. It was a very good well kept pint but the price was £4.25 for a 5.3% beer. This is a back street Midlands pub with a derelict warehouse at one end not London. The two Northampton Spoons have the rock bottom price of £1.89 for a standard guest so someone is on the make here. To be fair the other festival ales were more reasonable at around £3.50 plus or minus 20p but it's still the same sort of price as my part of London. Apart from the prices and the jug it was a reasonable place but I doubt that I would return.

The Lamplighter is a nicely refurbished street corner pub, Victorian I'd guess, which is between the old cinema and the Mounts so very close to the town centre but tucked away from its massed hordes. Inside, the refurbishment is tasteful with many original features such as fireplaces and beams left in but the main room has clearly been made larger than originally. On our visit it was very busy so didn't feel as though the large space lacked atmosphere, quite the reverse and I suspect that the retaining of original features and clever way that this has been done means that it works well even with fewer people in. The young hipster bar staff offered a friendly welcome but weren't especially knowledgable on the ale front. The bar itself matches the staff being equipped with up to date coffee machines and a variety of interesting snacks. It almost feels gastro but the only food I saw advertisied was for roast Sunday lunches. Beer: the four on were Digfield Barnwell Bitter, Newby Wyke Kingston Topaz, Vale VPA and Arbor Triple Hop Series #17. An eclectic selection which I'd guess changes regularly. If the Olde England is too challenging to your ideas of what a pub is or simply too far from the town centre then the Lamplighter is a very good alternative.

A street corner local which has had a substantial refurb creating a very welcoming interior.The main tap room is open plan with traditional furniture and the bar to one side ,while to the rear of the building is a discrete back snug,comfortable and relaxed.Upstairs there is a smart lounge with interesting detail in the plasterwork.Serious money has been spend doing up the interior. At the bar there are four handpumps for ale,with an interesting selection on my trip,the Newby Wyke Kingston Topaz was very good,and the 2014 GBG entry is full deserved.The other two handpumps were serving real cider and a perry.The friendly young bar staff were verging on hipsters,while the crowd in were a younger bunch than many GBG listed pubs. There was a charity works pub quiz in progress but when the questions turned to the topic about the company itself (Who is the head of HR?),it all began feeling like quiz night at Wernham Hoggs.However this did not detract from my visit ,and I can see myself coming back to this very solid pub,thankfully located well away from the nighttime economy of the town centre.