The Leaping Salmon, Berwick-Upon-Tweed

A decent enough JDW. We visited the pub on both nights of our stay in Berwick. It has decent views across the river to Tweedmouth at the rear. There's also a large conservatory. Unusually the pub gets very popular with the young crowd of Berwick at the weekends, so we were told, but not so much on a midweek night. It was quiet on our Wednesday visit and we ate here, by Thursday it was very busy with youngsters waiting for the club across the road to open. A good range of beers on the handpumps and the 4 beers I had over the 2 nights were all in good nick.

Stonegate Pub Company has acquired it from JD Wetherspoon

This is set in a great location by the River Tweed and although not originally a pub it had become one before Wetherspoon took it over. It certainly looks more like a pub from outside than many of their outlets. The inside is split into various areas with the bar at the back. The beer choice wasn't that great as three were available soon and the JDW Trio Of Doom just left Allendale Pennine Pale (£1.79) and Broughton Old Jock (£2.15). These were in very good condition and the breakfast I had here was also good. This is the cheapest JDW I've been to since the Lime Kiln in Liverpool last year and before the three price rises in between. The Standard guest ale price is £1.79, Ruddles is £1.65 and Abbot £1.85. In contrast I noticed that most of the food clubs were around a quid dearer than average. Sadly this one is on the third list of closures announced in May 2016. This is a shame as the nearest outlets are all over thirty miles away and despite the limited beer choice I thought this was a much better one than normal.

The building was erected in 1798 and initially started out as a school house. Later to become a Showroom, DIY shop, snooker hall and the previous pub, the Carousel. Eight ales on handpump on our visit, I went for the Hadrian and Border Secret Kingdom. My pint came in at £1.45, as their drinks are discounted on a Monday, which is known as the Monday club.

Fine old building overlooking the Tweed bridges, with a conservatory-type rear extension. Usual furniture and decor. Relaxed atmosphere on a Sunday afternoon. All eight handpumps in operation, with a fair range including Houston Kilter (remarkable value at just £1.35).