George & Dragon, Barnsley

Small friendly local, deceptively close to the town centre but feeling more like it was a part of the small 70's-build estate that it sits at the edge of. The interior is pure late 70's posh pub refit (even the emergency exit signs are ancient), with padded settles along pretty much every wall as well sepia tinged photos of old Barnsley. There's a TV in the lounge corner (showing the horse racing on my visit) plus a traditional (and rare) Yorkshire dartboard (no outer bull or treble) and pool table in a little room up a couple of steps to the left of the bar which is covered in mirrored brewania. There were three ales on - Black Sheep, John Smiths and Jennings served in lined glasses. Both my Jennings and John Smiths (I don't see it much down South!) were well-kept and went down well. The landlord was a friendly old fellow. Also worth noting is availability of pickled cockles and mussels - you don't see that much any more. In conclusion, a solid, unpretentious local which does the proverbial 'what it says on the tin' and worth the short walk from town. A tip when leaving the pub - take a left at it's main entrance and you quickly come across a nice little park. Handy for sit down and a pie in the sunshine, I discovered!