Red Lion Hotel, Doncaster

The Red Lion is certainly one of the more appealing Wetherspoons, helped by the fact that it was already a pub with a 260 year history to start with as opposed to being a converted carpet shop or bike showroom. Situated on the historic market place, the interior is deceptively large and quite spacious. The front bar has a loungey section around a cosy fireplace with the now ubiquitous tub chairs whilst the rest of the pub has a more traditional ‘Spoonslike feel although with a bit more character than most. Given the depth of the rear section you would expect it to be a bit dark and claustrophobic but a sunken skylight gives it a welcome burst of natural light. The usual history snippets make interesting reading and the town's horse racing connections are represented by a board listing post war winning runners and riders of the St Leger. The pub excels with its guest ales (usually 5 available) which are all sourced from local brewers as evidenced from the labeled map on the pillar by the bar. The 5 on offer on my visit included York Centurian, Thornbridge Wild Swan, Daleside Pride Of England, Elland Savannah and Acorn Old Moor Porter. One minor gripe is that the hand pumps are spread across the length of the bar so it is better to check the barely noticeable board listing the ales rather than attempt to eye up the pump clips (which I prefer). The place can also proudly boast being the local Pub of the Year for 2009 and for that alone, is well worth a visit even for non Spoons fans.

Official site of the Red Lion, contains menu and wine list - www.redlionepworth.co.uk

Official site of the Red Lion, contains menu and wine list - www.redlionepworth.co.uk

Real Ale and food available Accomodation Function rooms