The Windmill, Doncaster

GBG 22 listed pub in a back street near the Green and Market Place, a two bar pub with a connecting arch between the two. The front bar is more a public with laminate floors and a pool table, the side/back bar is more a lounge with a tartan carpet and traditional seating and tables. Both bars have tellys. There’s a conservatory off the lounge. Four pulls in the lounge, two in the public bar but only two pumps in use, Stancil Barnsley Bitter and Kelham Island Pale Rider on sale.

Entered on a recent weekday afternoon. I made my way to the left hand bar where there were four hand pulls. I noticed two on the opposite side and assume they would have been duplicates. At the time of my visit there was Stancill Enchante, Kelham Island Pale Rider, Don Valley Atomic Blonde and Stancill Barnsley Bitter. My Atomic Blonde was £1.65 for a half, and a taster was offered (though I declined). There were couple of gents in sat at the bar reading their papers. Music was on, as were (non-muted) TVs showing what I assume was Sky Sports. There was a wood burning stove, though this was not in use at the time of my visit. Nothing wrong with the place and a surprising selection of reasonably local real ales.

The interior has two distinct areas,the laddish pool room and a lounge but both are dominated by Sky Sports screens.The makeover is overdone with a particularly garish carpet in the lounge and little trace of any original features.However the bar staff are friendly and I enjoyed the Thorne Brewery Pale Ale , a wheat beer and designed to be cloudy which will catch out a lot of drinkers unfamiliar with this style.This is a Punch tavern which probably explains the bizarre decision to offer Bombardier when the region contains so many fine microbrewers .However probably the best pub for ale in Thorne.

The Windmill has two main areas, a carpeted lounge and wooden floored bar with televisions, pool table etc. as well as a reasonable sized garden and terrace. Its very much focused on sports with the abundant televisions showing a variety including football and horse racing and is the base for a number of clubs, noticeably golf. Beers on were the ubiquitious and always awful Bombardier, Black Sheep and the locally brewed Pale Ale by Thorne Brewery. The latter was the beer of choice and was drinkable without being spectacular. A very limited ale choice but probably the best in Thorne.

Real Ale available.