The Navigation, Horninglow, Burton on Trent

The Navigation is a U-shaped pub with a central red tiled bar area with a serving counter that faces a beer shelf along the front windows. Red tartan carpet runs up the left where there’s a pool table and dartboard and up the right where there are green banquettes. During a recent Wednesday late afternoon visit the televisions were airing muted news and some background music was playing from the 70s and 80s. The governor was polite, but only Bass was available from the three hand pumps alongside premium keg. A solid local, but not a destination pub for an out-of-towner like myself.

Named for the adjacent Trent & Mersey canal, this pub is about one third preserved and two thirds modern bar. One end is furnished and decorated in traditional style including exuberant Victorian style wallpaper, while the other has all the screens, machines, laminate floors, and shiny keg founts to satisfy the most uber of metro-sexuals, well almost - it is Burton on Trent after all. Both sides are divided by a modern glass entrance vestibule. The whole design is linked through a selection of old photos throughout and a homely touch is given by a dog’s cage and food bowls in a drinking passage cum corridor behind the servery that links the front and rear areas of the pub. Two pumps both with Pedigree, drinkable but not in brilliant condition.