Red Lion, Stone

The Red Lion is a long and thin bare board high street pub that has restricted opening hours during the week. There’s a snug to the right of the entrance that is served through a hatch from the bar counter that runs up the right-hand wall. Towards the end of the counter the pub opens up a little to house seating along the left-hand wall and around a pool table that takes centre stage at the rear. Televisions throughout were airing muted Sky Sports news whilst the jukebox supplied some background music. At the very rear are a couple of dartboards either side of the rear exit that leads to a very thin paved beer garden with picnic tables, some of which are covered. There’s a large locked up building at the rear with ‘The Red Lion’ written on the outside, maybe a function room? During my recent midweek visit around 17:00 there were four locals in a group chatting with the young barman. Two of the three hand pumps were in operation drawing Greene King IPA and Wadworth’s Horizon. Standard and premium keg was also available alongside Beavertown’s Neck Oil. This feels like a sports pub, but in the week it closes at 21:00 which is half time in any evening kick-off football match. I don’t really understand who this pub is trying to attract, if anyone.

Official site of Red Lion - www.redlionstone.pub

Official site of Red Lion - www.redlionstone.pub

A town centre boozer with, at the time of my visit, one heavily made up barmaid in ripped jeans entertaining (or being entertained by) six men in the middle aged to elderly bracket. As that might be thought to also describe me, let me just make it clear I was merely a bystander. Four hand pumps with Jennings Cumberland, Sharps Doom Bar, Bradfield Farmers Blonde and Marstons Pedigree. I went for the Doom Bar, which was in good condition. There was racing on the TV but no one was watching, having other fish to fry. There was very loud pop music, possibly from the juke box, and most of it was dreadful, though I left just after Martha Reeves doing Heatwave, so maybe it was getting better? There are much better pubs than this one in Stone.

I found this to be a friendly pub on my afternoon visit. Real ale available.

The Red Lion is a bare brick built pub that is situated on Stones busy high street. Once inside there was a corridor,there was a small square shaped room to the front right,this room was quite comfy with bench seating and small stools,there is a larger room to the rear,this is oblong shaped and is narrow near the bar but opens out towards the rear,there were a few bar stools near the front and comfy bench seating to the rear left,there was a pool table to the rear right. There were four real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Everards Tiger bitter which was a very nice drink,the other beers i noted were Bombardier and GK Rocking Rudolph,which annoyingly still had the old Hardys & Hansons signs on the pump clip. Both rooms were being well used on my Saturday dinner visit. I quite liked this pub,i could settle in here for a good session. Pub visited 7/12/2013