The Butchers Block, Stone

A Marstons pub near the station (allow three to five minutes to catch your train). A new licensee took over not long before my visit and it is possible that the three hand pumps on the bar may be augmented in future. At the time of my visit they were serving Marstons 61 Deep and Pedigree, plus Jennings Snecklifter. I went for the latter, which I had found to be disappointing when I tried it over the new year, but whatever glitch had caused it to be a reddish beer tasting of caramel seems to have been overcome, and it was back to its normal self here. Worth a visit, especially if departing by train.

An inoffensive little boozer by the station. 3 real ales on.

At the top of the station access road, it is an average looking roadside pub direct onto the pavement & rather uninspiring. Within, the 3 rooms have been opened up although still retain separate areas. There is a small wedge shaed public bar to the left, partly carpeted & a brick built real fire in the corner. There is also a pool area to the right and a lounge at the rear, all served by the same bar area. Neutral painted walls, but the interior is nicer than you would imagine from outside. There is loud pipped music, Sky Sports and seems to be catering for the crowds away from the more picturesque centre where families or the middling classes may gather? 2 real ales on my visit - Doom Bar and Thwaites Wainwrights - not an inspiring choice but the quality of the Wainwrights was excellent & gives the pub an extra mark from me.

The Talbot is a wedged shaped pub,that is the first pub you come across if arriving in Stone by train. Once inside i had a drink in the front bar,this had comfy bench seating and small stools to the left which faced the bar,there was a pool table to the right. There was a seperate lounge to the rear which i did'nt look in. There were two real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Pedigree which went down well,the other beer was Doom Bar. The pub was fairly busy with a decent bunch of drinkers in on my mid Saturday afternoon visit,this was a decent enough pub to end my Stone pub crawl in. Pub visited 7/12/2013