Duke of Bridgewater, Crewe

Popped in for a Bass list check – it was not on and (yet another) a new guv'nor as of a fortnight previous wasn't particularly interested when I mentioned it. I was the only punter for the length of my 15 minute stop and the bland grey interior allied with IKEA furnishings from 2005 and the smell of old fags wasn’t likely to entice anyone else in. A just about passable Dizzy Blonde (NBSS 2) was the solitary cask ale.

After a seemingly short closure the Duke of Bridgewater has reopened with a new tenant, who was very welcoming when I popped in on Saturday afternoon. A couple of locals sat at the bar were friendly enough, as was the handyman who was doing a few odd jobs. Facing the entrance, the bar supports a standard keg range alongside Madri Excepcional. Is Madri a premium beer, I’ve no idea? There are also four handpumps, three of which were unused which left Sharps Doom Bar as the uninspiring cask ale option. I didn’t see any food advertised. Seating is found around the exterior walls in the bar area and to the right are a pool table and dartboard. A jukebox was playing some background music that was also being piped into the back garden. The sloped back garden has a mix of lawn, paving and woodchip that supports some picnic tables, some of which area covered. This pub has the feel of just being taken over and although I wouldn’t go out of my way to revisit I would pop back in if passing to see what the new governor makes of the place.

Pretty decent corner boozer. Open plan and a good start for the long walk to the station.