The Barley Mow, Warrington

The Barley Mow looks quite interesting with lots of exterior wood panelling and inside the door a large chalkboard boasts that the pub is 460 years old, which I can well believe. This is a large pub with a long L-shaped bar that supports standard and premium keg products as well as five handpumps. Titanic Steerage and Brains Rev. James were available whilst Greene King Old Speckled Hen, Wainwright and Titanic Anchor were ‘coming soon’… Lol! Food is available, the burger is priced at £7.30 and comes with a free pint. There are lots of different seating areas, too many for me to be bothered to describe, but the main theme is dark wood, exposed brick and bookshelf wallpaper. Most of the seating areas have televisions for airing live sport. The town centre location right on the main square means that this pub brings in the shoppers and families looking for the good deal on food. However, the vibe is corporate and there is no atmosphere. Even the barman was completely devoid of any emotion. I’ll not be revisiting just for a beer again.

Looks the part from outside, an ancient building on the otherwise redeveloped old Fish Market. Whilst the interior is good, the corporate Stonegate ownership ruins it, mostly filled with families eating processed food on a Saturday afternoon. Five clipped handpumps of which two were on, the other three ‘coming soon’ (mmm, yeah right). a half of Doom Bar was exceptionally cheap at £1.15 though.

A rather garish looking pub for where it is. Situated in a market square its somehow just looks out of place. Its a decent pub with an older worldly feel inside. Lots of offshoot areas and child friendly of an afternoon, which can be annoying. Real ales available.

Quite clearly the oldest surviving building in the immediate area and reputedly dating from 1561, this is a black and white timbered building, set in what was once the town market but now rather crassly part of the dated looking Golden Square shopping centre. Whether all or part of the building is of that age may be debatable however once inside there are beamed ceilings, stained old boarded floors, leaded windows and lots of dark carved wood. It is a bit of a warren with lots of separate interconnected areas but that adds to the appeal, something new around each corner. Lots of food and drink deals ostentatiously advertised, partly spoiling the old ambience I felt, five handpumps on the go though, Robinson's Cwrw'r Ddraig Aur, my choice, pointed at rather than named, Ossett Ales Spellbound, Hobgoblin, Cottage Trafalgar Ale and Cottage Medusa. A decent pint, the service was friendly and fun as the barmaid on me declining a loyalty card as I was "passing through" said drily "God, lucky you" as if Warrington isn't all things to all men for whatever reason. Décor was the usual old local scenes plus a few of trolleybuses, lots of plastic foliage but to be fair there's not much natural light inside, it is a large building. Outdoor seating to the front. A nice old building with some history even if rather corporate once inside and a nice drop of ale. Good luck to the barmaid too, who's humour was right up my street, I hope you find what you're looking for.