The Commercial Inn (JD Wetherspoon), Sowerby Bridge

A rather uninteresting but functional modern style Spoons, predictably very busy on a Saturday evening with groups getting ready for a night out in town or somewhere else. It’s a welcome option in Sowerby and it does the job- like Old Boots I much preferred the calmer area behind the bar.

Odd-shaped 'spoons, being on an angled corner and comprising several different buildings of various ages. However, the main bar is quite light and modern, although the rear seating / dining area is rather darker. A small patio can also be found round the side. That said, given that has an impressive bank of 12 handpumps, the real ale selection was rather poor, with just Bradfield's Farmers Blonde (£2.10) and Exmoor Stag on as well as the usual trio.

Modern, small and (what looks like) a purpose-built Spoons. A pub of two halves - the plate glass teenage chaos of the main bar and a lovely quiet area behind which was the preserve of the families and gentle topers (me). The unusual layout is, apparently, due it being a complete strip-out and remodelling of a pub (called the Commercial) which used to stand on this site. A plethora of pumps but just three guests once the doubling-up was stripped out, 2x Phoenix and Rudgate Battleaxe (NBSS 3). To be honest I was surprised that a town this small has a JDW so in that context it works well.

Paid a bonus visit to the Commercial Inn in Sowerby Bridge as our train to the next station on the Calder Valley ale trail was delayed by half an hour, giving enough time to nip here from the station, have a swift half, and nip back again. This is not the biggest Spoons around and was predictably busy on Saturday evening though there were a couple of tables free in the smaller quieter room to the rear of the bar. Service was surprisingly quick. At the bar are 12 hand pumps but six of these had the Spoons trio duplicated, leaving six guest ales, all of which were on. Overall this is a modern style pleasant Spoons. Toilets are upstairs, as you would expect. My ale of choice was Lemondrop IPA by Acorn, which did not taste of lemon at all, but was otherwise a nice enough if fairly average ale.

What looks like it might be a large Wethers ends up being surprisingly small, unless there was a part I didn't see. A glass frontage and conservatory-like area make it a bright place. The right of the bar consists of a small area with a pleasant fireplace set into the wall. 12 handpumps served an array of goodies today.

The Commercial Inn is a Wetherspoons that is on the main road through Sowerby Bridge. Once inside this is a fairly small Spoons,the room is square shaped,the bar is to the front left,the room is carpeted and the seating is nearly all normal tables and chairs,plus a couple of tall tables and chairs,there is a small narrow area to the rear. The beer choice was slightly dissapointing,i had a dink of Moorhouses White Witch which went down well,the other beers noted were Phoenix Black Bee,Elland Styrian Gold,plus Spoons regulars,Ruddles Bestand GK Abbot,there were two handpumped ciders on the bar. The pub was very busy on my Saturday dinner visit,a decent enough Spoons to have a few drinks in. Pub visited 29/8/2015