The Dolphin, Macclesfield

The Dolphin is a Robinson’s pub with a U-shaped bar on the right wall that serves a front seating area that also houses a dartboard that a few locals were playing on. The bar counter also serves bar stools and standing room to the left and the rear. A separate seating room in the front left was lights out and another room at the left rear has a tartan carpet and fireplace. Banquette seating is found throughout the pub. Four of the five hand pumps on the bar were in operation drawing Wizard, Old Tom, Unicorn and Dizzy Blonde. Standard keg was also available. This is a no frills boozer which I liked. But wouldn’t go out of my way for.

Traditional, side-street Robinson's pub retaining bars in two separate rooms: the busier front one is quite basic whereas the other further back has a more comfortable lounge area. Another small room, grandly (but no doubt ironically) called the John Stones Suite occupies the other side of the frontage, and there is a pool room at the back. Just Dizzy Blonde (£3.60) available from a total of five handpumps split between the two counters, but the reversed clips suggest that Unicorn and Wizard usually make an appearance.

A Robinson's tied house,a street corner local away from the town centre but close to bridge 40 on the Macclesfield Canal.There is a pleasingly traditional layout with a front snug to the left of the entrance ,another snug with bar access to the right,and a rear section with an iron Victorian fireplace with tiling and two long bench seats .It's all very authentic,although live sport will be played on the flatscreen in the bar room snug.There is a seperate pool room at the back of the building and several sports trophies are on display,so it's very much a community pub with no sign of food. The 5 handpumps were offering on my trip Robinsons Wizard,Dizzy Blonde and Unicorn doubled up (in decent nick). A solid boozer with some good photos of Macc dotted about,fine if you like Robbies ales.