Peveril of the Peak, Manchester

Another one of Manchester’s iconic and best known pubs, The Peveril of the Peak is immediately noticeable for its splendid green and yellowish distinctive ceramic tiled all over exterior which contrasts quite starkly against the surrounding tall brick industrial buildings. It’s a wedge shaped building in a central area of Manchester where much development has taken place and many new large buildings and trendy flats have sprung up over the years. The building is Grade 2 listed and dates back to 1829. It’s a small three roomed pub with separate entrances on two streets leading to a small central tiled corridor. The main bar is small with fixed seating round the perimeter. Somewhat surprisingly, given its small size, room is found for an old table football game. A framed article on the wall nearby tells us that it’s one of only three of its type known to be in existence. The walls are adorned with various photos of famous people who have evidently called in over the years. The bar gantry retains fine coloured decorative leaded Art Nouveau glass inserts. The other two rooms are on the other side of the corridor and feature some fixed red velour seats, bell pushes and various old prints. In one of the rooms is a pool table and dartboard. A framed print tells us that the pub is named after a stagecoach that used to make the journey from Manchester to London ( via the Peak District ) in 23 hours. There’s also a fine painting of someone who I took to be Sir Matt Busby. Notable also is a mirror presented to the landlady, Theresa Swannick ( Nancy ), in 2011 by the Trafford and Hulme Branch of CAMRA in recognition of her 40 years as landlady. There’s a few picnic style tables outside on the pavement. It’s a former Wilson’s pub with some of the trademark chequerboard tiling remaining in the gents toilet. For its unspoilt interior, the pub is listed in CAMRA’s National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors. A bank of 3 pumps was offering Deuchars IPA, Everards Tiger and Jennings Cumberland. A fourth pump, rather oddly on its own further round the bar, was offering a Copper Dragon beer. Despite the pub being quite busy on my recent Thursday evening visit, bar staff were coping admirably with the throng and, notably, the barman who served me remembered what I had ordered previously. Both the Tiger and the Deuchars IPA were in good nick. The pub is listed in the 2012 CAMRA Good Beer Guide. Opening hours appear to be somewhat unpredictable – the pub didn’t appear to be open when I passed by on a Monday lunchtime earlier in the week ( and again later in the evening ), but you should most definitely call in if you can

Unmissable pub, with its bright two-tone yellowy-green tiled and painted exterior standing out from the sombre industrial and commercial buildings which tower above it. The interior is constrained by the curious layout imposed by the adjacent streets, with limited space in the main bar but two other rooms (one with a pool table) on the other side of the through corridor. Beer-wise, the choice is limited to four handpumps, but my pint of Copper Dragon Golden Pippin (£2.95) was on fine form. Overall, it offers a splendid step back in time.

Without a doubt, one of the UK's must visit pubs, a real working museum piece where the pub traditionalist will find it hard not to punch the air upon stepping through the entrance. The bright tiled exterior with its bold lettering makes it stand out like a huge wedge of cheese set against a typically drab Lowryish cityscape. The pub is listed in the CAMRA inventory as being structurally unaltered since at least before the war. The interior is divided into 3 rooms set off a corridor that passes through the centre of the pub. The main bar is basic with built in pews and barely enough room for a couple of tables. The table football game is not just any table football game but a lovingly restored 1950's relic saved from the scrap heap and apparently one of only 3 in existence. On the walls are a selection of celebrity guests from the world of music and stage who presumably count themselves as fans. A small basic TV perched in one corner suggests that the people here prefer to talk about things than watch them! The upper bar frame has detailed decorative coloured glass that fits in nicely with coriidor walls whilst the half curtained windows give the place a quaintly old fashioned working class feel. On the beer front there are 4 hand pumps (Deuchars, Bombardier and 2 Copper Dragon ales on my visit) although one pump is set away amongst the lager taps and easily missed if there are people at the bar. The lack of any local Ales was probably the only disappointing aspect of the pub but I can live with it! On the opposite side of the corridor are 2 further rooms, the first a neat and tidy carpeted public bar with pool table, dart board, juke box (Manc Britpop and Indie seems to be the local's choice), old local pictures and the story of the stagecoach after which the pub is named. Completing the interior is a wonderful basic wedge shaped room with sturdy built in high backed settles, an ornate fireplace, old call bells, more old local prints and a few cartoons; very simple, relatively plain but wonderfully charismatic and the sort of room that centres on conversation. The Pev, as it is locally known, is a gallant survivor in the declining world of real character pubs and one of Manchester's landmark buildings. Along with the Britons Protection, a 2 minute walk down the road, it is difficult not to justify a visit.

Truely an outstanding relic of our past,with not many of these pubs left today.It is well stocked with an impressive range of guest beers. I partook in a pint of Copper Dragon which seemed to be on good form. An interesting feature of the pub is the odd shapes of all the rooms.Give it a try.