The White Cross, Lancaster

A big modern canalside pub/restaurant, bustling, bright and open with high ceilings. A raised area holds a smart dining room while the benches along the canal outside were very popular on a sunny afternoon. A good range of handpumps offered ales from near and far - I went for a very good Lune Valley Maple Noir. As new pubs go, very nice indeed and I wish there were more like it. Mind you, we were well into the crawl by then...

Upmarket canal-side pub / restaurant in a well-converted (and extended) old building also benefiting from a row of wooden tables along the towpath which proved an excellent spot for a pint on a sunny, early autumn, afternoon. Usually has up to 14 real ales on handpump, but even with six plus a couple of ciders in these strange coronavirus times the selection was still reasonable, and I opted for the Tirril Grasmere Gold (£4.00) which proved a good choice.