The Golden Ball, Morecambe

Official site of The Golden Ball - www.snatchems.co.uk

Official site of The Golden Ball - www.snatchems.co.uk

Occupying a rather isolated position on the banks of the River Lune, a few miles away from Morecambe and Lancaster, is The Golden Ball, or, to give it its apparently more commonly used name – “Snatchems”. Local folklore tells us that the name Snatchems derives from when the River Lune was used as a shipping channel and that, if the ship owners had insufficient crew for the planned voyage as they set sail, they would press gang “volunteers” by snatching unsuspecting customers from the pub as they sat there imbibing. The pub is a stand alone listed building dating back to 1710 which, apart from a holiday caravan site in a nearby field, is in a somewhat remote location with, seemingly, no local village or housing within a reasonable walking distance from which to draw its clientele. Inside the pub, we find several characterful adjoining rooms with something of an old fashioned air, served by a small L shaped kiosk style serverY. These rooms feature low dark beams, horse brasses, several grandfather clocks, ships capstans, bird paintings etc and comfortable padded fixed perimeter seating, creating what is a cosy and welcoming ambience. Various photos dotted around show the pub flooded at high tide, when the road in front of the pub becomes impassable. This is not usually a problem as the car park is on a higher level at the rear of the pub, but you park on the road outside at the front at your peril. The main pub rooms are accessed from the rear car park by descending a steep staircase, rather akin to going down into a cellar. There is, of course, an entrance directly from the front of the pub, avoiding this staircase. Rather weather beaten picnic tables outside at the front allow one to gaze out over the river to the salt marshes and hills beyond and an information board nearby tells us all about the wide variety of bird life to look out for should you feel so inclined. There’s also a large grass area alongside the pub. A dining room extension at the higher level was added in 2012. Large windows allow good river views and there’s an outside balcony area here. It’s an unusually characterful largish room decorated with antiquities, the highlight of which is a splendid 18th century wall cabinet occupying pride of place in the centre of the far wall. The corridor to this dining room contains some original stonework, discovered during excavations and is decorated with photographs and memorabilia relating to the landlords former career as a Staff Serjeant who saw service in Bosnia. We learn how he acquired the pub in 2011 after Mitchells of Lancaster had put the pub up for sale and it closed temporarily. We also see the familiar red circular Famous Grouse Pub plaque ( 2011 ). A sandwich board advertises “food all day – 10am to 8pm” and the menu is reasonably extensive, but it’s definitely of the unpretentious pub grub variety with, pleasingly, prices to match. I formed the view that, taken in isolation, the location and scenery would be a greater attraction than the food offering. Real ales on were Zenith and Sunset from the local Cross Bay brewery plus Black Sheep, which, I gather is a regular fixture. Beers were in reasonable form, but I didn’t detect any real management interest in real ale and I didn’t see anything to suggest the range rotates regularly. Alcoholic drinks ( not just the real ales ) come with a token, 10 of which will get you £1 off a subsequent drink. Alternatively, if you collect as many as 150, you can acquire a branded “Snatchems” polo shirt. After my recent mid-September visit, I can report that I still need a further 147. I think this pub is worth seeking out if the opportunity presents itself.