Ye Olde White Lion Inn, Mansfield

Loved the atmosphere of this quirky bar we visited yesterday. There was a board outside an alley which was the only means we had of finding the bar, and wow, it was like entering a cave. There were 2 drinking caves on either side of the alley which had some seating and tables too. Inside the main cave there was a bar area at the front and the cave went back to a dimly lit area where it was set up for music. The ales are served on dispense, and they also stock ciders. We enjoyed our beers from Springhead and Idle Valley.

Now, this is something quite out of the ordinary. For a start, there is no external signage - even though I knew there was a pub here I had trouble fining it. In the end I decided to walk up the sloping yard with an entrance next door to the China Basket shop on Church Street, where I saw a sign saying Caves Visitor Centre. Next to this is a dark green table umbrella, and a couple of people were stood around drinking beer or cider. I thought, this must be the place, and said so. They agreed that it was. Inside the adjoining building there's a spiral staircase which leads up to a lounge with a small bar, stocked with keg and lager fonts. It seemed to be in use by a group that would not have looked out of place in a youth club, a student common room, an advice centre or a health service waiting room. I returned down the stairs as I had seen some beer barrels plonked randomly on the ground at their foot, and further exploration into what at first sight appeared to be a cave revealed a poorly lit bar with several barrels arrayed behind it. The cave is a man-made affair, or at least it has regular walls and ceiling with signs of tool marks. The floor is slightly raised, with lighting coming up the walls from grills at the sides. A small spotlight enables bar staff to see what they're doing, but the pump clips displayed on the bar are almost impossible to read. Someone suggested checking out the whiteboard to one side, but as this listed different beers from what was on the stillage, this was not much help. I had a half of Stancill Porter, the other options were two from Hop Studio and one from Lincoln Green, and there were also some ciders. The place seems to be run by some sort of hippy co-operative (I hope they don't take offence at the description!) with a relaxed attitude to staff drinking. I was told they're not allowed street signs, so this pub remains a word-of-mouth phenomenon. Judging by the quality of the beer I had, they don't have much trouble with turnover, so enough people must be finding it. I hope this pub is still going on my next visit to Mansfield!