The Ale Stop, Buxton

A busy little micro with live music on when I called in. I could hardly see the bar let alone study the beer choice but whatever it was that I managed to point to was excellent! The music was also good with plenty customers having a bit of a dance. I really enjoyed it and would call again.

An atmospheric micropub, just off the main road through Buxton. Very busy on our Sunday, late afternoon visit. Pump clips and old album covers all around the walls. It looked like a few of the regulars had been out all day, so not one for the faint hearted. We managed to get the last available table and settled down to listen to the very funny, if un PC banter going on. 3 handpumps on the bar and my pint of Durham Hopbound was in good nick. We both liked this place despite, or maybe because of the boisterous locals.

I was in Buxton on Saturday evening with a friend and we had planned to visit the Ale Stop. The first thing we noticed was there were quite a few people drinking on the street outside. This was a sign of things to come as the place was absolutely rammed. There was a full on rave going on with a smoke machine in the room off to the right. We managed to work our way to the bar, there are three hand pulls, at the time offering a selection of pale beers. A large blackboard is helpfully placed to the right of the bar which confirms the beers available. But on this occasion we decided it wasn't to be, as we couldn't hear ourselves think and there was no space at all inside so we would have had to retreat to the street and stand up with our drinks, which didn't particularly appeal. This may be a nice quiet micropub by day, but by night the experience it offers does not seem to fit with the normal ethos of a micropub. We decided to leave and try elsewhere.