Haydock Reading Room, St. Helens

Facebook page of Haydock Reading Room - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of Haydock Reading Room - www.facebook.com

A new entry into the 2025 Good Beer Guide and the last venue I needed to visit to complete Merseyside again, this is a welcoming club in an area where you will struggle to find real ale. The club consists of a small bar to the front right which appears to be the one popular with locals. Horse racing was being shown on the TV. There is a much larger room to the left-hand side (as you look at the building from the street) which was empty until I arrived. This has a mixture of wood panelling and wallpaper. It has a pleasing green decor, with plenty of CAMRA awards on the walls. There is a dartboard near the front windows. To the rear of the building is a third room with a snooker table, that was in use when I arrived. The steward was very knowledgeable about his ales and it is clear that the club has developed a good relationship with CAMRA. 3 cask ales were on - Tatton Gold, Black Sheep Rekindle & Moorhouse's White Witch. Keg options included SALT Jute & Samuel Smith's OBB. Ciders were Thatcher's Blood Orange, Apple & Blackcurrant & Cloudy Lemon. I wasn't sure what to expect from a "Reading Room" - perhaps a group of students reciting poetry. My experience was far from it. It felt much more like a slightly more upmarket working men's club.