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Chat about:
Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
The Poacher, Bolton
Blackrod
Postal town: Bolton
BL6 5SG
Pub Type
Local Pub (Marstons)Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5½ of 10) see review guidelines
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Poacher
Marston's pub on the corner of a busy junction in the village of Blackrod and on bus routes. The drinking space is split into 4 sections. From the entrance, the far end had a record player, potentially for discos or karaoke. The second and third sections are separated by an unused fireplace. The third section contained a fruit machine, a jukebox and a TV showing snooker on mute. Music was playing instead. There are a fewer old pictures on the walls. Finally, the fourth room is a games room with a pool table.
Flooring is a mixture of carpet and laminate. Seating is comfortable. There is also an outdoor seating area adjoining the car park.
At the bar, three of the four handpulls were clipped with Wainwright Golden, Hobgoblin Ruby & Sunbeam. Beaverton Neck Oil & Marston's Smooth were amongst the keg options, whilst ciders were Inch's & Old Mout.
A sign on the door said that children were allowed in, but if badly behaved, they would be turned into pies! This pub felt much more like a proper boozer than the Cherry Tree to the north of the village. However, it too lacked atmosphere. I was the only customer, accompanied by who I took to be the landlady and a barmaid. Just before I departed, they were joined by two blokes who looked like they were from the pubco or from a supplier.
On 17th January 2025
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3040 recommendations about 3038 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Komakino . left this review about The Poacher
Marstons-owned corner plot boozer which looks a tad faded from outside impressions, but does proffer a friendly welcome from within. Staple-shaped inside, with an entrance-facing bar, there appear to be four distinct areas which could hint at previous sub-room division in the past, but the cosier areas are to the left-hand side with some old black and white photos of people, sporting teams and the pub itself from one-hundred years-plus ago plus a nice selection of whisky bottle sleeves on a high shelf. To the bar's right is another room, broken by a door with exit to the beer patio/smoking area (as well as access to the car park). An ante-room houses a pool table and dartboard. Two visits in two nights, after the underwhelming and expensive selection at the nearby Mercure Hotel, found on night one a solitary, but excellent Courage Director's (NBSS 4 and £3.70), and on night two, the same, plus Wychwood Hobgoblin Ruby (NBSS 3 and £2.70, as Tuesday night is 'Cask Ale Tuesday'), from two of the four handpumps. TVs dotted around showing either sport or random television may distract, but the friendly welcome negated any gripes, and they remembered me on my second visit, and thanked me for coming back, so they deserve a mark above the average for that at least.
On 10th February 2024
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1077 recommendations about 1077 pubs]