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The Water Witch, Lancaster
Lancaster
LA1 1SU
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Quinno _ left this review about The Water Witch
A random revisit as a few of us were passing through town and this got the nod. All a bit samey on the ale front; I went for Fellwalker (NBSS 2.5) and Moorhouse (3.5). Chatty - if hungover – barmaid was good for some amusement value. Not the force it once was, very much the Everton of the city’s pubs now.
December 2011
A long-overdue re-visit at Christmas. Now owned by Mitchells though internally little has changed. Plenty of ales available but little variation within a theme of mid-range bitters, even my York Christmas Cauldron was little more than a light brown beer. Mrs Quinno sampled an enjoyable cheese board. Perhaps I caught it at a bad time but really over Xmas a couple of dark or 'proper' seasonal ales isn't too much to ask? Rated 8
February 2008
An absolute must-visit, a pretty canalside freehouse serving eleven (yup) handpumps with the condition of each of the six I tried in good nick, along with a huge selection of foreign bottled beers and vodkas (look out for the Porter by the Anchor Brewery in San Francisco, it is an absolute corker for £3.50). Prices are a little on the expensive side for Lancaster but given what's on offer I think it's acceptable. The Water Witch was the most famous of the passenger ‘packet boats’ which once plied the Lancaster Canal and apparently this place was converted in the late 70’s from an old stable block, though you can only spot this in subtle ways, like the backlit glass at the bar. The interior is long and narrow with exposed masonry walling and stone flooring. Popular in summer due to the seating outside, it also attracts a fair number of students with a halls on residence located over the other side of the canal. The food is well renowned though I’ve yet to try any. Highly recommended if visiting the area.
On 15th August 2026
- rating: 7
[User has posted 6341 recommendations about 6319 pubs]
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Water Witch
The noteable feature here are the vast number of pic nic tables in two ranks along the canal towpath which in good wetaher attract a lot of diners ,often family groups.The old building creating the interior are long and thin,with a seating area immediastely left,then the tap room.then more seating before a seperate back room with high tables and it's own towpath access.There is lots of exposed brick and the low ceiling creates a pubby atmosphere.
At the bar ale options on my trip were Everards Pendulum,Moorhouse Water Witch (no doubt White Witch rebranded for the pub,NBSS Acceptable )Roosters Yorkshire Best,Wainwright Gold and Durham Magus.A disappointing low ABV selection ,poor in comparison with the better ale options in town and with indifferent service and diners dominating I can see no reason to return,despite the great location.
On 20th July 2026
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3252 recommendations about 3252 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Water Witch
This very wide but shallow pub's unusual layout seems to follow the bend of the canal alongside which it is located. You enter into a quarry stone floored main bar area with the servery directly opposite the front door. The bar has a modern, pine fronted counter and plain bar back with a big stone pillar to one end. To the left, there's a secluded seating area, possibly best left for diners, but completely empty on my late night visit. Banquette seating has been arranged beneath a staircase that leads up to a first floor mezzanine space with a few extra tables and chairs looking down to the empty space opposite the servery. Basic tables and chairs can be found through the next few spaces, each of which is broken up by protruding sections of exposed stone wall, with some windows cut through. The decor is a little bland, with various photos, promotional blackboards and plain mirrors about as exciting as it gets. Over to the far right, there is another, almost completely separate room, hidden by a big stone wall, but with a see through fireplace with a lit stove in it. More tables and chairs can be found back here and it seemed a popular spot with a younger crowd taking most tables whilst cool 80's tunes played in the background.
On the bar, three cask ales - Cross Bay The Blonde, Wainwrights Amber and Fell Quiet Batpeople - were available alonside one real cider option. A supremely friendly barman poured me a tidy pint of the Blonde, which was a fittingly good final pint from my few days in Lancaster.
This seemed like a decent enough pub with a few pleasant, secluded seating areas and a modest selection of well-kept ales and I was content spending a bit of time here at the end of a long day of pub crawling. It lacked a bit in atmosphere, but I'd be more than happy to call in again another time.
Date of visit - 15th January 2024
On 12th May 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3387 recommendations about 3387 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Brainy Pool left this review about The Water Witch
Now sports a vast array of unused handpulls. Just three in use on a Saturday night and a pretty dreary selection at that, I know this is more of a summer pub but I was still underwhelmed. The place actually felt a bit rundown and not the slightly irritating but vibrant bar it used to be. Think it was sold to Punch when Mitchells collapsed so maybe that explains the downturn.
On 22nd January 2023
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1183 recommendations about 1143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Water Witch
Pleasant canal-side location with a good number of wooden tables beside the towpath. With the weather good, and restrictions inside due to the coronavirus, I didn't get a proper look around, but the semi-traditional interior seemed to suit the heritage building. I also didn't get to see the handpumps, but I was assured that that the five names reeled off were reasonably local, and my Tiffin Gold from Kirkby Lonsdale Brewery (£3.75) certainly hadn't needed to travel too far.
On 28th September 2020
- rating: 7
[User has posted 9226 recommendations about 9226 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Water Witch
Still has nine hand pumps (see previous reviews - I was last here just over five years ago), but at the time of my latest visit two of these had ciders available, with just four real ales. Two were from local Cross Bay, with the others still local-ish but further away. If I visited pubs for food, as most of the customers I saw were doing, I would probably like it more than I do as a beer drinker. Having said that, my Hawkshead Winter Red was in good condition, and I didn't feel totally out of place, so it is good enough for another visit some time. I still prefer the White Cross, though, just a brief stroll along the towpath.
On 17th February 2020
- rating: 6
[User has posted 4910 recommendations about 4493 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Al Bundy left this review about The Water Witch
A nice canal side pub. It has 9 real ales pumps that had 5 on and 4 "available soon". A long, thin bar and an outside area. Pleasant and enjoyable.
On 4th March 2015
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3487 recommendations about 3390 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Water Witch
The Water Witch can be accessed from either side of the canal: a footpath leads down from the main road near the infirmary entrance, and there's a footbridge from the opposite bank which is accessible from Aldcliffe Road and from the mooring basin. I remember coming here before it was a pub, as we used to hire punts from the owner who livied in a canal boat moored alongside. I organised a race from Galgate to here, which we finished off with a keg of beer set up in one of the buildings that now make up this pub. Now there are eight hand pumps, with seven beers available at the time of my recent visit. Two were from Kirkby Lonsdale, two from Black Jack and one each from Titanic, York and York's Off The Wall experimental arm. There's a 30p per pint discount for Camra members, but this applies to whole pints only, and I was on halves because of my bike. This is a food-led pub, with not much of an atmosphere to it, partly because it's for diners more than drinkers, partly because of its long, thin shape. Maybe if I'd stayed longer it would have grown on me.
Date of visit: 13th December 2014
On 13th February 2015
- rating: 6
[User has posted 4910 recommendations about 4493 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
John Bonser left this review about The Water Witch
On the towpath of the Lancaster Canal that runs closely by the centre of the city is The Water Witch, a well known pub that has won multiple awards for both its beer and food offerings in recent years.
Previously being stables housing horses that pulled barges along the canal, the premises only became a pub in 1978. It’s a long, narrow stone built building running parallel alongside the canal bank. In the early nineneenth century, a company called Water Witch Waterbuses provided a canal service between Kendall and Preston – hence the pub name. Even today, cruises may be taken to/from Carnforth and the Lune Aqueduct from a waterbus terminus close by on the opposite bank.
As we approach the pub, the pub sign greets us with the welcome “award winning canalside pub, quality homecooked food, waterfront patio, large selection of cask ales”.
The interior features exposed sandstone walls, stone paved floors, a long wood panelled light pine bar counter and a modern, contemporary style interior that is surprisingly devoid of character and items of specific interest. For instance, there’s no old photos of the canal or the premises in their former capacity, nor are we told why the pub is so called. The counter runs alongside the back wall, with several further areas either side. To the left of the main entrance, an upstairs area (and the ground floor area immediately below it) mainly cater for diners, but the food emphasis is quickly apparent throughout the pub.
There’s a number of picnic tables outside at the front on the cobbled towpath area from where, on my mid – September visit, I was able to watch the efforts of a man fishing in front of the student flats on the opposite bank, despite several prominent “No Fishing” signs.
By the entrance outside, a sandwich board told us that, during August / September, the following guest breweries would feature at some stage, with no less than 3 beers on from one of them at any time – Milk Street Brewery, Banks and Taylor, Red Squirrel, Blue Bees, Bridestone. However, on my visit, we only had 4 beers on in total – York Guzzler ( presumably because it’s a Mitchells of Lancaster owned pub ), Black Sheep, Old School Brewery Detention Bitter and one beer only from Red Squirrel – London Porter. This was something of a disappointment. The pub is a CAMRA Good Beer Guide regular and several award certificates are displayed just inside the entrance.
My pint of York Guzzler ( £ 2.80p after the prominently advertised 30p CAMRA discount had been somewhat grudgingly applied ) was reasonable, but the food emphasis is all too apparent, with bar staff seemingly under instructions to ask “ is that all?” to those not ordering food when being served.
On a reasonably warm September lunchtime, it was pleasant sitting outside in the sun overlooking the canal, but I did cut short the length of my planned visit.
I only visit pubs nowadays when I’ve done my research (reading other reviews, web sites, pub/ beer guides etc ) and, on the basis of which, will be expecting an enjoyable and impressive visit. In this case, I had considered beforehand that there was a sporting chance that I’d be scoring this pub a 9 out of 10. Perhaps, I just came in on a bad day – and I’d probably give it another go next time in Lancaster – but it’s only getting a 7 from me.
On 6th October 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about The Water Witch
A great canalside pub, originally converted from a stables used for the canal company horses. Well described by others below. The outside seating area will be great in summer and a few hardy souls were braving it on our visit. 8 beers available on our visit and as we decided to eat here I managed 3 of them. All were in very good condition. The left hand area is a dining room, but you can eat throughout the pub. We went for their homemade burgers and chips which had been recommended to us by friends. They were right as well, the burgers were excellent. I can't see me ever visiting Lancaster and not having a beer in here. It's a very good pub.
On 10th June 2014
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3414 recommendations about 3320 pubs]