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Ring o' Bells, Manchester
Middleton
Postal town: Manchester
M24 6DJ
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Strongers . left this review about Ring o' Bells
The apparently haunted Ring O’Bells is a JW Lees pub with front and rear bars up the left where high tables can be found. Premium and Lees keg is available and the four hand pumps across the bars were drawing Lees Bitter, MPA and Scarlet Knight, the latter not really tasting of much. There are three seating areas to the right, during a recent Tuesday evening visit the friendly locals had assembled in the front bar and rear seating area. There was some background music playing, but not a lot else was going on, although I expect it’s busier during the weekly Sunday quiz. I’d pop back in if passing to see if I can spot the ghost, but I’ll not be going out of my way.
On 21st May 2025
- rating: 6
[User has posted 6134 recommendations about 6100 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Ring o' Bells
Old JW Lees pub on the higher ground just beyond the church, with what looks like a later brick extension (housing the pool table, etc. on the right-hand side). The original part has several small seating areas, and each has been given a semi-traditional refurbishment at some stage. All four handpumps were in use on a Monday evening, with the Grodziskie-style Don't go off Wandering (£3.80) and the But Does it Work? from the more experimental The Boilerhouse brand in addition to the regular Bitter and MPA.
On 31st May 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8733 recommendations about 8733 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about Ring o' Bells
Located opposite the church, this was one of my more interesting stops on a trip to the north of Manchester. It was another JW Lee's pub which regularly stocks their Bitter & MPA. However, there were also a couple of seasonal beers - Dray Rumble & The Boilerhouse Pre-Prohibition Porter.
The bar was packed on my late Friday afternoon visit. With many people standing at the bar itself, I had to shout over the crowd to place an order with the barmaid. The Porter was very enjoyable indeed and was the first JW Lee's beer I can say I actually liked.
I don't recall much about the pub itself, other than it being packed with people who had been to a funeral. The only seat I could spot was a stool in a corner where I got chatting to a local couple who were recounting various ghost stories involving the pub itself, the church opposite and their former house nearby. We also discussed the local pubs I had visited. So thank you to Hayden and his wife, whose name I have inevitably forgotten for an entertaining half hour in this pub!
I left the pub keeping an eye out for any ghostly apparitions from the church opposite. But none were forthcoming.
This was my favourite of the 8 JW Lee's pubs I tried, no doubt helped by the excellent Porter and the lively atmosphere and excellent conversation.
On 11th March 2022
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3111 recommendations about 3109 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about Ring O' Bells
Found it open on this visit. It's up a bit of a hill and facing St. Stephens, hence the name. The main room is split into two by a partial wall and there's also a small pool room to the rear. It's all old beams almost throughout with loads of bric-a-brac attached to them. There's a large beer garden to the rear. Sadly there were schoolkids in uniform sat at the bar at 4:15 on a Friday afternoon. There was also a huge dog the size of a St. Bernard that was afraid of one of the little girls! It's a Lees pub with the Bitter and MPA available. The MPA was a decent pint and reasonable enough at £3. There's live music advertised on a Saturday once a month. A decent enough pub, but I'm not impressed by the schoolkids being in.
On 8th October 2019
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3296 recommendations about 3206 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about Ring O' Bells
The GBG2013 says that this pub opens at 12 on a Friday. It wasn't open yesterday at 2:45. I'd check with the pub for the actual opening times before going.
On 20th October 2012
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3296 recommendations about 3206 pubs]