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Chat about:
Pub Of The Month - July 2026 with Blackthorn
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
Duke of York, Lichfield
Lichfield
WS13 6DY
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8½ of 10) see review guidelines
Old Boots left this review about Duke of York
Good looking, white painted pub, reputedly a 17th century pub and it looks the part certainly in the upper right hand side section. Plenty of beams in the low ceiling upper part, the lower section has quarry tiles, higher ceilings and lots of old pictures. Six pumps with four of Joules own beers and a cider; I had a very decent pint of Slumbering Monk. There is a back bar but with no hand pumps just another T-bar, then a large sitting room and finally a beer garden. When I walked in the numpties were queueing so I walked round it to check the clips and the queue dispersed in fear.
On 20th July 2026
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 4168 recommendations about 3828 pubs]
Quinno _ left this review about Duke of York
Wraparound Joules place with two bars. Wonky beams, log fires and a nice old skool country inn vibe. Four on, my Pale was fag end (NBSS 2.5) and the Belgian Fruit was a rank cardboardy mess (1.5) – the first I can forgive but the second I can’t. Why are so many Joules pus incapable of managing their cask correctly?
On 8th January 2026
- rating: 6
[User has posted 6249 recommendations about 6228 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Delboy 20 left this review about Duke of York
Nice old Joules pub with Pale ale, Pure Gold and Slumbering Monk on. The Pale ale and the gold were fine.
On 14th April 2018
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 1984 recommendations about 1832 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Duke of York
Solid terraced pub, claiming to be Lichfield's oldest pub (as does the Kings Head), now a Joule's house, with a split-level public bar at the front and a more comfortable lounge to the rear. Both rooms are as traditionally furnished and decorated as you would expect. There is also another smaller room (looking like a covered former yard) on one side of the latter and a patio beer garden to the other. I found three of the brewery's own beers - Pale Ale, Pure Blonde (£3.15) and Slumbering Monk - plus Pure Black IPA from Tiny Rebel as a guest and Rosie's Pig cider from a total of nine handpumps on the two counters. Well worth the short walk out from the town centre.
On 21st October 2017
- rating: 8
[User has posted 9210 recommendations about 9210 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about Duke of York
What a find and thanks to the GBG 2018 for bringing me here. A front bar little changed since 1644. A lovely roaring fire. Pork pies as big as your shoe for £3.80. I would have gone for a Joules but I spyed a rarely seen Bass Pale Ale and had to give it a go.
Exceptional.
Would be my local.
Visit blogged at http://bit.ly/2xqqFQj
On 8th October 2017
- rating: 10
[User has posted 1882 recommendations about 1844 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about Duke of York
A decent pub this one and only a few minutes walk from the Whippet. I agree with Aqualung, I am also not a great fan of Joules beers. There was a launch of one of their latest beers, named Shropshire Hop, which did sound inspiring, until I sat deflated over a pint trying to get my money's worth out of it.
The pub is traditional, with the front room and bar looking to be the oldest part of the pub with dark ceiling beams and an open fireplace. The rear lounge had been fully refurbished with lots of oak timber work and a recently added patio garden. There was also another small back room, which seemed to be used as an overspill when the pub gets busy.
On 11th May 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3763 recommendations about 3763 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about Duke of York
I discovered from old GBGs that this was once a Davenport's pub. It's now a Joules house and came as a bit of a surprise as the few Joules pubs I've visited have been old Victorian town pubs whereas this one is rather like an old country one. Given the location just off the City centre it may well have been in the country when it was built. There is a darts area as you enter into a room with the bar at the far end. A door leads through to two other rooms one carpeted and the other with a wooden floor.
The bar has five hand pumps with the cider one turned. The usual three Joules beers (Blonde, Pale & slumbering Monk) were on plus their winter offering Old Number Six (£3.20) which went down a treat. The saddest thing about it is that on my Thursday lunchtime visit I was the only customer apart from the pub dog.
I'm not a huge fan of Joules beers but their pubs do seem to be well worth visiting and this one certainly is.
On 8th December 2015
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about Duke of York
Lovely old pub with some nice features, homely, relaxed and good beer
On 27th October 2015
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1616 recommendations about 1593 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Al Bundy left this review about Duke of York
A nice Joules pub claiming to be the oldest in Lichfield. It is very olde world with beams and wooden benches inside. Multi roomed with two bars. Beer garden to the rear. Usual Joules ales with Joule's Calcutta 1757 pale on. A good pub.
On 8th October 2015
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3487 recommendations about 3390 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about Duke of York
The building was covered with scaffolding at the time of my recent visit with some football mates from Luton, but inside the pub was still very presentable and we enjoyed our brief stay here. There are five hand pumps in the front room and another four in the back bar, all with Joules beers on as far as I could make out. The room we were in was too big to be an original room for a building of this age, I would say, but whatever work has been done to it has aimed at preserving the feel of the place and been successful. I had the excellent Joules Pale, and would happily have had another but for the necessity of lending support to our team at Tamworth within the hour, so we just had to content ourselves with planning another visit some time soon.
On 30th October 2013
- rating: 8
[User has posted 4842 recommendations about 4430 pubs]