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Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
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Detail Pages
The Old Cell, High Peak
Chapel-En-Le-Frith
Postal town: High Peak
SK23 0EN
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Old Cell
Once the town's jail, this is a friendly micropub that has good ale and cider in a pleasant location.
There is a single room with the bar at the end. 4 cask ales were Mobberley Brew House Sidekick, Marston's Wainwright Golden, Chapel-en-le-Frith Hoppy As Funk & Banks's Amber. The cider was Lilley's Rhubarb, whilst there were keg options from taps on the side wall of the bar. A board on one wall also promoted a comprehensive gin menu. Board games could be found near the windows.
The barman was really friendly and happy to chat. The landlord also owns the brewery in the town and it was appropriate that I sampled his beer, a 5.8% hoppy beer. At £4,20 a pint, the beer was not only good quality, but was also good value, and with friendly customers who bade me farewell with my departure, it got me wondering why this place has not appeared in the Good Beer Guide since 2021.
Whilst Real Ale Ray scored it a 10/10 a few weeks before me, I'm a bit more frugal with my point scoring and will still rate it as a 7/10, which is quite high by my standards. If 2 of us on here can rate it highly, I'm surprised the local CAMRA branch refuses to recognise it.
For me, this micropub is well worth a visit.
On 2nd September 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3040 recommendations about 3038 pubs]
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Old Cell
We walked from the Railway Station and once into Chapel on High Street, we spotted a sandwich board with directions pointing us to the Old Cell, which was very handy indeed. The pub was fairly busy on our Friday eve visit, with customers outside on bench seating and a comfortable amount of people inside.
Once at the bar I saw four handpumps serving Butcombe Original, Bank's Sunbeam, Little Critters Luna's Peach Pale ale and Chapel-En-Le Frith Craft Brewing Co Galaxy Session ale.
I went for the Galaxy session ale, which is brewed by the owners and even using their own hops, which they grow and harvest themselves. What an outstanding beer and well priced for the quality.
We were made very very welcome from everybody and it felt like home from home. There's not many community pubs like this around the country. The original cells are housed in the basement and I had the privilege of seeing them, thankfully they are now out of use. Hopefully on my next visit I will get to try a local pork pie or a cheeseboard.
On 8th August 2024
- rating: 10
[User has posted 3645 recommendations about 3645 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Old Cell
Popular micro-pub housed in a former shop (although I suppose I was expecting it to have been a police station or similar). As you would imagine, there is a limited amount of seating inside but there are now a couple of tables out on the adjoining paved area. Ralf+Alfred Hopster Blonde (£3.50), Intrepid ITE and the Sinamarian from Chapel-en-le-Frith Brewing available from the three handpumps on the compact counter, with a few lagers and craft beers from keg taps on a side wall.
On 5th July 2021
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8679 recommendations about 8678 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Old Cell
This is a cosy corner shop conversion, with a small bar towards the rear. Some locals have obviously made it their early evening destination as there were a few people enjoying a beer or two when we arrived. There are three hand pumps (see photo) and the beer was in very good condition. I was surprised to see Bombardier as one of the offerings, but I suppose if it sells...
We did not stay as long as planned, because our bus from Furness Vale had arrived 40 minutes late. We were headed for Chinley and a train back to Sheffield, so we asked where we would find the stop for the 190 bus. (It's in the Morrisons car park just down the hill.) We were advised we'd have done better getting a train to New Mills, but as we pointed out, we wouldn't have made it here to the Old Cell if we'd done that!
On 20th September 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 4273 recommendations about 3935 pubs]