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Beer of the Week (w/e 14th September 2025) with Thuck Phat
on the Pub Forum
Image posted by Ian Mapp
Submitted on Monday, 11th August 2025
With picture contributions to 1397 other pubs
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Detail Pages
The Swan & Railway Hotel, Wigan
Wigan
WN1 1BA
Reviews of The Swan & Railway Hotel (Average Rating: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
Ian Mapp left this review about The Swan & Railway Hotel
A pub that I would love to come back to and explore even more. I am sure that I will.
A little unassuming on the outside, it is one of those labyrinthine pubs inside, with plenty to investigate around a central bar area. The bar opens out in one room, if you battle your way through or through a little serving hatch under an ornate swan stained glass window.
I got into a lengthy conversation about Bass with a knowledgeable and friendly owner. The wifi password is bass related. They sell bass :-)
Took it into the room on the left as you look at the pub where a bunch of other pub enthusiasts were enjoying a day out before moving on to another tick.
That's half of the 8 Good Beer Guide pubs in 2025 visited and I really enjoyed three of them, making Wigan a promising pub town for the beer tourist.
I'll be back :-)
On 11th August 2025
- rating: 10
[User has posted 1679 recommendations about 1656 pubs]
Will Larter left this review about The Swan & Railway Hotel
It's not my fault that this is my first visit to this gorgeous pub since before Covid - a cancelled train in September 2022 on my way to watch Leeds Rhinos win a semifinal against Wigan Warriors meant that I didn't have time for a drink here before the match - so my last time here was March 2020 when Luton Town's goalkeeper pulled off a stunning save in the final minute to gain a valuable point against Wigan Athletic. Clearly my motivation for visiting Wigan's pubs depends on sporting fixture lists, but luckily my cycle ride with my aunt along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal this week gave me an unexpected opportunity before my train back to Sheffield via Manchester. It's more than five years, but the seven hand pumps were much as before, with Bass in the middle, but only five other beers rather than six (one just being changed or cleaned, I think). Bank Top Dark Mild was on (as in the previous reviewer's visit a year ago) and I had a half of that accompanied by Karma Citra (groan!) from Wily Fox (NBSS 3.5 to 4, total price £3.85). I took my drinks to a delightful room on the left of the corridor towards the rear which seems to be a sort of shrine to former Wigan rugby league players. I didn't have long enough to get a good idea of who they were and what eras they played in, but this is clearly a room that means a lot to the people who created it and the RL fans of Wigan, and worth a visit. The pub itself deserves a longer and more leisurely visit, which I hope to get around to before long, fixture lists permitting.
On 26th July 2025
- rating: 9
[User has posted 4430 recommendations about 4069 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Swan & Railway Hotel
A lingering stop this time and was rewarded with excellent pints of Bass (NBSS 4) and Bank Top Dark Mild (4.5). This is a super pub and fast becoming one of my national favourites. Oh, and there's a jumbo Falklands flag in the beer garden. 9.5
March 2023
A lovely heritage pub. Enter to a central tiled lobby corridor with a large (albeit narrow) bar to the right and a couple of lounge rooms, one off left and the other at the end. The main bar has a rather wonderful tall wooden servery with jumbo stained glass windows on the upper back with a large swan motif as the centrepiece. A number of cask on, I went straight for the Bass (NBSS 3.5) whilst the other half had a good drop of Portersque Milkshake Porter by Hophurst Brewery (3.5). Got chatting to the older guy next to me who was between trains about the virtues of Bass and was joined by the owner, a jovial chap who is also a massive Bass fan and who then gave us an impromptu tour of the building and talked us through the restoration he undertook a few years ago (so good it won a Historic England Conservation Award in 2021). It is now free of tie so ignore the older reviews stating Marstons range. Really enjoyed my supping here and would make a point of stopping off especially to do this one again. GBG’23 listed. Rated 9
On 11th July 2024
- rating: 10
[User has posted 5688 recommendations about 5669 pubs]
View more reviews of The Swan & Railway Hotel (14)
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- Official site of The Swan & Railway Hotel - swanandrailwayhotelwigan.co.uk
- Twitter - swan and railway
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Swan & Railway Hotel - whatpub.com
Wigan Wallgate, 0.22 miles, 4 min walk (show)
Ince (Manchester), 1.29 miles, 24 min walk (show)
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : Yes last updated 19 February 2024 by Quinno _
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 19 February 2024 by Quinno _
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 19 February 2024 by Quinno _
- Beer Garden : Yes last updated 19 February 2024 by Quinno _
- CAMRA Discount : Yes - Discount amount not stated by Wigan CAMRA - last updated 19 February 2024 by Quinno _
- Car Park : No last updated 19 February 2024 by Quinno _
- Child Friendly : No last updated 19 February 2024 by Quinno _
- Darts : No last updated 19 February 2024 by Quinno _
- Dog Friendly : Yes last updated 19 February 2024 by Quinno _
- Function Room : Yes last updated 19 February 2024 by Quinno _
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 19 February 2024 by Quinno _
- Jukebox : No last updated 19 February 2024 by Quinno _
- Karaoke : No last updated 19 February 2024 by Quinno _
- Live Music : Yes last updated 19 February 2024 by Quinno _
- Live TV Sports : Yes last updated 19 February 2024 by Quinno _
- Micropub : No last updated 19 February 2024 by Quinno _
- Pinball : No last updated 19 February 2024 by Quinno _
- Pool Table : No last updated 19 February 2024 by Quinno _
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 19 February 2024 by Quinno _
- Real Cider : Yes last updated 02 May 2024 by Blue Scrumpy
- Wheelchair Access : No last updated 19 February 2024 by Quinno _
- WiFi : Yes last updated 19 February 2024 by Quinno _
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