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Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
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The Chief Justice of the Common Pleas (JD Wetherspoon), Keswick
Keswick
CA12 5JY
Reviews of The Chief Justice of the Common Pleas (JD Wetherspoon) (Average Rating: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Chief Justice of the Common Pleas (JD Wetherspoon)
Situated just opposite the much smaller Crafty Baa, this branch of Wetherspoon's was a complete contrast to the Crafty Baa. There were probably just as many people in the 'spoon's, but spread over a much larger space. With live music in the bar opposite, the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas was much more peaceful.
The building has many different rooms in what was once a former police station with a courtroom. Some of the formal cells are in use for drinking. The common problems of Wetherspoon branches exist here with messy tables covered with food detritus, glasses and mugs and usual trek upstairs and along a corridor to the toilets.
At the same time, you cannot complain about the price of a pint, with mine being £2.99. Whilst much cheaper than other local pubs, I notice pricing has increased by a pound a pint since the last review in 2022. Greene King Abbot is the regular beer. Also on were Ruddles Best, Sharp's Doom Bar, Marston's Wainwright Golden, Hawkshead Dry Stone Stout, Acorn Admiral IPA, Eden River Eden Gold & Theakston Old Peculier.
Ciders were Snail's Bank Rhubarb Cider, Thatcher's Stan's Cheddar Valley, Weston's Old Rosie & Rosie's Pig & Thistly Cross Whisky Cask.
With quite a few other options in the town, this shouldn't be top of your list if visiting Keswick.
On 9th September 2024
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3040 recommendations about 3038 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rob Hunter left this review about The Chief Justice of the Common Pleas (JD Wetherspoon)
Visited earlier this week, towards the tail end of lunch time. Quite busy inside but due to the size of the place there was plenty of seating available. As has been noted in the previous review, the very left hand room is still identifiable as the old court room with the raised section at the rear of this room. A sprawling layout with different rooms and nooks and crannies. I noticed a thick wooden cell type door leading to one of the rear rooms. The bar area is in the centre and to the rear of the building. Further seating off to the right, and toilets are upstairs in typical Spoons fashion.
In addition to two usual suspects (Ruddles Best and Abbot Ale) there were three guest ales available at the time of my visit - Mauldons Black Adder (stout), Rudgate York Chocolate Stout and Great Corby Brewhouse Lakeland Summit (golden ale). All guests were priced at £1.99 a pint. The Black Adder slipped down very nicely.
This is certainly one of the more interesting buildings occupied by a Wetherspoon pub and the ale selection was good enough to keep me interested. I'd happily pay a return visit, and Crafty Baa opposite also looks worth a look.
On 21st January 2022
- rating: 8
[User has posted 830 recommendations about 657 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about The Chief Justice of the Common Pleas (JD Wetherspoon)
This may be the Spoons with the longest name as it's printed using a smaller font in their directory.
It's a rambling place which like many of their more recent outlets is split into many different rooms and areas . It's a converted cop shop and magistrate's court and in the left hand room is the court room with some of the furnishings from where your fate would be announced.
The bar has two sets of six hand pumps which had the JDW Trio Of Doom, four available soon and five from the festival which ended a few days before. I went for the Theakston Vanilla Stout (£2.75) which was in very good nick but as noted below is expensive for a JDW in the North and even many London suburbs.
Despite the higher prices I quite liked this one but the real test may be what it's like on a dank November day mid week rather than on an October half term afternoon.
On 5th November 2016
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
View more reviews of The Chief Justice of the Common Pleas (JD Wetherspoon) (4)
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- The Chief Justice of the Common Pleas page at the Wetherspoon site - www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk
- Facebook - The Chief Justice of the Common Pleas
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Chief Justice of the Common Pleas (JD Wetherspoon) - whatpub.com
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 : No last updated 30 October 2016 by Aqualung .
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 30 October 2016 by Aqualung .
- Beer Festivals : Yes last updated 30 October 2016 by Aqualung .
- Beer Garden : Yes last updated 30 October 2016 by Aqualung .
- CAMRA Discount : No last updated 30 October 2016 by Aqualung .
- Car Park : No last updated 30 October 2016 by Aqualung .
- Child Friendly : Yes last updated 30 October 2016 by Aqualung .
- Darts : No last updated 30 October 2016 by Aqualung .
- Dog Friendly : No last updated 30 October 2016 by Aqualung .
- Function Room : No last updated 30 October 2016 by Aqualung .
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 29 October 2014 by hondo .
- Jukebox : No last updated 30 October 2016 by Aqualung .
- Karaoke : No last updated 30 October 2016 by Aqualung .
- Live Music : No last updated 30 October 2016 by Aqualung .
- Live TV Sports : No last updated 30 October 2016 by Aqualung .
- Micropub : No last updated 30 October 2016 by Aqualung .
- Pinball : No last updated 30 October 2016 by Aqualung .
- Pool Table : No last updated 30 October 2016 by Aqualung .
- Quiz Night : No last updated 30 October 2016 by Aqualung .
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 29 October 2014 by hondo .
- Real Cider : Yes last updated 09 September 2024 by Blue Scrumpy
- Wheelchair Access : Yes last updated 30 October 2016 by Aqualung .
- WiFi : Yes last updated 29 October 2014 by hondo .
