Fleece Inn, Alnwick

In the centre of the attractive market town of Alnwick on a street corner virtually opposite the historic Hotspur Tower is The Fleece Inn. A central entrance leads into a small lobby that looks like it was previously used for off sales with its hatch and small counter. The public bar on the left is basic with a separate area for snooker and a wide screen TV high up on a wall. The lounge bar on the right hand side is more cosy and comfortable with padded seats, spindle backed seats and a slightly old fashioned traditional feel that hints back to the pub’s Victorian era origins. Down one side is a fine fireplace and a shelf containing a collection of old plates. This bar is more food orientated with, on my visits, several groups and couples enjoying the good value standard issue home cooked food. The pub is badged as a Pubmaster outlet. There’s 6 pumps, split between the two bars, which were serving the ubiquitous Black Sheep plus, notably, 2 beers from the local Coquetdale Brewery in nearby Rothbury – Snitter Bitter and Simonsen Blonde – which were both decent pints. It’s a rather unremarkable place, to be honest, but I enjoyed decent beer and food in here on both my visits whilst staying in town