The Castle, Macclesfield

A lovely unspoilt old pub in the back streets behind Macclesfield's town centre, the Castle is easily reached from either the station or the main shopping streets. Two doors lead off the entrance porch, and the one on the right seemed to have a glimmer of light through it while the other appeared dark, so I turned right. This is a tiny and basic tap room, with the pump clips turned around not because the beers were off but because the room behind the bar is the one more used. The beers on were Merlin Sir Galahad and Ringwood Best. I went for the latter just to break a sequence of blonde beers, and this was OK if not spectacularly good - other pump clips on the walls hinted at more interesting fare that has been available previously. Behind the unlit door are three further rooms, in varying and more comfortable styles. I encourage reviewers with more time than I had on my brief visit to write detailed descriptions of these interesting-looking rooms. Or I could come back again myself...