The Station House, Durham

Before this visit I'd only been to two pubs in Durham, several years ago, and this was my 14th in one day. It opened in 2015, as my notes made at the time say, so wasn't open when I was in Durham before, and its proximity to the station had made it a shoo-in for last pub of the day. This is a micropub, with the beers dispensed through a hatch on the door of the stillage area where the beers and ciders are kept. Four ales and four ciders, as the pump clips on rails either side of the hatch made clear. The owner was having a beer himself after serving me, though he already had several customers in the pub. He was very friendly and welcoming, and there was a good atmosphere to the place. I would have appreciated the pub and beer more if they had been my first of the day, but it doesn't open until 4pm midweek (closed Monday, 2pm Friday). My notes, despite how many beers I'd drunk, can be read to the extent I know that my half of Hops & Dots Kanye Best ESB 5% was in very good condition.

Splendid micro at the bottom of the station hill under the viaduct. One square room with a little area with two tables tucked away by the stairs to the toilet and more seats. No counter, service is from a hatch in the door of the cool room where the beer and cider are stored, all on gravity dispense.

Pretty decent place, this. The beer was kept on stillage on the left and there was a good selection. It was coming to the end of my session so I didn't take any details, but would definitely return.

This is a proper micropub set in a split level rectangular room and with another room upstairs that I didn't check out. The cellar room is on the left as you enter and the beer and ciders are served directly here across a small bar. There was a fair crowd in on a Saturday afternoon. There were six varied beers on Allendale Thunderstruck, Oakham Citra, Errant Razorback Stout, Thornbridge Galaxia, Robinsons Dark Vader and Fyne Jarl. I went for the Galaxia, Razorback Stout and Thunderstruck which were all in excellent condition. I only wrote down the price of the Thunderstruck as it was £2.30 a half and only served in that measure so I had to keep going back to top my pint glass up. It was a superb strong (7.4%) New World pale. The other beers were more normal prices. I thought this was a great place.