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The Three Mariners, Lancaster
Lancaster
LA1 1EE
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Three Mariners
Although this pub is apparently now owned by Robinsons, there was only one beer from that brewery at the time of my visit earlier this year. This was a rebadged house beer, and other beers were from Oakham (JHB and Citra), Timothy Taylor Landlord and Hawkshead Dry Stone Stout. I went for the latter, which is not as good as their own Brodie's Prime (or their local rival Barngates with their Goodhew's Dry Stout), but it was in good condition. Compared with my visit 10 years ago I would say this pub had definitely improved, with some good music on the sound system, improved furnishings and I think the layout of the interior has also changed for the better. Service was good too. (I still prefer the Sun though.)
Date of visit: 4th March 2022
On 26th August 2022
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3746 recommendations about 3483 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Three Mariners
Claims to be city's oldest pub, and its appearance and position between the castle and quayside lend some credence. However, in the coronavirus era, most customers were sat outside on wooden tables at the front. Six real ales and a draft cider were advertised on a chalkboard beside the entrance, and I opted for the Hartley's inspired Cumbria Way (£3.95).
On 1st October 2020
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Brainy Pool left this review about The Three Mariners
this is an excellent pub that should be high on the agenda for anyone visiting Lancaster. it's a bit foodie but fine in the bar area - very olde-worlde and a huge range of cask ales across 10 or so handpumps. not as far up itself as some in the city either.
On 13th August 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1058 recommendations about 1023 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
John Bonser left this review about The Three Mariners
In the centre of Lancaster, built into the side of Castle Hill, is The Three Mariners, which proudly promotes itself as “Lancaster’s original pub”.
Externally, it’s an attractive looking old stone built 3 storey building with criss cross leaded windows and something of a country house look to it.
Apparently, there has been an inn here since the 15th Century and it is rumoured that a passage leads to the pub from the castle dungeons, through which prisoners were brought for a final drink. There’s the inevitable ghost stories on the pub’s own website, should you feel the urge to find out more.
The interior features low black beams, some exposed stonework, and padded comfortable seats in bays close to the smallish bar area, and a further larger area away on the right principally aimed at diners. There’s some framed shipping prints – hardly surprising given the pub’s name – and an old inglenook fireplace, but there’s no real feeling at all that this is an old pub with a long history. An old Mitchells Brewery mirror is still in evidence.
An unusual feature is the cellar, which is at first floor level and is apparently kept cool by a natural spring flowing down from the castle rock behind.
Somewhat unusually, the pub is set back from the road in an avenue of trees and there’s a grassy shady outside seating area at the front under these trees.
On my recent mid – September visit, the 6 pumps were serving Black Sheep, 2 Hawkshead beers ( Lakeland Gold and Windermere Pale Ale ), , Kirkby Lonsdale Monumental plus York Guzzler, the latter reflecting presumably its ownership by Mitchells. A 6th beer was noted as “settling upstairs in the cellar”. There’s a 10p per pint CAMRA discount.
Beer was in good form.
Not a must visit pub by any stretch of the imagination, but I’d be happy to call in again
UPDATE - September 2016
This pub has now been acquired by Robinsons
On 25th September 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Boots left this review about The Three Mariners
Reputedly the oldest pub in Lancaster, it sort of looks the part with flagstones, beams and stuff and there are tales of ghosts and hidden passages. It's tucked away under the castle hill set back from the road. There are two rooms in similar oldish but modernised style and a dining room at one end. Six hand pumps but I only remember the lovely Titanic Cappuccino
On 6th March 2016
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3269 recommendations about 2978 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tony Nicholson left this review about The Three Mariners
We visited the Pub in June '14. We were on holiday from Canada and I was showing my wife my old haunts in Lancaster. She had never been to the City.
The pub was basically as I remembered it and retains its old world looks.
The real ale was good after many years of lager type beers.
We did, however, have one peculiar incident. We were sat near the open end of the bar and my wife wanted a snack. I pointed out the rack of crisps at the end of the bar and mentioned that they even had Doritos. She said that she didn't want American crap so I pointed out the English crisps to her. At that moment, a packet [her favourite kind] stretched from one corner to another, came out of the rack, and seemed to be flung to the ground. It definitely did not fall normally. My wife looked at me and said, "did you see what happened". My wife decided she wasn't hungry. It was only later we found out that the pub is supposed to be haunted!!!
On 29th September 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1 recommendations about 1 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Three Mariners
A fine looking pub from the road with coloured lamps in each window. The interior was interesting with the exposed low beams and a good choice of beers. The downside for us was the awful repetitive piped music, from a band I couldn't name, which was whining and would send anyone mad. Next was the chap behind the bar dressed in his kitchen attire, who wiped his nose along his forearm. We tried the Hawkshead Pale, then legged it.
On 23rd February 2014
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about The Three Mariners
Old stone building set back from the road and close to the river. Split into two areas, all modern and comfortable and there is the odd beam here and there still. Has the feel of a family middle of the road kind of place but the 5 real ales are kept well.
On 19th August 2013
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Three Mariners
When I lived in Lancaster this was called the Carpenters Arms and it stood next to a very ugly granary, now replaced by some smart modern apartments. In those days the outside of the building was nothing special - after all, who was looking when that monstrous grain warehouse was standing right by? Inside was a fine old pub, and I mean genuinely old, and verging on tatty. But full of character.
Some things have changed, and from the outside it's now a pretty stone building in a grove of trees, but inside there's no sense of history at all. It all seems to be standard pub fittings and the Three Mariners could be any old pub in any old town. It's still worth a visit, of course - don't let me put you off - just not what it used to be (the price of getting old).
Six hand pumps on the bar were serving five northern beers, two from local breweries (Cross Bay Nightfall and Bowland Hen Harrier) plus three from what I used to think of as the wrong side of the Pennines (Rudgate Ruby Mild, Black Sheep Bitter and York Guzzler).
On 3rd February 2012
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3746 recommendations about 3483 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Three Mariners
A Christmas revisit after the Boxing Day LCFC debacle against Clitheroe. Six ales on: Black Sheep, two from Kirkby Lonsdale and three from Dunscar Bridge, I tried a Dunscar Bridge one which was in fair condition. The visit was a little spoilt when the cloth-eared woman behind the bar turned my half into a pint and the subsequent glass was scratched and pitted from too many cycles in the dishwasher. Still worthy of a place on a crawl of the city but I wonder if standards are being allowed to slip…?
June 2009
Wonderfully pretty heritage pub (all low beamed ceilings, part-partitions, real fire and oak beams with a nice warm ambience), located to the rear of the castle in close the river in a leafy alcove. Six handpulls are usually on the go with a decent selection of ales in decent nick (and cheaper than other Lancaster centre outlets). The ale selection usually has a heavily northern slant from some of the bigger regional breweries. It often seems quiet though compared to the other half dozen pubs I usually visit in Lancaster. I wonder why? Still, it’s always worth a visit.
On 29th December 2011
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5099 recommendations about 5082 pubs]