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The Arnold Machin (JD Wetherspoon), Newcastle Under Lyme Central, Newcastle under Lyme
Newcastle under Lyme
ST5 1PB
Pub Type
J D WetherspoonReviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Steve C left this review about The Arnold Machin (JD Wetherspoon)
The Arnold Machin is a long and thin Spoons that was busy during a recent midweek evening visit. The bar supports two banks of five hand pumps that were drawing the usual trio alongside Nethergate’s Hop Weaver, Burton Bridge’s Stairway to Heaven, Grainstore’s Rutland Beast and Glamorgan Brewing’s Thunderbird. I wasn’t a fan of the Stairway to Heaven, but I think this was more the brew than the keeping. The service was polite, but this is a ten a penny town centre Spoons that I will quickly forget about.
On 24th August 2023
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5249 recommendations about 5217 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Arnold Machin (JD Wetherspoon)
Substantial 'spoons housed in the former main post office, with the much longer side elevation and terrace benefiting from the adjoining well-presented municipal gardens. Partly opened-out to leave two rooms - the larger being the bar area at the front, with more of a dining area further back. Fair selection of real ales from the two banks of five handpumps, mostly priced (like my pint of Nottingham Rock Mild) at £2.15.
On 1st July 2018
- rating: 6
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about The Arnold Machin (JD Wetherspoon)
Called in here on the Thursday night before the PuG crawl and again for breakfast the following morning. Pretty efficient on both occasions with a decent selection of cask ales. Breakfast was served very quickly despite the fact that it was very busy with "Ladies Who Breakfast". Maybe this is a thing in Newcastle. Two almost separate rooms inside and a spacious beer terrace to the rear. I didn't mind it in here at all.
On 22nd June 2018
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3224 recommendations about 3135 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Soup Dragon left this review about The Arnold Machin (JD Wetherspoon)
I suppose me writing anything too complimentary about a Spoons is as about as likely as Aqualung appearing on Love Island. Housed in a former Victorian Post Office, the impressive mock-17th century frontage soon gives away to plain brick in this dog-leg shaped building and my enthusiasm evaporated just as quick. Two areas with walls of differing colours, information boards (which I didn't read as we were in a hurry) and so on. The service was Ok and the clientele the usual Spoons mix. Alongside their usual suspects, the Nottingham Brewery Rock MILD stood out from them and the other guests and was in good condition. Beer wise a good start, if not pub experience.
On 20th June 2018
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3067 recommendations about 3062 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Arnold Machin (JD Wetherspoon)
A fairly functional Spoons, which was very busy on our Friday Lunchtime visit. The equally sized two main rooms which ran from one into the other were fairly average with grey painted and turquoise painted walls. The bar area which was found on the right hand side mid way, in my opinion was poorly lit from a few Bristol blue coloured glass pendant lamps hanging above the front counter. A black granite counter top and grey tiles around the bar floor area also added to the gloom. Luckily for us we found a few decent beers, which were Nottingham Brewery Rock Mild, Coach House Brewery Coachman's Spring Ale and Pheasantry Vulcan Blue Steel, which was a 5% golden ale.
On 19th June 2018
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Arnold Machin (JD Wetherspoon)
Full Marks for Wetherspoons in taking another building of character and keeping it in use as a pub, and in this case, as said below, the pleasant stone façade old Newcastle town centre post office. The pub takes its name from the Staffordshire-born sculptor who designed the portrait of the queen which has appeared on postage stamps since 1967.
Sadly, however the interior does not match the exterior and inside it’s the usual bland Wetherspoons set up over two main spaces and nothing you haven’t seen in various other locations of the chain, and better if you can visit on a fine weather day when the pleasant side beer terrace overlooking the manicured public gardens can be utilised.
But at 11.00AM on a Friday it was performing the usual function for a ‘Spoons of providing a haven from the high street for the senior citizens of Newcastle after a cheap eats breakfast and being one of the few, if only venue in town when you can get a pint at that early hour.
In that respect two bands of five real hand pumps as mentioned but unfortunately too many taken up with the usual House ales of Abbott, Ruddles Best and DoomBore. Fortunately the Pheasantry Vulcan Blue Steel, Exe Valley Brewery Devon Glory, Coach House Spring Ale and Nottingham Brewery Rock Mild gave a bit of choice and I will concur with my early doors drinking buddy below that the Rock Mild was indeed very decent and an excellent first beverage of the day.
It wasn’t the best ‘Spoons I’ve ever been in and I have been in a lot worse.
On 18th June 2018
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2110 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Arnold Machin (JD Wetherspoon)
This former post office has a pleasing exterior ,while inside this is one of the smaller 'spoons done out in the usual identikit fashion .There is a decent outside terrace,and large windows allow in a lot of light.The bar runs down part of the right wall with two banks of 5 handpumps with the regular dull ales taking up 6 pumps and guests on my brief visit were Pheasantry Vulcan Blue Steel,Exe Valley Devon Glory,Coach House Spring Ale and a very decent Nottingham Rock MILD.A functional pub ,fairly typical of the chain.
On 16th June 2018
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about The Arnold Machin (JD Wetherspoon)
This is a JDW set in an old Post Office building. It's a large rectangular place with the bar roughly in the middle and the rest divided into smaller areas.
The bar has two sets of five hand pumps which had one unused, the JDW Trio Of Doom and the GK beers doubled up. Happily the remaining four were all Locale, Springhead Roaring Meg, Wincle Burke's Special, Burton Bridge Festival and Beartown Brown Bear. I went for the Roaring Meg (£2.55) which was in excellent nick. This sounds expensive for a Spoons but it's a super premium guest. The standard guest price here is £2.25.
This seemed like a fairly decent Spoons to me.
I returned here later to get something to eat and the Beef and Ale pie was very good apart from having too much pastry and Doom Bore being the "Ale" used. The Roaring Meg remained excellent.
On 24th February 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Al Bundy left this review about The Arnold Machin (JD Wetherspoon)
Amazingly I found this to be quite good with a varied selection of beer styles available. Friendly staff. Maybe I hit it on a good day. Side beer terrace overlooks a nice public garden area. No idea about the food though as I wouldn't eat in any Spoons.
On 10th June 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3487 recommendations about 3390 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Wilkinson left this review about The Arnold Machin (JD Wetherspoon)
I have visited this pub a few times over the last 2 years, in the hope that the place may improve. Sadly I am always disappointed.
The Bar Staff during the day are generally pissing about between them and when they grace you with their presence, they seem to be annoyed that they may have to do some work.
Firstly, in the winter months this place always seems to be freezing. Secondly, the majority of the food seems to go through the micro wave. I don’t have a problem with this, but the micro wave must be knackered as the food always turns up cold! And I am not talking about the salads either.
Pretty good prices on beer and food, but a waste of money if the quality of the food is crap.
Manager needs a kick up the arse as this pla
On 8th December 2008
- rating: 4
[User has posted 8 recommendations about 8 pubs]