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Cambridge PuG Crawl, Friday 5th April 2024 with Gann on the Pub Forum

The Railway, Stockport

1 Avenue Street
Stockport
SK1 2BZ

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Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Pub SignMan left this review about The Railway

Not the easiest place to spot on approach thanks to a near total absence of external signage, this is a pleasant L-shaped traditional ale house situated on one of the main roads into the town centre. The place is carpeted and has a simple servery with a chunky canopy directly opposite the front door, which follows the shape of the room, running to the rear down the right hand side of the building. Banquette seating is available to the left although the majority of the space on this side of the pub is occupied by a bar billiards table. A small raised area to the front right offers pews and low stools , with more of the latter serving a row of small tables down the right hand side of the room, towards the rear. Decor is fairly limited, with a few CAMRA awards given pride of place, whilst an unusual dado has been created using old pump clips, which is a surprisingly effective trick. Blackboards in the shape of various beer glasses list the extensive ranges of Belgian, German and world beers to be found in the fridges. Elsewhere, the day's papers were filed in a rack, a few paperbacks were stacked on a ledge to the left and a nice tiled fireplace on the end wall called out to be lit. A few old boys were in when we arrived in great numbers and looked a little perplexed at the sudden invasion of their peace.
A very friendly barmaid presided over an extensive ale range which included Coach House Wizards Wonder. Phoenix Ariana, Holden's Black Country Mild, Salopian Oracle, Outstanding Blonde, Pictish Brewers Gold, Thornbridge Jaipur and three from the Rosendale brewery - Pitch Porter, Floral Dance and Sunshine. A real cider was also available from a box on the bar back. I'm not sure if there is some link with the Rosendale brewery that might have led to three of their beers being on, but I tried one regardless and it was in very good condition.
This is the epitome of an unpretentious local's boozer unconcerned with its outward appearance or modern contrivances, but focused solely on supplying high quality ale to appreciative customers. I could've happily spent a lot more time here but the crawl is a cruel mistress and I will have to bide my time now until I get the chance to work my way through all those tempting handpulls.

On 4th January 2018 - rating: 8
[User has posted 3102 recommendations about 3102 pubs]


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Quinno _ left this review about The Railway

An odd one, this. A few minutes walk away from the immediate town centre, there’s no external signage and the only way to know that it's a pub is the frosted windows. The inside is fairly basic; well a bit of a dump really and the V-shaped interior desperately needs some TLC, not helped by the pervasive cold. There’s a model train set above the bar and lots of CAMRA awards (no stereotyping here, honest). Notably there’s a unique dado rail that has been made using encased old pump clips and it looked excellent. Also a bar billiards table and daily papers available. Anyway we’re here for the beer and there was indeed an impressive selection off 10, majoring on Rossendale beers (there’s a link with Porter, who took the place on some years ago). So of course I overlooked this and went for a Holdens Mild which was fine. Also a selection of Belgian and German bottles as well as a couple of ciders. There’s potentially a cracking pub here but the ramshackle nature of the place put me off, unfortunately. 6.5

On 1st December 2017 - rating: 6
[User has posted 5043 recommendations about 5026 pubs]


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Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Railway

Wedge-shaped corner pub, with an exceptionally dull exterior almost devoid of signage (so if you didn't know what to expect, you would probably keep on walking thinking you'd missed it). However, once inside, you find a 'V'-shaped bar with traditional furniture and a number of interesting decorative features. On the counter, we found 10 of 11 handpumps in operation, with three from Rossendale, including the Pitch Porter and a decent selection of guest beers. Well worth the short walk out from the town centre.

On 25th November 2017 - rating: 8
[User has posted 8061 recommendations about 8061 pubs]


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Steve of N21 left this review about The Railway

A non-descript exterior that you would easily walk straight pat if you were not in the know houses a great real ale pub inside. Some nice traditional features and beer memorabilia, especially the beer mat display described below. But the USP of this pub is the row of 11 hand pumps on the bar with a focus on beers from Rossendale, Outstanding and Pictish breweries. 10 Ales were on for our visit and were those described by the reviewer below. Tried one of the Rossendale Ales ( Sunshine) which was in decent nick.
Probably not one to bring the girlfriend on a first date unless she is carrying a CAMRA membership card, but for all those into decent ales this should be included in any crawl of Stockport.

On 22nd November 2017 - rating: 8
[User has posted 2094 recommendations about 1985 pubs]


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Bucking Fastard left this review about The Railway

A basic looking boozer away from the main drag but well known as a real ale haunt and an outlet for the Rossendale Brewery.The interior has lots of old exposed beams and so a collection of pump clips are kept in a wooden display cabinet which runs along one side at dado rail height,rather than plaster them around the beams.The furniture is traditional if a little worn with a fireplace at the far end and a bar billiards near the front door.A front widow is etched with a diesel engine design which drew some debate about the type.
The bar has 11 handpumps serving on my trip Rossendale Floral Dance (decent nick),Pitch Porter and Sunshine along with Pictish Gold,Thornbridge Jaipur,Salopian Oracle,Outstanding Ales Blonde,Holdens MILD,Phoenix Arizona,Coachhouse Wizards Wonder with one pump unused.A very decent selection and the many CAMRA awards on the walls attest to it's predigree on the ale front.There is also a list of German bottled beers if thats your thing.
A solid drinking den,I would spend a little longer here next time than my brief crawl visit this time.

On 19th November 2017 - rating: 8
[User has posted 2709 recommendations about 2709 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Al Bundy left this review about The Railway

I enjoyed my time in here and it was nice to meet the PuG crawl crew. Unfortunately they distracted me from actually taking much notice of what the pub is actually like. From what I can recall though the pub had a very bland exterior and didnt seem to have any signage to make it stand out, but this is definitely a pub to visit if in Stockport. It was an L-shaped pub, had a lot of handpumps with a good variety of beer styles which was nice. Hopefully a better description will be made by others here today.

On 17th November 2017 - no rating submitted
[User has posted 3487 recommendations about 3390 pubs]


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Real Ale Ray left this review about The Railway Ale House

Definitely one not to be missed out. There were 12 hand pumps on our visit, a selection of ciders and a very comprehensive choice of Belgium and German bottled beers. The bar faces you as you enter and is quite basic as it's constructed from sheets of marine ply, with some pine moulding. The pub was carpeted throughout and I noticed a couple of church pews down the far end and a bar billiards table.
The barman was friendly and chatty, as were the other customers on our visit. We went for the Rossendale Floral Dance, Pictish Brewers Gold, Outstanding Brewery Blond and their Railway Witch brewed by Moorhouses.

On 28th April 2014 - rating: 8
[User has posted 3378 recommendations about 3378 pubs]


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ROB Camra left this review about The Railway Ale House

A cracking little pub that is still under threat of closure from the expanding retail park across the road. This explains why very little maintenance is being done to the outside paint etc at the moment. This is a proper ale pub though with loads of handpumps, 5 serving Pennine beers and the others being changing guests, usually including at least one from Dave Porters new brewery Outstanding. I've never had a bad pint in here and I've had quite a few. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable and the customers are a real eclectic bunch. There's also a bar billiards table in one corner. Several threats to its survival have been beaten off already, but I'd go along as soon as you can, just in case.

On 3rd July 2012 - rating: 8
[User has posted 3216 recommendations about 3127 pubs]


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Clive Thompson left this review about The Railway Ale House

A beaten up exterior that might make you think twice about going in and, to an extent, the interior is pretty scruffy in parts as well. But it’s the beer that’s the star here, 11 hand pumps lined up along the front of the bar, continental beers on draft and a fridge full of dozens of interesting bottled beers, all of which are shown along with the ABV and prices on blackboards. There is also a blackboard and chalk in the Gents for those interested in graffiti - not that there was a great deal. The locals were welcoming and the bar staff certainly know their beers and are happy to chat and make recommendations. We spent a couple of hours here sampling the wares, it’s the sort of pub where time is lost but never wasted.

On 28th March 2010 - rating: 9
[User has posted 777 recommendations about 697 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


train man left this review about The Railway Ale House

Also known as Porters Railway. Rossendale Pennine Ales (ex Porter brewery?), Floral Dance, Railway Sleeper, Sunshine, Pitch Porter, Rossendale Ale, Hameldon Bitter, also Phoenix Monkeytown Mild, Empire Brewing Ginger Ninja, Nelson Spanker. Keg taps offered Konig Ludwig Weissbier, St Louis Kriek (belgian cherry), Kaltenberg Hell, Krombacher, Warsteiner, Kingstone Press cider, also 3Cats med-sweet cider on gravity behind bar. Large single room pub, carpeted throughout except for wood-decked small raised ‘stage’ area with a scatter of tables/stools to rt of entrance, small book corner to the left. Upholstered banquettes around walls, wood-backed versions to rear, bar-billiards table nr doorway, railway shots & mural decorate rear of pub. Radio provides unintrusive background. Good to see Viz's ‘Real Ale Twats’ on the notice board nr entrance; some recognisable symptoms but not, as someone once suggested, ‘like looking in a mirror’! Good pub to visit in tandem with the nearby Arden Arms.

On 14th March 2010 - rating: 8
[User has posted 412 recommendations about 411 pubs]