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Detail Pages
The Running Horses, St. Helens
St. Helens
WA10 1PY
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Brainy Pool left this review about The Running Horses
Open again but no longer a Wetherspoons - pool tables everywhere, diminished food and drink offering
On 10th May 2023
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 1058 recommendations about 1023 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Al Bundy left this review about The Running Horses (Lloyds No 1)
A dull as dishwater Wethers. The interior orbits an island bar and its a fairly nondescript place. Not the usual array of handpulls you expect in a Wethers and a dull selection of beers to boot. Not particularly good and no real reason to visit again.
On 17th January 2020
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3487 recommendations about 3390 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Running Horses (Lloyds No 1)
One of two Wetherspoons pubs in St Helens, this is a modern Lloyd’s No 1 bar in a town centre retail park. The single room interior has high ceilings and a decent sized island servery towards the front of the room. The bar has an oval shape with a polished stone counter top and smart dark wood bar back. Large floor to ceiling windows at the front of the pub allow plenty of light in, but don’t look out to anything of interest and make the place look a bit like a furniture store or other such staple of retail parks around the country. Plenty of tables and chairs to the front and sides of the room give way to high tables and stools around the bar area, all sprawling out across two levels, with a portioning screen to the left giving a small modicum of privacy to the tables on this side of the room. Walls have mostly been painted in warm shades, or else covered with floral design wallpaper, which goes a small way to making this large room feel a bit more homely. Behind the bar there is a lower, circular space with scattered tables and chairs blocking the route through to the rear part of the pub. It seems, judging by the DJ booth to one side of this area, that the circular space becomes a dancefloor in the evenings, with a glitterball hung above. Beyond this, there is a final raised, carpeted area with high button backed banquettes along the rear wall, a few other tables and chairs here and there and a few more seats in front of the open kitchen to the rear left. Lots of ‘Spoons local history boards are on display back here, whilst elsewhere you’ll find plain mirrors, old paintings and TV screens showing muted live sports coverage.
I only spotted five handpulls on the bar, which had three guest ales, one ‘Spoons regular ale and one reversed pump clip. I forgot to note what I drank here, but I recall it was a decent enough drop of something from the national ‘Spoons guest ale list, served to me by a very friendly barmaid. I stopped here for a bite to eat too and the food was the usual cheap and cheerless fayre.
I didn’t really like this place and couldn’t shake the notion that I was drinking in a large retail warehouse, despite the well-intentioned efforts to make the place feel more like a proper pub. The good pint of beer and cheery service proved to be the main redeeming features, but visitors to St Helens would be better served exploring the pubs on the fringes of the town rather than bothering with chain venues like this.
On 18th December 2019
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Brainy Pool left this review about The Running Horses (Lloyds No 1)
a modern, soulless, sticky floored JDW's. insufferable on a Friday night, it's not too bad at quieter times but suffers from the usual lack of atmosphere, poor service and the feeling that you could be spending your time somewhere more interesting.
On 9th June 2018
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1058 recommendations about 1023 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about The Running Horses (Lloyds No 1)
As noted below this is a largish rectangular room with an island bar and a raised area to the left. The island bar is illuminated by chandeliers. It's definitely still a Lloyds as the disaster area is intact at the back with lights, a glitter ball and an idiot booth. I got here before midday and it wasn't busy especially compared to the other one in the shopping area.
The trouble with island bars in JDWs is that outside peak times one side gets neglected. In here it's the right side where the five hand pumps had two unused, Abbot, a beer from the not so recent festival and Doom Bore. On the left was Ruddles & Doom Bore, Inveralmond Bitter and Twisted, Moorhouse Pendle Witches Brew and Coach House Clipaty Hop. I went for the Clipaty Hop (£2.15) and a breakfast both of which were good.
It's not bad for a Lloyds and on the day the beer choice here was as good as the other one despite that having an extra five hand pumps.
On 17th April 2017
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Running Horses (Lloyds No 1)
Rather cavernous Lloyds No 1 Bar, despite having a substantial island servery and several slightly raised seating areas. Decor interest is limited to a few large paintings, the different types of feature lighting and a few local history displays. Overall, however, the place is dominated by the numerous TV screens. Has a bank of five handpumps on each side of the counter, only seven of which were on, but apart from the inevitable Doom Bar and Abbot, there were two reasonably local beers from Weetwood, one each from Moorhouse's and Williams, and the Wolf Brewery Spring Ale (£2.15).
On 16th April 2016
- rating: 6
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Running Horses (Lloyds No 1)
Five ales on handpump on our visit, so we went for the Coachmans Old Winter Ale. This is a large one roomed open plan pub with a central bar. The décor here is trendy, with gold coloured wallpaper along the side walls, lots of large gilt mirrors and paintings. Other areas were painted in a rich Burgundy colour. A lot quieter than the Glasshouse during the day.
On 31st December 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
peter ashworth left this review about The Running Horses (Lloyds No 1)
Called in one weekday afternoon where there was one serving and about 6 waiting to be served,so i turned around and headed straight back out again.
On 30th March 2011
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2318 recommendations about 2275 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
anne lewis left this review about The Running Horses (Lloyds No 1)
very disapointed, tried the all day breakfast brunch the eggs were like rubber complained the meals were took back to the kitchen the eggs were replaced but the rest of the food was cold, tried the large mixed grill on steak night , the meat was tough and very dry, and things were missing of the meal which had been paid for, all in all its just cheap food, wont eat there again
On 20th July 2010
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 1 recommendations about 1 pubs]