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Disappointment of the week with Mobyduck
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Duke William, Stoke-On-Trent
Burslem
Postal town: Stoke-On-Trent
ST6 3AJ
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Duke William
Large pub with an interesting heritage interior featuring two bars separated by a lobby with an old off-sales hatch and two further lounge rooms off to one side. Traditional furniture and decor in all parts with just a few modern features such as a couple of TV screens. Also has an upstairs restaurant, although "sorry, no chef today" was a blow when I enquired since none of the town's other pubs appear to do food. Five of eight handpumps in use, offering Abbot, Titanic Steerage, Backyard Half-Wit, Oakham Citra and Alton Abbey (£3.10).
On 9th June 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8086 recommendations about 8086 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about Duke William
I was glad that Luton Town's visit gave me the chance to visit this pub with Regionally Important Historic Interior, though with the burgeoning pre-match crowd it was difficult to give it the appreciation it deserves. Also I was only able to photograph five of the eight beers on at the time of my visit (see photos), because of the crush around the bar. See the review by Pub Sign Man below for a description of the pub: my notes made at the time just say "real fire" and "nice old screens". Or better still, come and see for yourselves.
Date of visit: 30th December 2017
On 6th February 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3733 recommendations about 3470 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about Duke William
Disappointingly the beer quality wasn't the best on our visit and we had to return our first choice and the second beer also wasn't in great condition either, just passable. They did have seven handpumps on, but the majority of the younger crowd were all drinking the Carling. Can't blame them really as it was a particularly hot day. Maybe trends have changed in here and the real ale drinkers are all going to the Bull's Head next door. Still I did marvel at the dark oak curved bar and the original fixtures and fittings.
On 5th August 2018
- rating: 4
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about Duke William
This one is under the same ownership as the Post Office Vaults down the road but couldn't be more different. As noted below it's a genuine two roomed old pub. I plumped for the public bar which is where the beer is. They seemed to be doing a fair trade in food even in the public bar.
The eight hand pumps had Bass, Oakham Citra, Sarah Hughes Ruby Mild, Bad Co Dazed and Confused, B & T Golden Fox, Mouldy Corpse Offiler's Derby Best, Fyne Orange Apeel and Tollgate Ashby Pale. I had time for a couple here as the Bulls Head a few doors down wasn't due to open until 15:00 and went for the Dazed and Confused (£3.20) & Sarah Hughes (£3.50) both of which were excellent.
I really liked this place and it gets a well deserved 9.
On 27th March 2017
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about Duke William
Occupying one of Burslem’s most prominent buildings, this large Brewer’s Tudor style pub is a well kept, traditional two bar venue with a fine ale policy. You enter via a small flight of steps into an entrance lobby with some great glasswork and a choice of doors. The right hand door leads through to the public bar with a wonderful curved servery and similarly shaped front wall. The servery has a sturdy dark wood counter with period detail and a heated foot rail as well as a grand bar back with a fine clock as a centrepiece. Button backed banquettes run along the front and right hand walls under some impressive leaded windows with stained glass inserts. A fireplace is positioned in the angle of the front right corner with a TV screen above showing a muted TV drama which only the barmaid seemed remotely interested in. Taking the other door from the lobby, you enter a lounge which appears to comprise a genuine former lounge area to the left and a partly opened out former corridor with servery access to the right. The room has plenty of plush seating in the carpeted space to the left and some high dark wood panels topped with a collection of old plates give it a very impressive appearance. There is a tiled fireplace to the front and another hidden by a decorative screen to the rear. One wall at the back of the room had been decorated with some rather off-putting modern floral wallpaper, but this didn’t really detract from the traditional feel of the pub. A corridor behind the bar leads out to a rather cramped rear smoker’s area and music was playing throughout my stay although it sounded a little muffled under the general noise of a decent Saturday evening crowd.
The handpulls are all found in the public bar, so it’s worth popping in here first to see what’s on. Options on this visit comprised Bass, Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby Mild, Oakham Inferno, Doc Morton’s Mandarin Claw of Death, Bournemouth Wessex Wobble and Jennings Pigs Might Fly. This was the first time I’d encountered a Sarah Hughes beer outside the Beacon Hotel, so I decided to try a half, which was as wonderful as I’d remembered it.
This pub can be easy to overlook when discussing Burslem’s top alehouses, but to my mind it has a winning combination of well kept traditional building, good quality beer and warm comfortable surroundings, marking it out as a worthy destination in its own right. During my visit, I spotted several people I had seen in other local pubs earlier in the evening, suggesting the locals are happy to include this place on their Saturday evening crawls and I would suggest this is the equal of any pub I tried in the area.
On 29th December 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Duke William
In a pub rarity - an imposing building with an impressive Brewer’s Tudor façade which actually follows-through with a beautiful two room interior with lots of dark varnish wood, lovely leaded and stained glass windows, an amazing bar back with inlaid clock, heated foot rail, bell pushes in the lounge, serving hatch etc. Eight ales on (and they are all in the public bar, so go here first!) with an impressive selection – we plumped for Sarah Hughes and Heartless Chocolate Stout and were rewarded with two first-class pints. Noted that three thirds and a bowl of snacks can be purchased for £3.20 – now that’s value. This one was the best surprise of a long day’s drinking and matched the Bull down the road almost blow-for-blow in the quality stakes. One not to be missed.
On 15th November 2016
- rating: 9
[User has posted 5072 recommendations about 5055 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Al Bundy left this review about Duke William
A really good pub. The small bar area serves 7 cask ales and 1 cider. A pleasant place to enjoy a drink.
On 18th June 2015
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3487 recommendations about 3390 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about Duke William
The Duke William is a large looking three storey black and white pub that is situated at the top of st johns square and on the corner of newcastle street.
I took the entrance off st johns square and once inside the first right took me into a small bar,this was a really nice room with a curved bar,stone tiled floor and bench seating around the sides of the room,there was a larger drinking area to the rear of the bar and rooms off this area.
There were 8 pumps on the bar,i had a drink of Mallinsons Station bitter which was a very nice well kept drink,the other beers that i noted were Joules Slumbering Monk,Oakham Citra,Springhead Roaring Meg,GK 1799,Sharps Doom Bar and a beer that had black jack on its pump clip.
This is a proper unaltered pub that i really enjoyed having a drink in.
Pub visited 10/11/2012
On 10th November 2012
- rating: 8
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]