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The Borehole, Stone
Stone
ST15 8LL
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8½ of 10) see review guidelines
Steve C left this review about The Borehole
The Borehole is the tap for the Lymestone Brewery that, I was informed by the very friendly barmen, is just up the road. The pub itself is very basic with a bland seating area to the left of the entrance, but a more interesting bar area to the right with the serving counter on the left wall. Seven hand pumps were all drawing their own beers, which were Stone Cutter, Foundation Stone, Stone the Crows, Stone Faced and Einstein alongside two seasonal beers which were Cherry Stone and Stone Edge. There were also six keg options with their Abdominal Snowman and Stone Dead which are apparently stronger versions of the keg. I liked the Cherry Stone so much that I stayed for a second pint, even though I found the pub to be very basic. People have come here to drink rather than admire the fixtures and fittings. There is a quiz every couple of weeks, the next being 4th April. This place would be a 10/10 on a nice Summer afternoon when the outside seating can be utilized.
On 27th March 2024
- rating: 9
[User has posted 5250 recommendations about 5218 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Borehole
A pleasing brick Victorian industrial outbuilding,this is the brewery tap for Lymestone.There is a bar to the right and a couple of high tables,the main body of the interior is to the left and winds around to a snug area around a corner ,with draughtmans designs on the walls.The interior has industrial style carpet squares and the whitewashed walls give quite a stark finish although the furniture is mixed yet traditional.Through a corridor is a rear beer garden ,while to the front there is a paved area with benches.
It has a friendly local boozer atmosphere ,and was busy on a Thursday evening with lots of regulars popping in and then out again.There is a mix of ages and being dog friendly a lot of mutts had brought their owners along for a pint.No muzak,machines or flatscreens and lots of chatter give this a micropub feel but it is large enough to be fairly described as a Tap.
There are 7 handpumps offering 6 from Lymestone ,on my visit Stone Fired,Stone Cutter,Stone the Crows,Ein Stein,Foundation Stone (well kept £3.05) and seasonal Stonefish MILD with a further handpump dedicated to a real cider.Artisan gin was proving popular with the ladies and I noted food available at some lunchtimes.
Lymestone are a decent brewer but not in the Premiership IMHO ,so although this is the place to try their ale,the longish walk from town may need to be born in mind.It is however quite close to the station.Not quite in the same league as the other two GBG entries for Stone,The Swan Inn and the Royal Exchange but pleasant enough .
On 25th May 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Borehole
On a recent tour of most of Stone's pubs, this was the only one where I had more than just a half - this was more because I arrived late (train delayed by points failure) and took a while to catch up with the others on the route, than any deficiency in the quality of the other pubs. Also, it has to be said, I wanted to try some Lymestone beers, which I have not seen more than once or twice before. I went for Stone Faced and Stone the Crows, which were both very good, then branched out onto the one guest beer in the line up, Vale brewery's Black Swan Mild, from Brill in the Vale of Aylesbury. All the beers were in very good condition, and tasters were offered with enthusiasm. We all had a good time here and I would be happy to return.
On 3rd April 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3745 recommendations about 3482 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Borehole
Converted from an office building for the defunct Bent’s Brewery, this is now a very pleasant tap for the Lymestone Brewery who are conveniently located a short distance away in part of the old Bent’s premises. The pub has a bit of a micro pub feel to it and is certainly far removed from the railway arch/industrial estate brewery bars found across London these days. A lot of effort has gone into creating a very cosy two room bar with the feel of a traditional pub. You enter past a couple of outdoor benches, into a whitewashed room with seating to the left and the servery to the right. The bar has a simple counter with blackboards to the left listing the draught options and shelves on the bar back displaying the bottled beer range. The lounge area to the left of the entrance is very well presented, offering some high quality pub furniture including pews around a lit stove, low stools, standard chairs and a low bench draped with a sheepskin rug. An eclectic mix of items can be found on sideboards and in the window sills, such as bottles, beer glasses, lamps, taps and some marvellous old Double Diamond and Trophy Bitter lights. The walls have been decorated sparingly with brewery signs, mirrors, posters and a yard of ale vessel. There is a piano in the front corner and the porch is lined with hops and has a few barrels stacked on top. In the far corner there is a door through to a second room which is served by the same stove and has a mix of regular chairs and some sofas. There is a nice map of the local area on the wall and a stack of board games on a table. The pub is dog friendly - in fact I was the only customer not to have brought a dog with me, and one particular canine was going nuts, barking at a wicker dog sculpture that was stood next to the bar!
A good selection of Lymestone beers were available on handpull, with options on this visit consisting of Stone Cutter, Stone the Crows, Nose to the Grindstone, Stone Faced, Stone Brood, Ein Stein and Foundation Stone plus a guest of Great Newsome Out Foxed. The barman was very friendly and chatty and he helped me figure out what sort of beer I wanted from a selection of beers I’d never previously encountered. The full range of Lymestone bottled beers were available from the fridges and take outs and gift packs were being advertised.
I thought this was a wonderful little pub and a great showcase for the Lymestone Brewery and their beer. I could very easily have spent me entire afternoon here working my way through the full range of ales and would suggest that this place sets the bar very high for breweries of a similar size who wish to open their own on site bar. A really enjoyable visit and a must do when in Stone.
On 30th December 2016
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Beer Monkey left this review about The Borehole
Visited The Borehole for the first time yesterday evening. The premises is a brick buildinrg adjacent to the Lymestone Brewery to the north of Stone Town Centre, and ideally placed for a pub crawl taking in The Pheasant Inn, Talbot Hotel, Langtry's, The Royal Exchange and The Swan Inn, all of which offer cask ales.
Immediately impressed by the layout of The Borehole with the bar on the right with seating for those who like to be near the bar. To the left is a reasonable sized area flowing around to a further smaller seating area. The place was full of lovely recycled furniture items which was much better than a clinical looking job lot of rubbish furniture.
The bar was very well stocked with permanent and seasonal Lymestone beers on handpull, a further couple of changing beers on handpull, and a couple of local Freedom Brewery lagers on tap. Added to this were a range of ciders, gins, other spirits and bar snacks.
I had 3 different pints from the Lymestone permanent range: Stone Cutter (3.7%); Stone Faced (4.0%); and Foundation (4.5%). All 3 pints were in excellent condition and slipped down very nicely, and were around the £2.50 mark per pint which was great value. I hope to be back soon to try the Ein Stein and Stone The Crows. Furthermore, I plan to attend the Lymestone Brewery 20/20 beer festival on 16/17 Sep 16 (featuring 20 cask beers and 20 ciders).
Thank you to Brad, Viv and their team. You have created a fantastic venue which will get better and better.
On 26th August 2016
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3 recommendations about 3 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Borehole
We arrived first knockings, when they had just opened at 12pm on a Friday. We met the owner, who was very friendly and chatty. I immediately went for the Lymestone Stone Cutter, which am quite partial to, an excellent pint. Also tried was the Stone Faced, which was also top notch. There were five permanent Lymestone ales on handpump and two guest.
The interior to this Micro is a good size, with a large L shaped lounge, with lots of good seating areas and an upright piano over in one corner. The bar area is also well stocked with a various collection of gins and rums and a good range of bottles from the fridge.
The pub also got busy around lunchtime with customers popping in for a sandwich and then sitting out front in the patio area.
On 22nd August 2016
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about The Borehole
This is a small pub that is the Brewery Tap for Lymestone. It is set in what looks like a gatehouse at the entrance of the old Bent's Brewery site part of which now houses the Lymestone Brewery. Bent's also had a brewery in Liverpool but the company was taken over by Bass Charrington in the 1960s. Considering it's not an original pub they have turned it into a cosy little place. It's larger inside than it looks from outside, the small bar is on the right as you enter and there are two areas one at the front by the bar and another further back. There is an assortment of tables chairs and sofas. There was a music soundtrack playing on my visit which wasn't loud but invalidates any credentials of being a micropub, although others may not agree.
The bar has eight hand pumps with one unused, a guest of Shiny New Moon and six Lymestone beers. I went for the Stone Faced (£2.80) and the Cherry Stone (£3.10) both of which were first class. Although this place is North of the centre of Stone it's only a short distance from the railway station and is well worth a look. I really liked it.
On 13th January 2016
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]