Liverpool

Late June 2018 and I found myself on a train heading for a cultural tour of Liverpool. I was joined at York by the irrepressible Barfly. He had prepared for our trip with a box full of ale and a sandwich. This was a good move as the last part of the journey from Manchester to Liverpool took much longer than expected.

Our first port of call in Liverpool was the North Western, a JD Weatherspoons pub at Lime Street Station. Large, even by Weatherspoon’s standards, this was originally built as a hotel in 1871 by the London and North Western Railway.

A grand assembly of the Young Lads’ Debating and Literary Society enjoy their first pints in the North Western

The next stop was Doctor Duncan’s, a Cains’ house with a huge range of guest beers. This pub is named after William Henry Duncan, Liverpool (and the UK’s) first medical officer of health.

The Hobbit and Jan Becall in Doctor Duncans

St Johns Lane, Liverpool L1 1HF

Bean and Degga outside The Ship and Mitre

133 Dale Street, Liverpool L2 2JH

This pub gets its name from a combination of two previous names, The Flagship and The Mitre. This pub is currently a CAMRA Pub of Excellence and boasts the largest selection of hand-pulled ales in Merseyside.

The Lion Tavern 
67 Moorfields, Liverpool, L2 2BP

Inside one of my all-time favourite pubs, The Lion Tavern with, from the left, Freebs, Little Tony, Neil, Kenny, Jones the Beer, Hobbit, myself, Bean, Yozza, Barfly and Degga

Lantern and skylight inside The Lion Tavern

Old school friends Jones the Beer, Freebs and Hobbit

Barfly and Inspector White of the Yard share the joys of a sunny Liverpool beer garden in the centre of the city

Ye Hole in Ye Wall
4 Hackins Hey, Liverpool L2 2AW

This atmospheric building claims to be Liverpool’s oldest pub, dating from 1726.

Bright young minds illuminating the darkness of Ye Hole in Ye Wall.

The Cornmarket Hotel 
Old Ropery, Liverpool L2 7NT

Things were getting a little unsteady when we left The Cornmarket.

This impressive pub is fitted with wood panelling from the Pacific Steam Company passenger ship the Reina Del Pacifico.

The Crown Hotel
43 Lime Street, Liverpool L1 1JQ

If you have time to spare before your train leaves Lime Street station, I can recommend a swift half in The Crown Hotel. The wonderfully elaborate fittings include an unimaginably ornate ceiling, glass domed skylight and a fireplace made of blue glazed tiled and polished stone.