Padiham Road
Padiham Road is not a stretch that the Saturday visitor is
likely to stumble across, but it definitely merits a visit if you have the time to spare. On a weekend stop in Burnley,
you can do a lot worse that spend a Saturday night crawl along here.
This area has a number of pubs which sell real beer,
and a wander down Padiham Road offers one of the widest ranges of beer in town. It’s also possible
that some of these - those nearest the town centre - could represent a less hassled pre-match option for away fans,
providing you leave enough time to get to the ground.
Padiham Road runs roughly north-west from the motorway that
cuts through the west edge of Burnley (junction 10 of the M65, apparently) towards,
surprisingly enough, Padiham, upon reaching which it becomes, with perfect logic, Burnley Road.
There’s a little bit of Padiham Road on the town side of the motorway, but the main stretch that concerns us is
beyond it. The closest pubs to the centre can also be reached from one of Burnley's more
obscure stations, Burnley Barracks. This is the stop before Burnley Central on the slow
Preston to Colne line, being the other side of the viaduct from the centre. Burnley Barracks station
(where are the barracks?) sits snug by the motorway, with Padiham Road heading pretty much
straight across the other site (you can cross above it by going along Westway and Cavalry
Way).
However, the best way to do the full crawl is probably by taking a cab from Burnley
centre to the George IV, the most distant pub, and working your
way down back towards the centre via the Manor Barn, perhaps the Dugdale Arms, and then the Tim Bobbin,
which is close to the motorway junction. Another stop you may wish to consider is the Ighten Leigh Social Club, which appeared in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide in 2001.
Also roughly in this vicinity are a couple of Thwaites pubs, the Malt Shovel
and the Derby, while on Gannow Lane, (turn right off the motorway
roundabout if you're pointing towards the centre), is the Grey Mare,
with the Gannow Wharf further along.
While
you’re around these parts, you’re not too far from the pubs at the foot of Accrington Road, particularly the Coal Clough.
Click here for a map
of Burnley centring on the area covered by this crawl.
The
George IV
Padiham Road
A big friendly pub which used to be in
the Good Beer Guide, there’s nothing wrong with the George IV. It isn’t one of
the world’s classic pubs, but on my last visit (as long ago as Christmas 1999, shockingly) they
offered a decent selection, including Chester's Mild, Boddingtons and Wadworth 6X. Apparently they now sell
the locally made but hard to find Moorhouses Black Cat mild, which definitely justifies
the trip out alone. You're
not too far from Burnley's training ground at Gawthorpe here, just north of the road. I
suppose technically this pub is in Padiham.
The George IV, 708 Padiham Road, Burnley BB12 6LG.
Tel 01282 771436.
Click here for a map.
The
Manor Barn
Padiham Road
This is essentially a restaurant with a bar attached.
Rather a large place, but with some character, and a useful drinking stop between the
George IV and the Dugdale. It's particularly worth a look as a rare local outlet of
Burtonwood beers,
although they tend to be on the cold side, I find. Entrance is around the side, although it
didn't seem to stop some of our lot climbing the six front wall at the front where the
entrance used to be on an icy night in December 1999. It’s not unknown to see ex or
even current Burnley players hanging around in here. I still recall the night when I
bumped into Leighton James off out for a swift several with Winston White. Gets quite busy
of a Saturday night.
The Manor Barn, Padiham Road, Burnley BB12 6TE.
Tel 01282 456744.
Click here for a map.
The Ighten
Leigh Social Club
Padiham Road
Now we tend not to bother with clubs in this guide, as getting in to these
place can be a bit hit and miss, but when the Ighten Leigh appeared as one of Burnley's four entries in the 2001
CAMRA Good Beer Guide, we had to investigate. In March 2001 we accordingly paid a visit. And I
thought it was... all right. We had heard there might be some problems getting in, but we
did the usual thing of dividing into twos and threes and didn't encounter any obstacles.
It was the usual WMC routine. There was a man sat at a little table and we gave him a tiny
amount of money to get in. Once inside it's a standard club, on the large side, and
predictably busy on a Saturday night. Well, the drinks are cheap, aren't they? I always
think that to get the full benefits of a working men's club cheapness you need to drink
spirits - perhaps a dose of Bene and Hot would be the ticket - but naturally we sampled the
beer, which was really good. It was Moorhouses' Pride of Pendle,
and possibly the best pint of a long
night.
Other people have reported a frosty reception, but I thought it was neutral. In
essence, this is an unremarkable place, probably not worth the trip itself, but if you're passing
it's worth trying to get in. A CAMRA membership card may assist in negotiating admission.
Trying not to look like a football supporter
might help too.
They are generally reckoned to have a beer from the Moorhouses range always on. If you do get in, it'll be a good pint. And of course,
there aren't enough places in Burnley where you can buy Burnley brewed beer, so they're
all worth knowing about.
The Ighten Leigh Social Club, 389 Padiham Road, Burnley BB12 6SZ.
Tel 01282 422306.
Click here for a map.
The Dugdale Arms
Dugdale Road, off Padiham Road
A huge pub and a Thwaites house, off Padiham Road to
your right heading down, in the direction indicated by the prominent sign. Apparently it
now sells beer again, after quite a time without. If so that makes it a rarity amongst local Thwaites pubs.
Thwaites don't seem to have confidence in their beer any more, and apparently can't be
bothered to promote their excellent traditional products in their own backyard.
This pub has several
rooms and a Sky TV big screen, if that’s what takes your fancy. Definitely worth a break in the long walk down
if the beer is back on.
The Dugdale Arms, Dugdale Road, Burnley BB12 6DW.
Tel 01282 423909.
Click here for a map.
The
Tim Bobbin
Padiham Road
This has a reputation for selling some of the cheapest beer in
Burnley. The beer can be decent stuff, too, from Sam Smith’s, which again is not something
you'll find a lot of round here. The Tim Bobbin spent quite a few years in the Good Beer
Guide at one point. However, it should be said that it isn't universally liked. It has a lingering reputation for
being a ‘basic’ sort of pub. Detractors have described it as ‘dirty and
smelly’, while those who like it might prefer ‘homely’. It had been a long
time since I'd been in, but on a visit in March 2001, it seemed smarter, cleaner and
somehow bigger than I remembered it being. I suppose it had been done up, but it remained
earthy. Unfortunately the beer that night wasn't great, being a little on the turn.
It's
close to the motorway junction, and in case you were wondering, the pub is apparently
named after a local dialect poet. Visit for a slice of genuine Burnley culture.
The Tim Bobbin, 319 Padiham Road, Burnley BB12 6PR.
Tel 01282 424165.
Click here for a map.
Becko's Burnley boozer of the month, September 2002
The Derby
Padiham Road
This Thwaites pub sits somewhat isolated, surrounded by
roads close by the motorway and Barracks station.
Think I went in here once, although I can remember nothing about it. Supposed to be quite
scary. Helpful, eh?
The Derby, 177 Padiham Road, Burnley BB12 0EU.
Tel 01282 839238.
Click here for a map.
The Malt
Shovel
Hargrove Avenue
It’s somewhere in this neck of the woods, with
Hargrove Avenue running parallel to the motorway and Pendle Way, north east of Padiham Road. I'm not
going to give directions, as it would be going out of your way to call in. I visited
this pub once, and I was in rather a shocking state after already having consumed an amount of beer.
Anyway, if we're being completist,
this was another Thwaites pub. It’s of relatively modern construction, and seemed
pleasant enough, although you’ll appreciate the memory’s a little hazy. Probably
all smooth now anyway.
The Malt Shovel, Hargrove Avenue, Burnley BB12 0JY.
Tel 01282 430920.
Click here for a map.
The Grey
Mare
Gannow Lane
Now this is a pub I've enjoyed. Quintessentially basic,
this is a small local’s pub in one of the oldest buildings in the area, said
originally to have been a coaching inn. Not that there’s any hint of that now: the
interior is pretty cave-like. The other year they somehow found another room from
somewhere, opening up what used to be a narrow drinking corridor towards the bar, which I
rather enjoyed.
This is one of two Hydes pubs in these parts,
the other being the
Commercial on Briercliffe Road. Like the Commercial, they only have on the Manchester
brewer's bitter, but it's a good, old-fashioned pint and rare enough in this neck of the woods to be worth seeking out.
It can be a good pint in here, but they do tend to serve it too cold, and on my
last visit it wasn't on form.
The welcome has always been friendly, although it can get a
bit rustic on a Saturday night. One very disappointing thing I noticed last time is that
the old jukebox, a huge and garish rainbow of a machine with a magnificently antique selection,
was gone. It is missed. In what can only be called an act of cultural vandalism, it has
been replaced by a needless karaoke machine. Is nothing sacred? Still a pub worth
visiting, despite that.
The Grey Mare, 110 Gannow Lane, Burnley BB12 6QD.
Tel 01282 424687.
Click here for a map.
The Gannow Wharf
Gannow Lane
An unremarkable, albeit friendly, large pub, which does not sell any beer.
The Gannow Wharf, 168-170 Gannow Lane, Burnley BB12 6QH.
Tel 01282 421908.
Click here for a map.
Last updated November 2002
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