Liverpool 2024 - revisits

 

It was nice to meet up with friends in Liverpool in January 2024 and visit some of the best pubs in the city.

A separate post will cover a taproom and pubs visited for the first time while this post only includes revisits, in chronological order.

Peter Kavanagh's

Just off a main bus route along Catharine Street (75, 80, 86A etc) Peter Kavanagh's is situated at 2-6 Egerton Street.

The pub is listed in CAMRA's National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors and start with the distinctive entrance. The oversized door bars marked 'Push' and 'Pull' are also a feature on internal doors.

A Monday lunchtime visit (22/1/2024) allowed our group to occupy a small room on the right of the entrance at the front. The original circular tables incorporate a central sunken ash tray section.

A similar sized room on the right, just beyond the bar, at the back, features several bulky old radios.

As well as old radios, a central area at the front of the pub also features two old bicycles.

Cask ales on the bar included Blueberry Hill (Porter - Big Bog Brewing Co, Speke, Liverpool) and White Rat (Ossett Brewery, West Yorkshire). The total charge for Tim's half pint of Blueberry porter and Meg's half pint of lime and soda was £2.85. 

N.B. Due to medication affecting Tim's taste on this trip there are no tasting notes in this post.

A separate post includes The Belvedere where our group stayed for a while on the way to the Roscoe Head.

The Roscoe Head

Having left the Belvedere before the main group, Jon and Dennis were settled in at The Roscoe Head, 24 Roscoe Street, when we arrived. The barman coped admirably with our influx and wishes to pay individually. With a £5 minimum card payment some cash payments were required. Tim chose Porteresque (Milkshake Porter, Hophurst Brewery, Wigan) from the six cask ales on the blackboard. The pumpclips on the bank of three handpumps on the adjacent bar were turned around so that they are also visible from the main bar.

Jon, Dennis, Mark and Les are visible in this photo (left to right). The fire in our room was not lit and there was a cold draught. 

Closing the window improved the ambience, especially for those under it like Bod and Steve! This is a classic pub with reliable beer and the only Northern pub to have been included in every edition of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide. After some discussion it was decided to move on to the recently opened White Hart / Engineer with an entrance at 23 Hope Street. After a subsequent visit to Doctor Duncan's, facing St John's Gardens near Lime Street station, we walked down Dale Street for a visit to the Vernon Arms, previously visited on a January Sunday in 2019.

The Vernon Arms

Fondly remembered for its sloping floor it was a pleasure to revisit the Vernon Arms quite late on a Monday night and find a good space for our group at the foot of the slope!

Mark was on his phone again but so was I to take this photo of him and Les with a backdrop of the Manet painting - A bar at the Folies-Bergere - that includes bottles of Bass. My half pint here (centre of table) was Zenith - The IPA (Cross Bay Brewing, Morecambe). Despite the late hour, there was no hurry to close up and later an easy downhill walk from here back to our hotel.

The Lion Tavern

We approached the Lion Tavern indirectly via Eberle Street and stopped to get a photo of a mural there. It was raining and at this point a couple of young Liverpudlians offered us the gift of an umbrella but we politely declined. The most direct approach is via Moorfields with an entrance at Number 67.

This was the one pub that I was determined to revisit on this trip was the Lion Tavern, near Moorfields station. I had brought along a spare copy of Ullage magazine which included a photo of landlord Dave Hardman taken on my 2022 visit. The article also mentions the corresponding Beer Europe blog post. With the rest of the group having departed by Tuesday afternoon, this would be the last pub in Liverpool visited by Meg and I for a beer on this trip.

Although Dave was not at the pub on Tuesday evening Tim was able to give the Ullage magazine to Mark, behind the bar, for him to pass on. The regular and guest cask ales and cider are described on a board under the clock and behind the bar where a 'Total eclipse of the S*n' poster is also on display.

Tim's first half pint was the regular mild - Moorfields Mild (Liverpool Brewing Co). The pub has many interesting design features including wall tiles, mosaic floor and etched windows. The Lion Tavern is included in CAMRA's National Inventory of Historic Pubs.

Finding the conversation level in the main public bar on the loud side we later moved from our high table under the clock to a table in the back lounge which has a jukebox and a distinctive skylight.

The jukebox has several unique discs including 'Proper 70's' with Alison - Elvis Costello as track 1 and 'Liverpool Classics' with Dreaming of You -The Coral as track 1.

Other Classic Liverpool selections include Valerie - The Zutons and Ferry Cross the Mersey - Gerry and the Pacemakers.

Other revisited pubs

We had planned to find food from One Pan Band at the Ship & Mitre on Monday when Doctor Duncan's kitchen was closed but didn't even venture inside when we saw the blackboard in the entrance of the Ship & Mitre showing Monday - closed.

Instead we headed to the North Western (JDW), part of Lime Street station with a side entrance from Lord Nelson Street to a high-ceilinged room that includes some booth seating.

On a visit to the Gents, Tim appreciated the design of the inevitable stairs and stopped to look at some railway related graphic displays nearby.

On a wet Tuesday morning, tankard's choice of the Crown Hotel, at 43 Lime Street, on the south side of Lime Street station, for a breakfast rendezvous had to be changed as the pub no longer serves breakfast. 

However, there was a chance to briefly appreciate the interior decoration including a fireplace before moving across the road to The Richard John Blackler (JDW) on Great Charlotte Street for breakfast. 

The pub is on the ground floor of a building on the site of Blacklers department store. The store opened in 1908 and was rebuilt after World War II, reopening in 1955. 'The Slave Trade' and 'The abolition of the slave trade' are two of several framed displays inside the pub.

We only drank coffee here but noticed that local breweries were represented on the bar by Peerless Brewing Co of Birkenhead and Wily Fox Brewery of Wigan.

Beer Europe posts about previous visits to the above pubs can be found using the blog's search bar (web version) at the top left of the screen.

This post complements a Liverpool 2024 - first visits post mainly featuring Azvex Brewing Co Taproom, The Belvedere, The White Hart / The Engineer, Doctor Duncan's and Ma Egerton's Stage Door.

Liverpool (Moorfields) - June 2022

Returning to Liverpool after a previous visit in January 2019, I was keen to visit the Lion Tavern for the first time. In a reply on Twitter, Abi said 'Heartily recommend the Lion Tavern, Moorfields. Gorgeous pub.' On the late afternoon of Tuesday 7 June, after visiting Southport, Birkdale and Ainsdale, I left the Merseyrail train at Moorfields station and headed up the road.

The former Yates's Wine Lodge building caught my eye and I stopped to try and understand why there was a circular cut out section in the frontage. Noticing my interest, a passerby commented 'Weird, isn't it' and I had to agree! [Subsequent research shows the circular section was designed by sculptor Richard Wilson for the Liverpool Biennial in 2007. There is a video on YouTube showing the circular section rotating. Turning the Place Over closed in 2011.]

The Lion Tavern

Before entering the Lion Tavern, I investigated the impressive former Exchange Station building at the top of the road and determined that there was no access for the public. Research shows that the station closed in 1977 and was replaced by Moorfields station. The Lion Tavern takes its name from a steam locomotive that was built for the Liverpool & Manchester Railway in 1838 and is displayed at the Museum of Liverpool.

Once inside, I looked for a table with the sun shining on it and found one in the angled corner of the main bar.

A few customers stood at the bar or sat at the high tables by the windows but I was able to take a photo of the impressive bar without including any of them.

A panel opposite the bar gives details of the regular cask ales and ciders served.

My first pint was POTYSIPA a 4.3% ABV session IPA from Liverpool Brewing Company which was dry and bitter. (£4 pint). It was a pleasure to enjoy this beer in a bar where conversation was the norm but where the free jukebox could provide occasional musical interest.

A while later, I was able to take advantage of the free jukebox myself to play a couple of favourite Elvis Costello tracks - Alison (146 01) & Watching the Detectives (155 02). My third and final choice was a reflection of my current state - see footnote.

Yellow Submarine from Rock the Boat (Little Crosby Village Brewery) was my second pint. The 3.9% ABV golden ale cleared beautifully. With softness and less bitterness this suited my taste better. 

The award winning pub has its own bar mats to protect the historic bar surface. When I went to find the free jukebox I took the opportunity to photograph other parts of the pub.

There are art nouveau style tiles on the lower walls of the main bar and in the passage that runs between the main bar and the other bars. Note also the mosaic style passage floor.

The News Room is the bar on the right of the entrance from Tithebarn Street and also benefits from afternoon sunshine.

A skylight provides extra natural light to the Lounge at the rear. 

The Lounge also features a map on one wall illustrated with photos including one of the Lion locomotive. For more details and photos of the historic features of the Lion Tavern visit CAMRA's database of Historic Pub Interiors.

One space that is not usually visible is the Cellar. Traditional pubs have the benefit of a cool cellar with short beer lines to the hand pumps above. (I was able to sneak the photo above when a cask needed changing.)

I couldn't leave the Lion Tavern without sampling the mild ale and having a chat with Landlord Dave Hardman, who took over the pub in November 2016. Lion Best Mild from Rock the Boat (Little Crosby Village Brewery) is a 3.5% ABV North West Dark Ale brewed with five smooth malts. Described as 'Treacle, chocolate and nutty' it was dry to my taste but recommendable, as indeed were my previous two beers.

Dave was wearing a 'We had dreams and songs to sing' t-shirt with guitar picks featuring clubs and bands including: Eric's Liverpool; The Jam; Pink Floyd and The Clash. After a chat about the beers which he is proud to serve on a regular basis, Dave agreed to pose for a photo with the summer 2022 issue of Ullage magazine. This was the first issue of the West Berkshire CAMRA magazine to be printed since Spring 2020.

Dave kindly enquired about the other pubs I planned to visit and suggested the nearby Denbigh Castle. He also mentioned the Globe as a favourite pub. Dave was rather dismissive about pubs that offered too many cask beers as beer quality declines after a few days and it needs turning over quickly for it to be served in top condition. 

The Denbigh Castle

The Denbigh Castle, 10 Hackins Hey, is only two minutes walk from the Lion Tavern, but I stopped on the way to take a photo of a freestanding derelict building at 15 Tempest Hey (see photo collage near end).

Arriving at 6pm, there is some distance from the door to reach the bar at the back and adjust to the relative lack of light inside.

There was a choice of four cask ales and after some deliberation I was very happy with my choice of Twisted Wheel Brew Co (Easter Court, Warrington) Speed Wobble, a soft and hazy 4.7% ABV Session IPA. (1/2 pint £1.85).

The chance to visit pubs like these on a Tuesday has the advantage that there is a good choice of seating and no queues at the bar!

The spacious pub has an exposed brick wall, some interesting decor and contemporary lighting. 

Subsequent research shows there is also a downstairs bar used for events and that sport is shown on screens in the pub. It is the second pub to be opened by the Small Hands company after the Bridewell.

Before leaving, it was nice to have a quick chat with Francis who kindly agreed to pose with another copy of Ullage magazine which I had brought with me from Newbury.

Other pubs 'North of Liverpool Central'

The photos above were all taken in June 2022. I had previously visited the White Star (Cavern Quarter) and Crown Hotel (Lime Street) in 2019 but only had time to take fresh photos on this visit. One pub that I sadly failed to revisit this year due to lack of time was the Ship & Mitre. This was a pub recommended by Mark Geeson that can easily be reached from Moorfields by walking up Dale Street.

Footnote

The third free jukebox play at the Lion Tavern was: Canned Heat - On the Road Again (heard earlier in the day at the Masons Arms, Southport).