July 17, 2011 [ Updated July 31, 2011 ]
The Red Lion is probably the best pub in Littleborough. It has several regular draft ales including Holts bitter, Timothy Taylor Landlord, Sam Smiths bitter, Hartleys XB and its own Red Lion (possibly a re-badge and served from a strange contraption) as well as a couple of guests. When we were there in early June they were Phoenix Black Bee Honey Porter and Little Valley Queen Bee. It also had several foreign beers on tap and in bottle – for example, Erdinger, Hoegaarden, Leifmans frambozen and Timmermans. If you approach from the centre of town, going under the railway arch towards Blackstone Edge, the first thing you see is the pub’s gable end and an old Wilson’s insignia. From the front, it’s a double fronted stone building with a small patio outside. The front door leads onto an arcade, like a drinking corridor, with the bar squeezed in half way along on the right. The main lounge is on the left and has banquettes and stools. On the far wall, which is stone, there’s a fireplace with windows on both sides. There are plates on racks around the wall and several porcelain carthorses. It was rather busy at 2100 on a Saturday evening and had a real buzz. We found seats in the snug, which also has a fireplace and lots of bric-a-brac – more carthorses, gypsy lamps, a few old photos and a pen and ink sketch of a working boat on the canal nearby. There’s a window through to the bar and a piano in here too alongside comfy armchairs and a bowl of water for a guide dog who seemed to know his (or her) way around. The two rooms to either side of the corridor at the back are given over to darts and pool. The darts room, which also has a big television screen, was decorated in cool aquamarine that gave the impression of being underwater. Perhaps the pool room should have been this colour too! Service was very friendly and efficient although the person that served us wasn’t very knowledgeable about the beer. Overall, the pub has a cosy, lived in feel and I liked it a lot. (Visited 4 June 2011).