Thatto Heath

I commenced a visit to a rather grey Thatto Heath at the British Lion:

I must say the external appearance didn't fill me with confidence but in fact the side door was open and I entered a warm comfortable tidy pub.

Just a few regulars were occupying the one room, the main sounds being gentle racing commentary and occasional chat.

Unusually, someone else asked where the gents was, so I didn't have to when it was time to go - I realise "go" has two possible meanings in that sentence, in fact both apply!

On my way to the gents I was able to observe the "other side" which appears to be usable but was in darkness on a Friday afternoon.

Next, the Elephant:

Now this was the reverse of the Lion; the Cask Marque badge on the outside raised my hopes, only for them to be dashed by two handpumps with no clips.

It's "only" six years since I was last here, and nothing seems to have changed, it's still a large L-shaped room, well cared for, clean and tidy.

A few regulars chatted and/or watched two different racing channels on the tellies.  The pub dog occupied my attention for a while.  It circulated around the pub, checking all the regulars, and then hovered by the gents door for someone to pass through so it could get out to the yard, where it waited patiently for a smoker to come and play with it.

Fifty yards down the road is the Vine Tavern:

I wonder what V+R means on the front of the building.  Is it old enough for it to be Victoria Regina?

Another spotless clean and tidy boozer, this.  I went in the bar side, where I was hard put to find a free table.  Perhaps there would have been more seats in the other side.

Again we had two racing channels to watch, but the majority of the customers didn't seem to interested, unlike in the Elephant.

Now a slightly longer walk, to the oddly named Brown Edge:

What a nice pub!  Partly knocked through inside, but retaining two sides.  Only two handpumps, one had the clip turned round, but the other provided a good pint of Banks's Sunbeam.

The signs say "under new management", from what I can see he's doing a good job.

Not many customers at four on a Friday, but the place was gently ticking over.

Next, the York.  Whatpub says it opens at four, but at quarter past it was still shut:

Their loss.

So I headed back towards the station, and my final target, the Springfield (Photo taken earlier, it was pretty dark by now.)

I entered the wrong side as usual, and the interconnection was not obvious so I sat in the bar side alone for my final lager of the day.

From what I could see and hear, there weren't many customers in the rest of the pub either.  I noticed a half-full pint of lager standing on the counter, as though its owner had just gone to the gents or for a smoke, but no-one came for it while I was there.

The decor in here is plain, but as usual, well cared for.  However, I sat on one of those long bench seats where there is a gap between the squab and the back, and looking through the gap I could see a lot of rubbish, so a dustpan and brush is needed!

Pub of the day: The friendly cheerful Brown Edge, also the ale of the day.
Miles walked: 1.7
Maybe coming soon: Aintree