Crewe is a railway town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire. At the 2021 census, the parish had a population of 55,318 and the built-up area had a population of 74,120.
Crewe is perhaps best known as a large railway junction and home to Crewe Works; for many years, it was a major railway engineering facility for manufacturing and overhauling locomotives, but is now much reduced in size. From 1946 until 2002, it was also the home of Rolls-Royce motor car production. The Pyms Lane factory on the west of the town now exclusively produces Bentley motor cars. Crewe is 158 miles (254 km) north-west of London, 28 miles (45 km) south of Manchester city centre and 31 miles (50 km) south-east of Liverpool city centre.
The name derives from an Old Welsh word criu, meaning 'weir' or 'crossing'. The earliest record is in the Domesday Book, where it is written as Creu. The original settlement of Crewe lies to the east of the modern town and was historically a township in the parish of Barthomley. The original settlement formally changed its name to Crewe Green in 1984 to distinguish it from the newer town to its west.
The town of Crewe owes its existence to Crewe railway station, which opened in 1837 on the Grand Junction Railway. When the route for the railway was being planned, alternative routes and locations for the main station in this area were considered; Winsford, 7 miles (11 km) to the north, had rejected an earlier proposal, as had local landowners in neighbouring Nantwich, 4 miles (6 km) away. The company then settled on the route through Crewe and the station was built in fields near Crewe Hall. The station was in the township of Crewe, but the land north-west of the station was in the neighbouring township of Monks Coppenhall, which formed part of the parish of Coppenhall.
The company built its main locomotive works to the north of Crewe railway station; a railway colony soon started developing in the area north-west of the station. In 1840, Joseph Locke, chief engineer of the Grand Junction Railway, produced plans for a new town there. The railway company built much of the early town itself in the 1840s and 1850s. Although the nascent town was in the township of Monks Coppenhall rather than the Crewe township, it was known as Crewe from the start. The modern town of Crewe was thus named after the railway station, rather than the other way round. The population expanded rapidly to reach 40,000 by 1871. The town has a large park, Queen's Park, laid out by engineer Francis Webb; the land for which was donated by the London and North Western Railway, the successor to the GJR. It has been suggested that their motivation was to prevent the rival Great Western Railway building a station on the site, but the available evidence indicates otherwise.
Webb took a great interest in local politics and was "the most influential individual in the town". "Described just before his retirement as 'the King of Crewe', Webb came to exercise control over the working lives of over 18,000 men - one third of the total LNWR workforce. Over half these lived in Crewe, around 8,000 being employed at the locomotive works. Several recreational and sporting organisations were a direct result of Webb's influence and others received benefit from his support." These included the LNWR Cricket Club (established in 1850) and the Crewe Alexandra Athletic Club (established in 1867). However, Webb's influence allegedly also extended to intimidation of Liberal Party supporters. In September 1885, the editor of the Crewe Chronicle published charges against Webb, saying "That through the action, direct and indirect, of Tory railway officialism, the political life of Crewe is cramped and hindered beyond recognition". In November 1889, the borough council debated a motion which accused LNWR managers of working with Crewe Tories "to crush Liberalism altogether out of the town": "... by intimidation and persecution of your Liberal workmen, and by making the chances of promotion depend upon subserviency to the Tory political demands of the Management, they have created a state of political serfdom in the works." In December 1889, Liberal statesman William Ewart Gladstone wrote a letter to the Chronicle condemning the company's behaviour in the town.
The railway provided an endowment towards the building and upkeep of Christ Church. Until 1897 its vicar, non-conformist ministers and schoolteachers received concessionary passes, the school having been established in 1842. The company provided a doctor's surgery with a scheme of health insurance. A gasworks was built and the works water supply was adapted to provide drinking water and a public baths. The railway also opened a cheese market in 1854 and a clothing factory for John Compton who provided the company uniforms, while McCorquodale of Liverpool set up a printing works.
During World War II, the strategic presence of the railways and Rolls-Royce engineering works (turned over to producing aircraft engines) made Crewe a target for enemy air raids and it was in the flight path to Liverpool. The borough lost 35 civilians to these. The worst raid was on 29 August 1940 when some 50 houses were destroyed, close to the station.
Crewe crater on Mars is named after the town of Crewe. Crewe was described by author Alan Garner in his novel Red Shift as "the ultimate reality."
Crewe was mentioned in 1984 as the setting of the 19th episode The Flying Kipper, in the first series of Thomas & Friends.
The town unsuccessfully bid for city status as part of the Platinum Jubilee Civic Honours in 2022.
At first glance, Crewe doesn't appear to have had the complex history or periods of upheaval that have shaped many other locations. However, I always feel that you can never really know a place until you've scratched beneath its surface and the best way to do this is, more often than not, dive headlong into the local pubs. It was high time we did just that. Conveniently, Crewe is on a direct rail route from Nottingham, with regular trains, making it relatively easy to get to, especially in comparison to a lot of other places. The journey takes around 1 hour and 45 minutes. We embarked on the 9.15 service, which was due to reach Crewe a couple of minutes shy of 11am. Despite the relatively short travel time, it seemed to take forever, although we did arrive only a couple of minutes behind schedule. We disembarked at the far end of Crewe's expansive, but admittedly tired looking station, and set about getting our bearings.
Luckily, we didn't have far to go to find our first pub of the day. There is just such an establishment within the station itself. Making our way to platform 6, we soon located the Line & Whistle.
This open plan bar has fairly recently changed hands and been renovated. It reopened under the current name in December 2024 having previously been known as the Crewe Hero. The name is an obvious nod to its location within the station buildings. A sister pub of the same name will soon be opening at York station following refurbishment of what is currently the Duke of York. Inside the Crewe branch you will find a relatively small, open plan layout that actually merges with the Upper Crust cafe in the adjacent building. A small bar is at one end of the room. The rest of the space features furniture down both sides, towards the door, with booth style seating to one side and traditional wooden tables to the other, separated by wooden partitions. Chairs are a mix of high stools and lower upholstered chairs. The space is bright and modern, with part wooden flooring, and a mix of globe lighting and open chandeliers providing illumination. Just a note that there are no toilets within the bar. These are located a few yards further along the platform so hopefully you're not desperate when you get here. For our purposes, we were interested in what the bar had to offer. From a cask point of view, I would be disappointed. There are no handpulls in sight at this particular stop. Real ale was a feature under the previous ownership but this is sadly no longer the case. That meant that, not for the first time on the day (foreshadowing alert), that we would content ourselves with Guinness. We went for a half each which somehow totalled £7.10, likely indicative of its train station location. The Guinness turned out to be in good condition, which is always a plus. You won't find anything spectacular at the Line & Whistle. As a place for post-train refreshment or a pre-train top-up though, it could be worse. We used our brief stay to de-train and use the facilities before we cracked on with our explore.
Despite our first stop being devoid of real ale, we knew our next destination was going to deliver on that front. First, we had to get there. We left the station onto Pedley Street and then turned right onto Mill Street. We continued down this road for a few minutes, after which it became High Street. Skirting off the main road behind a couple of retail units, we emerged on the junction of Forge Street and Prince Albert Street. This happened to be an area which included several of the locations we'd be visiting later in the day but we had a different destination in mind for now. We continued up Prince Albert Street until we reached Earle Street. Our next stop was nearby. We had now reached Crewe's famous Market Hall, an indoor food market. This sits opposite Memorial Square and the local war memorial. Inside the Market Hall there is indeed a bar, and that bar is The Crewe Dog.
The market hall building itself was originally a cheese market but has subsequently been used as a general market hall. It was completed by architect Charles Meason in 1854. The exterior is of red and yellow brick, stone dressing and a roof of metal and glass. Above this is a clock tower, built in 1871, with a slate roof. Internal modifications to the market building were carried out in 2021, as part of a careful, sympathetic refurbishment. Nowadays, it boasts various food stalls and other small businesses along both sides of the room. The centre of the space is given over to communal seating and, such is the season, a Christmas tree and associated display. The Crewe Dog bar is roughly halfway down on the right hand side. It is one of three outlets operated by Salty Dog, with the other two being in Winsford and Northwich respectively. The bar layout is fairly simple. A keg wall at the back boasts 14 draught lines. The bar is L-shaped, with the small arm holding a bank of 5 handpulls. There is also a beer fridge supplying cans for drinking in or taking away. Toilets are adjacent to the bar but these are market toilets and can be used by all visitors not just people here for the beer. Speaking of the beer, the sight of hand pumps had warmed my heart. The cask choices were interesting: Merlin Merlin's Gold, Robinson's Dizzy Blonde, Little Looking for Trees, and Brew City Mild. I opted for a half of the Merlin's Gold, a beer I was unfamiliar with. Dog was in the mood for something crafty and chose Orange Chocolate Crunch, a sour beer from Vault City. A half of each set us back £5.70, a very good price! We took a seat at a high table immediately opposite the bar. The Market Hall is a cool place. You can imagine how busy it must get at weekends, particularly over the imminent Christmas period. It's also a very warm room. There seemed to be some kind of mystery heat source blasting hot air throughout the place. It was at least a good way to ensure that anyone coming in from outside wouldn't be chilly for long. I was glad we'd found this place. Pubs and bars in unique locations always appeal to me. It's not often that you find a setup like this, with a bar inside a building that's primarily used for something else. Still, it was a pleasant place to stop and the beer helped too. Merlin's Gold (3.8%) is a golden, session ale from Merlin Brewery, based in Arclid, elsewhere in Cheshire. There's a touch of sweetness from the malt and some fruit before the hops kick in. The finish is dry and lingering. It's definitely a delicious and very sessionable beer! I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was unfamiliar with this specific brewery prior to our visit but by the end of the day, we would have become very well acquainted. My first taste of real ale in Crewe had been worth the wait. Dog's sour from Vault City was also stunning. Imagine Terry's Chocolate Orange in beer form and you're about there. Finding The Crewe Dog had been a good move on our part. It's a cracking little bar with a fantastic beer selection. Dog was a bit upset that they didn't have any branded T shirts though, for obvious reasons.
Following a fortifying few minutes at The Crewe Dog we were in an excellent mood and ready to move on. Our next few stops would all be in the immediate vicinity so not much travelling would be required for a while. Leaving the Market Hall by the rear door, we took a moment to marvel at the nearby Lyceum Theatre, built in 1911. Almost opposite this theatrical wonder is the pub that would be our next stop, the Grand Junction.
The Grand Junction is named to reflect the town's railway history. The Grand Junction Railway was the former name for the company that would eventually become London and North Western Railway. The pub itself is named for a previous pub of the same name that was demolished to make way for a new market centre. Now operated by Stonegate, the Grand Junction underwent a significant refurbishment before reopening in its current guise in July 2016. Inside, you will find an open plan layout, with a single large room divided into smaller sections. A large zig-zagged bar is to the left of the room, with a pool table at the top. Opposite the bar is a raised area of banquette seating and wooden tables. A smaller space between the bar and the entrance features high tables and stools. The toilets are adjacent to the door as you enter. The bar is very keg heavy, so much so that there are no handpulls and so real ale is not available, much to my chagrin. It would be half a Guinness each for us again here, this time coming to the much more reasonable price of £4. We were informed that we'd been charged for one full pint instead of two halves as it worked out cheaper. Why is it not the same?! Still, at least the bar lady was honest. We retreated to a high table to one side and perused both our surroundings and our Guinness. The Guinness here was decent, which almost, but not quite, made up for the lack of real ale. The Grand Junction very much gives off the vibe of a locals pub, as would several others throughout the afternoon. There was a modest crowd of regulars in, either chatting or keeping themselves to themselves, much as you'd find in any given pub in any given town at a similar time on any other Thursday afternoon. Still, we felt welcome, which is often half the battle. As long as you feel like you're wanted in a place, you're inclined to stay longer.
In the end, we stayed until our halves were done and ventured on. We turned left out of the Grand Junction, onto Market Street and followed this until we once again reached Earle Street, where we took another left. We had effectively done a loop and were now back in the vicinity of Memorial Square and the Market Hall. On the adjacent corner is The Cheese Hall.
It's not often you find pubs named after a storage unit for a dairy product but The Cheese Hall is one such pub. It's name refers to the original function of the Market Hall. Over the years the pub has changed its name to The Stilton, and most recently The Three Lamps after the ornate lighting column that now stands outside, before reverting back to the current name. Located on a street corner, its unique sign, which displays a cheese knife cutting into a piece of cheese, certainly makes it easy to spot. The interior is very much open plan. The bar extends down the left hand side of the room, with tables arranged around the perimeter, accompanied by banquette seating. A space to the left of the entrance was apparently reserved for a buffet during our visit, with a tablecloth covering a table and a stack of plates at one end. A smaller, quieter, snug-type space is to the far end of the room, alongside access to a tiny outdoor area for smokers. The layout of the larger room is broken up by pillars and internal walls. Plenty of TVs can be found throughout and there is also a dartboard to one side. The pub has at least embraced the festive spirit, with plenty of Christmas decorations to be seen. The toilets are located in a corner between the bar and the snug. Speaking of the bar, there are a pair of handpulls here, which briefly gave me hope. However, closer inspection revealed the truth. One pump was blank, whilst the other held a pump clip but turned round, in the universal indication that it wasn't currently available. Still, it does at least look as if the pub stocks real ale, even if it wasn't currently fit for consumption. This meant that I once again went for half a Guinness. Dog switched things up and went for a half of Moretti, which he would soon regret. We paid £4.00 for our round. A recurring theme throughout the day, barring our first stop, would be reasonable prices. We made our way into the rear snug, away from the suspicious eyes of locals, to enjoy our drinks. My Guinness was OK. Dog was not a fan of the Moretti. A metallic tang suggested that it was probably the first pour of the line that day and that it doesn't move as quickly as some of the other lager options. Crewe was very much hit and miss thus far. Still, we were having a good afternoon. The Cheese Hall is an interesting place to look at, aside from its unusual name. It's also got a more sinister side. It is allegedly haunted. The pub backs onto the Lyceum Theatre and apparently shares a spiritual visitor with that venue. A ghostly monk seen in the theatre bar is believed to frequent the pub too. Back when it was known as the Three Lamps, a photograph taken in the cellar revealed what appeared to be a robed figure holding something across its chest. Who knows if this ghostly brother still makes his presence known in the pub's current incarnation?
Back in more earthly realms, it was time for us to relocate. Leaving The Cheese Hall, we continued straight on, heading back down Prince Albert Street, which we had traversed in the opposite direction earlier in the day. Slightly further down this road, we made our way to Albert's Corner.
This expansive building was formerly the Crewe Labour Exchange from the 1930s until it closed in the 1990s, after which it became The Waldron, before taking on its current moniker. The exterior gives the impression of a continental style bar, with green window shutters and whitewashed walls. Inside, the place is like a TARDIS. It's considerably larger even than it appears from outside. A large, long bar is directly opposite the entrance. Distinct areas throughout are marked out by changes in flooring, with tiles, bare wood and carpet all in evidence in different sections. Many of the original features have been retained, including the windows. The different sections are divided up by the use of iron pillars and wood painted walls. An eclectic mix of seating encompasses traditional scrubbed wood tables, alongside wooden chairs, high stools, banquettes and sofa style seating. Away from the open plan bar area, there is a comfortable lounge space, a games area with pool and darts, and a well-appointed beer garden to the rear. Sports TV is shown throughout. The toilets are in a corridor towards the rear. We were both impressed by the size and scale of this place. We hadn't expected it at all. What about the beer choice? Well, there are 2 handpulls here but, much like the last place, they weren't currently being utilised. It does appear that they do at least sell real ale occasionally though. I'd had my fill of Guinness for the time being so went for a half of Alpacalypse, whilst Dog went back to the black stuff on this occasion. A half for each of us came to £4.10. We took a seat at a table off to one side, which also happened to be near a plug socket for phone charging purposes and took in how big this place actually is. It's got quite a nice vibe inside, even featuring neon signs as part of the decor. Despite the beer choice, this was a pleasant surprise, although both our drinks were nice enough.
I had high hopes for our next stop. The second half of the itinerary would turn out to be the better half, for reasons that will become abundantly clear before too long. Leaving Albert's Corner, we turned right and then right again onto a small side road. This conveyed us out onto Market Street, where we then turned left. We followed this for a few yards, where it then becomes Edleston Road. At a large crossroads, we turned right and crossed over onto Wistaston Road, where our next pair of pubs are located. We crossed over again and, after a few more minutes, our next stop appeared on our left. Our attention would now turn to the Earl of Chester.
My anticipation was palpable, even before we'd walked through the door of this place. This would be the first of three pubs on the day that are listed in the 2025 Good Beer Guide. The Earl of Chester is a rarity, in that it is one of the few remaining corner pubs in a town that once had many. It dates back to at least 1874, where it features on the Ordnance Survey. Inside, it's a two-roomed traditional pub, with the original serving hatch now replaced by a window to allow bar staff to see the door. Upon entering, a small passageway offers the option of left or right. We were all set to go right, when we noticed the landlady waving at us through the window, telling us to go left. We did as we were bidden and entered a world of wonder. The main bar area is an ode to classic rock. Posters and pennants cover almost the entirety of the wall, and some of the ceiling, opposite a central bar. A stage is at one end of the small room. Hand-made Viking shields are displayed above the bar. We were told that these were kept after being made for an historical re-enactment. The toilets are located roughly between the two sides of the pub. The landlady herself was wearing a Candlemass T-shirt. Could it be that we'd located Crewe's rock pub? It certainly seemed that way. We were greeted warmly and directed to the bar, where we would soon discover the reason for the pub's GBG inclusion. A bank of 3 sits pride of place on the bar, offering beers from Merlin Brewery. The options were between Merlin's Gold, Avalon and Excalibur. I went for the Avalon and Dog went for the Excalibur, with a half of each setting us back an astonishing £3.40. We made our way round into the second room, a much more sparsely decorated lounge, save for a dartboard and a giant flag from Stonedead Festival. Both rooms are served from the same bar but the first room certainly has more character. There is also a pool room to the rear. Whilst this place is small, we were made to feel at home, especially once we were informed that the jukebox is free. I wasted no time in putting on my favourite Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest tunes. Since you asked, Electric Funeral, Hallowed Be Thy Name and Painkiller. The only thing that could have enhanced this experience was excellent beer. We were in luck here too. For my part, the Avalon was gorgeous. At 4.1%, this is a pale ale brewed with both New Zealand and Czech hops. These impart grapefruit and lemon flavours and there is also a touch of spice. The beer here was so good that we felt compelled to stay for another half.
It was almost painful to leave the Earl of Chester. It had been the standout pub of the day so far. However, the other pubs on our agenda weren't going to visit themselves were they? Our next location lies just down the street. A few doors down from the Earl, we found The Hop Pole.
Originally built by the railway company, what was once a two roomed pub with an historic interior has been opened out into a single room, losing much of its character and original features as a result. A central bar serves a large open plan bar room, with tiled flooring, a contemporary feel and a combination of wooden furniture and banquette seating. To the left, part of the room has been further opened out into a pool room. A larger area beyond the bar features more seating. To the rear, a large paved beer garden with picnic benches, leads out to an even larger grassed area, that was formerly a bowling green before it fell victim to social distancing regulations during the pandemic. A children's bouncy castle is also found outside, although this was deflated when we arrived. The Hop Pole boasts Crewe's largest beer garden due to the changes made. Back inside, and it was more disappointment on the bar, as none of the pub's three handpulls were in use. Instead, we contented ourselves with halves of Guinness once again, totalling £5.50, but were at least offered free mince pies. It's no real ale, but a free mince pie is a free mince pie. It's a shame that what was once clearly quite an attractive heritage pub has been modernised in such a way as to strip it of its original character and charm. It happens far too often these days.
Despite the free festive snacks, we were getting hungry for some proper food now. A quick online check suggested that our next intended destination would be serving food. Off we trudged, happy that we'd soon have some sustenance without having to deviate from our planned route. Or so we thought. Leaving The Hop Pole, we retraced our steps up Wistaston Road to the crossroads, and this time we turned right. This took us down Edleston Road where, after a few more minutes of trekking, we would reach The Imperial.
This somewhat imposing pub was a former multi-roomed Greenall Whitley premises but has since changed hands and been refurbished. The old multi-roomed layout has been knocked through into a large open space with four distinct drinking areas. We arrived approximately 1 minute before the scheduled opening time of 3pm, to find the door already open and a member of staff playing darts with a couple of regulars. The bar is located directly opposite the door, with some seating in the space in front. A carpeted lounge area is to the right, with soft furnishings. Another, similar area is to the left of the door, with more seating directly adjacent to the main bar. The toilets are around the bar to the rear. A bank of 3 stands on the bar but, once again, my hopes were dashed. No real ale was to be had here. No food either, as I ascertained from the member of staff behind the bar, although there would be cobs available later. As we wouldn't be here later, we were forced to formulate another plan. That plan was best made over a beer though and so we parted with the princely sum of £5 for two halves of Guinness whilst we assessed our options. There didn't seem to be much by the way of food options locally, although we had passed a Turkish restaurant further up the road which we decided to investigate after we were done at The Imperial. In general, this isn't a bad place for a beer. The Guinness was well kept. The pub itself is fairly bright and cheerful. Just don't get it confused with the Wetherspoons of the same name elsewhere in the town. Now, about that food.
We retraced our route up Edleston Road and made our way over to the restaurant, which also doubles as a takeaway. They seemed surprised that we were there in the middle of the day and were even more surprised when Dog went off menu and ordered a halloumi wrap. I went for a beef sizzler that came with rice and veg and we were even given complementary chickpea soup. It was very good food, reasonably priced and it certainly filled a hole. The restaurant in general was very clean and tidy. It's a weird experience being the only people in a restaurant in the daytime but we made it work. Now suitably refuelled, we had a decision to make. Time was getting on and, even though we had open return train tickets, we had a specific train that we were intending to catch. Therefore, we probably only had time for a couple more venues. This meant trimming a couple off the list. Due primarily to distance, we had to forego the GBG listed Raven and bypass both Tom's Tap and Brewhouse, and the Rising Sun Vaults. Luckily, this meant that we'd probably saved the best two venues for our last two visits. We'd soon put that claim to the test.
Leaving the restaurant behind, we turned left and made our way back up Edleston Road, basically completely reversing our route from earlier. At Market Street, we made a right, which took us back down the side street we'd ventured down earlier. We emerged back on Prince Albert Street, in the shadow of Christ Church, and on the doorstep of Hops.
Housed in a building that was once owned by the British Rail Property Board, Hops is a family-run, Belgian-style bar with a big reputation. It opened in 2007 and has featured in the Good Beer Guide every year since, including in the 2025 edition. Downstairs, one room is served by a corner bar. The flooring is bare wood and there are tables and chairs scattered throughout. A corridor houses the toilets. There is a front patio for much warmer weather than can be found in Crewe in mid-December. Decor throughout is heavily beer-themed, with posters, adverts, old bottles and the like scattered around and displayed on the walls. A pink elephant balloon, representing Delirium, hovers over the stairs. The pub is one of the few premises in the UK to be designated as an official Orval Ambassador and makes the most of this privilege. A fine selection of bottled beers, leaning heavily towards Belgian styles, can be found in the fridge. At least six ciders and perries are always available. We haven't even talked about the cask selection yet! 6 handpulls can be found on the bar, grouped by strength, with stronger beers on the left and weaker to the right. And what sights there were to see! The options here were Weekend Project Rockport, Mobberley Best, Shindigger Aroha, Kelham Island Pale Rider, Hepworth Thomas Hardy Vintage 2025 and Mobberley Stout. As we'd just eaten, Dog wanted something lighter so went for a gin and tonic. A double somehow only cost him £7.70. For my part, I went for a pint of the Aroha (4.2%) from Manchester's Shindigger, which cost £4.40. This is a pale ale with New Zealand hops. This means big, punchy juice notes and floral hints, with an earthy character and a dry finish. It's a very very nice beer indeed, from a brewery that I've only recently become aware of. Everything I've tried from them so far has been great, and this is no exception. We tucked ourselves into a table around a central pillar. Hops is a fantastic place. Great beer and a great place to enjoy it. Our fellow patrons were definitely enjoying the vibe as much as we were. Just when I thought this place couldn't get any better, the resident cat, Achilles, made an appearance. More cats in pubs please! Hops is an absolute standout of a venue. It's almost a micropub in size but veers towards the continental beer bar feel. The atmosphere is cosy and relaxed. It might be small but its character is huge!
We had time for one more venue and, once again, it was one that would very likely be very good indeed. Leaving Hops, we turned left and headed back in the direction of the Market Hall. We turned right across Memorial Square, crossed over at the roundabout and continued down Earle Street, crossing over the railway bridge. A few short yards beyond this would be our final stop of the day: The Borough Arms.
The third and final pub of the trip to be featured in the 2025 Good Beer Guide, the Borough Arms is known for its excellent beer range. The pub sign is the old heraldic arms of Crewe and, once you pass under the sign and enter this place, you are in a world of beery joy. Established in 1867, the pub has been run by the current landlord for 20 years. A list of his predecessors is written on the wall in the bar. In its current form, the pub was refurbished and reopened by a former brewer, Alan Hinde, in 1999. Since then, it has gone from strength to strength. The open plan interior is divided into three distinct drinking areas. The entrance brings you through into the middle room, along one arm of the L-shaped bar. To the left, a couple of steps lead up into a narrower bar space. A third room, towards the rear, is a comfortable lounge. A large downstairs room can be used for functions and there is also access to a sheltered beer garden. The toilets are on the lower level too. The Borough Arms goes through a phenomenal amount of beer, as evidenced by the pump clips displayed all across the ceiling, detailing every beer that the pub has ever sold. The bar is stocked well for such eventualities. One arm of the bar is jammed with keg fonts, including several draught Belgian styles. The other arm offers no less than 10 handpulls. 9 of these were in use on the evening in question, with a lot to choose from. The options were Oakham Bishop's Farewell, Titanic Plum Porter, Thornbridge Jaipur, Thornbridge AM:PM, Oakham Inferno, Stewart Ka Pai, Oakham Sanctum Gold, Thornbridge Market Porter and Hawkshead Lakeland Gold. As I'm sure you can imagine, it took a moment to decide. Finally though, we had procured a pint of Ka Pai for me and a Plum Porter for Dog. Total cost £9.00. We set about enjoying our final beers of the trip in truly wonderful surroundings. And enjoy them we did. Ka Pai (5.2%) is billed as a South Pacific pale ale. This effectively means that it's packed full of Australian and New Zealand hops. It gives fruit, mango and lychee aromas with a sweet but well-balanced taste and a bitterness that lasts a while. It's a great beer from a brewery I don't see much from. I can't think of a better pub in which to have drunk it. What a place this is. It reminded us both of The Strugglers in Lincoln, and not just because of the pump clip covered ceiling. This is a proper beer haven. No nonsense but proud of what it does. And what it does it does very well indeed. This is an absolute cracker of a pub. Reputation well deserved. We'd definitely loaded the back half of the trip with heavy hitters. Before long, and with time lurching forth, we supped the last few drops and headed off. An Uber to the station and a short wait for our train later and we were heading back home.
Crewe had been an interesting experience. It's easy to see why it wouldn't be on the radar for a lot of pub crawlers or beer tickers but it had been worth giving it a chance. Whilst there is a dearth of real ale in a lot of the town, those locations that do support and promote it do so brilliantly. Despite the relative scarcity of real ale pubs, it's still possible to have a good time in Crewe regardless. There wasn't a single pub that we didn't enjoy. They were all very different and diversity is what life is all about. Crewe may be, perhaps reasonably, overshadowed by the beer behemoths of Manchester and Liverpool, and maybe even Stockport but, as with anywhere under the radar, if you look hard enough, there is treasure to be found. This handful of pubs reflects the different sides of the coin in the modern drinking scene. Unsophisticated on the one hand, but striving to succeed on the other. Its charm may not be obvious but when you scratch the surface, you can see it for what it really is. A town that wants to be noticed.
At the time of writing, we are 9 days away from Christmas which means this will be the last entry for 2025, purely for reasons of time, finances and logistics. However, rest assured, I will return in 2026. There are so many more locations that I warrant a visit. Several are booked or planned already, which means more new places and new pubs. There will also likely be a couple of revisits and reappraisals too, and there'll certainly be trips made in good company. Until then, I wish you all the best for the coming festivities and upcoming new year. Thanks, as ever, for continuing to indulge me by reading these entries.
Pub of the day: The Borough Arms. Wonderful in every way.
Honourable mention: Hops. Excellent beer, cosy vibes. Bonus points for the pub cat.
Biggest surprise: Earl of Chester. Yes, it's Good Beer Guide listed but I didn't know it was a rock pub!
Beer of the day: Shindigger Aroha. Bloody gorgeous!
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