The Merseyside Pub Guide

by Phil Wieland

HUYTON

(Including ROBY)

PubBeerCommentsLocation
Bluebell Hanson's, Marston's "Mercury Taverns". Large opened out bar, lounge shut. This pub had a bad reputation, but the decor was better than expected.
Now CLOSED and demolished.
Last visited 1998.
Bluebell Lane / Prescot Road
Boundary
Pic
Tetley, Worthington / Carling A plain, lively, down-market boozer. The lounge was shut on a Thursday evening. This place has a very bad reputation, and a few years ago was required to close early on Saturday evenings, but on all of my visits the locals and staff have been entirely friendly.   KaraokeDay4
Last visited 2003.
Pilch Lane / Mayfair Avenue
Bowring Park Boddingtons, Tetley / Carling, Stella A very large opened-out two-sided pub with a number of original features including a dark wood bar front and some nice wood panelling in an unusual "bull-nose" area to one side. Pool tables. LSTV.
Last visited 2003.
Roby Road / Rimmer Avenue
Chapel Brook Boddingtons, Flowers A very large recently constructed family/dining pub in the middle of nowhere. The interior is nicer than most, and includes a non-dining area and a family area. Brewer's Fayre menu, Charlie Chalk for the kids.
Last visited 1999.
Tarbock Island
Crofters Tetley / Carling, Carlsberg This pleasant modern (1980s?) multi-roomed pub has fake antique decor, and a nice conservatory at one end. A major refurbishment in 2006 saw the conservatory replaced with a brick-built extension, and modern redecoration. The food is good, and popular.
Visited.
Tarbock Road / Roby Road
Derby Lodge Tetley / 1664, Carling, Foster's, Stella From the outside this "Henry's Table" pub/restaurant/hotel is an impressive old house. Special congratulations go to those responsible for a recent extension very much in keeping with the old building. A refurbishment in 2005 got rid of the amusing interior decor which was almost totally fake and included bookshelves (with the books glued in), spurious balconies, a nicely done bar counter and the usual stupid sayings on the ceiling beams. The interior now is nicely done standard plastic pub. Over 2 quid for a pint of keg bitter! The service and food were excellent when I visited the restaurant. Part of the same complex as the now closed Natterjacks.
This was the 500th pub surveyed for this guide, in 1999, when it served real ale, but sadly the hand pumps are now long gone.
Last visited September 2006.
Roby Road
Dovecot (New Avenue) Thwaites In July 1998 I wrote about what was then The New Avenue:
Large pub mostly closed even on a Friday. The decor attempts to go up market but the clientele are not! The toilets are disgusting.
In January 1999 new licensees took over and restored the original Dovecot name. When I revisited in April 2000 I found that nothing had changed except the interior was now looking rather uncared for and decidedly grubby. Now CLOSED and demolished.
Last visited 2000.
Western Avenue
Farmer's Arms Greenalls, Tetley Enormous nicely decorated place with two projection TVs. QuizTue. Nice separate snooker room.
Now CLOSED and demolished.
Last visited 1998.
Prescot Road, near Dinas Lane.
Hare & Hounds Hand pumpTetley, Greenalls Up market. Garden. Decor nicely underdone but a bit plastic. "Ale n Hearty" menu looks good but quality has been reported to be poor. Prompt service.
Last visited 1998.
Cronton Road
Hillside Worthington / Carling An enormous two room pub with a large separate function room, looking somewhat tatty in places. Surprisingly quiet on a Friday night.
Now CLOSED and demolished.
Last visited 2004.
Knowsley Lane / Liverpool Road, Longview
Huyton & Roby Constitutional Club
Not visited.
43 Stanley Road
Huyton Conservative Club
Not visited.
The Park
Huyton Park Burtonwood Dodgy reputation but no problem when I visited. A large fifties construction surrounded by a massive council estate.
Last visited 1998.
St. John's Road
Huyton Social Club (Labour Club) Stones, Worthington Large social club with an enormous "concert hall". Cheap beer, horrible pink decor.
Last visited 1998.
Woolfall Crescent. Former entrance on Dinas Lane
Huyton Suite A rather nice set of function rooms, run by the council.
Last visited 1996.
Civic Way
Marconi Sports & Social Club (Plessey Club) (GPT Club)
Pic
John Smith's, Tetley / Foster's Nicely decorated social club with a large function room and a well equipped gym upstairs. Lined glasses for a full pint. LSTV. Sadly CLOSED in March 2004, and now demolished.
Last visited 2004.
Roby Road
Natterjacks "N.J.s" Tetley / Heineken This large disco/bar with a late licence (00.30) was an extremely popular way to end a Friday night out - It was usually full and turning people away by 22.45. The interior looked fine when it's dark and busy, but a little threadbare if you visited at a quiet time. Now CLOSED. See also Derby Lodge.
Last visited 1997.
Roby Road
Oak Tree (Wetherspoon's) This was a slightly down market version of the Wetherspoon's formula. Given the locale - council estates and tower blocks - I had predicted that this place would rapidly go downhill, but a number visits found the the real ale excellent (and very cheap!), despite which the regulars mostly drank lager. In 2003 I was surprised to find that Wetherspoon's had gone. The barman said they were no longer doing real ale but he was wrong, and we had some fine pints of Spitfire. Sadly, that was the end of the real ale and the place is now keg only.
There is a very pleasant beer yard/garden at the rear.
Last visited 2004.
Prescot Road / Kingsway
Quarry Inn "Casey's" John Smith's, Tetley / Carling This busy friendly local has a nicely done two bar interior. Reported CLOSED in 2007, but re-opened since.
Last visited May 2006.
Wood Lane / Dales Row
Queens Arms
ATM Pic
Tetley In this free standing pub re-built in the 1950s the bar is plain with LSTV and dartboard, and the lounge nicely decorated with another LSTV or two.   QuizDay1
Last visited July 2007.
Blacklow Brow / Pinnington Place
Quiet Man Worthington Very large nicely done out pub with three separate bars.
Last visited 1998.
Longview Drive (Huyton Lane end.)
Roby Hotel
Pic
Hand pumpCains, John Smith's / 1664, Becks, Foster's, Miller A large nicely done out free standing fifties pub hidden in the middle of a contemporaneous housing estate. Despite featuring no less than nine ordinary TVs, two large ones and a projector, the lounge still looks nice and feels comfortable.
Last visited 2003.
Greystone Road / Westfield Avenue
Saint Aloysius Social Club "Alleys" Greenalls, Tetley, Webster's / Carling, Carlsberg, Labatts A nicely looked after and decorated social club busy even on a Tuesday night. Enormous concert hall in addition to two bars. Very cheap beer.
Last visited 1998.
Twig Lane, back entrance on Crosswood Crescent
Saint Margaret Mary's Social Club Boddingtons, Tetley / Carling, Carlsberg Totally hidden behind the church is this very nicely done out social club with a spacious bar, a large function room, a snooker room and another small side room.
Last visited 2003.
Pilch Lane / Adcote Close
Seel Arms Falstaff, Tetley Small rooms knocked through into a fairly large pub, decor a bit bright. Nicely kept.
Last visited 1998.
Hall Lane / Ellis Ashton Street
St Agnes Catholic Church Club
Not visited.
Huyton Hey Road
St Agnes Social Club
Not visited.
Manor Farm Road
St Aidens
Not visited.
Adswood Road
Stanley Arms
Pic ATM
Hand pumpCains, Cains, Tetley / Carling, Carlsberg An impressive exterior with a splendid stone crest on this large free standing building. A major refurbishment in 2006 has provided a very nice interior, and they've managed to retain the 30s leaded glass windows. The food, served until 8, is excellent value. The LSTVs are not obtrusive if you don't want to watch the match.
Visited.
Roby Road / Eaton Close
Swan Tetley / Carling The formerly very nice decor in the lounge was getting a little threadbare and grubby before it was substantially refurbished in late 2002, when they knocked through creating one enormous room, and did a nice job of the redecoration. It always seems to be busy and the LSTVs are excellent for watching football.
Last visited 2003.
Rupert Road / Kingsway
Sweenies
Not visited.
Grant Road
Tent CLOSED. Demolished some time ago.
Not visited.
West View Road
Wheatsheaf (Rose and Crown) Tetley / Carling, Carlsberg, Stella This enormous 50s/60s pub spent the latter part of 2003 boarded up, and then after a period when one side re-opened it was closed for a major refurbishment, changing its name at the same time. The well cared for interior of the Rose and Crown was pretty impressive, with Ionic columns and some nice woodwork and I was concerned that this would be lost in the refurbishment, but I am pleased to report that they've done an excellent job, modernising while retaining lots of original features. LSTV. The 'new' name is actually the name of a long gone pub which was located nearby.
Last visited 2004.
Huyton Lane / Blue Bell Lane