The All Nations

The All Nations, Madeley, Shropshire TF7 5DP

One of the original four home-brew pubs that survived into the 1970s, tucked away in a rural backwater near to the Blists Hill open-air museum. It’s set back from the road at a higher level, with an extensive beer garden in front and a car park at the side accessed by a track running at a sharp angle.

The interior, little changed over the years, is basically a single room on either side of the central door, with benches around the wall and the counter at the rear. No food is served, but you’re likely to encounter lively conversation from mature regulars.

Brewing has recently recommenced in the hands of the head brewer from local firm Brough’s. I enjoyed an excellent pint of All Nations Biiter, which is in the authentic pale, sweet West Midlands style, although it should be pointed out not the light mild for which the pub was originally known.

The Peveril of the Peak

The Peveril of the Peak, Manchester M1 5JQ

An early Victorian pub with an impressive tiled exterior, situated in the angle of two streets and now overshadowed by more modern office buildings. The name comes from a stage coach rather than directly from the Walter Scott novel. The landlady is the longest serving in Manchester.

It has a largely unchanged interior meriting a full entry on CAMRA’s National Inventory. There are three rooms around the central bar, including a public bar with an antique table football game, a comfortable lounge (originally smoke room) and a further rear room with a pool table. The cask beer range is sensibly limited to four, including on recent visits Taylor’s Landlord, Millstone Tiger Rut and a couple of guests.

The Star

The Star, Bath, Somerset BA1 5NA

A four-storey pub of Bath stone standing on a handsome historic street on the north side of the city. While externally imposing, the interior is in fact surprisingly shallow. It remains largely untouched since being remodelled in the 1920s, earning a place on CAMRA’s National Inventory.

On the left-hand side of the door is a cosy lounge with bench seating and wood panelling. To the right, a corridor leads to the bar, featuring a long settle known as “Dead Man’s Row” due to it being favoured by senior customers. Beyond this are two further snugs facing the bar, with more benches and panelling. There are real fires throughout.

For many years, it served Bass from the jug dispensed from casks stillaged beinhd the bar. This was brought to and end when Bass ceased being supplied in the necessary cask size, meaning it has now been replaced by the locally-brewed Abbey Ales Bellringer, although Bass is still available on handpump. The pub is now leased by Abbey Ales and features a couple more of their beers alongside another guest, which on my recent visit was Taylor’s Landlord.

One of the finest unspoilt interiors in the country in a pub of great character and atmosphere.

The Victoria

The Victoria, Newcastle-Under-Lyme, Staffordshire ST5 1HX

A bay-windowed street corner pub just east of Newcastle town centre on the main road to Hanley. Internally, it has been knocked through into one room, but retains a carpeted snug area to the right of the entrance door, together with a longer, wood-floored bar area to the left, both liberally provided with red dralon bench seating.

Draught Bass is at the core of the beer range, alongside, on my recent visit, Doom Bar and Titanic Plum Porter. Not, maybe, an absolute unspoilt classic that people will travel miles to visit, but a fine example of that vanishing species, the cosy, welcoming local.

The Slubbers Arms

The Slubbers Arms, Huddersfield, Yorkshire HD1 6HW

Stone-built pub in the sharp apex of two roads about half a mile north of the town centre. The cosy core of the pub surrounds the horseshoe-shaped central bar, with comfortable bench seating and a real fire on either side. There’s also a games room and a separate snug in the angle of the building which can be closed off for private meetings.

Formerly a Timothy Taylor’s tied house, it still features Boltmaker and Landlord as permanent beers, alongside typically three guests. It normally doesn’t open until late afternoon, but may open earlier when there is a match at the nearby John Smith’s stadium, when straightforward pub grub may also be served.

The name comes from a traditional wool processing technique.