The Armoury

The Armoury, Stockport, Cheshire SK3 8BD

A classic street-corner pub overlooking a busy roundabout close to the station, about half a mile from the town centre. Originally dating back to the Victorian era, it was remodelled in the 1920s, when it received an attractive blue-tiled frontage. Unfortunately this had to be replaced in the 1990s following water damage.

Sensitively refurbished in the 2000s, it retains a traditional multi-roomed interior with plenty of light wood and bench seating. To the right of the entrance is the bright, comfortable lounge, while on the left is a plainer vault and a snug-type room at the rear which is often used for darts matches. At the rear is a spacious, secluded beer garden with plenty of undercover seating, making it one of the most accommodating pubs in Stockport for smokers. It also has an upstairs function room.

There’s no food, although it has briefly experimented with serving lunches. Televised football is shown, but it’s not obtrusive except when United or City are playing, and it remains very much an archetypal community local with a mostly more mature clientele. Note that lunchtime opening is not until 1 pm on most weekdays.

It serves Robinson’s Unicorn and Dizzy Blonde as regular beers, plus a couple of others from their range, often including Trooper. It has been a regular entry in the Good Beer Guide and is often recommended as the best place in Stockport to sample the local brew. It was runner-up as local CAMRA Pub of the Year in 2015.

Situated within a short walk of Edgeley Park, it is a popular venue on match days. There’s a large public car park on the other side of the roundabout, which is free in the evenings. The two black-and-white buildings to the right on the StreetView image are a former branch of the NatWest Bank and a former pub, the Swan.

The Cresselly Arms

The Cresselly Arms, Cresswell Quay, Pembrokeshire SA68 0TE

In a beautiful situation at the head of a tidal creek, this is a greystone, ivy-clad pub dating back around 250 years. The heart of the pub is the unspoilt Victorian public bar, with a quarry-tiled floor, an old cast-iron fireplace and original wooden bar counter and bar back fittings. In recent years it has been slightly opened up and extended towards the rear.

The admittedly rather bland Worthington Best Bitter is still drawn directly from the cask and served by jug, while Doom Bar and maybe a couple of local guest ales are dispensed from handpumps. No food is served. The pub was Pembrokeshire CAMRA Pub of the Year for 2015.

There’s plenty of outdoor seating, making it an excellent spot to sit outside on a summer evening and watch the sunset. Note that a lot of the ivy has been removed between the 2011 StreetView image and my picture taken on 23 June 2015.