Yes, I know I haven’t told you about Lancaster yet. But you can only really follow Chorley Cakes with Horwich pies.
Lots of lovely contours for this one (Note to Cambridge readers ; they indicate hills).
Horwich was heaving on Saturday, full of road racers, leisure cyclists, horse riders, and families walking from car to tea room at Rivington. The Hall was staging a teddy bear fair; it’s amazing how little it takes to pull a crowd in Bolton.
But we came to walk. We managed 90 minutes up to Yarrow and the Meetings of the Waters (top centre on map), before a Meeting of Squelchy Mud and Inappropriate Footwear started a series of arguments that Chorley cake couldn’t resolve. 95% of family arguments are about inappropriate footwear or phone chargers.
Luckily, beer in a new Guide tick can resolve any family difficulty, and so it was at the Blackedge Brewery Bar.
Labelling the Blackedge entry the “Brewery Bar” is just asking for BRAPA-style confusion with Bank Top’s “Brewery Ale House” yards away.
None of this philosophical debate meant much to Mrs RM, who just wanted a cosy seat and a big beer.
She was in luck. This is as cosy a Brewery Tap as I’ve been in, with comfy sofas that on this occasion I’ll forgive. The music choice ranged from ZZ Top (that one) to “Fill me up Buttercup“, which should not surprise you.
It also had the cheeriest barman of the year, perhaps ever (except Brad), who managed to sell us not only four pies (not each) but persuaded our sons to try those Fitzpatricks cordials they sell in the Temperance Bar at Rawtenstall. Blood orange and liquorice it was then.
It’s a high quality set-up, and the hot pies (top) were even better than the beer (NBSS 3 for the Pike). I would go back just for the pork and black pudding one. But I’d walk to Rivington Pike first so at least I’d feel like I’d earnt them.
NB I can’t be alone in being bemused at the plethora of pubs in the tiny centre of Horwich, six of them in the Beer Guide in as many years. Hordes of lycra-clad Lancastrians were invading the Holts house; they could smell a bargain pint.
retiredmartin 
What does the magic tree do?
None of those pies look like butter pies. Had they sold out? I have a personal policy of always having a butter pie when in the Bolton / Wigan / Preston area. Preston North End fans went ballistic when the new catering people tried to stop selling them at Deepdale. City will lose 3-0 at Deepdale next season.
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I was hoping you’d explain the magic tree. It’s only that because I call it that.
I was offered a butter pie by the enthusiastic man so he certainly had one. I would strongly recommend the pies there.
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Bad news is I think Tigers have already got enough points to guarantee another season of mauling. 🐯
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You could be right, it is possible that Cyril will manage to get less than two points from their remaining five games. In the quite likely event that they don’t, too many people are assuming we will win our home games against Elton John’s Chopper Army and Blunderland. Elton John has a very good side, the blades of which will blow us away. Blunderland will either be relegated by then, play with the shackles off and do us 2-0, or they will have finally terminated Moyes and will be embarking on an end of season winning streak which results in them staying up in which case they will do us 3-0. I see no other possibility. We are incapable away, the Spuds will come to us on the last day on a desperate quest to win the league on goal difference and will beat us 5-0. It is all dependent on Cyril and the trigger finger of the Mackem chairman, I can see no other possible outcomes in our games.
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Was there a remnants shop next door selling those rugs?
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Almost certainly.
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I feel sorry for that tree as it looks to be infested with mistletow which will gradually suck the life out of it.
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As you’re a Forest fan I assume you know your trees (wasn’t there a fanzine called Tricky Tree at one time?), but I assumed they were bird nests.
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Yes spot on Martin and the best of Forests fanzines,we still call Nottingham Forest The Tricky Trees.
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I did a full pub crawl of all pubs in Horwich in the late 90s,no exact date at the mo as my spread sheet in not on.
Another story coming up about my visit to Horwich.
I did a pub on the pedestrianised high street that was quite rough,when i went outside i took a photo and started walking up the street to my next pub,i then heard someone in the distance behind me shouting,so i turned round and a bloke was stomping towards me waving his fists in the air,i am not one to run so started to walk towards him which probably surprised him,when i faced up to him he was a tattood bloke older than me and had short man sindrome,he said “what the *uck are you taking a photo of my pub for” i said “it is not your pub and i can take a photo of if i want” he then said well dont take any other photos of the pub and walked back to the pub,i thought what an *rsehole and did the rest of my pub crawl.
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That chap probably thought you were working for a pub company trying to sell the pub without the manager knowing. Happened to me in Gravesend last year.
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