retiredmartin

January 2024. Heath Charnock, Chorley.

I rather arrogantly assume I could tell you, or at least make up, some interesting perspectives on every part of the UK (bar the Shetlands; are the Shetlands part of the UK ?).

But when Heath Charnock’s Bay Horse popped into the Beer Guide last autumn I genuine had no clue where or what it was, bar it being yet another suburb of That Chorley.

Wiki says “Heath Charnock (pop. 2,026) has been variously recorded as Charnock in 1271; Cernok, Heath Charnock, Hest Chernnoke, Est Chernoke in 1278, Chernocke Gogard in 1284, Hechernok, Heghchernok, Hethevchernoc, Hethchernok, Gogardeschernok and Hethchernock in 1292.” Hope that helps.

Anyway, having giving up on Riley’s for now, I caught the short hop down to Adlington, which seemed awfully familiar since I was only there last February eating pork pies.

So I get another chance to admire Adlington’s sturdy cottages and multiple pubs called Spinners on the walk out towards the M61.

Interestingly, I can’t see the words “Heath Charnock” on either map, so I’m relieved when the Bay Horse hoves into view,

and even happier when I find the right door, wide open and radiating light.

I like to write up ALL the pubs I visit, separately, as they’re all worth of you attention. The last one I skipped completely was actually the Lincolnshire Pub of the Year, clearly an award for politeness over pubbiness. Reader, I skipped over it.

The Bay Horse has lovely staff, plenty of character;

but perhaps fewer character, with the pleasant bar area the preserve of the pashmina set. There haven’t been enough pashmina pubs new in GBG24.

Never mind, two photos give you the idea. Oh, and a beer score, NBSS 3 for the Theakston.

Perhaps, if I’d had space for the Corned Beef Tatty Hash (what ?) I’d have been more entranced.

But for now, I just headed to the reservoir to try and walk off that Katsu chicken.