February 2025. Mansfield.
25,000 steps in Mansfield, but after just a lone pint and a pie I was already feeling knackered. As I left the Railway while an Old Boy told his amazed mates I was “a Sheffield lad, Hillsborough, come for a day out in Mansfield“. Should have had Day Out in capitals, obviously.
What I needed urgently was fresh air, and a walk, and an attack by flying birds in the market place.
It’s a pleasant market place, but far too quiet (see also : Gainsborough). In 1994 Mrs RM and I stayed in one of those once impressive Mansfield pubs, the sort that did rooms for “commercial travellers” for £25 with chicory coffee and a full English swimming in grease.
But the local Bitter was good, one of my early favourites, and the local history museum is packed with Mansfield brewery memories,
from a time beer mats made an effort to be topical.
English towns, helped by Millennium lottery funds, made a real effort with their social history displays at the start of the century,
but it’s a “bring your tat for our antiques experts to value” that’s brought the locals out, rather than some good art, stuffed emus,
and the inspiration for The House of Love’s 1992 album cover.
The town itself is neat and attractive, with a touch of Stockport in the viaduct,
and a small scale bit of Nottingham rock pub in the White Lion courtyard.
But it’s desperately quiet, and I ponder a pint of Sam Smiths in the White Hart before remembering the Sam Smiths rules.
But, just beyond the church, lies a GBG pub that I can take a pic in.
retiredmartin 
Looks a nice town, especially as it’s now got its railway back! Enjoyed a few pints of Mansfield Bitter, during my student days, on forays into Derbyshire.
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That’s just the skill of the photographer, Paul! The railway viaduct is amazing though. And it’s a useful reminder – seen from almost anywhere in town – that it is possible to leave Mansfield whenever you want.
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I must read your Mansfield reviews on Pubs Galore, Will.
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If I can make Mansfield look nice my work here is done.
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I think my last visit to Mansfield was 23 January 2016, when we won 2-0. This is my review from just before the game in 2015 which we lost: https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubreviews/30599/
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Wrong! We also played there in 2017: April (1-1) and August (2-2). Here’s another review from the former occasion: https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/30691/ that you might find amusing.
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I prefer Joshua Bell’s review.
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“clubbing galore” – sounds like your sort of pub OK.
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I have only seen Mansfield from that viaduct.
Yes, one of many towns I’ve never known and probably never will.
I should have got out more over the years.
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An open Smith’s? Or was it the rule of sack the manager if they’re trying too hard to make it a success?
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Not only open, but the White Hart looked the premier pub in central Mansfield !
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