Category: Branch News

Welcome to your latest Bolton CAMRA Branch Update. The nights are well and truly drawing in and you may be finding it takes just a bit more determination to get your big coat on and head to the pub, but it’ll be worth it. A warm welcome on a cold night with a pint of cask ale or cider is a wonderful treat around Halloween.

Annual General Meeting

This time of year also heralds the Bolton Branch Annual General Meeting. This will take place at 8.00pm on 13 November 2025 at the Spinning Mule, Nelson Square Bolton BL1 1JT. You should have already received the formal notice of the meeting but this is your opportunity to have a say on how the Bolton Branch operates. Branch Officers will give their reports on the past year’s activities and there will be votes for all the branch positions. A list of the current holders of the positions can be found on the Contacts page of the branch website and each has indicated their willingness to continue in those roles. It is, however, open to any member to stand for election to any role.

In addition, there are a number of roles in the branch which remain vacant and we would welcome nominations for these positions. Among these are the Young Members Contact and Clubs Coordinator, two roles which would really enhance the branch’s effectiveness. Some of the branch officers hold more than one position and any help to spread the burden would be valued. Come along to the AGM if you want to get involved.

Budget

This year’s budget will be delivered on 26 November. CAMRA, along with other organisations representing the hospitality industry, is calling on the Chancellor of the Exchequer to introduce concrete measures to support our pubs. You can help by emailing your MP, asking them to write to the Chancellor urging her to ease the financial pressures on these vital community assets. CAMRA has prepared a template email for members to send. Click here, fill in your details and a personalised email to your MP will be ready to send. Every email sent to your MP really helps to build momentum behind calls for the Government to use the Budget to support consumers, licensees and breweries.

Pubs Under Threat

Many of you will have visited the Marble Arch on Rochdale road, Manchester – one of the North West’s classic heritage pubs with its own brewery.  It has come to light that developers are planning to build two tower blocks of 15 & 17 stories directly adjacent to the Marble Arch – not just nearby but literally butting up to the pub’s northern wall. Marble Beers have approached CAMRA to ask for our assistance in ensuring the developers are left with no doubt how unacceptable these plans are. Our Greater Manchester area organiser Sarah Hopes has agreed that we will back this campaign. CAMRA’s national planning advisor Paul Ainsworth is also backing the campaign. You can read the article published by the ilovemanchester.com website here: https://ilovemanchester.com/marble-arch-development-face-off.

I will let you know how the campaign goes.

Closer to home, a planning application to convert the former Ben’s at the Legion in Blackrod into flats has been submitted to Bolton Council. This pub, one of the few remaining in the centre of the village, closed earlier in the year with the licensee citing a lack of footfall as the main reason for closure. The branch has submitted an objection to the application but, given Bolton Council currently has no policies in place to protect pubs in the borough, it would be an uphill struggle to save this venue. If there is anyone out there who would like to help change planning policy in Bolton to give more protection to pubs and ensure the vital role they play in the community continues, please drop me a line on chair@bolton.camra.org.uk

Learn and Discover

You may have heard of CAMRA’s education platform Learn and Discover. Its purpose is to help CAMRA members and the public learn more about beer, cider and pubs. The content is varied with articles on everything from community orchards and beer ingredients to the regulation of the brewing industry, aimed at different levels from beginners through enthusiasts to connoisseurs. Some of the information is available free to anyone but some of the more specialised content is avaible only to CAMRA members. Click here to browse what’s available and hopefully something will grab your interest. 

As mentioned above, one of the reasons cited for the closure of Ben’s at the Legion was a lack of footfall causing financial difficulties. We’ve all heard the phrase ‘us it or lose it’ but that resonates more than ever in these difficult times when pubs and clubs are really struggling. So, put on that big coat, brave the the autumn weather and get down to your local to make sure that next spring, it’s not just another statistic that used to be a great British pub.

Cheers!

John Mitchell – Chair

The 125 bus runs from Bolton Interchange every 15 minutes. 125 buses leave Bolton Interchange from stand P regularly with the journey taking just under one hour.  A Lancashire Day Rider costs 9.70. which would allow a stop off in Horwich on the way home if required. Bus times 11.55 (12.10) arriving in Chorley at 12.50(13.05). Catching the bus in Horwich outside the Ale House the times are 12.22 (12.38)

Meet at the Malt’n’Hops at 13.00 where sandwiches and pies are available at very reasonable prices.

Malt’n’Hops, 50-52 Friday Street, PR6 0AA – 7 changing ales

Shepherd’s Hall Ale House,  67 Chapel Street, PR7 1BS – 8 changing ales

Inn the Dog House (previously Ale Station), 60 Chapel St. PR7 1BS, 2 regular, 3 changing ales

Nelipots, 53 Chapel Street, PR7 1BU – 2 changing ales

Bob Inn, 24 Market Place, PR7 1DA –  3 real ales, 1 real cider

Flat Iron, (formerly Market Tavern), 21 Cleveland Street, PR7 1BH – 3 real ales, 1 cider

Ronnies Bar, 37 Chapel St. PR7 1BU, 4 changing ales.

Shed & Garden, 9 Fazakerley St. PL7 1BG,3 changing ales.

We don’t intend to visit all the pubs, but we can select those we want to visit. Maybe there is one I haven’t mentioned that other know about and deserves a visit.

If you need any further details or need to contact on the day, please contact social@bolton.camra.org.uk or call Gill on 07967585670

We are late with the Cider Trail again this year but better late than never. We will meet in Westhoughton at Blackedge Brewery Tap at around 1.00pm. From Horwich the 516 bus runs every hour. Catch the bus at 12.35 at Horwich Leisure centre arriving in Westhoughton at 13.08. Return bus for Horwich is 14.37 arriving in Horwich 15.12.

Travelling from Bolton catch the 607 bus from the Interchange at 12.20(12.40) arriving at 12.45 (13.07)

Brewery Tap, 55 Market St. BL5 3AG, real cider on three handpumps

Beer School, 88 Market St. BL5 3AZ, up to four ciders

B33R@33, 33 Lee Lane, BL6 7AX, real cider

Sparrows Rum Bar, 32 Winter Hey Lane, BL6 7AA, 2 real ciders

Blackedge Brewery Bar, Moreton Mill, Hampson St. BL6 7JH, real cider

There are other pubs. If there is a favourite let the group know. Although this is a cider trail don’t let that put anyone off who does not like cider. All the pubs mentioned have a good selection of real ale. If you need any further details or need to contact on the day, please contact social@bolton.camra.org.uk or call Gill on 07967585670

Welcome to your latest CAMRA Branch Update. We are now officially in Autumn and we’re beginning to look at pubs to provide us with somewhere warm to enjoy a beer or cider. CAMRA’s website is a comprehensive guide to all the pubs in the borough and the Good Beer Guide, published last week, is the go-to guide to the very best cask ale pubs in the country.

Branch Meeting

The next branch meeting will be held on 2 October 2025 at the Blackedge Brewery Tap, 55 Market St, Westhoughton, BL5 3AG. The meeting will start at 8.00 p.m. and members and non-members are welcome. Come along to try some of the seven Blackedge cask ales or other beery delights that are on offer.

Refer a New Member

On the subject of membership, CAMRA members now have the opportunity to refer new members. If they use the unique referral code when applying for membership, not only will they receive a £5 discount on their membership, but you will receive a six month Tastecard. Details can be found on the ‘My Profile’ page if you log on to CAMRA’s website here

Good Beer Guide

As mentioned above, CAMRA’s flagship publication, the Good Beer Guide 2026, was published on Thursday. The Bolton Branch has an allocation of 13 pubs which are voted for by branch members from a shortlist of pubs whose beers have scored consistently above the average for the previous year. This year sees the return of the Thomas Egerton in Egerton after an absence of many years while the Crown in Horwich appears for the 27th consecutive year. If you believe your local deserves to appear in next year’s guide, make sure you score their beers on the CAMRA website. CAMRA members can buy the Good Beer Guide at a discounted price of £14.99 at the CAMRA shop here.

Champion Beer of Britain

The Champion Beer of Britain is one of the most prestigious beer competitions in the world. It is the ultimate honour for UK brewers and has helped put many into the national spotlight. Nominations are now open and you can vote to choose Britain’s Champion Beer.

Judging for the competition takes around a year, starting with individual nominations from CAMRA members and tasting panel nominations, leading to a series of rigorous regional heats adhering to a strict blind tasting policy. Members can choose up to five beers in each category for example bitters, milds, IPAs and stouts. You can vote by following the link here until 31 October.

Great British Pub Crawl Petition

CAMRA is supporting the petition started by the Great British Pub Crawl. The petition states:

‘We believe pubs are the backbone of our communities and vital in maintaining mental health and social interaction in many communities across the UK. In some cases, these are the only places that people have any kind of social contact.
We feel that far too many have been lost over the last 30 years due to a lack of support for the industry and we simply cannot continue on this course. We believe that pubs are our history, our heritage and have been our way of life for hundreds of years.’

If you agree with these sentiments, you can sign the petition here.

Awards

Our Pub of the Year B33R@33 in Horwich went on to take third place in the Greater Manchester round of the national competition. A certificate recognising this achievement will be presented to the pub on 9 October at 6.30 p.m. The pub will also be celebrating International Beer and Pizza day on that date, so double the reason for coming along.

Bank Top Dark Mild has received yet another award having been judged Beer of the Festival at the Chorlton Beer and Cider Festival. Trafford and Hulme Branch will be presenting the award at the Bank Top Brewery Ale House in Horwich on 25 October at around 1 p.m. followed by a social around Horwich. Bolton Branch members are cordially invited to join them.

Socials and Beer Festivals

Our next social will be to Stockport on 1 November. Meet at Bolton staion to get the 11.54 train changing at Piccadilly. Details of the itinerary can be found on the branch website here along with details of all our branch socials.

Bolton Beer Festival takes place next weekend, from the 2nd to the  4th October at the Toughsheet Stadium Premier Suite. This isn’t a CAMRA event but details of the sessions and tickets can be found on the festival website here.

If you fancy somewhere further afield, Carlisle Beer Festival takes place between 23rd and 25th October at the Station Hotel, Carlisle. Details of this festival can be found on the Solway CAMRA branch website here.

As you can see, there’s a lot going on in the world of pubs, beer and cider and a great deal of work goes on behind the scenes, lobbying the government and dealing with pub companies and brewers to ensure we can continue to enjoy a pint of cask ale or real cider in a convivial armosphere. Much of this work is done by volunteers across the country who give up their time to get involved at both local and national level.

If you believe that cask ale, traditional cider and the pubs we drink it in are indeed part of the backbone of our communities, why not come along to one of our meetings or contact me at chair@bolton.camra.org.uk to find out how you can help them survive.

Cheers!

John Mitchell – Chair

Welcome to your latest CAMRA Branch Update. It looks like summer is well and truly over so I hope you managed to get a few al fresco pints in the sunshine before the rains came.

Branch Meeting

The next branch meeting will be held on Thursday 4 September 2025 at the Ukrainian Social Club 99 Castle Street, Bolton, BL2 1JP. The meeting will start at 8.00 p.m. and, as always, everyone is welcome.

Unesco Petition

You may be aware of this petition which has been launched to ask the Government to seek Unesco approval to British Cask Ale being given Intangible Cultural Heritage status. This will put it on the same footing as Belgian Beer Culture and other traditional drinks cultures in Europe. The hope is that by being granted such status, cask ale will be recognised as part of the British traditional way of life and will receive a boost through international recognition. CAMRA fully supports this petition so if you haven’t already signed it, you can find it here. If it gets to 100,000 signatures, the petition will be considered for debate in Parliament.

Cask Ale Week

This year’s Cask Ale Week will take place between Thursday 18  and Sunday 28 September – slightly longer than a week but then a couple of extra days to enjoy cask beers is always welcome. This annual event, organised by Cask Marque, is supported by CAMRA and is intend to be a celebration of Britain’s national drink. It’s an opportunity for pubs and breweries to get involved and encourage their customers to try and promote real ale by organising events and activities throughout the week. For more information, go to the Cask Ale Week website here.

Awards

The Stork Tavern, 548 Halliwell Road, Bolton, BL1 8BP has been voted Pub of the Season for Summer 2025. The Stork, a Grade II listed building and reputed to have the largest beer garden in Bolton, was recognised for being somewhere where all the family could enjoy a Summer’s day with a good selection of cask ales.

Bolton branch’s Pub of the Year, B33R@33 in Horwich, came third in the Greater Manchester Area round of the National Pub of the Year competition. 

Congratulations to the teams at both of these pubs. Keep an eye on our social media for details of the presentations of the awards.

Taste Match

CAMRA is continuing to make improvements to its website and one of the new initiatives, known as Taste Match and free for CAMRA members, allows you to build a taste profile for yourself from the characteristics of the beers you enjoy. Once you have a profile, Taste Match will recommend beers from breweries across the country that should appeal to your palate. As it builds its database, Taste Match will also be able to tell you where you can get these beers. If you’re a regular beer scorer, you may find that Taste Match has already built your profile for you. Give it a try here.

Socials and Beer Festivals

Our next social will be a trip to Oldham on Thursday 4 September. Meet at Bolton railway station to catch the 11.18 train to Manchester Victoria and then on to Oldham. Following that there will be an outing to Dunham Massey Apple Farm on Friday 12 September to sample their excellent ciders. Details of all our socials can be found on the branch website here.

Astley Bridge Cricket Club will be holding its annual beer festival on 5, 6 & 7 September. The festival will be open Friday 18:00-23:00, Saturday 18:00- 23:00, and Sunday 12:00- 16:00. Entrance is £5 inclusive of a glass and a programme. Food will be available at all 3 sessions. There will be a selection of 8 ales and 4 ciders. 

As Autumn sneaks up on us, we might start to see a different range of beers appearing on the bars of our favourite pubs. At this time of year the golden ales we’ve been enjoying through the summer months give way to the darker delights of stouts, porters and other warming brews. This highlights the fantastic variety of cask ales produced by our skilled brewers, small and large. This is why we, as members of CAMRA, must continue to campaign for, champion and drink cask ale to ensure that it, and the pubs that sell it, thrive. 

Cheers!

John Mitchell – Chair

Meet at Bolton Station in time to catch 11.54 train to Stockport, change at Manchester Piccadilly arriving at 12.39 or meet at the Petersgate Tap at 13.00. The off-peak fare is £8.30 return. If using the bus to get to the station, there is a System One bus and train ticket for £9.40. Of course, those who have a bus pass can use the train within Greater Manchester if they add train and tram to their bus pass for £10 for the year. We may not visit all pubs.

Petersgate Tap: 19a St Petersgate, SK1 1EB. Six changing cask beers. Cold pies from local butcher

The Magnet: 51 Wellington Road North, SK4 1HJ. Fourteen cask ales,

Runaway Brewery Tap: 9-11 Astley Street, SK4 1AW. 2 changing beers

The Crown Inn: 154 Heaton Lane, SK4 1AR. 7 changing beers

Ye Old Vic: 1 Chatham Street, Edgeley, SK3 9ED. 5 changing beers. Opens at 5pm

If anyone is thinking of joining the group in Stockport please call for information about where we are; Gill 07967585670

A few of us are planning a trip to the Dunham Massey Apple Farm on Friday September 12th.

It is a bit of a trek, but here are the details for anyone who might be interested.

Meet at Manchester Deansgate.

Catch the tram from Deansgate-Castlefield to Altrincham.  They are very regular, we will be aiming for the 12.58 tram, arriving at Altrincham at 13.21, there are a couple of slightly later ones at 13.04 and 13.10 which should all get there in time incase of any delays.

Catch the 280 bus from Altrincham interchange to Station Road, arriving at 14.02

There is then a 10 minute walk to the Apple Farm.

Return:

The last 280 bus leaves Dunham at 18:05, arriving back in Altrincham at 18:28

Catch the tram from Altrincham at 18:36, arriving back at Deansgate-Castlefield, Manchester at 19:03,  or stop off in one of the local pubs in Altrincham for a pint before catching a later tram back to Manchester.

Altrincham pub options include:

Costello’s Bar (Dunham Massey brewery pub) – 2 regular and 5 changing beers

Beacon – 2 changing beers

Rustic – 1 regular and 1 changing beer

Old Roebuck – 1 regular and 2 changing beers

This trip should give us approximately 3 1/2 hours at the Apple Farm which should be plenty considering the Ciders are likely to be a decent strength.