The Black Rock, Wakefield

Only serving Tetley Bitter on my visit (though clips from previous guest beers feature tantalisingly behind the bar, mocking the two unused pumps in front of them) which tasted fine and priced at £2.56. The interior is a basic 60's/70's old mans boozer, with a couple of drinking areas. There are two entrances, a lovely tiled one or a grotty one down a dingy alleyway (guess which one I used?). The landlord behind the bar was friendly enough but frankly I didn't find much to rank it on a par with Wakefield's better establishments - not really what I'd call a worthwhile trip (beyond the outside tiling) given the nearby competition.

A famous Wakefield watering hole and GBG regular that appears to be going from strength to strength under the current landlord. Its attractively tiled (front) entrance is an absolute gem and perhaps it’s inevitable that the interior can only disappoint, when entering the fairly basic L-shaped room. However, I’m pretty certain the old girl’s been given a lick of paint since Roger visited, the décor now a mixture of pale mustard yellow, brown and cream. The benches, where I was sitting, also looking to have been re-upholstered fairly recently. My one small gripe would be that the floor space looks rather busy, what with carpeting, tiling and floorboards. The last time I reviewed the ‘Rock’, I was quite scathing about the erratic guest beer policy, but fortunately there appears to be some real stability these days. Four pumps are usually on the go, two featuring Tetley’s Bitter and two guests. On this visit they were Kelham Island ‘Riders of the Storm, and Bradfield ‘Farmer’s Blonde’. (Listening in on a conversation with the landlord, he is hoping to permanently feature a Kelham Island beer at some stage). I tried both the guests and they were in good condition and served at a decent temperature. Service was friendly and attentive. Reasonably quiet, but relaxed, when I called on a Wednesday afternoon, a few enjoying the World Cup on the two flat screen monitors. However, there was a steady trickle of trade, the clientele being mostly over forties, enjoying a post-shopping reviver. At weekends I should imagine the customer age range is a lot wider. It wouldn’t make my top six for the city, at the moment, but I’d certainly include it on any extended crawl. Definitely worth a punt.

Situated just off the central Bull Ring, this narrow pub is quite inviting from the outside with its curved frontage and wonderful old tiling in the entrance. A blue placque on the exterior wall reveals that the building was home to John Potter, Bishop of Oxford, later Archbishop of Canterbury, who grew up here in the late 17th century. The interior is a bit bigger than you would expect but appears a bit worn around the edges and could do with a few splashes of paint here and there and a bit of spring on the upholstery front. That said I quite like its semi-scruffiness and the take us as you find us approach. 4 hand pumps, 2 with Tetleys and 2 guest ales (Harviestoun Haggis Hunter and Kelham Island Riders on the Storm on my visit). Quality and price were decent enough although the soft drinks were hardly of generous measures. A few old pictures of the town centre adorn the walls and near the entrance is a 1901 list of all the pubs in town at the time. I get the impression that this isn’t one of the first places that the beer tourists would head for but I thought it had enough character and a couple of decent enough ales to warrant more than a passing glance.