Tuesday 1 SEPTEMBER

Meet at Manchester Victoria at 10:45am to board the 10:55 Leeds to Wigan Wallgate train.

On this trip to Wigan we are going to get an almost full house of Good Beer Guide outlets (2026 edition) in Wigan town centre. Two of the missing pubs don't open on Tuesdays and the third we couldn't squeeze in to this packed itinerary.

We start out of town, a short 4 minute bus ride away, at Wetherspoon's hotel the Brocket Arms, not that we will be stopping (unless you plan to stay and take in the missed GBG pubs). As with most Wetherspoon's pubs there is a range of cask ales available, along with an extensive menu (but no Wigan kebabs!), but unfortunately we will miss the breakfast menu. After gaining sustenance we cross the road and a little towards the town centre we get to our next destination.

Done out as an industrial themed bar, this modern establishment, Sherrington's, offers six handpumps (three being dedicated to Wily Fox) and 10 fronts for the less discerning. Also available are tea, coffee and hot chocolate plus, on my reconnaissance visit, cake. Real cider and continental bottled beers are also available. We now have a short (under 10 minutes) walk past Mesnes Park (mesnes isn't a person, but a corruption of demesne, meaning 'land of the lord of the manor') to our third establishment.

We must make sure we don't walk too fast as Real Crafty doesn't open till 2pm, though I was assured if there was a big enough party, I could phone ahead as staff would already be on the premises so could open up early. Housed in a former Royal British Legion building, this former Greater Manchester Regional Pub of the Year (2022) offers five beers on handpull along with 30 keg fonts dispensing cider, perry and craft ales. An intriguing offer is, any draught products can be canned with the on-site canning machine. So if you want a take out (or like posing drinking from a can) your needs can be met.

We now have a five minute walk towards the bus station where we will find the Tap 'n' Barrel. There are six hand pumps on the bar, usually split equally between cask ales and ciders. Should the trains from Manchester have been delayed, this will become our first establishment being adjacent (and could be treated as a waiting-room for) the bus station. There are three drinking areas, the bar, an outside (but covered - it does rain in Wigan) 'courtyard' and an upstairs room. Our penultimate establishment requires anothe 5 minute walk, passing the station home and our ultimate destination.

Though located in arches beneath Wigan North Western, Wigan Central is named after Wigan's third mainline station. Though now closed and demolished, the Cheshire Lines Committee/Great Central Railway's Central Station was located where the Grand Arcade Shopping Centre now stands. Back to the pub, and this award-winning two-roomed (two-arched?) pub has a railway-themed interior and serves up to seven real ales. Another former Greater Manchester Pub of the Year and runner-up National Pub of the Year. Should the weather be with us there is also a pleasant on-street drinking area.

Returning towards Wigan Wallgate Station we find our final outlet, the Swan & Railway Hotel, which is snuggled up to the rail lines. Built in 1898 by WEV Crompton and winner of a Historic England Conservation Award. The interior is divided up into a number of rooms, and includes an impressive stained-glass window. Also of historic note is the working Bass handpump on the bar. As the name implies, rooms can be taken here should you find the array of seven handpulls too much and need to stay the night. For the rest of us, there is a live feed displaying arrival and departure times from both railway stations - so you can get that last pint in confidently knowing when your train departs. Should you be peckish and want to partake of your tea before departure, food is server until 8pm.

Ther are numerous train heading back towards Manchester, all bar one from Wallgate and trundling along the slow route via Salford Creacent. There is a 5:36 train from Wigan North Western which takes the faster route to Manchester, but only to Victoria.

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