Bayley Arms - Hurst Green

The Bayley Arms in Hurst Green seems to act as the hub of village life. It seems to act as the clubhouse for the local golf club and you trip up over piles of cricket kit left in the doorway. Once inside, the sports theme continues, with football, rugby, and cricket memorabilia all over the walls. I know many will recoil at the idea of a 'sports bar', but it's done tastefully and in keeping with the pubs interior.

The clientele range from a few of the older kids from Stonyhurst, their visiting parents, local sports teams, walkers, and others out for a drive. Not enough real ales for my liking, but good for slightly unusual lagers on tap, such as San Miguel (perhaps catering for the large numbers of visiting South American & Spanish who send their kids to Stonyhurst).

We like the laid back, friendly atmosphere, decent pub grub and strong feeling of community. I know a couple of people who stay here on a regular basis when visiting the area,so the rooms must be comfortable.

***Update*** - New owners have improved the selection of ales (We drank Bombardier last visit) and have got rid of the San Miguel.

The Shireburn Arms - Hurst Green

*Edit 2009*
As 'The Silver Fox' has commented, it get's livelier at other times of the day. We had been put off by a slightly unfortunate first visit and gave the review below. This is often the danger with pubs - go one time of the day or week and it can be completely different from another time. The food is very good too, by the way.

Hurst Green seems to be visited for two things - Stonyhurst public school, and walks in areas Tolkein undoubtably found inspiration from. So, three pubs seem to thrive there, which is always a good sign for such a small village. The Shireburn Arms is actually more of a hotel than a pub, and unfortunately more of a restaurant too. After yomping along the banks of the Hodder for a couple of hours, we were disappointed to find ourselves in the middle of an old folks convention. Sunday lunchtime probably isn't the ideal time to visit any rural pub, but the Shireburn Arms definitely had the feel of an old people's home. We'd already mentioned this was the vibe we were getting when an old lady and her older mother sat down next to us, and then pretended to read the paper while listening in to everything we said. So, not comfortable vibes at all, but a grand place to take the granny.

This John Smiths pub also were selling the excellent Bowland Brewery Hen Harrier when we visited. http://www.bowlandbrewery.com/