The Ale Trail: Hare and Hounds (Padiham)

Old non-league football grounds invariably have a pub very close by. The problem is, they're not always good, so my first visit to Padiham FC was rendered more pleasurable by a pre-match visit to the Hare and Hounds, a delightful local boozer which stands right on its doorstep in this quaint old Lancastrian town close to Burnley.

The free house was apparently reclaimed by local owners from what CAMRA calls 'pub company mismanagement', an all too frequently overlooked reason for pub closures. It's now thriving, with seven handpumps on the bar and three separate rooms, all with real fires in. Only four of the handpumps were on when I visited, including two varieties of Timothy Taylor Landlord, the original version and the dark one. While TTL is a predictable tipple nowadays, it's also still one of the most reliable pints around and the Dark I had lived up to expectations.

Not normally a fan of pale ales, I had time to try something else so plumped for the Bank Top Pavilion, from a Manchester brewery that's never steered me wrong in the past. I'm glad I did. The ale, well-kept by a head barman who clearly knows his stuff, lacked the dryness and sharpness I find in too many lighter ales. While there's a hint of citrus about it, the fruitiness knows its place in this easy-drinking and smooth beer, which is how it should be.

Big thumps up for the hostelry. It'll be great to visit some time when they've got all seven on.