Here is a handy pub guide to Blackburn town centre.  It’s aimed at football fans in general and real ale drinkers in particular.  Unfortunately Blackburn’s pubs have hit a low water mark.  Hopefully things could be about to get better in the near future.

Adelphi

Come out the railway station and to your right, along Railway Road is the Adelphi.  At the time of writing, this pub is closed.  But activities are afoot by Admiral Taverns to bring a tenant into the pub.  For a pub in such a prominent position – right between the railway and bus stations and outside Morrison’s superstore – it has had rather a checkered history.  The place should be a goldmine, but lack of investment in the place has led it to become rather shabby.  On the bright side, it always had good real ale available.  It was always handy too as a meeting point for going to Rovers matches and for days and nights out in Blackburn town centre.  Hopefully it will be again in the near future.

STOP PRESS – The Adelphi is now open again

The Vic

In the opposite direction, left along Railway Road and down Jubilee Street, you find what was Last Orders on the corner of Darwen Street.  It is now called The Vic.  As its previous name implies, it owned by the Last Orders group, as is its sister pub, Blackburn Times, on Northgate, on the other side of the town centre.  The Vic is usually the first pub football fans come across as it’s on the route to Ewood Park.  It sometimes has real ale available, but seems a bit hit and miss with their single cask pump often unavailable.  This pub is always busy and has a good atmosphere, especially on match days.  Home and away fans mix very well together in this pub.

Postal Order

Just a few doors up Darwen Street from The Vic and next door to Blackburn Cathedral is the ‘Posty’.  This is Blackburn’s Wetherspoon’s pub and the busiest in town.  It has the best selection of real ale too and puts on a variety of meals.  As expected, this is where most football fans – and nearly everybody else – calls in on a visit to Blackburn town centre.  From the railway station you can take a short cut to the Posty by walking up Dandy Walk, to the left side of the cathedral, which is across the square from Blackburn Railway Station.

Dunn Horse

Across the road, on the right, from the Posty is BBC Radio Lancashire.  Round the corner from here is Blackburn’s Barbary Coast and Dunn Horse, on the corner of Market Street Lane and Mincing Lane.  It was called Zy Bar for a few years, but changed its name back.  This pub takes everybody by surprise by what a good boozer it is.  It has real ales available at good prices.  Plenty of characters go in here, giving it that rough and ready atmosphere, but pleasant and friendly at the same time.

Sun Hotel

Rough and ready is probably the best description of the Sun, being based on Blackburn’s Barbary Coast.  Although its staff and customers are friendly enough.  It’s just down Mincing Lane from the Dunn Horse and round the corner on Astley Gate.  It was a surprise when they started selling Thwaites Original cask ale.  But they knew what they were doing and have never looked back with their real ale experiment.  It’s as good a pint of Thwaites Gold as you will get anywhere.

Bees Knees

Across the road and under the car park access bridge from the Sun is the all stinging and dancing Bees Knees.

Read all about it here:   Bees Knees

Napier

Further up the road, you would have seen the Sir Charles Napier, if walking up Northgate.  In June 2015 Thwaites decided to close Blackburn’s only rock pub.  But its regulars were not prepared to take this lying down.  A terrific campaign to re-open the pub followed, they succeeded and it is now open.  Real ale is available and our own phoenix has risen from the ashes.

Read about it here: Napier

Drummer’s Arms

The Drummer’s Arms, across from the Town Hall, has now opened (that’s James, having his hair cut) – 5 real ales available! Read about it here:  Drummer’s Arms

Rock Box

The Rock Box, next door to The Drummer’s Arms, has opened.  Three real ales available, along with Classic Rock and Blues music on their big screens.  Read about it here:  Rock Box

If you are stuck for other pubs to go in, we have a few in the town centre which don’t sell real ale (at the time of writing).  These are Sam’s Bar on Higher Church Street, Blackburn Times and Shh Bar on Northgate and Bar Ibiza on Mincing Lane.