Chorley's Inns and Taverns: Leyland

Name: The Market Ale House

Address: 33, Hough Lane, Leyland

Opened in December 2013 this was one of Lancashire’s first micro pubs. It was previously Robinson's Milk Bar and more lately the Co Op Travel Agency. Landlords at the Ale House to date have been Danny Hindle and Jack Godwin.

The following article provides useful background to the opening of the ale house: -

Market Ale House

Thursday 31st March 2016

South West Lancashire and adjacent Merseyside are fast becoming hot spots for micropubs. East Kent was the first such area and still is. Then there was an explosion of them in the East Midlands which continues. So, the North West of the country seems to be the next and our target on this visit was one of the first, opening on 2013.

The Market Ale House is the brainchild of Danny and Alison Hindle who are licensees of the Railway Hotel in Preston Road, which not unnaturally, is close to Leyland station.

That pub is the complete opposite to a typical micropub. However it is indirectly responsible for the creation of the Market Ale House.

It won North West Sports Pub of the Year and the couple were in London for the presentation. Whilst there, they visited a few micropubs in Kent and were very taken by the concept, so the rest is history.

They established the pub in a former Travel Agent’s premises. Although, I notice from an old photograph that it was once Robinson’s Milk Bar.

It is on the corner of Northcote Street. This once led to the North Works of Leyland Motors. Now that old building houses Leyland’s Market Place. It is about a half mile (750m) from Leyland Railway station...this pub was Central Lancashire Cider Pub of the Year in 2016. We liked it a lot and it is well worth visiting if you should be in the southern part of Lancashire.

The pub is to be found around a half mile from Leyland station. This has trains operated by Northern running from Manchester via Bolton and on to Blackpool via Preston. Also there is an hourly service from Liverpool to Preston via St Helens and Wigan.

A number of bus routes serve Leyland.

From the station walk up the station approach road (Golden Hill). Pass the Railway Hotel on your left. Turn left into Chapel Brow passing a new micro-pub (The Golden Tap, fitting out when we were there). Walk down to the roundabout. Cross to Hough Lane (we went across the car parks on the right). Continue up, passing the Leyland Lion (Wetherspoons) on the left. You will find the Ale House on the right just after the church.

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