GREENOCK
Greenock is large town on the bank of the River Clyde. In its industrial past it was well known for shipbuilding and sugar refining, then for electronics. It is the main town of Inverclyde, which also includes Gourock, Port Glasgow and Kilmacolm. Greenock is a port for a cruise ship a day spring and summer.
It is easily reached by bus or train from Glasgow
Nineteen possible pubs in a walk from Greenock Central Station to Greenock West station.
Get off of the train at Greenock Central (if you go onto Greenock West then just work backwards) and exit the station on the same side as your platform and turn left up a short hill. At the top turn left again and walk down and under the railway bridge. On the corner at right of the roundabout is The Carnock.
Leaving her continue to walk down towards main road/docks where The Tail of the Bank sits by the harbour. Leaving here cross at the lights and walk along the main road beside Morrisons car park. At the next junction turn left and The Lighthouse Bar is a few metres up the road. Continuing up this road (Cathcart St) and near the top is The James Watt, quickly followed by Lithgow’s. Head along to the fancy fountain in the square and go down to the right to get to Martini’s Bar.
Leaving here walk back up to the square and cross over to walk between the church and a closed pub. Turning right walk through the car park and along the road to reach The Exchange. Leaving here continue walking to the roundabout and cross over to the otherwise of the high flats (an awkward crossing so be careful; there are lights round to the left.). Once behind the flats there are stairs to a short passage under the road. Coming out of this there is The Westburn on the left. Further down this street across the street with lots of shops (West Blackhall St) is Tokyo Joe. Return to street with the shops and walk along turning down next right to Connelly’s. Come back up and repeat this manoeuvre, going down next right to The Black Cat. Return and repeat only going up to left to The Hole In The Wall. Return to West Blackhall St and continue along to the end to, on the left, The West End.
Leaving here continue along a few steps to the main road and walk along to the left to reach the next traffic lights. Turn up left here past the first junction and again turn right at the traffic lights. At the end of this block is The Tontine Hotel and round the corner to the right there is a door to the lounge bar Eighteen 08. You now need to back track passing the traffic lights and continue along the road past another junction (Jamaica St) and a step path made of wide steps. Then just along is The Horseshoe.
Leaving here walk down past the bus station (to the high flats again) and cross over to go up the hill. The Green Oak is on the right at the lights, then further up, past a roundabout, is Chaplins. Then at the next junction is Nicolson’s. At this corner you should be able to see Greenock West station for your return journey. However, as you get to the station you should see across two road The Willow Bar. Now go to get the train home.
Number of pubs can be reduced by one of, or more than one short cuts :
a) By coming out of station and turning right go down the hill to start at The James Watt;
b) After The Exchange, instead of crossing over to the rear of the high flats just turn up left and cross at lights to The Green Oak; or
c) Turn left out of The Hole In The Wall and at the junction go up a set of steps, Bubbly Jock’s Brae turning left at the top
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A selection of recommended books covering all aspects of beer and brewing. There are books on the history of beer and others on different styles of beer.
For example
An Inebriated History of Britain by Peter Haydon
Amber, Gold & Black by Martyn Cornell
Brew Britannia by Jessica Boak & Ray Bailey
The Story of the Pint by Martyn Cornell
Miracle Brew by Pete Brown
Built to Brew by Lynn Pearson
And many more
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The website of the Campaign for Real Ale
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A selection of recommended books on pubs and their history. There are books on the social history of pubs and the design of pubs through the ages.
There are also books on visiting pubs and ones recommending pubs to visit.
CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide
Death of the English Pub by Christopher Hutt
Brewers, Brands and the Pubs in their Hands by Tony Thornton
Licensed to Sell by Brandwood, Davidson & Slaughter
And many more
The Carnock
the Carnock, Greenock
The Carnock is a one roomed under tenement bar with servery in middle of back wall.
Opposite servery are some small tables. To left is pool table, darts, TV and juke box. To right some Banquette seating and more dining height tables. Servery has some stools. NEWS
Heavy: Belhaven Best
Lager: Tennents; Stella; Menabrea; Coors; Grianaig lager
Cider: Strongbow; Strongbow Dark Fruit
The Tail of the Bank
The Tail O’ the Bank is a Hungry Horse pub situated around a harbour. There is lots of outside seating and a play area for kids.
There is outside seating either side of entrance. Once inside there is dining style seating are either side of door. The servery is straight ahead along the back wall and around to the left. To left of servery is tall table area, large TV and pool. Opposite servery couple of booths. To right of servery is large dining area with access to the outside seating and play area.
Heavy/IPA: Belhaven Best; East Coast Pale Ale
Lager: Coors; Peroni; San Miguel; Birra Moretti; West 4; Budweisser
Cider: Strongbow; Strongbow Dark Fruit
Guinness
Pub Jukebox:
Alcohol themed music to listen to while you browse.
Down at the twist & shout - Mary Chapin Carpenter
The Lighthouse Bar
The Lighthouse is a one roomed bar
Servery round to the right taking up a corner of the room.
Windows t left of entrance let in a lot of light.
Main room opposite servery split into two large booth areas each with Banquette seating with round dining height tables with stools.
Some standing shelves at walls
Heavy: Caledonia Best
Lager: Tennents; Coors; Carling
Cider: Strongbow
PLACES TO VISIT WITH PUBTRAILS
The towns and villages highlighted on this web site have a wide variety of pubs and beers in them. All of the places are great to visit, whether for a day or longer, and most have tourist attractions for all of the family.
There is a large variety of pubs throughout the different towns shown below. Some you may wish never to visit again but even discovering these can be interesting. There are pubs that you would not take your wife into. While some you could not take your girlfriend into. A few you would not take either into. However, most of the pubs are very pleasant.
HOME MAP of places visited
Alnwick Ambleside Anstruther Bakewell Bamburgh Barnard Castle Bath Berwick upon Tweed Birnam & Dunkeld Bourton on the Water Bowness on Windermere Bridge of Allan Chester Chichester Dunblane Dunoon Edinburgh Ely Fort William Glasgow Gourock Greenock Helensburgh Inverness Kelso Keswick Knaresbourgh Largs Linlithgow Lyme Regis Melrose Montrose Newton Stewart North Berwick Norwich Oban Pebbles Penzance Portree Pitlochry Quorn Richmond Rothesay St Andrews Seahouses Seend Shrewsbury Skipton Stirling Stratford-upon-Avon Stockton Heath Whitby Windemere Whitstable York
The James Watt
The James Watt is a Wetherspoon’s house which has not recovered from covid so there is no standing at bar
Large L shaped servery serving L shaped room. Extra areas to left and right of front of room either side of doors. And to rear of the room. Small outside area. Front wall by windows has booths then dining tables between these and the servery.
Long arm of servery has tall tables opposite and beyond that two dining style areas. Rear has more dining style.
The only pub in Greenock to feature in The Good Beer Guide and is still there in 2023, 2024
Real Ale: Abbot; Doom Bar; Ghost Ship; Belhaven 80/-; Red Smiddy (Kelburn); Monkey Wrench (Dales); Skye black
Heavy/IPA: Worthington Cream Flow; Punk IPA
Lager: Stella; Bud; Carling; Tennent’s; Innes & Gunn; Corona: Coors; Carlsberg; Leffe; Bud light; San Miguel
Cider: Strongbow; Strongbow Dark fruit; Thatchers; Kopparberg Guinness
Lithgow’s
Lithgows is a large corner pub with windows along both sides letting in a lot of light
Thus creates a L-shaped airy room. The servery is on the back wall to the left of the entrance. To the left are four large booths along the window side and three TVs for sport on the left side wall. Between booths and servery are some tall tables and lots of standing room. To the right of entrance are a few dining sized tables. Down a few steps to a pool area and large tall tables.
Heavy:
Lager: Corona; Birra Moretti; Tennent’s; Carlsberg
Cider: Kopparberg Guinness
PUB QUIZ
How many properties are there on a Monopoly board?
Answer at foot of page
Martini’s Bar
Martini’s is a large room having big windows to the front and a large domed atrium in the middle of the far end of the room. To the left of the door is some dining seating with large windows to the road. Then curving into the main is a short area with a mixture of tall tables and dining sized tables with banquette seating. Beyond this the servery is on the left wall. The main room opposite the servery has tall tables in the middle and booths along the right-hand wall each with a small monitor for entertainment.
This is a dark wood bar with wooden flooring but very light as it has atrium and windows and high ceilings. Lots of standing room between tables.
Heavy:
Lager: Coors Light; Heverlee; Peroni, Tennent’s; Corona
Cider: Strongbow; Strongbow Dark fruit
Shard raspberry and lime
The Exchange
The Exchange is a large bar restaurant. Large windows letting in light all around three sides. The main door in middle of the longest side.
There is a Restaurant area to the left. Servery is u-shaped with the top of it being close to the main door. There is some seating by window opposite servery and then the main bar area follows around to the right. This has a variety of table styles, with
tall tables close to bar and dining style tables down the length. Out of this area is a side door to outside covered seating
Tastefully decorated. Dark marble top servery. Wooden flooring. Walls are mainly windows with light brown blinds
Heavy: John Smiths; Punk IPA; Elvis Juice
Lager: Tennents; Estrella; Heineken; :Peroni; Birra Moretti ; Asahi; Blue Moon
Cider: Strongbow and Strongbow Dark fruits Guinness
The Westburn
The Westburn
Tokyo Joe’s
Connelly’s
Connellys The servery right in front of main door in the middle of the room and stretches up half of middle right hand side.
To left of door is large square area with dining style seating, wood clad walls and a pool table in centre.
To right of door is seating area stretching past and beyond servery with dining style tables. This area has stone walls, front floor tiled with DJ area while from servery onwards floor is carpeted except actually around front parts of servery
There is a tall bar counter which has armchair style stools and stone walls.
Heavy: John Smiths
Lager: Tennents; Birra Moretti; Coors; Amstel; Fosters; Heineken
Cider: Strongbow ; Strongbow Dark Fruit; Inches cider Guinness
The Black Cat
The Black Cat is a traditional under tenement one roomed bar. It has a central island servery which does not leave much room on either side. There is banquette seating in three corners with a tall table and toilet door in rear right hand side corner. There are occasional stools around the servery.
Claims to be the oldest pub in Greenock.
In the book “Scotland’s True Heritage Pubs” (CAMRA)
Heavy: Caledonia best
Lager: Tennents; Birra Moretti
Guinness
The Hole in the Wall
The Hole in the Wall, Greenock
The Hole in the Wall, Greenock
The Hole in the Wall is a one roomed bar with servery in middle of right hand wall.
Seating either side of servery and opposite servery is Banquette seating in two large booths each with round tables and chairs. Stools along bar.
Wooden counter and back gantry.
Tiled floor and cream upholstery. Dark wood half way up wall then cream and dark wooden dado rail.
Smart and tidy locals’ pub
Heavy: Caledonia Best; Tennents Special 70/-
Lager: Tennent’s; Heverlee
Cider: Strongbow Guinness
West End Bar - closed
WEST END is a restaurant bar with a small bar just in the door. This has windows with stool seating along front then servery with standing room but there is not much room between standing at bar and sitting at window. Down left to is access to reach main restaurant sitting area. The access route has a couple of tall tables at one side and two booths opposite.
Lager: Staroperamen; Madri
Eighteen 08
Eighteen 08, a lounge bar off of the Tontine Hotel rear courtyard. The bar can be entered from a side door around corner from the hotel main entrance. There is a long servery on the back wall. The room splits in two with some dining sized tables immediately opposite the servery and then behind them some large booths and beyond these are more tables and then sliding patio doors out to the courtyard which captures the sun.
Heavy/IPA: Caledonia best ; Punk IPA
Lager: Menabrea; Heverlee; Tennent’s; Blue Moon; Estrella
Cider: Strongbow and Strongbow Dark Fruit
The Horseshoe
The Horseshoe, Greenock
The Horseshoe, Greenock - bar
The Horseshoe, Greenock - outside area behind pub
The Horseshoe, Greenock - new lounge (late 2022)
The Horseshoe, Greenock - new lounge (late 2022)
The Horseshoe, Greenock - new lounge (late 2022)
The Horseshoe, Greenock - old lounge
The Horseshoe, Greenock - old lounge
The Horseshoe, Greenock - old lounge
The Horseshoe is a two roomed bar. Main door takes to lounge through either door. Door on right takes you to lounge/entertainment area. right with entrance to main lounge. This entertainment area can also be entered by door on right hand side of building.
Lounge has servery on left side of back wall a small stage to right of servery for quiz/ karaoke/ Bingo / food. Banquette seating around side with dining sized tables. Some central seating. Lot of standing area.
The predominant colour on lounge is purple. Bottom third of wall purple and upper cream or windows
The main lounge is quite large as it was a small lounge and bar that have now been knocked together. Wall is decorated with a light blue bottom third, also under servery, with mainly windows above or some pretend brick. The floors are wooden and there is banquette seating around walls with occasional tall table in middle of the large room. Bar stools along servery the angles of which show its former use as two rooms. There is a beer garden, no plants, outside the far side of the room.
Heavy: John Smiths;
Lager: Tennents; Coors; Budweisser; Staroperamen; Birra Moretti
Cider: Strongbow and Strongbow Dark fruits Guinness
The Green Oak
Chaplin’s
Chaplins is a large room with servery all along the far wall. Room broken up down the centre by two large pillars with shelves
Banquette seating along front wall with windows. Left hand wall has some banquettes seating. Centre of rom has small round dining style tables. Pool to the right close to bar.
Upstairs is Victorian Carriage function suite.
Heavy: John Smiths; Caledonia Best
Lager: Tennents; Budweisser
Cider: Magners Dark Fruit; Strongbow Guinness
One Bruce Street (was Nicolson’s)
One Bruce Street, Greenock
Nicolson's, Greenock
One Bruce Street, Greenock
One Bruce Street, Greenock
One Bruce Street, Greenock
One Bruce Street, Greenock
One Bruce Street, Greenock
One Bruce Street, Greenock
One Bruce Street, Greenock
One Bruce Street, Greenock
Nicolson's, Greenock
Nicolson's, Greenock
Nicolson's, Greenock
Nicolson's, Greenock
Nicolson's, Greenock
Nicolson's, Greenock
Nicolson's, Greenock
One Bruce Street (was Nicolson’s) front door leads to a dining seating area on right and to some banquette seating for dining style tables to left.
Further round to left leads to long thin room with short servery on left. The room opens out beyond the servery to more dining style seating. Opposite the servery is some comfy seating at small tables and the entrance to an extensive beer garden on two levels.
Food place lunch and early evening moving to evening night entertainment
Tastefully decorated attractive. Appeals to all ages
Heavy/IPA: Belhaven Best; Mangolicious Pale Ale; Neck Oil
Lager: Tennents; Birra Moretti; Stella; Madri
Cider: Strongbow; Strongbow Dark Fruit Guinness
The Willow
The Willow is a one roomed pub with the servery along almost the whole off the left side wall. Opposite the counter are several large both seating areas with banquette seating and dining height tables.
Heavy: Caledonia Best
Lager: Tennents; Manabrea,; Innes & Gunn;
Cider: Magners Guinness
“Money cannot buy happiness but it can buy beer, which is almost the same thing”
ANSWER: 22