A crawl of legendary prowess, traditionally the mile started at The Hare & hounds in Holcombe Brook and extended all the way to The Railway in the centre of Ramsbottom.
Unfortunately, over the years many of the pubs that were included in the mile have closed or been turned into something else, so I present here a new and updated version.
I’ve decided to turn it more into a loop, starting at The Hare & Hounds and then heading into Ramsbottom and then back again. I’ve also included a few food stops along the way, because I don’t believe in the phrase ‘Eating is Cheating’ – especially when drinking this amount of ale.
The Hare & Hounds
You’ll kick this whole thing off with a rather inoffensive Greene King boozer right on the main road in Holcome Brooke – The Hare & Hounds. They’ve usually got a great selection of beers and ales on offer – with plenty of local offerings as standard. If the weather is alright, or you’ve got a big coat – head out round the back to the excellent beer garden, or watch the Fiat Puntos drive past on one of the tables out front.
Hare & Hounds, 400 Bolton Rd W, Holcombe Brook, Ramsbottom, Bury BL0 9RY
The Shoulder of Mutton
It’s a bit of a trek up Lumb Carr Road to The Shoulder of Mutton now, but it’s well worth the effort. You can walk it, but it’ll take you 20 minutes – and if it’s raining – it’ll ruin your day. Maybe get a taxi – it’ll take 2 minutes and cost you about 2 quid. Anyway, once youre here, ‘The Shoulder’ is a proper decent, traditional country pub – the kind of place you’ll find stone bricks, low wood beams, horse brass and a roaring fire. The food here is excellent too.
The Shoulder Of Mutton, Lumb Carr Rd, Holcombe Village, Ramsbottom, Bury BL8 4LZ
Rose & Crown
A nice leisurely walk from The Shoulder is Rose & Crown, a class boozer that sits on top of a hill overlooking the entire town and surrounding areas. Again this is a proper cosy pub, with a pool table, a load of cracking ales and local beers and a massive beer garden out back that I think they used for bowling back in the day but now is great for Headers and Volleys whilst pissed up.
Rose & Crown, 96 Carr St, Ramsbottom, Bury BL0 9EG
It’s now time to make your way into the centre of Rammy, and as you approach the junction of Carr Street and Ramsbottom Lane, there’s a few eateries where you can grab a bite to eat if you’re feeling peckish.
Mrs P’s Luxury Ice Cream
Depending on the time of year in which you do The Mile, this might just be the perfect spot for you to grab some grub. If you’re hot and sweaty, some of the homemade ice cream from this place will proper sort you out. I had a Percy Pig ice cream when I went in here once – which was just as good as you’d expect.
Mrs P’s Luxury Ice Cream, 9 Market Pl, Ramsbottom, Bury BL0 9AJ
Tre Ciccio
A very impressive Italian restaurant just on Ramsbottom Lane, Tre Ciccio have been absolutely smashing it since opening here a few years back, with their rather unique offering of wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas and ‘Pollo Arrosto e Patate’ – Italian style roasted chicken and potatoes. I should also mention their Rotolini – baked pizza bites stuffed with ham, cheese and tomato – they’re phenomenal and VERY addictive.
Tre Ciccio, 16-18 Market Pl, Ramsbottom, Bury BL0 9HT
01706 497100
Northern Whisper Tap Room
Brewed just down the road in Rossendale, you’re always guaranteed the freshest beers at Ramsbottom’s Northern Whisper Tap Room – and usually the very best selection too. There’s their typical line-up of IPAs, Helles Lager and Stouts, plus you’ll be impressed with many of their ‘seasonal’ offerings – including sours, saisons, red ales and even a ‘dunkelweizen’ – the classic South German dark wheat ale. Beer lovers will be spoilt for choice in here.
Northern Whisper Ramsbottom Tap Room, 2 Market Pl, Ramsbottom, Bury BL0 9HT
The Oaks
Home of the World Famous Black Pudding Throwing Championships every second Sunday in September, The Oaks is right in the centre of Ramsbottom and can get quite rowdy on a weekend, especially if there’s something going on. It’s a great boozer, with everything you’d expect and could desire – cold beers, loads of gin, home-cooked food and plenty of banter and characters. All you need really.
The Oaks, 39 Bridge St, Ramsbottom, Bury BL0 9AD
The Railway
Traditionally the final stop on the old Rammy Mile, The Railway is only around your halfway point these days – so don’t get too comfortable in here. This pub is a quintessential British boozer, and is right across the road from the world-famous East Lancashire Railway – so if you’re sat outside with some lagers and you see the steam engine chugging past, you could almost be back in Victorian Britain. But without the rickets.
The Railway, 2 Bridge St, Ramsbottom, Bury BL0 9AQ
Okay, it’s now time to head back through Rammy and make your way back to the Hare & Hounds. There are, of course, plenty more pubs to go, and some great places to eat.
Zumuku Sushi
A brand-new sushi addition to Ramsbottom, Zumuku have opened up their dine-in and takeaway operation in the last couple of months and they’ve become firm favourites – mainly due to the exceptional quality of their sushi and their stunning platters. They offer more than just sushi though, there’s also a pretty extensive menu of small plates and sides (including some amazing gyoza), noodles, bao buns and Japanese Katsu curry dishes.
Zumuku Sushi Ramsbottom, 50 Bridge St, Ramsbottom, Bury BL0 9AQ
Baratxuri & Levanter
Levanter is a stunningly authentic Spanish tapas bar that serves delicious small plates of fresh, flavoursome food. Describing themselves as a ‘True Tapas Bar, Not a Restaurant’, I think you can feel reassured knowing that when they do tapas, they do it bloody well. Their sister restaurant, Baratxuri, is a Basque- style ‘Pinxto’ bar and is equally as impressive.
Square St, Ramsbottom BL0 9AT
The Grey Mare
A cracking little Thwaites pub on Bolton Road, The Grey Mare is often full of locals and characters, ensuring that there’s plenty of people to chat to over a pint and a packet of Scampi Fries. They usually have live music, bands or DJs on a Friday and Saturday, and a bit of karaoke on a Sunday.
The Grey Mare, 25-27 Bolton St, Ramsbottom, Bury BL0 9HU
01706 823252
Ramsbottom Social
A newer neighbourhood restaurant and bar, Ramsbottom Social offer up an impressive menu of brunch dishes, small plates and Sunday roasts, alongside an extensive range of beers, gins and cocktails. It’s a cosy little place with a great atmosphere, especially on the weekends. Well worth a visit and if you haven’t had any food yet, a couple of small plates with your beer is a fantastic idea.
Ramsbottom Social, 50 Bolton St, Ramsbottom, Bury BL0 9HX
01706 829915
Irwell Works Brewery
You can pop into the excellent Tap & Cork almost directly opposite Ramsbottom Social, and if you head round the back you’ll find the Irwell Works Brewery. It has the word ‘BREWERY’ emblazoned on the roof – so even in your inebriated state – you’ll be able to find this place. It’s open til 12 on the weekends, and you can get the freshest possible ales and beers here – pretty much straight out of the tap. I was pleasantly surprised with their ‘Mad Dogs & Englishmen’ export strength IPA – give that a try.
Irwell Works Brewery, Irwell St, Ramsbottom, Bury BL0 9YQ
irwellworksbrewery.co.uk
The Major
It’s a bit of a walk down Bolton Street to The Major now, but you should be sprightly and it’ll pass by quickly I promise. The Major doesn’t look like much from the outside, and indeed once you’re inside and you see the carpet – you might think you’ve made a huge mistake. Well you havent, head to the bar, grab a drink, sit down and soak up the atmosphere of this cracking traditional boozer.
The Major, 158 Bolton St, Ramsbottom, Bury BL0 9JA
01706 508239
Frank’s Burger Shop
If you’re looking for some food at this point, I highly recommend a little visit to Frank’s Burgers, who do some seriously impressive burgers and chicken sandwiches, plus some of the greatest chips you’ll ever put into your mouth. You can even grab yourself a beer and a cocktail in here too – meaning it’s actually now a fully-fledged stop on The Rammy Mile.
Frank’s Burgers, 9 Bolton Rd W, Ramsbottom, Bury BL0 9NA
Holcombe Tap
A proper hidden gem that’s become a true Ramsbottom institution over the past couple of years, Holcombe Tap is a truly magnificent boozer – featuring everything you could ever want from a pub – done really, really well. The food is outstanding, there’s a proper log fire, the biggest selection of gins in the area, great local beers and ales and a banging beer garden out back for when it’s warm. The perfect ending to your Rammy Mile experience.
Holcombe Tap, 13 Bolton Rd W, Ramsbottom, Bury BL0 9NA
www.holcombetap.co.uk
