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Peveril Of The Peak, Castlefield

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user reviews of the Peveril Of The Peak, Castlefield

please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.

A pub full of character that is like stepping back in time. The outside is a horrendous, garish colour and the inside is dark... but it works perfectly and I loved this pub.
As some have mentioned, it is sometimes difficult to find this pub actually open but it is well worth a visit. The Everards Tiger was very good the last time I was in there. A must for a pub crawl around Manchester (as long as it is open).

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DixieLand - 21 Mar 2013 20:05

Still a very characterful boozer with decent quality beers and particularly friendly staff, though the most attractive feature is the outside tiling. By Manchester standards the beer range is a bit "safe", but Everards/Jennings etc are good quality beers, even if they're not local.

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mtaylor40 - 28 Nov 2012 18:53

Was open at 5.30pm last Monday and looks great from the outside. Pity about the inside - it looks like a 1970's working mens club.

Poor range of beers including Jennings and Deuchars; and yes, it really is �3.70 for a pint of Strongbow!

Yikes, will give it a miss next time in Manchester.

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mattbeer - 21 Mar 2012 21:22

Called in here on Wednesday 11th January as we were going to the Bridgewater Hall for a concert. I would like to see the Peveril stay open as it has genuine character in a world of manufactured "plastic" image, but at �3.20 a pint for a low gravity beer, I think will price itself out. The going rate for a city-centre pub seems to be about �3.00 for "session" beers.

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quadrantfour - 13 Jan 2012 07:50

Unfortunately we don't come to Manchester very often and tried four times in three years to come here!! We were finally successful!! Sadly it was either really busy or closed.

This is a really nice place. There are three rooms off the bar, with a pool table in one, and a football table in the main, and livelier room. The toilets are clean.

The bar man, who looks a bit like Napoleon Dynamite, was really friendly, and it was quiet upon arrival late this Sunday afternoon, but soon livened up.

4 ales on (a cracking pint Everards Tiger and Copperdragon, and (not tasted) Cumberland Ale and Deuchars IPA, sadly no real ciders.

For Manchester, it is on the dear side. A pint Copperdragon was �3.20 and a pint of Strongbow was �3.70, but it's worth it if it means keeping this great place open, we'll pop back for a couple again and again.

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Viki247 - 30 Oct 2011 18:55

I've found it open on two consecutive visits - which is a record - one was a midweek lunchtime and one was a Saturday night.

Characterful old style pub with 3 or 4 fairly standard ales on offer. Had a very decent pint of Everards recently.

It is quite expensive, but worth a few pence more to guarantee its survival I think. A proper boozer.

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twohalves - 23 Oct 2011 17:29

I had a great time in this unusual looking pub. I enjoyed the beer in here although there could be more choice. It is a must for a pub crawl around Manchester.

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DixieLand - 13 Oct 2011 03:05

This pub is a landmark building with a beautiful tiled exterior and a characterful interior that isn't quite as big as it looks from the outside. There are 3 separate drinking areas, with space to drink at the bar towards the rear. Jennings Cumberland Ale, Deuchars IPA and Copper Dragon Best were the 3 beers available. The landlord or barman was quite friendly. Well worth a visit along with the nearby Britons Protection, assuming you can find it open. At around 3:30-4pm on a Saturday afternoon, it was definitely open.

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blue_scrumpy - 25 Sep 2011 15:57

I feel sorry about this place now. It seems to have lost its sparkle somewhat. The prices have again been my main grumble about their average offerings (�1.65 for half!). I also noticed that the pub is up for sale!

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realalerules1983 - 1 Sep 2011 13:37

Characterful old pub, oozing with atmosphere. Enjoyed a tip-top Copper Dragon ale.

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wobblybob - 25 May 2011 19:39

Good atmosphere and lovely looking, characterful pub, but always seems to be bloody shut! They definitely need to put a bit more effort into the beer too; it's real ale, but lazy, unimaginative choices and they need to keep it better.

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Pukon - 27 Mar 2011 23:57

Passing by mid-afternoon Saturday it was apparently shut with just a light visible above the bar. Seemed in the same state by the time I returned about 5pm but this time I walked all the way round the building to find it was open at the other side. Now the probability is that it opened in between times but nevertheless worth making sure I think!

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rabdes - 20 Mar 2011 08:54

Passed it yesterday afternoon, but closed and didn't have time to revisit later (a quick look on my phone suggested it opened at 7pm and my train was at 7.45pm). Nice looking building from outside, a real gem. The landlady celebrates 40 years running the pub on 27th January 2011, earlier comments suggest keeping the quality high may be a struggle possibly due to immobile bar staff and/or lack of custom due to restricted opening times (reminiscent of when landlady first arrived).

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steve.hill4 - 24 Jan 2011 13:28

A lovely pub, unpretentious, with some very nice original woodwork and glasswork, but the Deuchars was distinctly ropey last night so we abandoned our unfinished pints and went to the Briton's Protection.

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red - 23 Jan 2011 15:45

Yet again I travel from Carlisle on a pub crawl to find this gem closed at 15.30 on Saturday afternoon, no wonder its not in the GBG, fortunately there are several other great pubs within a short stroll. Try Rain Bar, Britons Protection and Knotts. Whoever owns / runs this pub needs a kick up the jacksie, when will they realise pubs are not an amusement for themselves but a public service, if this was in the GBG I for one would recommend exclusion.

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beer_finder_general - 12 Dec 2010 11:21

One of Manchester city centre's most modest but fascinating Victorian buildings. Not the best place around for ale but the Peveril excels in every other respect.

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pub_patron - 24 Nov 2010 09:15

Great pub. Really friendly service. Good beer. Nice clientele. I wish I lived nearby.

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dry_riser_inlet - 24 Oct 2010 16:53

An unspoilt gem of a pub,with many original features.Run by the same family for many years.Long may this pub continue for many years to come.

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boundsgreenboy - 15 Oct 2010 02:35

Unmissable pub, with its bright two-tone yellowy-green tiled and painted exterior standing out from the sombre industrial and commercial buildings which tower above it. The interior is constrained by the curious layout imposed by the adjacent streets, with limited space in the main bar but two other rooms (one with a pool table) on the other side of the through corridor. Beer-wise, the choice is limited to four handpumps, but my pint of Copper Dragon Golden Pippin (�2.95) was on fine form. Overall, it offers a splendid step back in time.

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rpadam - 4 Jul 2010 16:44

I love the architecture of this pub. Shame it doesn't offer bar meals.

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realalerules1983 - 20 Jun 2010 22:19

This pub has been on my list of places for visit for a long time but every time time I've gone past it has been shut.
finaly caught it open last night and I'm so glad I did, the Deuchars IPA I sampled was simply superb and the character of the building added to the experence.

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boltonbloke - 5 Feb 2010 19:57

for a mere 50p you can take part in a piece of history and play 8 balls on the vintage bar football table.
At first it looks like a bit of old junk, overdue for the skip but take a closer look....your grandparents could have played on this, as the plaque above states it was made in the 50s...in Salford!!!
Not only that but the workmaship and quality put some modern tables to shame, great value fun for your money!

beer good
last orders 10pm!!!! must be a mistake!

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beerintheevening - 3 Feb 2010 23:42

When I was young, all pubs were like this, or at least they seemed to be. Please please treasure it, as living in London I can't keep it open on my own!

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bizarreloverectangle - 25 Jan 2010 23:16

we visited this place twice ( fri 4th and sat 5th), and really enjoyed it! This pub is a must for real ale and good old fashioned pub fanatics. Both visits the place was very busy and had a good atmosphere, also with a good choice of ales, ( i opted for tiger ale). I wanted to visit this pub for a long time and it was well worth the visit. If i was to own a pub this would be the kind of place i would want.

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stevenlufc - 9 Dec 2009 19:55

Same beers on offer as previous June review ... appeared to be up for sale. Hopefully will end up in the right hands.

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Leicesterbeer - 3 Nov 2009 21:54

Standing alone among it's larger neighbours, this is a pub of considerable character. The beautiful, green tiled exterior is very impressive, the inside slightly less so. You enter the pub via a corridor, with the main bar on one side and two separate rooms on the other. One of the rooms is wedge-shaped, with high-backed settles and a fireplace. the other has a pool table. The main bar has a table football game which was proving popular on our visit.
Four handpumps, ales available were Deuchars, Tiger, Jennings Cumberland and Copper Dragon Golden Pippin. I had two pints of the Golden Pippin, which was a light, refreshing ale and the best of the ales I drank in this session.
Not as impressive as it's neighbour Briton's Protection, but an interesting enough old boozer and a must-see for anyone who has a liking for proper, old-style pubs.

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holbornboy - 15 Jun 2009 13:36

Without a doubt, one of the UK�s must visit pubs, a real working museum piece where the pub traditionalist will find it hard not to punch the air upon stepping through the entrance.

The bright tiled exterior with its bold lettering makes it stand out like a huge wedge of cheese set against a typically drab Lowryish cityscape. The pub is listed in the CAMRA inventory as being structurally unaltered since at least before the war.

The interior is divided into 3 rooms set off a corridor that passes through the centre of the pub. The main bar is basic with built in pews and barely enough room for a couple of tables. The table football game is not just any table football game but a lovingly restored 1950�s relic saved from the scrap heap and apparently one of only 3 in existence. On the walls are a selection of celebrity guests from the world of music and stage who presumably count themselves as fans. A small basic TV perched in one corner suggests that the people here prefer to talk about things than watch them! The upper bar frame has detailed decorative coloured glass that fits in nicely with coriidor walls whilst the half curtained windows give the place a quaintly old fashioned working class feel.

On the beer front there are 4 hand pumps (Deuchars, Bombardier and 2 Copper Dragon ales on my visit) although one pump is set away amongst the lager taps and easily missed if there are people at the bar. The lack of any local Ales was probably the only disappointing aspect of the pub but I can live with it!

On the opposite side of the corridor are 2 further rooms, the first a neat and tidy carpeted public bar with pool table, dart board, juke box (Manc Britpop and Indie seems to be the local�s choice), old local pictures and the story of the stagecoach after which the pub is named. Completing the interior is a wonderful basic wedge shaped room with sturdy built in high backed settles, an ornate fireplace, old call bells, more old local prints and a few cartoons; very simple, relatively plain but wonderfully charismatic and the sort of room that centres on conversation.

The Pev, as it is locally known, is a gallant survivor in the declining world of real character pubs and one of Manchester�s landmark buildings. Along with the Britons Protection, a 2 minute walk down the road, it is difficult not to justify a visit.

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RogerB - 29 Jan 2009 18:56

I've heard rumours there has been a change of owner, but the beer quality was decent last night (Copper dragon). Pricey though.

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oftenscore6 - 11 Dec 2008 16:38

Good, proper wee pub.

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Sebo - 29 Sep 2008 19:21

Paid my usual yearly visit. Pub looks fantastic. 4 real ales. Well worth a visit. With the Britons Protection just up the road, this isnt a bad place for someone who likes their ales.

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TheHorsesMouth - 30 May 2008 15:34

A pub full of character, a real pub as stated below, better in the afternoon in my opinion as it's always busy at night, great for a post film pint after a visit to the Cornerhouse nearby.

Pics on the wall suggest plenty of famous people have visited this place.

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ToxtethOGrady - 21 May 2008 00:27

I'm very fond of Victorian/Edwardian city pubs and it is heart warming to find a superb example such as this,that appears authentic inside and out. If you like real ales and real city pubs this is a "must visit". I went back on a Sunday evening but, unfortunately, it was closed. A "for sale" sign looms ominously over the wall. I hope this pub survives unscathed for a long, long time.An absolute Gem.Oh, the beer was nice too!!

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tarkatherotter - 7 Apr 2008 21:48

Yep, good original feel to the interior, 3/4(?)handpumps sell well-kept beers but a changing micro would improve the selection. The room which houses the aforementioned bar-football table also has many photos of the landlady with different tv celebs, not just from Corrie. Opening hours seem to vary; last visit I went past to the Britons Protection but on my return Peveril was opening at 17:00. This & BP very handy for GMex gigs but will get hammered.

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trainman - 22 Jan 2008 11:35

Not sure about the previous posting, but the Peveril is another one of Manchesters drinking institutions. The striking tiled exterior is memorable - see photo here.

The pub is named after a horse drawn coach that used to run from Manchester to London through the Peak District, taking 23 hours.

In typical Northern style, there are a number of different rooms off a central bar. The public bar contains an old Sokaball table football table - apparently one of only 3 like it left in existence.

There are old bell pushes in the lounge and a splendid painting of Sir Matt Busby. Bar lunches are served and there are a few outside seats and tables on the pavement for when it is not raining.

The pub is still badged as a Wilsons pub - note the trademark draughtboard tiles in the gents loo.

Beers served were Black Sheep, Deuchars IPA and Bombardier on my September visit

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JohnBonser - 27 Nov 2007 17:19

Good pint of Black Sheep and a much better destination than Rain Bar.

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JonW999 - 11 Jun 2007 21:35

Fantastic pub. Agree with the tardis reference. 4 beers on pump. Well worth a visit.

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TheHorsesMouth - 24 May 2007 13:30

Victorian green tiled splendour in a desert of ugly plate glass windowed modernity. Great beer, great atmosphere and people from Coronation Street sitting on there own reading books. You can't get better than that. Best pub in Manchester.

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GeorgeXXIII - 23 May 2007 15:43

Unique little pub with Tardis-like qualities - still not sure how many sections are actually in it. Can get very crowded (and smoky), but they do a good pint of Guinness here and occasionally have some trad music. Definitely worth a visit.

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djl - 1 Apr 2007 21:52

The 2006 Good Beer Guide give the hours as follows:

Opens midday every weekday, but shuts between 3 and 5 Mon - Thurs. Opens 4-11 Saturdays and 7-10.30 Sundays.

However on two of my last three visits it's still been shut half an hour after it was supposed to have opened.

It's been dropped from the 2007 GBG.

Certainly worth a visit, but be prepared to divert elsewhere, e.g. the Briton's Protection or Rain.

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Rich66 - 21 Jan 2007 15:58

Can't be certain of the hours they keep, but we walked past at various times between 4pm and 6pm on a Friday afternoon to find all doors shut. However, it was open by 7pm and well worth the wait. Main bar was heaving, so went round to back of bar to get served. Superb old screens and windows, two back rooms of differing styles, one very much feeling like a working men's club room, the other more like a ladies' lounge. Good range of beers on, great experience all round.

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Gristy - 3 Jan 2007 10:01

I'd like to find out what this place is like,every time we've been the doors have been locked and there have been no signs of life.does anyone actually know if they have regular hours?

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soupdragon - 25 Dec 2006 19:50

Th etiles may put off the casula drinker, leaving more room for us. Classic 3 room interior with a central bar. Ales are varied and generally spot on. Occasional music and pies. Worth a trip.

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beer50 - 12 Nov 2006 20:36

Interesting pub, and seemed to have opened promptly at 12 on Friday. Deuchars IPA was no more than OK - had a much better pint of it in the Man & Scythe in Bolton on Thursday, but if you're in Manchester you must visit.

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joegreen - 28 Aug 2006 16:11

Great beer, excellent venue and the clientele are an 'interesting' mix, but very friendly

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Hammer99 - 19 Jul 2006 12:09

An extraordinalry pub; very distinctive from the outsie and full of character within. I'd been led to believe there wasn't much of a range of ales, but there were around half a dozen on for my visit from various smaller breweries. Keeps unpredicatable opening hours; it was shut just after 4pm on a Saturday (the time at which it opens according to the current Good Beer Guide) but heaving a few hours later when I returned.

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Rich66 - 25 Jun 2006 23:19

Took a chance and sought out this place and thankfully it was open. Has a bit of a gaudy and quirky exterior and an interesting interior with good beer.

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Millay - 22 Apr 2006 18:55

Superb atmosphere despite the inevitable suit invasion at around 6.00pm. Good ales, great traditional interior and bizare setting make this a must visit for the ale drinker.

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mothola - 23 Mar 2006 15:42

Classic pub -- if you can catch it when it's open!

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Uncle_Dunkel - 24 Feb 2006 16:23

Absolute classic green tiles on exterior and a cosy, wood panelled multi-roomed interior. Usually a few decent beers on. Can get a bit crowded - but Rain Bar is just over the road if you can't get in. Dwarfed by the warehouses and flats around it, it looks like a country cottage that the city has grown up all around !

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NellySays - 10 Jan 2006 21:51

Layout is classic....exterior amazing. No complaints about the beer, but something seems lacking about the interior itself. Decent pub though, perhaps im being fussy...

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bensonby - 16 Dec 2005 21:43

Didn't rate the Hobgoblin, was a bit insipid. But otherwise good pub. Excellent tiling on the outside, around the doors. Packed of a Friday.

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ahardy66 - 11 Dec 2005 20:31

What this site ignores is the Metrolink stops. Nearest to this wonderful pub are St. Peter's Square (200m), and G-Mex (400m)

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zagreb - 17 Aug 2005 16:45

The photos on the wall are class

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Supertak - 2 May 2005 17:47

Top pub for layout,atmosphere...& tiling!....good for a game of pool when its quieter & a decent Jukey....I`ve just never rated the beer here...but its still a Manchester institution.

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kierandinan - 18 Feb 2005 23:08

great pub spent many an hour playing pool and sipping wiskey, extremely friendly a blummin nice place to go.

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christiano - 23 Nov 2004 10:52

Great pub with a friendly atmoshpere. Decent selection of whiskys/ whiskeys as well

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Dave - 15 Nov 2004 18:21

Simply great beer, great landlady, great pub!

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anonymous - 28 May 2004 14:25

This is one of the best pubs in Manchester bar none. Tiled outside, the pub stands all on its own. Full of little rooms, top Boddies on tap. Very mixed crowd from musicians from the nearby Bridgewater Hall to street cleaners. You might stumble on an Irish Session of Music as well esp around St Patrick's Day. Enjoy.

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ian - 11 Dec 2003 16:33

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