Take the M66 J1 and head south towards Bury. An innocuous side road, a few hundred yards off the…read moreA56, called Walmersley Old Road takes a surprisingly cobbled and twisting rise towards Nangreaves and the village of Mount Pleasant, high up on the moorland that dominates the landscape between Bury and Rochdale. The Lord Raglan stands proudly near the top of the hill at the edge of the village - an oasis in the midst of the barren, yet beguiling Lancashire moors. There is probably nothing this pub lacks. One might quibble and say - a decent jukebox or pool table, but although I would usually cite both of those as key ingredients in the Ideal Pub - the pub that bides its time, unchanging and enduring in the realm of Platonic Forms - both would be out of place in this somewhat comprehensive establishment. Essentially The Lord Raglan is a three legged dog, but as Michael Stipe once said, A three legged dog is still a dog and what a hound it is. The first leg is the restaurant, the main attraction for anyone travelling more than a few miles to this beautifully isolated outpost (although there is a very regular bus service to Bury and Manchester). Leg number two is the pub itself, nourished by leg number three - The Third Leg, if you will: Leyden Brewery, situated in the cellar beneath the pub itself. The pub is eclecticly furnished with all manner of curios including ornate thrones, the odd far eastern relic and more traditionally rural items pertaining to the world of hunting. Somehow though, none of this is overfacing and the pub treads the fine line between cosiness and clutter very steadily. It is split into three large rooms - the restaurant, the main bar area which includes a small lounge and a further main lounge which affords spectacular views towards Holcombe Hill and Ramsbottom. Sunsets to through the lounge windows to the west are often mesmerising in the summer. There is a congenial atmosphere throughout with a good ratio of locals to visitors and everyone seems happy to chat. That's not always the case in such rural establishments. The landlord and bar staff are efficient and friendly though not effusive - they leave the small talk out of it by and large. The service is of a good reliable and consistent standard, though there can often be a long wait for food - so prepare for this by arriving in plenty of time befor ethe hunger pangs become too painful. This is due to the small size of the kitchen, also situated downstairs. The restaurant serves the gamut of traditional rural pub fare with the emphasis on meat. That encompasses grills and burgers, steaks, gammon and some excellent Bury Black Pudding Tower dishes. Hot steak sandwiches and the like are also served as lighter bites with specials including bakes, fish such as Red Snapper and Thai curries adding a less usual flourishto the menu. Whatever you order, make sure it comes with a helping of Raglan Fries - they are an essential part of the Raglan Experience. Desserts are also highly recommended and come in the form of traditional staples such as sticky toffee pudding, spotted dick and apple pie. Diners are welcome in the restaurant itself or anywhere throughout the pub. My advice would be to go for a table in the one of the lounges as the ambience and mix of clientele is one of the main lures of this place. As you enter the main lounge, skirt along the bar and head up to the enormous table in the far left corner. It is surrounded by a very comfortable high backed leather couch and offers great views towards those sunsets. The pub is dog-friendly and often hosts a variety of canines, even in the main lounge. Children are also welcome although there may be a time limit on having them at the bar. In summer, the outside seating also comes into its own for such puposes, althought the beer garden in the yard to the rear could be improved with a bit of TLC. Perhaps the best reason to visit The Lord Raglan is the Leyden Brewery, the brainchild of Brendan, brother of Terry the landlord. It's a formidable micro-brewery offering a wide selection of fine ales. Four or five of those ales are usually on offer at any one time, including staples such as Raglan's Sleeve and Nanny Flyer (named after the local bus to Nangreaves) round about the 4% mark, the latter being the lighter. They range from Leyden's own wheat beers and premium style lager to Crowning Glory which approaches the sweeter style of 6% ales. Inbetween are classics such as Bury Forever (depicting the crest of Bury FC), Balaclava and Sebastopol Road and Charge of the Light Brigade. Other ales come and go and many are included in the annual (July 20th) beer festival - though it appears to me that the Raglan houses a permanent beer festival, such is the variety of choice available. Of course, they also serve the usual suspects such as lagers, Guinness and ciders on tap, but even those are accompanied by Frambozen fruit beers and white beers. The Lord Raglan is a classic

Good family pub restaurant, great food and friendly hard working staff. Will come backread more

A close friend of mine decided to have her birthday celebration at Nutters with afternoon tea…read morebooked for eight of us. This was a 'dining experience' I'd never tried before, so was looking forward to what I imagined would be the closest I'd ever get to living upstairs in Downton Abbey. When we arrived we were directed to sit at a table in their front lounge which had its own bar to wait to be seated in the main restaurant. This area's decor looked more like a city centre wine bar than I was expecting, what with its light-coloured seating, glossy black fireplace and spotlights. And there we sat, seemingly forgotten about. After 15 minutes looking around expecting service I had to walk over to the bar to ask the barman if we could order our drinks. Not a great start. Once drinks were served it wasn't long before we were all invited to our table which was a large circular one next to some impressive stone arched windows. We ordered more drinks (a mixture of cocktails, soft drinks and of course, pots of tea) and these were followed soon afterwards by three tiered serving trays of sandwiches, pastries and scones with clotted cream and jam. Excluding all drinks except the teas, the price is £15 per person. The majority of the sandwiches were very good, with just a few where the bread had dried up a bit, so that was the only minor issue. The cakes and scones were tasty, and I struggled to restrain myself from eating more than my fair share. All in all, it was a good afternoon, but not amazing, as the initial lack of service and the price of the drinks somewhat dampened the experience. £8.50 for a simple champagne cocktail and £8 for a glass of wine was really pushing acceptability I felt. Tip: their Afternoon Tea menu is available from Tuesdays to Saturdays between 3pm and 5pm. Tip: the 'Afternoon Tea Experience' where you also get a glass of House Champagne cocktail and chilled strawberries is £22.50 per person.

From the moment you turn into the driveway leading into Nutters you know that you have arrived…read moresomewhere special. The winding driveway leads up to a beautiful old building and an ample sized car park. A member of staff greets you on arrival, takes your coat and directs you to the lounge area. Drinks orders are promptly taken whilst you look at the menu. We ordered shortly afterwards and before long we were advised that our table was ready. The waiter showing us to our table also carried out drinks through for us. On arrival at our table we were also offered some iced water. A selection of freshly baked bread was brought. For a starter I had parsnip soup, which could have been really bland, and whilst I did need to add some seasoning it was delicious. My main course was the Limousin of Beef which was served with Yorkshire pudding roast potatoes and veg. It was perfectly cooked and probably the most delicious beef I've ever tasted. My dining partner had the seabass which was served with noodles and was also amazingly delicious. For dessert there were only 2 choices. Either a selection of desserts or a selection of cheeses. I had the cheese and my dining partner had the selection of desserts. The waitress who brought them described each one. The cheeses were arranged according to strength getting stronger as you made your way clockwise around the plate. To finish off we had a cafetière between us. The food was amazing. The service was faultless. The venue has a lovely relaxed ambience. Full marks!! If anything could be done differently, and I'm really having to nitpick here, I'd prefer the same waiter throughout my meal as we were served by many different people, but this isn't a big issue at all.

a newly re-built and refurbished pub. now has 5 rooms, each with a coal fire. the pub sells a full…read morerange of sam smiths fine ales. a brill place to meet up.

From the owner: The Star Inn is a beautiful pub situated near Norden, Rochdale serving a large range of quality…read moreales, beers, ciders, stouts, lagers and fruit beers. Good Pub Food is also served all day Monday 12-8, Wednesday to Saturday 12-8 and on Sundays a home cooked roast is a available 12-6. In the winter you'll find 5 real fires creating that perfect ambience. **Please note that food is not served on Tuesdays, however we do accept group bookings of 10 or more**

We stayed at the Inn above this pub. The staff was very nice. Parking is close and convenient. We…read moregot in our room and turned on the shower to clean up after a long day. The shower drain was totally clogged and within 20 seconds, water was flowing into the bedroom. I spoke to the manager who quickly called a plumber. The plumber said it would take some time and already had the contents of the drain all over the bathroom floor. We had 45 minutes to meet friends nearby, so we contacted Expedia and they helped us get another room. We left and resumed our night. The Inn denied any responsibility and acted as if we were out of line for "not being aware of our policies". I suppose they have nonfunctional facilities covered in that policy. The Inn Director kept citing their ratings and avoided any accountability. They have my money and I hope it is well spent.

There burgers are the best burgers I have had in a very long time. Great service and an even…read moregreater company ethos/mission. I won't spoil the greatness that place does, go find out for yourself!!

Ah well, here we go again.The Bridge Inn has re-opened again; again; again. It's like Groundhog…read moreDay! Still short on customers and still high on riff-raff and too-expensive drinks. Shame 'cos this ought to be a good pub. One day.. The day has come! Prices are down, the pub has been done up, the riff-raff appear to be staying away and the new management are trying so hard to make sure you can have a great night out. Fingers crossed.

I passed this stunning little place whilst traveling up to haslingdon I was driving over the tops…read morecause the views up here are wonderful but having come across this shop I stopped because one I was starving and two because it looks fantastic outside all black and white an very modern I pulled up in a car park which has ample spaces for plenty of cars which is fantastic because its so hard normally to park near food places I was greeted my the owner which I now know is Dave marsh who has recently just got it back and running it with his wife daughter and sonDave is well known for his famous fish & chips all around rochdale this was the first time I had met him in person but have heard that he does the best fish around rochdale and believe me when I ordered my fish & chips I was not disappointed this was indeed the best fish & chips I had tasted around for miles I love my food but couldn't finish this huge meal you need to try for yourself to see how good it really is you can sit in or take out there's even seating outside if you want to enjoy the sunshine all in all I give this shop a ten out of ten for food service and stunning decor and will be coming again

Very friendly pub, good food and live football too!read more

The Masons Arms is now part a restaurant and a pub.read more

I have lived in Norden for some 24 years and I have never got to grips with this pub. There is…read morenothing wrong with the beers they taste fine and there is a great selection. There is nothing to write home about the decor: it is always dark and rather dismal and seedy looking. There is limited parking (drink drivingissues..etc) already and last year a large patio was built at the front of the pub, thus reducing parking even more. There is just about no parking in the vicinity so a drive there for a pint is rather difficult. The price of the drinks might also be off-putting. The pub has 4 Sam Smiths pubs as relatively near neighbours, where the drinks are just about half the price of the Brown Cow. There does seem to be a crowd of locals, however, who patronise the pub regularly. The prices, the decor and the parking must suit them. Just doesn't suit me that's all. NOW CLOSED JULY 2012