Bury Pubs: The Best Pubs and Where to Drink

The Bury pubs people look for most are Broad Street Social and the Irwell Works Brewery Tap in Ramsbottom, joint winners of CAMRA’s Bury Pub of the Year 2025; the Trackside at Bolton Street station; and the Two Tubs, one of the town centre’s oldest buildings. Every entry was checked against the pub’s own website, or its CAMRA listing where it has none, on 24 October 2026.

We have not visited these pubs for this guide, and none of this is a review. Each entry says what the pub says about itself, what the local branch of CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale) records about it, and its Food Standards Agency hygiene rating where it serves food. Opening hours change, especially in winter, so ring before a long trip.

Bury town centre

Broad Street Social

A small bar in the middle of Bury owned by Brewsmith, the Ramsbottom brewery. CAMRA’s Rochdale, Oldham and Bury branch says it pours six cask ales, usually four from Brewsmith and two guests, always including session, pale and dark beers, plus keg beers with Ayinger Hell and Jever as fixtures. A stamp card on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday gives a free pint after six. The branch named it joint Bury Pub of the Year 2025. Hours on CAMRA’s listing: closed Monday, Tuesday to Thursday 2pm to 11pm, Friday and Saturday noon to 12.30am, Sunday noon to 8pm. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 1 February 2024). We could not find a website of its own. 9 Broad Street, BL9 0DA.

The Trackside

The bar on Platform 2 at Bury Bolton Street, run by the East Lancashire Railway. The railway’s page promises “up to ten real ales as well as award winning ciders and perries” and a beer garden on the platform itself; CAMRA’s listing, updated in March 2026, says the cask range has been cut to about six, with Moorhouse’s Flying Hopsman and Fell Tinderbox as regulars. Bar hours: closed Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday noon to 10pm, Friday noon to 11pm, Saturday 10am to 11pm, Sunday 10am to 8pm; the main menu runs noon to 5pm, with breakfast from 10am at weekends. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 21 March 2025). Bolton Street Station, BL9 0EY. Our listing.

The Two Tubs

A Grade II listed pub at the corner of Market Place and The Wylde, near the Robert Peel statue. The Historic England listing calls the building “of doubtful age”; CAMRA says it became a pub in 1806, that records suggest a building on the site in the 1400s, and that the oldest visible part is a wattle and daub wall from 1696. CAMRA gives the interior one star on its national inventory for the panelled passage and small front rooms. Thwaites owns it; new managers took over in February 2024, and there is a “Military Monday” for veterans and serving personnel. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 26 January 2024). 19 The Wylde, BL9 0LA. Our listing.

The Old White Lion

A late Victorian pub on Bolton Street with a revolving door that is still in use. CAMRA gives its interior three stars, its highest grade, “of outstanding national historic importance”, for the Oak Room at the back: panelling, a plaster ceiling with Tudor roses, lions and birds, and fixed seating with bell pushes. The building is Grade II listed. The pub’s own page (it is a Craft Union pub, owned by Stonegate) talks up karaoke, discos and live sport shown in the Oak Room. Open 11am to 11pm Monday to Saturday, 11am to 10pm Sunday. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 7 February 2025). 6 Bolton Street, BL9 0LQ. Our listing.

The Robert Peel

A big open-plan pub on Market Place, named after the mill owner and MP whose son became prime minister. It was a Wetherspoon until 2022; CAMRA says it reopened on 6 April 2022 under new owners, with six real ales including permanent beers from Acorn and real ciders from Seacider, and calls it “the largest open public area in Bury”. It was one of ten Greater Manchester pubs added to CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide 2026, according to Taste of Manchester. CAMRA lists it open from 9am every day, to 10pm Sunday to Thursday and 11pm on Friday and Saturday, with food until 8pm. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 11 November 2025). 5-10 Market Place, BL9 0LD. Our listing.

Help Me Thro’

A Thwaites local on Crostons Road, north-west of the town centre, made from several stone terraced houses knocked together. CAMRA describes a bar and lounge, a games room with darts and sports TV, a dining room, a car park and a covered sun-trap beer garden at the back, and says it is dog friendly. New tenants took over in February 2024 and refurbished it that spring. The pub’s own site, helpmethrobury.co.uk, would not load for us on 24 October, so check its Facebook page for hours. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 5 February 2026). 139-141 Crostons Road, BL8 1AL. Our listing.

Ramsbottom and Holcombe

Irwell Works Brewery Tap

A first-floor bar above the Irwell Works Brewery, with a balcony for drinking outside. The brewery says it serves “locally produced, award-winning ales”; CAMRA counts eight of the brewery’s own beers on the bar, mostly brewed with English hops and barley, plus a handpumped cider. Hot and cold snacks such as pasties, sausage rolls and cheese boards are served Friday to Sunday, noon to 5pm, and there is live music on Wednesday and Thursday nights. Joint Bury Pub of the Year 2025. CAMRA’s hours: Monday 2pm to 10pm, Tuesday to Friday noon to 11pm, Saturday 11am to 11pm, Sunday 11am to 10pm. Call 01706 825019. Irwell Street, BL0 9YQ.

Casked

A real ale bar off Bridge Street, opposite Morrisons, opened in October 2021 as the sister to Casked in Rawtenstall. CAMRA lists five handpumps, mostly beers from local breweries such as Brewsmith, Deeply Vale and Reedley Hallows, up to two real ciders and 15 keg lines, and a pizza oven, with half-price pizzas alongside selected drinks on Wednesdays. CAMRA calls it “extremely dog friendly”; children are allowed until 6.30pm, and it takes cards only. Open noon to 10pm Monday to Thursday, noon to 11pm Friday and Saturday, noon to 8pm Sunday. We found no website of its own. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 25 June 2025). 2-4 Prince Street, BL0 9FN.

The Eagle & Child

A Thwaites pub with rooms on Whalley Road that was named Great British Pub of the Year at the 2017 Morning Advertiser awards. Its site promises “proper pub food, just done properly”, with menus made in house from local suppliers; Thursday is chippy tea night (two courses £22, three £25) and Friday brings an 8oz rump steak frites for £17.50. CAMRA notes four cask ales, including the house beer Top Bunk. Dogs are welcome in the bar and garden, and there is free parking beside the pub. Food Monday to Thursday noon to 8pm, Friday and Saturday to 9pm, Sunday to 7pm. Book on 01706 824477. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 13 November 2025). 3 Whalley Road, BL0 0DL. Our listing.

The Shoulder of Mutton, Holcombe

A Grade II listed inn, late 18th century according to its Wikipedia entry, in Holcombe village, handy for walks up to Peel Tower. CAMRA calls it a “landmark village pub” and points to the original Crown Brewery tiling in the porch and the “Sarcophagus” dining room. It was listed by Historic England in January 1985. We could not find a website of its own, and CAMRA last surveyed the pub in 2017, so ring 01706 550792 for current hours and food times before walking up. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 28 August 2025). Lumb Carr Road, Holcombe, BL8 4LZ. Our listing.

Summerseat and Tottington

The Hamers Arms, Summerseat

A village gastropub near Summerseat station on the East Lancashire Railway. Its history page says it was renamed in 1848 after Richard Hamer, who bought the four Summerseat mills from the Peel family, and that a namesake of the publican who renamed it, Bernard Wolstenholme, reopened it fully refurbished in 2022. The kitchen promises “fresh, flavour-packed dishes” from local suppliers, and there is a children’s menu. Bar hours run from noon every day, to 9pm Monday, 11pm midweek, midnight Friday and 1am Saturday; food Monday to Thursday noon to 3pm and again from 5pm, Friday noon to 8pm, Saturday noon to 8.30pm and Sunday noon to 6.30pm. Book on 01204 880175. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 3 July 2025). 23 Higher Summerseat, BL0 9UG.

The Old Dungeon Inn, Tottington

A Thwaites pub rebuilt in 1904 for the Bury Brewery Company, whose name is still on the parapet. CAMRA gives it one star on its national inventory of historic interiors for the Pilkington’s glazed tiles and the front snug, where a mural frieze of local scenes was painted around 1945 by an artist evacuated to Tottington. The name comes from a lock-up of 1835 just around the corner. CAMRA says it reopened with a new publican, serves pies and pasties and Sunday roasts from noon to 5pm, has a beer garden and is dog friendly. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 20 October 2023). 9 Turton Road, BL8 4AW.

Prestwich, Simister and Whitefield

The Same Yet, Simister

A JW Lees pub on Simister Lane. Its story page says it was the Star Inn until a refurbishment, when the sign writers asked the name, were told “the same yet”, and painted exactly that over the door; the pub says it has stood there since 1800. CAMRA calls it a “food-led pub in rural surroundings” and warns the bus service is very limited. Open from noon every day: to 8pm Monday and Tuesday, 11pm Wednesday, 9pm Thursday, 11.30pm Friday and 9pm at the weekend. Call 0161 653 1430. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 28 May 2026). 145 Simister Lane, M25 2SF. Our listing.

The Church Inn, Prestwich

A Grade II listed pub beside St Mary’s Church, dated 1629 on CAMRA’s listing, which says it offers up to two guest real ales in an area full of Holts houses. There are five en-suite bedrooms, folk nights every Friday and open jamming sessions on Tuesdays, and an upstairs room for hire. CAMRA’s hours: closed Monday, from 4pm Tuesday to Friday, from noon at the weekend. We could not find a website of its own. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 15 September 2021). 40 Church Lane, M25 1AJ. Our listing.

The Eagle & Child, Whitefield

A Joseph Holt pub on Higher Lane with a bowling green behind it. Holts says the beer garden runs along the back of the pub “looking out onto the beautiful bowling green”, that the bar carries the full Holts range, and that the kitchen does pub classics and pizzas from a pizza oven seven days a week. It lists the pub as child friendly and dog friendly, with step-free access, darts, a quiz, live music and Sky and TNT sport. Open noon to 11pm, to midnight on Friday and Saturday, with food noon to 8pm daily. Call 0161 796 3583. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 4 December 2024). Higher Lane, M45 7EY. Our listing.

Not in this guide yet

The Art Picture House, the Wetherspoon in the old cinema on Haymarket Street, is shut for refurbishment and reopens on 4 December. We will add it once it is trading again.

How we chose

These are the pubs that come up most when people search for pubs in Bury, picked on the record rather than on taste: CAMRA’s Bury Pub of the Year and Good Beer Guide entries, CAMRA’s inventory of historic pub interiors, Historic England listings, national awards, how long a pub has traded, and its food hygiene rating. Every pub here that serves food holds the top hygiene rating of 5, and we checked each pub’s own website and its CAMRA listing, most of them updated in 2025 or 2026, for closure notices. Hours come from the pub’s own site where it has one and from CAMRA’s branch listing where it does not. Run a pub that should be here, or spot something that has changed? Email newsdesk@theburypost.co.uk.

For more, see things to do in Bury, what’s on this month, the Bury Beer Festival at The Met and the Bury business directory.

Frequently asked questions

Which Bury pub is CAMRA’s Pub of the Year?

The Rochdale, Oldham and Bury branch of CAMRA named two joint winners for its Bury Pub of the Year 2025 after a tied vote: Broad Street Social on Broad Street in Bury, and the Irwell Works Brewery Tap on Irwell Street in Ramsbottom. The Trackside at Bolton Street station has won the Bury award before.

Which Bury pubs are dog friendly?

The Eagle & Child in Ramsbottom says dogs are welcome in the bar and outdoor areas and has a dog-friendly bedroom. CAMRA describes Casked in Ramsbottom as extremely dog friendly, and lists the Help Me Thro’ on Crostons Road and the Old Dungeon Inn in Tottington as dog friendly. Joseph Holt lists the Eagle & Child in Whitefield as dog friendly.

Which are the oldest pubs in Bury?

The Two Tubs on The Wylde is a Grade II listed building that became a pub in 1806; CAMRA says its oldest visible part is a wattle and daub wall from 1696. The Church Inn in Prestwich is also Grade II listed and dates from the 17th century, and the Shoulder of Mutton in Holcombe village is a Grade II listed late 18th-century inn.