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East Lancashire Railway launches Rail Ale Trail

Ten pubs from Rawtenstall to Summerseat will feature in the trail, launched later this year.

Rawtenstall’s famous temperance bar, Fitzpatrick’s, lines up alongside Summerseat’s ‘hidden’ pubs, the Footballers Inn and Hamers Arms, which were built out of sight of absentious 19th century mill owner Joshua Hoyle.

An ELR spokesman said: “The rail ale trail takes you on a journey to discover some of the valley’s most beautiful locations and exceptional pubs, all linked together by the railway.

“Whether you are an ale enthusiast, lover of a good pint of bitter or a teetotaller, you will find something to suit your taste buds at every station along the route.”

The railway also plans to introduce its own ale, from the Outstanding Brewery.

In the Ramsbottom area, the Shoulder of Mutton, the Oaks, the Grants Arms, the Railway Hotel and the First Chop also feature.

The Riverside Inn in Rawtenstall, the site of a pub for 100 years, showcases the industrial heartland of the River Irwell.

A behind-the-scenes look at the Irwell Works brewery in Silver Street which is also drawing up proposals for its own bar, is also included.