Great British Pub Crawl couple have a night out in Oakham

A couple on a pub crawl around the country have visited 12 venues in Oakham.

Having last month put several Stamford hostelries under their belts, Dale and Holly Harvey returned to the area for a Friday night out in Rutland.

Their aim is to visit every single pub in England, a venture that has already taken them to more than 2,000 pubs in nearly two years.

They began their visit to Oakham with a drink in The Old Buttercross in Panniers Way, where they found staff to be friendly and the pizzas ‘impressive’.

The couple, who live in Nottingham, then dropped into The Grainstore Brewery next to the railway station, which they described as ‘absolutely incredible’.

In his write up, Dale added: “This is everything you could want from a pub/brewery. The food looks great, the staff are welcoming and attentive, and the beer selection is plentiful.

“This is a vibrant and bustling place that was absolutely jam-packed by the time we arrived (around 6.30pm).

“Not only do they have a great selection on the bar but there is a really good cask beer selection of cans in their fridge as well.

“This is a real drinkers’ pub and a must-visit if heading to Oakham.”

They were not disappointed by Everards’ The Wheatsheaf in Northgate, which Dale said was: “A lovely old pub split into two sides by a central bar and [with] a lovely 'secret garden' vibe going on in their beautiful little outdoor space.

“The staff/landlord are really welcoming and the landlord even went and fetched an extra chair for us so that we could use the only empty table in the place, which was heaving with customers of all ages.”

They had been recommended to visit The Admiral Hornblower, and were again impressed by what they found, including the adverts for its ‘Back to the 90s’ new year’s eve party.

Ovation wine and spirits bar in Gaol Street was next on the list, and they felt it had a classy, 'date night' vibe.

The Crown Tavern Dale describes as “a phenomenal little sports bar with big screens and an even bigger welcome”, and this was followed by The Lord Nelson.

“This is a beautiful little corner pub that has a few separate little rooms, a great beer selection and a really great-looking food menu,” Dale said.

But it was The Whipper Inn that impressed, at least when it comes to surroundings.

“Built in or around 1700, you can literally feel the history of this place wash over you as you step foot through its grand old doors,” he said.

The Anglers, The Wisteria Hotel and The Captain Noel Newton also didn’t disappoint the couple, who write their reviews on a Facebook page, The Great British Pub Crawl and upload videos to YouTube.com/@TheGreatBritishPubCrawl

Their final stop in Oakham was Bill’s Bar in Melton Road, where they found courteous door staff, and music to sing along to.

“To be fair,” said Dale, “I actually loved it and thought the DJ was fantastic”.

Dale and Holly ended their review of Oakham with a final thought.

“This is just a beautiful little town and we can highly recommend it to all.

“It isn't a place to head to if you want an endless run of noisy bars and karaokes, but if you want a lovely evening out with sophisticated company and a host of lovely old pubs and bars.”

Dale and Holly have about 12,500 followers on Facebook and hope, through their reviews and short videos, to encourage people to go out and enjoy pubs in different places.