If you enjoy reading please consider “buying me a pint”, this will help to cover my hosting and image hosting and help to ensure further trips can go ahead!
BUY ME A PINT
Stepping Into St Helens: A Journey Through Its Best Pubs
I spent the day exploring some of St Helens’ pubs, and each one had its own feel. I kicked things off at The Royal Alfred by the station – proper old-school and full of history. The Turks Head was a highlight, packed with character and brilliant beer. Next door, The Cowley Vaults felt instantly welcoming, like somewhere you could lose track of time. Back in town, The Lamb Inn had that relaxed, cosy feel, while The Tipsy Tap was a newer, easy-going spot. The Cricketers Arms stood out with its on-site brewery – really impressive. I ended at Skew Bridge Alehouse and Beer EnGin, both small, friendly, and great for a quiet pint.
St Helens has been knocking about for centuries, but it only really took off when the Industrial Revolution kicked in. What used to be a bunch of small villages suddenly became a proper town, thanks to coal mines, glassmaking and chemical works popping up everywhere. Pilkington made the place famous for glass, and for years the whole area was all about hard work and industry. Things slowed down later on and a lot of those old sites have gone, but people’s pride in the town hasn’t. Now it’s a mix of old history, new buildings and a community that’s still very much alive.
The Royal Alfred
My first visit in St Helens was to The Royal Alfred St. The Royal Alfred has been part of St Helens life for well over 100 years, sitting on Bickerstaffe Street right by the train station. It was once known as the town’s last old-school “beer house”, only licensed to sell beer, which gives you a sense of how long it’s been around. In December 1924 it even made local headlines after a tragic incident involving the landlord’s daughter. Ownership and the building itself have changed over time, but it’s basically been a long-standing stop-off point for people coming in and out of the town.
When you walk in, it feels open and easy-going, with big wooden tables, comfy booths running along the walls and a mix of patterned chairs that give it a bit of personality. The teal walls and framed prints add some charm, and the carpet and soft seating make it the kind of place you could happily sit for a while. A slightly raised area helps break things up so it’s not just one big room. There are a few screens around too, handy if you want to watch sport or just keep half an eye on what’s going on.
On the bar a selection of 4 cask ales, alongside a variety of keg and other options to choose from. I opted to go for “First Class” from Titanic Brewery. A fantastic, well balanced and delicious English Bitter.
The Turks Head
A short walk out from the centre of St Helens to visit The Turks Head. The Turks Head has been on that Cooper Street site for a long time, with a pub there since at least 1715 and the name “Turks Head” in use by about 1784. The current building was put up in the 1870s in a Tudor revival style, so it’s part of the town’s Victorian-era growth. Its name comes from an old British tradition of naming inns like that, not anything local specifically. In recent years it’s been beloved by locals and lovers of real ale, even being named St Helens & Districts CAMRA Pub of the Year more than once. During renovations in 2017, an old pie was found hidden behind a bench and is now a quirky bit of its story.
Downstairs has that classic pub feel — a few different rooms and levels, so you can pick a corner that suits you. There’s wood panelling, patterned wallpaper and shelves full of books and tankards that give it a proper old-school charm, plus button-back seating and little wooden tables that make it easy to settle in. In colder months the fires are lit, which makes it even cosier. With photos on the walls and a friendly, unhurried atmosphere, it’s the sort of place where you can grab a pint, have a chat and stay longer than you meant to.
Upstairs there’s an extra lounge that’s great if you want a quieter chat or you’re meeting up as a group. It’s got the same traditional look — comfy seating, soft lighting — but feels a bit more private, so it’s handy for birthdays, catch-ups or just avoiding the busier downstairs rooms.
A fantastic warm welcome when I got here and a super selection on the bar with 14 cask ales to choose from, lots of keg options and around 17 ciders. Lots of choice! “Little Donkey” from Rooster’s Brewing Co was my choice of beer. Described as a Christmas Cake Amber Ale and it certainly lived up to this, Christmas spices a plenty and some fantastic flavours.
The Cowley Vaults
Right next door to the Turks Head was The Cowley Vaults. Tucked away on Cooper Street, Cowley Vaults has lived a few lives. Long before music nights and pool leagues, it began as Cowley Hill Vaults – a small corner pub named after the area shaped by coal pits and glassmaking. Locals would wander in after shifts, swapping tales of factory floors and family news. Time rolled on and it later carried a new name – the Anfield Arms – but it never lost that “everyone knows you” feel. Eventually the old place was given a spruce-up and its historic name returned. Now, it’s less a building and more a living scrapbook of the people who’ve passed through its doors.
Inside, Cowley Vaults feels instantly familiar — the kind of place where you could sit down and forget the clock exists. A wood-burning stove anchors the room inside a black hearth, giving it a cosy, lived-in heart. Deep red, button-backed seating curves around the walls, matched with small round wooden tables and sturdy red stools designed for proper conversation. Frosted windows and heavy burgundy curtains soften the daylight and make the space feel tucked away from everything outside. The bar is dark wood with a brass rail and glasses hanging above, and there’s a pool table and dartboard in their own corner, adding a friendly, sociable edge.
Drinks wise a nice selection of 6 cask ales, alongside a range of keg choices.
The Lamb Inn
Next was a walk back down into the centre of St Helens to visit The Lamb Inn. The Lamb goes way back as a town centre stop on Corporation Street in St Helens. The building you see today was put up in 1854, right in the thick of the Victorian boom when St Helens was growing fast thanks to industry. It’s stood on that corner ever since, serving the local community for generations. Over the years it’s changed hands and names (it was once called Olde England) but kept its place on the high street. In 2022 it got a sensitive restoration that brought some of its old-school features back to life while keeping its historic vibe alive.
Walk in and you’ll find a warm, inviting pub with wooden floors, dark panelling and a cosy, relaxed feel. There’s a mix of places to sit: comfy booths, little round tables for two and taller tables by the windows, plus a carpeted corner that feels nicely tucked away. A log burner sits under a mantel, adding that homely “settle in” vibe while people chat at the bar. Light comes in through big arched windows, brightening everything up. Outside, there’s a simple courtyard with picnic benches and stools along the brick wall for a pint in the fresh air.
A fantastic warm welcome from Mitchell when I arrived. On the bar a great line up of 6 cask ales including a house ale brewed by Titanic Brewery. Their “Best Bitter” was fantastic, easy drinking and full of flavour.
The Tipsy Tap
Just around the corner was The Tipsy Tap. The Tipsy Tap is a fairly new addition to St Helens, opening on Ormskirk Street after local owners took over and merged two old venues on the same stretch. It came about as part of the town centre’s push to bring life back into the high street and give people more independent places to go out. It doesn’t have a long past or decades of stories behind it, but it’s another chapter in Ormskirk Street’s long run of places where people meet, socialise, and keep St Helens’ pub scene ticking along.
Inside, the Tipsy Tap feels bright and open, with plenty of space to grab a table. There’s wood flooring, exposed brick, and big comfy booths if you’re with a group. Most of the seating is arranged across one main room, so it’s an easy place to settle in for a drink and a chat. The bar runs along one side, lit by hanging lamps that give it a cosy touch, and there’s a quieter corner with plants and fairy lights if you want to drift away from the buzz. Overall, it’s clean, relaxed, and really easygoing.
Drinks wise a selection of 4 cask ales along with a keg line up of 10 lines, offering a variety of styles. I went with “Quencher” from Theakston Brewery. A tasty, hoppy Pale Ale hopped with El Dorado and Sovereign hops.
The Cricketers Arms
Another short walk brings me to The Cricketers Arms. The Cricketers Arms on Peter Street has been part of St Helens life for years, though things weren’t always rosy. By the early 2010s it was in bad shape, boarded up and close to disappearing altogether. In 2013, a local couple took it over, determined to bring it back. They turned it into a proper community spot again, focusing on cask ale – something it hadn’t been known for in decades. Word spread, awards followed from CAMRA in 2015 and 2016, and then it went all the way to Pub of the Year. Not bad for a place that nearly didn’t make it.
Around 2020 they added their own on-site micro-brewery called Howzat, starting to brew house beers right there at the pub. Those beers, often with cricket-themed names, helped give the place its own twist and made it one of the few pubs in the area with its own brewing space.
Inside, it’s got a proper easy-going vibe – the kind of place where you grab a seat, sink into the teal benches and just get comfy. Everywhere you look there’s brewery bits, old signs and bottles, so it feels like it’s been loved for years. It’s not fancy, just relaxed, with a fruit machine in the corner and plenty of spots to plonk yourself down with a pint. Head out back and there’s a covered courtyard with barrel tables and chess boards, which is a great touch. The big draw here is the real ale, especially the stuff brewed on site by Howzat.
Was fantastic to meet Andy for a look around the brewery and the pub setup. On the bar a huge line up of 15 cask ales including 3 of their own, alongside a number of keg and cider options. I sampled three of their own beers which were fantastic – “Light Meter”, “Duckworth Lewis Method” and “It’s Just Not Cricket”.
Skew Bridge Alehouse
I headed out of St Helens on the bus to nearby Rainhill to visit Skew Bridge Alehouse Rainhill. The Skew Bridge Alehouse is a little micropub in Rainhill, near St Helens, named after the famous skew bridge built there during the 1830s Liverpool & Manchester Railway. The bridge itself was a clever bit of engineering by George Stephenson, letting a road cross the tracks at an angle — the first of its kind. The alehouse opened in the mid-2010s, started by locals who wanted something simple: a quiet spot to sit, chat and enjoy proper beer without TV blaring or fruit machines. Its whole identity leans into that railway heritage, which is basically why it exists at that exact spot today.
Inside, the Skew Bridge Alehouse has a friendly, no-fuss feel. There’s bright red bench seating, little round tables and simple wooden chairs, giving it that classic pub setup. It’s a small spot, but the big windows at the front make it feel open and you can see straight out onto the street. A few railway prints on the wall and a bold splash of blue keep things interesting without trying too hard. It’s the kind of place where you can grab a stool or tuck yourself into a corner, have a chat, and just take things easy.
Drinks wise on the bar a selection of 4 cask ales (can be up to 5 on), alongside a selection of keg options. I went with a beer from a new brewery for me. “Transporter Bitter” from Warrington Ales. A delicious, well balanced and malty English Bitter.
Beer EnGin
Next up was to Beer EnGin Micropub. Beer EnGin Micropub opened back in 2016 on Greenes Road in Whiston, taking over what used to be a small shop. It was the first micropub in the Knowsley patch, set up by a couple who wanted something simple and social in the area. Over time it became a bit of a local fixture, known more for its community feel than anything flashy. In 2022 it picked up St Helens & Districts CAMRA Pub of the Year, which boosted its name region-wide and pushed it into the Merseyside Pub of the Year running. Despite the attention, it’s kept things small and rooted in its place.
Beer EnGin feels like someone turned their front room into a tiny pub – in the best way. Most of the space is taken up by a long wooden bench piled with cushions, little round tables and mismatched stools, so you end up squeezing in and chatting. The walls are dotted with framed beer artwork and a big clock, keeping things simple and homely. It’s the kind of place where strangers actually talk, and you instantly relax as though you’ve stepped into a mate’s living room – except the pints are much better.
A great warm welcome in here, and was great chatting to some of the regulars. Drinks wise a selection of 5 cask ales, along with 4 keg lines to choose from. I went with “Barbwire” from 4T’s Brewery. A super juicy and hazy New England IPA, packed full of flavour.
Micropub Adventures 