LYDIATE.

You might get the impression from the outside of a run down pub, but don't let the rural setting and laid back appearance of this pub put you off. Named after a story that says a wounded Jacobite piper stopped here and fell in love with the landlord's daughter. It's nine miles north of Liverpool on the A5147 and can be accessed via the bus. An extended building, you can still see the cruck frames, though some are missing now. The three room pub has an old air about it and has little changed in 50 years. It is now part of the National Inventory listing and has protection for its beauty. Inside there are two fireplaces for the winter to keep you warm. There have large mantles where you can lean, depending on how cold you get. The bar is to your left and has a black painted hatch style bar and beamed ceiling. There are only two handpumps in this bare floor bar. Seating is at a mixture of tables with chairs and some stools - all unpadded. The other rooms are as traditional with threadbare carpet, old-fashioned seating and decor that looks lifted from the 1950's. A dartboard is available for the adventurous and you can sit outside in the summer. Walkers welcome though they should clean their boots off first. No accommodation or food here.