ST ALBANS.

The Lower Red Lion (36 Fishpool Street, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL3 4RX) (01727) 855669. Whether you would like to spend the evening sampling real English ale in the cosy bar or whether you would like to sleep within the shadow of the great Cathedral and wake up to a traditional home-cooked breakfast, the Lower Red Lion offers you the chance to step back to a time when the local inn was the focal point of the community. The Lower Red Lion is one of a rapidly diminishing number of genuine old English inns. The main part of the building dates back to the 17th century and the wealth of exposed beams and old brick-work retains the original character of a local inn of three hundred years ago. The comfortable bedrooms on the upper floor still retain the original oak beams from the time when the inn provided overnight accommodation for passing travellers. The Lower Red Lion stands in Fishpool Street which was the main stage route from London. Until the early 19th century, as many as forty stage coaches a day clattered past the doors of the Lower Red Lion drawn by their teams of four horses. Apart from the cobble stones, Fishpool Street is virtually unchanged since that time, and in the bar is an early photograph in which all of the original buildings can still be identified. The Lower Red Lion, which is a family run pub, has been awarded "Pub of the Year" by CAMRA for its wide selection of excellently kept Real Ales. Two Beer Festivals are held annually with a selection of over 60 Real Ales on offer. Car parking facilities are available to the rear of the premises and there is an excellent Beer Garden.