The Ale House Clitheroe in Ribble Valley

We sometimes visit Clitheroe midweek during the day. A pub crawl is the usual way to go, but this time, after the first pint we decided to have another. We stayed for six and on heading to the bus stop, we had only been to one pub. Why did we stay all afternoon? It was the friendliness of not just the staff, but the other customers all offering interesting content to a rolling discussion ranging from the beers to where each of us lived / grew up etc .... The barmaid (it was her first day) pulled a great pint too. In my experience of both pubs and people, this is rare. I nearly forgot to mention the prices. Cheaper than most places and two of the beers offered at just £3 a pint.

A warm welcome and a friendly atmosphere, we had a lovely couple hours here and some great Beer. Lots of choice and a cosy feel.

Super choice of beers. Friendly staff (American lady with awesome taste in music), and great location. London Porter was top notch. Took no pictures sadly...

First visit on a Sunday afternoon, I was the only customer at the time so place lacked atmosphere. They had a good selection of beers and I enjoyed my cider.

Popped in for a quick drink after coffees next door- what a cool place! Sat in the window and enjoyed a lovely glass of Merlot . Brilliant range of ales etc and a warm welcome from the lady on the bar!

If you want to chat to people, this is the place for you. There is always a conversation at the bar ranging from "should I cap my energy prices?" or debating why a previous review said that there were not enough ladies' loos (there are two and I've never had to queue). If you want to have a quiet moment/read a book, get yourself upstairs or into the other ground floor room. If you want to feel safe, valued and looked after, just get yourself through the front door. The beer is great (or so my husband tells me as I'm Coeliac and never liked beer anyway). However they have cider, wine and soft drinks for the non-believers. This is the ultimate example of a local gem that welcomes everyone who might be in the vicinity.

Standing room only and Cash bar. Lots of traditional craft beer on sale. Friendly staff and locals. Dog friendly too. Its very small inside so be prepared to stand. Great for just popping in for one.

Great beer but it’s a bit like stepping back in time,to when pubs were for men. There is one toilet labelled ‘ladies/disabled’ which was just used by a man who pissed all over the floor so it’s now unusable, and then upstairs there’s one toilet labelled ‘ladies/gents’ and then all the rest of the toilets are just for men. It’s time for a bit of equality in toilet facilities!

Top little pub/bar/taproom/whatever you wanna call it! Stopped by for a couple pints on a day trip to Clitheroe and had a lovely time chatting to the bar manager, and she even gave us recommendations for other beer stops for the rest of the day!

Found this little gem after coming out of the Holmes mill which we found disappointing, the decor staff and ales are spot on, the ambience and friendliness of the locals is awesome. We met the owner Bill who over 2 nights and several ales told us his life story, what a legend. Can't recommend this place highly enough. A must do for all serious ale drinkers.

What a lovely little place with some fine craft beers and ciders. Managed to grab a table outside and our host quicky added chairs for all of us. Craft G&T's for the ladies, a Berliner, Cloudy Cider and Craft beer for the three men as we sat in the sun and watched the world - and two superb Harley Davidsons - go by. Definitely worth a visit and may be even beet it f not driving afterwards so as to sample across the board!

Old style ratf beer place. Visited a few times and always well stocked and they know how to keep beer at its best.

A great place to stop for a beer which won’t be the same old rubbish sold in every other pub. If you’re in Clitheroe and want decent real ale then it’s got to be either here or The New Inn. It’s tiny so probably not somewhere to spend the day but it’s also dog friendly, so brill if you are out on a walk.

Had to drag the two beer lovers out of here. The atmosphere and range of beers is a great place to stop and refresh. Intimate and relaxing.

Visited with family. Friendly staff. Good selection of beers and spirits. Few tables downstairs and some upstairs as well. On the main street of Clitheroe so can't miss it. Upstairs there is a 80s pac man machine table where you sit at not seen one for years. Toilets are upstairs as well. Definitely worth a visit to try all the ales

Well worth a visit, have a quiet drink, enjoy the surroundings, try the beers and food. Have a look at the hotel

We stayed at the local caravan site and were looking forward to visiting Clitheroe following James Martin's recent TV programme featuring the brewery and food hall. After doing a bit of googling we also added the Ale house to our list of places to visit. The pub itself is lovely, typical local ale bar. Unfortunately we found that after our initial drinks every round that followed was charged at £5 per drink regardless of what it was. This only occurred with one member of staff the older serving barman and who we believe was possibly the manager. It is sad that we left feeling cheated and taken advantage of. We felt that as tourists with money we were taken advantage of and for that reason I doubt we will return.

A friend and I called in here for a gig at the grand and it was great. Very friendly place with good service and a great atmosphere.They have some outstanding beers as well and there is something for everyone. It can get busy but it is worth persevering as it is a great place to spend an hour or so.There is extra room upstairs which is good news as, inevitably, it is a very popular place.

Called in as my partner likes real ale to be given a warm greeting by the barman, who was very helpful in finding me a drink as I don't like real ale. Thankfully he had a bottle of vodka behind the bar! The decor is simple yet very effective. An enjoyable place for a drink.

The Ale House is a very good pub. It's the one we always visit when our football team, Prescot Cables, play against Clitheroe FC. The pub is spotlessly clean, the locals are always friendly, the beer is top notch and the barmaid, Steph, is very efficient and welcoming. It's well worth a visit if you find yourself in Clitheroe. One of the friendliest towns I've been to.

Friends six of us visited as part of an overnight stay in Clitheroe. We were made very welcome by those people enjoying their drinking, a busy small friendly business.The ales are excellent different range and well kept my friends really enjoyed the beers and were glad I suggested we called in.

Visited here with friends.Made you welcome and there lots of cask ales to drink.It is a quaint place to visit,if you enjoy real ales,can get soft drinks as well.Does get very busy,well worth a visit.We did enjoy our visit,and will be returning soon.

Found The Ale House when looking for somewhere local to Eaves Hall where we were attending a wedding. Tried a number of the hand pulled ales and went for a couple of local ones and a craft from Chicago all of which I enjoyed. Also had a good chat with the barman Rob who was very knowledgeable regarding the beers on tap. The pub is very well fitted out with lots of reclaimed timber including floorboards and pallet boards especially the bar itself. The locals were also very friendly which helps make the pub so hospitable. A great place for a drink, well done.

I took my partner to Clitheroe for a bit of a mooch and we stumbled across this bar. There was a good selection of ale, and the pint I had was great. Just a shame I was designated driver and could only have the one!

Unusual ale house full of character and sometimes entertainment great to visit when in clitheroe , check it out

Visited The Ale House during Clitheroe food festival. Great atmosphere and ambience. Good selection of beers and ciders with gin choice. Nice relaxing drink with friends

Having not been back to Clitheroe for a good few years it was good to return to discover many new eateries, artisan coffee houses and THE ALE HOUSE. Great selection of ales. Great vibe. Friendly bar staff who enjoyed my ‘southern softie’ reaction to their only taking cash as I waved my iphone at thin air! Helpfully pointing me to cash machine and a gradely natter about Clitheroe’s growing night life. A small but cool bar set over two floors. Good atmosphere. I will return.

The interior is made from what looks like pallet wood but don't let that fool you. The ale is the most important and it is good . Atmosphere friendly seating basic i am glad it is here well done.

I'm not saying theres anything wrong with The Ale House but theres nothing all that unique/special about it either. There are lots of these style of "Micro pubs" popping up everywhere these days and they are all a bit same/samey.

We had a few different ales in a really great place at a very great price I strongly recommend that you call whenever your in clitheroe

Super micro pub with a fine selection of ale. Unlike some similar establishments, the walls are clad in wood which deadens the sound and makes conversation easier. My pint from the Three B's brewery was excellent, and the only thing that let the place down slightly was the wait for the server to finish playing on her tablet and notice that there was a customer.

Way better then the bar next door . Beers are delicious , the staff are nice and sometimes there's live tunes

Nice pub friendly staff. Wide range of canned ales from newer breweries also available. Lets dogs in.

A small a cosy little Ale House, with plenty of different ales to try, for those who enjoy it. Personally I drink lager, which they only have one brand, and not a particulary nice one, unless it's the first of the evening! I thinks it's an American lager, so tastes very different to the usual Carling, Fosters etc.

Nice little tipple to end the day , quick service , friendly staff.Quite small downstairs but we still found a seat.

Visited here after the Middle Earth Beer and Music Festival at Waddow Hall. The ale was good, a nice varied choice on. Very friendly staff. Quirky decor, very clean. Reasonable prices. Would come again

Very friendly micropub. Great selection of real ales and good selection of spirits as well, including some interesting gins.

Este lugar tiene sofás cómodas y un montón de luces de colores. Perfecto para sentarse y charlar con los amigos o 2. Como era un poco más tranquilo un miembro del personal nos dijo precioso a tomar asiento y él iba y tomar nuestro pedido. Cócteles son geniales y un paquete de ponche con el contenido". También sirven la tarta que parecía increíble pero puede resistir. Recomiendo el lugar.

Ambiente agradable y una buena variedad de cervezas, una por una. Puede estar muy concurrido y no hay mucho espacio, pero que no podía ser atendido.

Really nice little bar, keep an eye out for special events and I recommend you investigate some of the interesting ales in the fridge as well as the pump ales

The Ale House is in the centre of Clitheroe. An ideal location for a quick drink when you are shopping, banking or simply meeting someone. Good selection of drinks.

A great, constantly changing range of interesting draught ales plus many unusual bottled beers. Simon, the owner has many years experience in the trade and makes sure the beers are well kept. Friendly staff and customers make for a warm atmosphere with lively conversation. Regular live music sessions add to the scene and local upcoming talent is recorded there and posted as 'Alehouse Acoustic'. If you're in a quieter mood and feeling like board games there is a room upstairs with a great selection to choose from.

Exceptional little pub with a nice warm atmosphere. Great range of well kept beer is served. Not to far to stagger to the rail station.

A super little pub that is always first on my list when in Clitheroe. Usually a great choice of local real ales to be enjoyed in a very cosy space. I think there if further room upstairs. Well worth a look inside.

Definitely worth a visit for the engine room alone. exceptional range of real ales and very decent pub food with some twists.

Visited here on a Saturday recce around Clitheroe.Here is pretty small, with not much seating room, but people probably don't realize there are more seates upstairs. There were four real ales on and all were good quality. The landlord/batman was very keen and knowledable. A friendly atmosphere, again catering for the more mature ( shall we say ) drinkers, which suits me.Only slight gripe is it could do with a little background music to give it a bit more atmosphere.That is a minor observation and this is a 'must visit' place for the discernible drinker.

Called in for liquid refreshment during the Clitheroe food festival, didn't think we'd get in as it was busy, but luckily did.Great atmosphere and selection of ales too - enjoyed a beautiful pint of Vocation brewery 'Bread and Butter' - wine selection is also good. Dog friendly, warm and welcoming - will be back soon!

Being a real ale fan and preferring the smaller basic type ambience of a 'Bar' as apposed to a 'Pub' this was a great find.and would highly recommend it .Simon, the owner, & his barman were great and know the No 10 real ale bar in St Annes where we live. All the customers were very friendly and were regulars in the bar, David & Roland were a treat to chat too and they reall made our visit enjoyable.Lovely real ale selection and a great venue. Highly recommended and look forward to visiting again soon

My nephew insisted he took me here on my recent visit to Clitheroe. And I'm glad he did! It's small, plain wood floors and walls ....and that's about it. No music, no TV, no silly drinks, just well kept beer and an environment in which to enjoy it. Highly recommended.

Very well kept draft ale, a good choice of draft ales and interesting and unusual choice of bottled ales as well and also cider and some spirits. Well worth a visit.

Looks nothing from the outside - but go in - just a great good old fashioned, welcoming place with really good ales. Dont expect luxury, or even good seating - but well worth the experience and the ales are superb. Crisps, scratchings - just go in and enjoy.Games upstairs to play - dominoes, board games, connect 4 and no kids!Do it!

Great place for a cheeky drink on a Saturday afternoon, our dog also loves it, they have dog treats on the bar so we know she's always welcome!

The ale house is a micropub set over two floors, each of which has about 4 tables.It isn't a big place but it does serve well-kept real ales, a couple of craft ales, a real cider and a German lager, all on draught and reasonably priced.They do serve a variety of bottles too but I haven't sampled those.Always a friendly welcome but you might struggle to get a seat if you go at the peak of the evening.Well worth a visit and you'll get a better choice of ale than you would at some larger establishments.

New 'real ale pub' in the centre of Clitheroe. Quite small inside but room to sit and stand. Excellent selection of beers and cider and friendly staff and customers - if you fancy a quick cocktail just pop next door. Watch out for odd opening times during week to avoid disappointment..

5 casks, 3 kegs and a fridge full of a variety of craft beers - regular live bands, board games upstairs, friendly and helpful staff - by far the best drinking hole in the Ribble Valley.

staff friendly and know there ale, friendly relaxed atmosphere , because its a smaller place it has a homely feel

Was passing through Clitheroe and noticed this place. What a gem! The owner (and his dad) were so friendly and welcoming. The ales on offer were excellent and this team clearly know what they're doing. Great lad behind bar too, a medic student so we're in safe hands! Alf Moran

Bit pricey...but give it a try! Not a bad range on offer...I sadly recall it as the Info Place...David & others...but times move on...