Mansfield – Stag and Pheasant

Located just around the corner from another Wetherspoon pub, the Widow Frost, this pub takes its name from another licensed premises which once stood on the corner between the two venues. The current building dates from 1910 when it was opened as Palace Electric Theatre and later the Palace Theatre, but it closed in 1949. A new frontage was added to the building in the 1960s, hence the rather strange look of having a modern exterior and an older interior. Its time as a theatre came to an end and it was then converted by Wetherspoons into this pub.

The pub didn’t have any dark beers, but this one seemed an interesting option. The branding of this beer confused me a little, it wasn’t clear to me what Chapter 8 was and the barman was equally unsure, but it seems that the beer name was the Jammy Dodger and the brewery is Fuggle Bunny. The beer was excellent, a sweet taste with some caramel flavours, a very drinkable ale.

I hadn’t realised when I visited here that Mansfield were holding their Christmas lights turning on, so I abandoned staying any longer in the town as I thought it’d be too busy. Certainly, Wetherspoons was nearly full, although I noted that they seemed to have more customers than the number of people listening to the live acts in the market square.

It’s a Lloyds pub and so I assume that there’s a vibrant atmosphere on weekend evenings, especially since Wetherspoons have the advantage of another pub around the corner for those who prefer something quieter. The inside of the pub has an historic feel and there are a couple of tables on the upper tiers which look out onto the ground floor. Service in the pub was also helpful and friendly, there was a relaxed atmosphere despite how busy it was.