Lancashire village pub named the best in UK

The Swan with Two Necks has been crowned Camra's national pub of the year. Credit: Camra/PA Wire

A pub that is "the heart and soul" of a Lancashire village has beaten more than 57,000 other entries to be crowned Camra's national pub of the year.

The real ale campaign group said The Swan with Two Necks in Pendleton was a "wonderfully welcoming" pub in a quintessentially British setting.

Landlord Steve Dilworth has run the pub for 27 years, helped by his wife Christine and two sons.

The village post office closed years ago, with its services moving to the pub for a while.Camra's pubs director Julian Hough said: "The Swan with Two Necks really is the best of the best, having beaten rival pubs at every step, in a process which starts at a local level and takes a full 12 months to complete.

"It is a wonderfully welcoming pub that serves a fantastic pint, and is popular with regulars and visiting tourists alike, in a quintessentially British, rural setting."

Beers on offer include Golden Pippin by Copper Dragon, and guest ales from micro-breweries such as Phoenix, Dark Star and Salamander.

It is the second consecutive year that a pub in Lancashire has won the accolade, following last year's success by The Baum in Rochdale.

The 16 regional finalists chosen by CAMRA were:

  • Central Southern: Nag's Head, Reading.

  • East Anglia: The Dove, Bury St Edmonds

  • East Midlands: Horse and Jockey, Stapleford.

  • Kent: The Berry, Walmer.

  • Merseyside and Cheshire: Freshfield Hotel, Formby.

  • Scotland and Northern Ireland: The Cobbles, Kelso

  • West Pennines: Swan with Two Necks, Pendleton.

  • North East: Quakerhouse, Darlington.

  • Greater Manchester: Baum, Rochdale.

  • Yorkshire: Old No. 7, Barnsley.

  • Surrey and Sussex: Surrey Oaks, Newdigate.

  • Wales: Albion Ale House, Conwy.

  • West Midlands: Seven Stars, Rugby.

  • Wessex: Trooper Inn, Caundle.

  • London: The Hop, Carsholton.

  • South West: Old Spot, Dursely.