Great Ale at the Vaults, Bolton

This atmospheric bar is situated in the centre of the redeveloped Vaults below the old Market Hall, now renamed Market Place. The Vaults are accessed via the Market Place escalators or lift, noting that only the main entrance on Corporation Street is open in the evenings. There is also an entrance with steps directly into the Vaults from Bridge Street. The bar provides a handy refreshment stop for those enjoying the shops or cinema housed in the Market Place, but it is well away from the main hustle and bustle. The appearance of the bar is well in keeping with the Victorian Cellar in which it is housed. There are handpumps serving two guest beers, one pale and one dark, plus one house bitter brewed by Deeply Vale in Bury. You can try all three cask beers in paddles of 1/3rds. A fourth handpump is used for cider, though this may not comply with CAMRA’s revised definition of real Cider. Keg fonts dispense a range of modern keg beer, some from local micros such as Strange Times. You can also choose from a wide range of locally-produced bottled and canned beers, displayed in glass fronted refrigerators. Great Ale opens all year round except on Easter Sunday and Christmas Day.