The Woodthorpe

Head up to Prestwich and you'll find The Woodthorpe sitting on Bury Old Road like it's been there forever—because it basically has. This is the kind of pub where the bar staff know regulars by name, where you can grab a pint of Joseph Holt's own brew without any faffing about, and where the crowd's a proper mix of whoever fancies a decent drink and a chat. The interior's got that warm, lived-in feeling you get from a place that's never tried to be anything other than what it is: a community local. Food-wise, they're not reinventing the wheel, but that's exactly the point—it's the sort of place you go for straightforward pub classics and a proper pint, not to be impressed.