The Crows Nest, Crosby

The Crows Nest

The Crow's Nest is a traditional pub a short walk from Crosby village. The exterior is clad in attractive green tiles with contrasting maroon livery, and the slogan “Higson's Genuine Ales” can still be seen in the windows, from the former Liverpool brewery that once owned the place. The interior consists of two rooms to the front, a snug (with the word “Snug” still etched into the glass in the door), a bar, and behind a large lounge which is divided into two drinking areas.

A single central bar serves all three rooms. Original wood panelling, old coloured glass, pictures of local views and bench seating around the wall all emphasise the unspoilt traditional nature of this pub. My companion suggested that you might expect to find such an unspoilt traditional pub more in a city or town centre, rather than in a residential area.

They were serving five real ales: two regulars, Deuchars IPA and Theakson's Bitter, and three guests, which when we visited were Timothy Taylor's Landlord, Holts Two Hoots and Fuller's London Pride.

This is a pub suitable for conversation, and although it was fairly quiet when we called mid-afternoon, I have been there in the evenings when it can be very lively. If not too busy, the bar staff will sometimes offer to bring your drinks to the table in the lounge, an uncommon but welcome practice nowadays. Children are allowed until early evening and dogs in the snug only. Free sandwiches are available at around teatime on Fridays.

The lounge in the Crows Nest

They have free WiFi and a retractable screen to show BT Sports. There is outside seating for when the weather permits, and a car park. Buses are 7 or 8 minutes' walk away on Moor Lane/Liverpool Road, and it is about 0.6 mile to the railway station.

The address is 63 Victoria Road, Crosby, L23 7XY; tel: 0151 924 6953. It opens midday every day; closes 11.00 Monday to Thursday, midnight Friday and Saturday, and 10.30 Sunday.

This is part of a series of articles that I am writing for the CAMRA column in our local paper, the Southport Visiter. Previous reviews are here.