Such is the unpredictable flux of British weather that you are either reading this in sizzling sun, or sheltering from dreich rain wishing you were by a cosy fire.
Imagine, for a second, a pub where you could enjoy the best of both. Well, in the Ring O’ Bells on Lancaster’s historic King Street, you can do just that.
With a façade built in the city’s iconic sandstone and rather gorgeous Doric columns, this pub has borne witness to all manner of characters and conversations since it first opened its doors in 1769.
A Grade II listed building, the Ring O’ Bells once looked doomed to be left derelict – a relic of the days when Lancastrians would congregate en masse, perhaps spending a day’s wage a little too freely.
Saved in 2025 by new ownership and run by Liam Mulgrew, who also heads neighbouring pub The George and Dragon, this old-school establishment is slowly finding its feet after a rocky reopening. Liam does not shy away from the fact the early days were tricky.
Forced into opening before they were arguably ready, many potential customers were put off by a lack of facilities among other teething issues.
But his perseverance, and the support of his friends and trusted sidekick Bella – a two-year-old black Labrador who melts at the mere sight of a hand reaching out to pet her – has put the pub firmly back on the map.
Featuring a pool table, a darts board, a warm fire for the miserable days and a spacious, dog-friendly beer garden for the glorious ones, the Ring O’ Bells is carving out a place as a space for students and seniors alike.
The beauty of British pub culture lies in its variety. There are plenty of places with TV screens big enough to fit an orca – the Ring O’ Bells is not one of them.
At best, the screen in the spacious back room could accommodate an average-sized weasel.
Instead, this old-school pub is designed for conversation: for socialising, swapping stories and quietly delighting in terrible anecdotes.
Proper cask ale, live music and a pub quiz pepper the week, giving you ever more reason to give the telly a miss.
And, as any good bar should be, this place is full to the brim with history, not least the small glass casing in the corridor where you can see the remnants of its Victorian-era wall.
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As we collectively bemoan the growing loss of our pubs, with an average of one a day closing in England and Wales last year, weakening an already unsteady pillar of British society, it would be a crying shame not to help stem the tide by paying pubs like the Ring O’ Bells a visit.
And if the chance to meet Bella the lab doesn’t tempt you, nothing will.
Ring O’ Bells can be found on 52 King Street in Lancaster city centre and is open Monday to Sunday from 11am to 11pm.
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