On day 658 of their Great British Pub Crawl, a pub-loving duo have stopped in at Congleton and visited their 2,500th pub while in the Cheshire village.

Dale Harvey and Holly Booth, a Nottingham-based couple passionate about great boozers, are attempting to visit every pub in the country, and recently visited some popular locals in Congleton having been encouraged to visit the area by their friends, family and followers.

The team explained: "We decided that the second Saturday of the year would be the time to go and see what all the hype was about, and all I can start by telling you is... we are certainly glad we did!"

On Saturday 13 January, the duo managed a whopping 17 pubs located across Congleton, starting with 'The Rams Head', which they described as "a proper old school locals pub up on the town outskirts. A couple of hand pulls and decent mix on the taps. A friendly and cosy little pub that still has the toilet block outside, which gives you an indication of its age. Pub is split into 2 sides with the lounge bar having plenty of screens around for the sport and the public bar having a pool table in. Landlord and staff very friendly. A great little place to start off our day!"

They then took a two minute walk across the bridge over the River Dane to 'The Lord Mountbatten'.

They enjoyed the friendly atmosphere, and highlighted the "massive projector screen for all the action and the layout and décor of the place make you feel like you're sat in a friends living room surrounded by mates. A couple of hand pulls on and a lovely vibe to the pub."

Next up, the visited 'The Beartown Tap' which they gave a rare 10 out of 10.

They said: "This place is exceptional! With a host of their own beers from The Beartown Brewery on (I sampled some of their signature pale known as Kodiak) and a banging selection on the taps... this place is warm (with a lovely fireplace), cosy and appealing whilst maintaining its rustic charm! A true drinkers pub with welcoming and knowledgeable staff and a great atmosphere! It's dog friendly and also offers differing street food options on a daily basis."

'The Antelope' was next on their list, and they dubbed the venue "a beautiful old pub building that a white front that's covered in black oak... very aesthetically pleasing! A lovely warm greeting from the lady running the bar, plenty of Beartown Brewery's offerings on the hand pulls and a nice, laid back pub that's dog friendly and homely!

"The pub dog in here is also the absolute sweetest! Such a good girl and she even came and sat on our laps for a fuss."

The duo carried on their "merry way" towards the town centre where they stumbled across 'Reubens'.

Technically a restaurant, this venue has been included for its "nice looking little bar area and a great craft selection on the taps - so we are glad we called in! Lovely staff, lovely place! We will definitely come back and have some food soon!

"200 yards further down the road is 'Crazy Moose' which is a bar themed like a Ski Lodge, and its just brilliant to be fair! Again, the staff and the people are super friendly and it truly does feel like a cosy dip into winter up in the Alps! Lovely gaff, lovely vibe to it! Finished off to a very high standard."

They were sad to miss 'The Prince of Wales', but headed to the neighbouring pub, the 'Olde King's Arms', which they said is "a 500 year old, town centre pub that is just exquisite! The landlady is lovely, even if she does have to suffer a Manchester United calendar behind this beautiful old bar!

"This place is so beautiful and the uneven, sloped ceilings and beams just add to effect! A great selection on their hand pulls, good tap selection and some absolutely lovely people drinking in there as well that were happy to chat away to us. Dare I give out a second 10/10 for the day? Yes... I think I do... this one is fantastic and throughout January, to help with the credit crunch... they are even offering 10% off all drinks... super pub!"

The next pub on their journey was 'Ye Olde White Lion', which is "another banger that has one hell of a beer garden and toilets still in an outhouse block! Lovely lad on the bar, open fire going, rustic feel and all round super atmosphere."

The pair move - or staggered - along to a local craft beer haven with upstairs cocktail bar next, the 'Barley Hops'.

They continued: "This, again, is absolutely bang on and the beer selection of hand pulls, taps and cans/takeout's is just wonderful! The landlord is a lovely chap, the prices aren't overly inflated and the ambience is superb and the venue is dog friendly too, which just makes them even better! And, yes, they did have a Vault City Sour in the fridge, and of course I went with that...

"It was then a short walk along to 'The Little Street Cellar' where Matt in charge of the place will recommend you something that suits your pallet. Knowledgeable and friendly, this is just the guy you want fronting a beer house that prides itself on its offering! A super place that looks like a mini 'Cavern Club' inside with its arched tunnel and underground vibe! The Tap selection is bang on again and I had a wicked Raspberry Gose from Yonder that really hit the spot! Decent local selection on the hand pulls, great atmosphere and yet another top notch establishment!

"We then headed for 'Congleton Market Quarter' which had been recommended to us over and over again, and I totally understand why!"

Congleton Market Quarter has recently reopened, and brags multiple street food vendors offering a wide range of cuisines that will suit any pallet, from wood fired pizza, to BBQ, Japanese or even Ethiopian food.

The team said: "It's not just great street food though, as inside the market quarter you will find two established beer houses that are definitely worth a visit, the first of which is 'R&Gs Tap House' and for those regular followers of the page... that may sound familiar, and that's because these guys also run one that we visited on Mad Friday up in Macclesfield... well, this time, we were lucky enough to meet the guys behind 'R' & 'G' and they were just lovely. They're articulate, knowledgeable and passionate about providing top notch beers alongside top notch service... and within this kind of market setting, where the beer houses don't have to worry about providing the food themselves. This one really slaps!

"Also inside the market is where you'll find 'The Foundry' - which doesn't quite have the craft beer selection that R&G's have... but certainly brings another mouth-watering offering! Lovely staff, a modern feeling 'micro-pub' style vibe and some decent hand pull and cider options on offer. Loved it!"

The team journeyed on to 'The Bulls Head' next, and appreciated the Craft Union feel of the venue, which offers a DJ and party atmosphere.

Just next door is 'The Counting House' which the pair described as "the Wetherspoons of the town, surely a former bank building, this one is mega grand feeling."

Only two doors down, making this leg of the pub crawl a short one, is 'Rumba', where barman Dan was challenged to make a Pina Colada - and did not disappoint!

For their 2,449th pub of the crawl, the pair hit 'The Corner Cauldon', which is "a Harry Potter-come-Wizarding World themed cocktail bar filled with floating candles, enchanting décor and a truly magical vibe... it's a lovely little place and it's great to see something unique and carrying a little bit of character. Once again, and this is definitely a Congleton running theme for the night though... the prices are dirt cheap for the surroundings and quality of establishment! Well worth checking out, especially if you're a Harry Potter fan!"

Dale and Holly then headed across the road to The Lion and Swan, which operates a separate bar called 'Radley & Co.' just below the main hotel.

The pair said: "This was the perfect place to bring up number 2,500 for us as it is quite exquisite!

"The doorman was such a lovely chap and had already let us know about the live music going on inside and about what time they would be coming back on from their mid-session break so that we could get there for that! This is another one, that aesthetically looks like a mini Cavern Club crossed with an underground, high end jazz club! It's just beautiful and there is a lovely sized room where the acoustic duo were performing as well as another comfy seating area out away from the music, if that isn't your thing! The duo performing were superb and the clientele range from 20 something's to 80 something's, all enjoying the ambience and having a great little sing along!"

So, what did the GBPC team think of Congleton as a whole?

They concluded: "I don't think it's going to come as any surprise when I tell you that we absolutely loved it! We met some amazing people throughout the night and visited some truly magical places!

"Congleton has something for everyone, 500 year old pubs, great cocktail bars, plenty of craft beer offerings and everything within an easy walking distance of each other!"

The pair affirmed that they could not wait to come back to the pretty, trouble-free town.

Day 658 Pubs Visited:

2,484 - The Rams

2,485 - The Lord Mountbatten

2,486 - Beartown Tap

2,487 - The Antelope

2,488 - Reubens

2,489 - Crazy Moose Ski Shack

2,490 - The Olde Kings Arms

2,491 - Ye Olde White Lion

2,492 - BarleyHops

2,493 - The Little Street Cellar

2,494 - R&G's Tap House

2,495 - Congleton Market Quarter / The Foundry - CMQ

2,496 - The Bulls Head

2,497 - The Counting House, Wetherspoons

2,498 - Rumba

2,499 - The Corner Cauldron Cocktails and Events

2,500 - Radley & Co

Day 658 Pubs Completed: 17

New Pubs Visited in 2024: 61

Total Number of Pubs Visited in 2024 : 77

Total Number of Pubs Visited Overall : 2,500

The duo shared a video of their visit on the GBPC Youtube channel: