Best Pubs in Cramlington

Cramlington's pubs fall into two groups. Three sit within a few minutes' walk of each other in the old village, around Church Road and Low Main Place, where the town began long before the new town estates were built. The rest serve the newer parts of town, from the Manor Walks shopping area to Northburn and the southern edge by the A1068. This guide covers six of them, with the beer, sport, gardens and dogs in mind. For the history of the old village pubs, including the Travellers Rest that became John the Clerk, see our guide to the oldest pubs in Cramlington. For cafes and restaurants, see our eat and drink hub.

Hours change and published listings sometimes disagree, so check opening and food times with the pub before you go.

The Plough

The Plough at Middle Farm, in the old village, is the pick for real ale. Its operator, Sir John Fitzgerald, says the pub was converted from an old farm: the original farmhouse and steading, plus a circular building once used to grind corn. Inside there is a lively bar and a quieter lounge, with a large beer garden and terrace outside.

CAMRA lists two regular cask beers, Cullercoats Shuggy Boat Blonde and Greene King Abbot, alongside up to five changing beers, mostly from local microbreweries. CAMRA also lists it as dog-friendly. There is a function room, Sky and TNT Sports, and children are welcome until 9pm. It opens from noon every day.

Best for: The widest choice of cask ale in town, with a big beer garden.

John the Clerk of Cramlington

John the Clerk of Cramlington on Low Main Place is the town's Wetherspoon. CAMRA records that it opened in July 2013 in a conversion of the former Travellers Rest. The name comes from the earliest recorded chaplain of Cramlington, John the Clerk, who served around 1163 to 1180 at the chapel that stood near the site of today's St Nicholas' Church.

It is a large, open-plan pub with one long bar. CAMRA lists Ruddles Best, Greene King Abbot and Sharp's Doom Bar as regulars, plus changing guest beers. It opens at 8am every day, so it works for breakfast as well as a pint, and there is a licensed outside area. Under-18s are allowed in until 9pm.

Best for: Breakfast from 8am and a pint late into the evening.

The Blagdon Arms

The Blagdon Arms on Village Square, a short walk from the Plough, was once called the Blue Bell. It is now a Craft Union pub, part of Stonegate, and is a sports-and-games local with Sky Sports and BT Sport, a pool table and an outside area. It describes itself as pet-friendly.

CAMRA notes that real ale is not always available here, so it is better suited to a lager, a game of pool and the match. It opens from 10am daily and stays open until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Best for: Live sport and pool in the old village, open late at weekends.

The Lord of the Manor

The Lord of the Manor on Forum Way, close to Manor Walks, is another Craft Union pub, and CAMRA records that it was previously the Phoenix. It shows Sky Sports and BT Sport on HD screens, has a dartboard and a beer garden, and welcomes dogs.

CAMRA lists Wainwright Gold as a regular cask beer, with one changing beer. It opens from 11am daily.

Best for: A dog-friendly sports pub handy for the town centre shops.

The Snowy Owl

The Snowy Owl on Blagdon Lane, at the corner with the A1068 near the A1172 roundabout, is a Vintage Inn, part of Mitchells & Butlers. CAMRA describes it as "a deceptively large pub, with plenty of space for diners, drinkers & guests alike", with the bar at the front and three handpulls.

It is the most food-led pub in this guide, serving meals through the day and a roast on Sundays, and it has a garden and parking. It also has bedrooms, now marketed as The Snowy Owl by Innkeeper's Collection, which makes it useful for visitors. CAMRA notes that service can be slow at busy times, particularly on Sunday afternoons, so book ahead for Sunday lunch.

Best for: Sunday lunch, a garden and a room for the night.

The Brockwell Seam

The Brockwell Seam on Northumbrian Road is a community local in the Northburn area of the new town, named after a coal seam that was once worked nearby. It is now a Sizzling Pub, part of Mitchells & Butlers, with a family-friendly lounge, sport on the screens and a garden.

CAMRA lists food daily from noon to 9pm and cask ale on the bar, though its beer listings vary over time, so ask what is on.

Best for: Good-value food and the football, a short walk from the Northburn estates.

Real ale, sport and dogs

• Cask ale: the Plough is the clear choice, followed by John the Clerk. The Lord of the Manor and the Snowy Owl also list cask beer.
• Live sport: the Blagdon Arms, the Lord of the Manor, the Plough and the Brockwell Seam all show sport.
• Dog-friendly: the Plough, the Blagdon Arms and the Lord of the Manor.
• Beer gardens: the Plough, the Lord of the Manor, the Snowy Owl and the Brockwell Seam.

If you like real ale, the beer festivals within reach of town, including Morpeth, Ponteland and CAMRA's Newcastle festival, are listed in our guide to beer festivals near Cramlington.

A short village pub crawl

The Plough, the Blagdon Arms and John the Clerk all sit within a few hundred metres of each other in the old village, close to St Nicholas' Church, and Cramlington station is under a kilometre away. Start with cask ale at the Plough, cross to the Blagdon Arms for the match, then finish at John the Clerk, which is open until midnight or later from Thursday to Sunday.

Closed pubs

The Seven Oaks, the former Hungry Horse at Manor Walks, closed in February 2025 according to CAMRA, and the Clef and Cask on Dewley Close has been closed since 2017.

Spotted a change at one of Cramlington's pubs, or think we've missed one? Get in touch and we'll update the guide.