Tynemouth. Licensed since 1799, it is located next to the former House of Correction and Justices Room of the Parish of Tynemouth which was built in 1792 and served as the local prison and courthouse until 1890. Originally the prisoners' meals were cooked in the cellar and taken to the prison via a tunnel that linked the two premises. Visiting circuit judges would stay at the hotel and would be fed and watered after a long day of doling out punishment to local criminals. It is also located next to the Governor's Tree where important visitors were met as they disembarked in Pow Burn. These included Henry VIII's commissioners when they came to dispossess the monks of Tynemouth Priory in 1539 and Charles I in 1633. Back in the 1890s the Lodge was home to the scandalous landlord John Rutherford. The former politician turned publican had a tumultuous marriage to a barmaid and was eventually jailed for her murder in 1898. With all of its history of course the pub in said to be home to a ghost or two. Upstairs there is said to be a Georgian lady chasing young children in the early hours of the morning. Then there is the spirit of William Mould who in 1879 ordered a brandy but before he could get it to his lips he fell backwards and expired. The place of his passing is known by locals as "Deadman's Corner", and there are regular complaints of a mysterious chill in that spot (I didn't feel it).

As you enter the pub you are greeted by a carved wood bar with rooms in front and behind it, a nice fireplace, William Morris style wallpaper, green leather seats and brass tables (I love the legs). There is also a beer garden in the back. I enjoyed a Grainger Ale from Hadrian Border Brewery in Newcastle. Just a 2 minute walk from our flat, I am sure I will enjoy several beers here during the week.