Golden Pints — Sunday Guide
Sunny pubs in Lancaster for a Sunday afternoon
Sunday afternoons in Lancaster typically see the best sun between 1pm and 6pm — which means south and south-west facing beer gardens are in their element. The sun is at its highest point and tracking west, hitting these gardens full-on from lunchtime through to late afternoon.
The top picks for a sunny Sunday afternoon are: The Sun Hotel & Bar (185°, catches sun from 11am), The Borough (200°, Lancaster's liveliest garden), Ring O' Bells (200° SSW, split-level patio behind a Grade II frontage on King Street — open Sundays 12–10:30pm), The Water Witch (225°, afternoon into evening), and The White Cross (48° NE, afternoon sun until the courtyard shadow line drops at roughly 16:30 BST in April).
Here are all 31 south and west-facing beer gardens — the ones most likely to be sunny when you're reading this on a Sunday afternoon.
The Water Witch
225° · ★ 4.4
The Borough
200° · ★ 4.2
The George & Dragon
270° · ★ 4.5
The Three Mariners
160° · ★ 4.6
Merchants 1688
170° · ★ 4.5
Greaves Park
190° · ★ 4.3
The Wagon & Horses
240° · ★ 4.5
Toll House Inn
175° · ★ 4.6
The Bobbin
220° · ★ 4.4
The Golden Lion
200° · ★ 4.5
John O'Gaunt
180° · ★ 4.5
The Sir Richard Owen
185° · ★ 4
The Gregson Centre
195° · ★ 4.6
The Hest Bank Inn
270° · ★ 4.3
The Cross Keys
150° · ★ 4.3
The Midland Hotel
270° · ★ 4.4
The York Hotel
230° · ★ 4.3
The Longlands Hotel
190° · ★ 4.3
The Malt Shovel
200° · ★ 4.6
The Dalton Arms
210° · ★ 4.5
The Pier Hotel
260° · ★ 4.5
The Dog & Partridge
200° · ★ 4.3
The Hurley Flyer
195° · ★ 4.2
Kings Arms
265° · ★ 4.2
The Royal Hotel
200° · ★ 4.3
The Blue Anchor
185° · ★ 4.2
The Royal Hotel & Bar
179° · ★ 4.6
Ring O' Bells
200° · ★ 4.4
The Canal Turn
210° · ★ 4.1
Taps on the Green
180° · ★ 4.3
The Beer Hall, Galgate
180° · ★ 5
Check live sun scores right now
Our tracker updates every minute — see which of these is currently in the sun.
Open live tracker →Planning a Sunday afternoon in Lancaster
Sunday afternoons between 1pm and 6pm are the sweet spot for outdoor drinking in Lancaster. The sun is at its highest point in the day, moving from south to south-west — meaning gardens facing between 150° and 270° get the most direct light during this window.
For a proper Sunday session, consider the pub walk options: walk the Lancaster Canal towpath to The White Cross or the River Lune to The Water Witch — both are flat and dog-friendly. The Water Witch route ends at a south-west-facing garden for later light. The White Cross route ends at a canal-side courtyard with afternoon sun until the shadow line drops at roughly 16:30 BST in April.
Golden Pints shows live sun scores for all 59 beer gardens, updated every minute. See the weekend forecast or open the live tracker to see right now.