Mark Briggs has been a real ale connoisseur for over 35 years. A self-professed ‘beer geek and pub aficionado’, Mark visits East Lancashire’s pubs for his weekly column. Read of Mark’s adventures in ale at his blog realaleupnorth.blogspot .com or follow him on Twitter @realaleupnorth

THIS week’s pub review has me meandering down the Leeds and Liverpool Canal — and stopping off at a most picturesque and historical canalside watering hole.

Burnley's Inn On The Wharf is a delightful hostelry, ideally situated close to the town centre and only a couple of minutes from Manchester Road railway station.

The Wharf is a spacious, open-plan pub with impressive stone flagged floors, exposed beamed ceilings and lots of comfy, soft-seated areas to relax and unwind.

I was met by one of the bar staff, Adam, who was a most pleasant, helpful and informative host throughout my visit — and he was very soon promoting the range of cask ales on offer.

He said: “We always have a good selection of local ales, six in total, including two permanent beers from Moorhouse's and Copper Dragon. All the casks are very popular, with our older customers tending to prefer the traditional bitters on the bar.”

I plumped for the Copper Dragon Best Bitter — it was in excellent condition — and decided to enjoy it outside in the attractive seated area by the canal.

There are lots of places to sit and relax here and it is popular with walkers, bikers and regular patrons, alike. Adam said: “It's a real sun-trap and has been very well populated throughout the summer months. It gets packed when the sun is out and the weather has been kind to us this year.”

Back inside, you get a nice, relaxed feel about the place, with easy listening music, regulars quietly having a drink and other customers enjoying their meals, from the extensive menu of home-cooked food.

Regular visitor John Pollard said: “The pub is an ideal place to sit, relax, have a drink, and chill out doing the daily crossword. The staff are so pleasant and will always have a chat if they get a quiet moment.”

There is also lots of entertainment at The Wharf. This includes a quiz night on Monday, poker night is Tuesday and live jazz on Thursday with the ever-popular, Pendle Jazzmen. Singer Emma Nicholls entertains on Saturday and for those who have X-Factor aspirations, there is karaoke on Friday and Sunday evenings.

Yes, I think you will find there is something to suit everyone — and you may want to visit this week as the Burnley Canal Festival takes place from tomorrow until Sunday. There will be craft and food stalls, boat trips, and lots more. Enjoy.