Monkseaton Arms, Front Street, Monkseaton, Whitley Bay, Tyne & Wear, NE25 8DP. Tel:0191 2513928.

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Cask Task found the Monkseaton Arms a bit of a disappointment.
Lacking in any kind of atmosphere this large pub offered a couple of Wylams beers but no life.

Ye Olde Ship Inn, Front Street, Monkseaton, Whitley Bay, Tyne & Wear, NE25 8DP. 0191 2513677

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As our intrepid gang's search continued through Tyne & Wear, up came Ye Olde Ship Inn at Monkseaton.

Expecting to be greeted by old sea dogs and the interior walls festooned with fishing memorabiliar, we entered. A comfortable and very pleasant old pub it turned out to be. The decor, however, bore no hint of its sea washed past, but the selection of real ales did make up for that.

Adnams Extra, Theakstons Bitter, Ruddles and Shepherd Neames Bishop Finger was the choice and a very good hour or so was spent there.

Not a bad real ale pub at all.

The Black Horse, 68 Front Street, Monkseaton, Whitley Bay, Tyne & Wear, NE25 8DP. Tel:0191 253 6931

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The Black Horse at Monkseaton is reputed to be a great real ale pub and I must admit to being impressed on first arriving. It's a warm, welcoming and comfortable place.
With four ales on offer I settled down to a nice pint from the Jarrow Rivet Catcher, the Durham Brewery's White Amarillo, Hadrian's Tyneside Blonde or my old favourite Courage Directors. My preference for the darker stuff pushed me for the Directors.
A bit of a disappointment though, as I think the Directors may have been a bit on the old side and was unrecognisable from its normal tasty self.