I didn’t think I’d be asked this, but I was. People enjoy pubs and bars and this map looks like this for the same reason the London Underground map looks like this. Viewing all pubs and bars on a normal geographic map would be impractical due to the big and small distances between places. Having them on a diagram makes it possible to view them all easily and it still makes sense.

Making each map is quite a lengthy and difficult process and I’m not making maps all the time due to other things. I’m slowly working outwards from West Yorkshire, but some maps have been unpopular and I’ll never end up making maps for everywhere.

I’ve put the website together myself, and I haven’t found that I’ve had enough requests for other payment options to justify a more complicated set of payment options. You can also pay by cash, cheque or BACS. (Or pizza. Or beer.)

I mainly accept payments via PayPal’s secure payment options. You can also pay by cash, cheque or BACS. You can also pay by or pizza or beer. (But that’s never been attempted.)

Some places inevitably fall into grey areas and are considered individually. The aim is to keep the map focused on straightforward public drinking places while applying the same criteria consistently across every edition.

This is the long version:

Here’s the TL:DR version:

To qualify, a place should:
•  be obviously open to the general public without membership, invitation or accompaniment;
•  be somewhere a stranger could confidently walk into and order a drink;
•  feel equally suited to casual drinking as to eating, entertainment or another activity.

Places requiring membership, signing in, an intercom, an entry fee or similar access arrangements are generally excluded, even where non-members are admitted. Likewise, places that are principally geared towards dining, entertainment or organised activities are normally omitted.

Orderaround Pub Maps: Eligibility and Editorial Principles

Purpose

Orderaround maps are intended to help people discover places where they can comfortably enjoy a casual drink. They are not intended to be a complete directory of every licensed premises, nor do they attempt to reflect licensing categories or legal definitions.

The guiding question throughout the series is simple:

“If I were unfamiliar with this area, would I reasonably expect to be able to go here for a casual drink?”

That question is intentionally based on the experience of the user rather than on licensing law or the official classification of an establishment.

General eligibility

A place will normally be included where it appears to:

• be obviously open to the general public;
• allow a visitor to simply walk in and order a drink without additional access arrangements;
• provide a welcoming environment for casual drinking;
• feel equally suited to having a drink as to eating or participating in another activity.

Many hotels, cafés and restaurants therefore appear on the maps where they provide comfortable public drinking areas in their own right.

Accessibility

One of the most important considerations is how an unfamiliar visitor would perceive the establishment.

The question is not simply whether somebody can eventually obtain a drink there, but whether they would naturally assume they are welcome to enter.

Examples of factors that may count against inclusion include:

• membership requirements;
• signing-in procedures;
• invitation-only access;
• accompaniment by members;
• entry fees;
• controlled access intended to determine who may enter.

These factors are considered together rather than individually. A single feature is not necessarily decisive.

For example, a themed cocktail bar may deliberately use a hidden entrance or intercom as part of its concept while still clearly presenting itself as a public drinking establishment. Conversely, a members’ club may admit non-members but still create uncertainty about whether an unfamiliar visitor would feel comfortable entering.

The distinction is therefore one of overall public accessibility rather than individual rules.

Drinking as a destination

The maps aim to show places where drinking is a destination in itself.

Many licensed premises exist primarily for another purpose while also serving alcohol.

These may include:

• restaurants;
• cafés;
• activity venues;
• sports facilities;
• entertainment venues;
• cultural attractions;
• clubs;
• hotels.

Some examples within these categories are included because they function as genuine drinking destinations in their own right.

Others are omitted because drinking is clearly secondary to another activity.

The category alone is therefore never the deciding factor.

Clubs

Clubs represent one of the most difficult areas of assessment.

Some operate almost identically to public houses.

Others are essentially private.

Many sit somewhere between the two.

Rather than relying solely on legal status, club constitutions or licensing arrangements, the assessment considers how the establishment presents itself to an unfamiliar visitor.

Questions that may be considered include:

• Would somebody walking past naturally assume they could go in?
• Would they expect simply to order a drink?
• Would they anticipate having to ask permission, sign in or establish whether they were entitled to enter?

Where uncertainty exists, clubs will generally not appear on the standard published maps.

This approach inevitably excludes some clubs that do admit non-members. However, attempting to distinguish every individual club according to its particular rules would substantially broaden the scope of the project and make consistent editorial decisions increasingly difficult.

Grey areas

Some establishments inevitably fall somewhere between categories.

Examples might include:

• brewery taprooms;
• casino bars;
• hotel lounges;
• Student Union bars;
• social clubs that increasingly resemble pubs;
• restaurants with substantial bar areas.

No set of objective rules can perfectly classify every such place.

Accordingly, editorial judgement is sometimes required.

Whilst generous evaluation criteria have been applied, assessment and inclusion of all establishments is discretionary and subjective.

Why apparent exceptions exist

Occasionally a place may appear to contradict one of the general principles.

This does not necessarily mean the guidance has been ignored.

Rather, it usually reflects the fact that no single characteristic determines eligibility.

For example:

• a Student Union bar that genuinely functions as a public bar throughout the year may be included;
• a casino with a well-established public bar may be included;
• a hidden speakeasy may use controlled entry purely as part of the customer experience;
• a club with unrestricted public admission may be treated differently from one where visitors must first establish whether they are entitled to enter.

These situations are uncommon and are assessed individually.

The general principles remain unchanged.

Consistency

Every individual inclusion sets a precedent.

Relaxing the criteria for one borderline establishment would often require reconsidering many similar places elsewhere.

Over time this would make the maps increasingly difficult to maintain consistently and would blur the distinction between straightforward public drinking places and the much wider universe of licensed premises.

For this reason, consistency across the series is generally considered more important than accommodating every individual borderline case.

Reasonable people will sometimes disagree with particular decisions.

That is an inevitable consequence of producing a curated map rather than a complete inventory.

Information sources

The maps are compiled using a combination of personal knowledge, official information, websites, photographs, local feedback and other publicly available sources.

Some establishments are well known through personal experience.

Others are assessed using the best information reasonably available at the time of publication.

Given the size of the series, it is neither practical nor possible to visit every establishment personally before publication.

Suggestions, corrections and local knowledge are therefore always welcomed and frequently contribute to future editions.

Bespoke editions

The standard published maps apply one consistent editorial approach across the entire series.

Where a place has particular personal significance, bespoke editions can include additional establishments outside the standard criteria without altering the published edition.

Final note

These maps are intended to be artistic and potentially practical guides rather than definitive statements about licensed premises.

Their purpose is to help people discover enjoyable places to have a drink, while applying a broadly consistent editorial approach across every edition.

Absolute objectivity is neither claimed nor possible. The aim is simply to apply thoughtful judgement as consistently, fairly and transparently as reasonably possible.

Sure! In some cases, I’ve even found that it’s cheaper to send abroad than if I wanted to send to myself. The cost will usually be included, as normal.

Hotels, cafés and restaurants have been included on the map where there appears to be a welcoming, comfortable and easily accessible space for having a casual alcoholic drink without food or other services. If you think something needs to be added, removed or changed, let me know. Whilst generous evaluation criteria have been applied, assessment and inclusion of all establishments is discretionary and a bit subjective.

Some maps have special have markers for Nightclubs, temporary/seasonal places, clubs that welcome unaccompanied non-members, and also LGBTQ+ icons. However, I can’t add markers for all kinds of things like: CAMRA, Parking, Music, Sports TV, Pool, Darts, Food, Play Areas, Dog Friendly, WiFi etc. Those would be great things to have on an app or website but can’t work on a map like this.

Yes.

Unless they’re really new, all the maps have already had revisions. For example, the central Leeds map has had 15 editions as of July 2022. I’m happy to make changes sooner if any verifiable information is provided on places to add remove or change.

I’ll aim to update the maps at least every two years.

Most instances of common prefixes and suffixes such as “The”, “Inn”, “Bar” and “Hotel” have been omitted for clarity.

While pubs and bars are generally positioned relative to their actual locations, the directions and distances between them should not be taken literally. Localised scale distortions result from the density of establishments in an area, and routes follow paths and roads rather than direct geographic measurements.

All routes follow a recognised geographic road or path etc, but this should not be used as a basis for transport routes and they may not adhere to locally recognised pub crawls.

On a diagram map like this, only the order of the places matters. I’ll put them on the correct side of a road where possible, but they may be flipped for space or balance.

I just thought it would be funny, and no it’s in a rude shape. It’s not a real place.

With some limited exceptions, the following types of licensed premises are generally not included on this map: Bars within most leisure or cultural facilities such as cinemas, casinos, theatres, sports venues, art galleries and museums etc. Private members clubs such as Social Clubs, Working Men’s Clubs, Sports Clubs and politically affiliated clubs. Gentlemen’s clubs and XXX related establishments. Paid/ticketed entry entertainment venues. Student Union bars. Bottle Shops. Karaoke bars. Nightclubs.

Leeds has been the most popular by a long way. Rotherham seems to have been the least popular, (I’ve only sold 3 copies in 2 years) but Newcastle has been the most surprisingly disappointing.

There are other maps like these around and you might even see some people incorrectly claiming that they were the first or original to do it. I haven’t been the first and I won’t be the last. I haven’t coped any information or designs. I saw a hand drawn map like this for Wakefield city centre in a pub in 1995 and eventually decided to create my own in 2008. I didn’t finish it right away, but resumed work on it in 2013 and have been making them on and off since then. These maps have been developed over more than a decade, with countless hours of research, updates, and refinement. The concept of mapping pubs isn’t exclusive to one person or company, nor was it invented by any single source. In fact, at least one other person was creating similar maps well before some of the more widely known versions appeared. While some of my map cover the same areas as other maps and uses a similar diagrammatic style, that doesn’t mean it’s a copy. The tube map format isn’t just a stylistic choice, it’s a practical necessity. Just as with the tube map, the design allows for distortion and simplification, making both dense and sparse areas easier to display. The geographic map that informs the geometric layout is an integral part of the process, and it is even included in the final design under the “Geographic Routes” section in the information panel. Many subjects have been covered by multiple books, documentaries, and maps. It doesn’t mean they’re copies of each other. Just because an area has been mapped before doesn’t mean others cannot create their own versions. These maps are the result of independent research, effort, and interpretation, much like how historians, photographers, and travel writers bring their own perspectives to the same topics.

I used to have other stuff on Albany Design and it wasn’t popular or worthwhile so in 2021 I created the more suitably named “Orderaround” site and sent traffic here instead.