We had a reccy up to Barrow on Thursday to have a look at the newly-revamped Duke of Edinburgh just outside the station. It's every bit as good as you hoped it would be: very modern, quarry tiled and wood floor, but with eight real ales and not a chav lager in sight.
Wandering around Barrow before it opened was (I'm sorry if there are any locals here) quite a depressing experience. Everyone we asked about pubs directed us to Wetherspoons. I think the Duke of Ed could become a very popular pub - partly because it's such a pleasant grown-up atmosphere, partly because it's a place for proper beer-lovers, and partly because it's extraordinary that a town the size of Barrow, with such a strong industrial heritage, has so few decent pubs.