Think you know all of York's best pubs? Two new maps of drinking places in the city might just surprise you, says STEPHEN LEWIS

JUST how many pubs and bars are there in York city centre?

It is a question that has long preoccupied drinkers. And it isn't an easy one to answer. Pubs come and go, so the number is constantly changing. And it also depends how far you're willing to stretch the definition of pub/ bar. Do you include hotels with a decent bar? And if so, how about restaurants where you can also go for a drink?

Steven Lovell has come up with a figure, however. He reckons there are (or were, at last count) 150 pubs, bars and drinking places in central York. And he should know, because he's just designed a map which includes them all.

This is no ordinary map. Steven, a 43-year-old Leeds office worker, trained as a graphic designer. And he's put all his design skills to work to come up with a York city centre pubs map (and a second, larger map of Greater York featuring 231 places to go for a drink) in the style of Harry Beck's classic London Underground diagram.

Geographically, the maps bear little resemblance to the real York - just as the London Underground map has little to do with the real shape of London. They are works of design - a pleasing blend of straight lines in pastel colours (each line linking pubs in a local neighbourhood) with the city's two rivers as a backdrop and the pubs appearing as 'stops' along the lines. So the 'Fishergate & District Line' includes the Edinburgh Arms, the Lighthorseman, the Sea Horse, the Woolpack and the Victoria (the city centre map doesn't go out as far as the Welly or the Fulford Arms, although these both appear on the Fishergate Line in the Greater York map), while the Lendal & District Line includes the Judge's Lodging, the Graduate, Lendal Cellars, Harkers, Revolution, City Screen and the Pitcher & Piano amongst others.

The maps would look nice hanging on a wall. But it is also perfectly feasible to use them to organise a pub crawl, if you should be so inclined, says Steven.

He's produced similar maps for Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Kirklees and Calderdale - and there have been plenty of people who have used those to arrange tours of local drinking places.

They're actually ideal for anyone who'd like to try out a few different pubs or bars, Steven says, because they're all just there on the map in front of you. Any while many York people may pride themselves on their knowledge of places to go for a drink, some might be pleasantly surprised. "The maps are ideal for spotting places that you didn't know existed!" Steven says.

He himself regularly comes into York for a drink. "But I didn't know Lendal Cellars was there until I did the map!" It is now one of his favourites...

  • Steven Lovell's 'York Orderaround' pub maps are available as posters from www.albanydesign.co.uk for £12.50 (city centre map) and £15 (Greaer York map). The price includes delivery.