A Yorkshire Dales Pub Crawl
Rather than describe a pub crawl in detail, this article lists the pubs along with some information about them which should help you plan your own crawl.
The listing starts at the southern end of Upper Wharfedale and works northwards (about 40 kilometres or 25 miles - see bus information below). All the pubs, except for some of those in Addingham, serve food at lunchtime and in the evening and most are open all day. Variations from this are given in the text.
(NOTE: Any opinions reflected in this article are those of the author. Any information
relating to beer range and opening times of the pubs listed is, as far as the author is aware, correct. The pub information was partially updated in October 2018. Neither the author, nor Keighley and Craven CAMRA accept any liability for errors or inaccuracies.)
For more details on any pub described here, check out CAMRA‘s national on-line pub guide, WhatPub. The links on individual pubs are to their entries on WhatPub, where (in most cases) you will find links to the pubs‘ own web-sites.
Click a link to take you there.
Introduction and Bus information
Upper Wharfedale stretches from the watershed above Buckden in North
Yorkshire down to Addingham in West Yorkshire and holds some
of the best limestone scenery in the Yorkshire Dales. It also holds
some fine “watering holes'”, difficult to reach without drinking and
driving.
the Keighley Bus Company run a fairly regular Monday to Saturday service from Skipton to Grassington (72), which connects with a limited service (72B) run by Upper Wharfedale Community Bus continuing on to Buckden. Sadly, the Ilkley to Grassington bus (74A) now operated by North Yorkshire County Council minibus only runs three days a week, with a limited service, supplemented in summer by the 874 on Saturdays. Using these buses it is possible to explore many of the fine pubs in the dale in the week and on Saturday. Through tickets on the 72 and 72B are available, but they are not cheap.
There are also buses on Sundays and Bank Holidays from Wakefield, Leeds and Ilkley to Grassington and Buckden (DalesBus 874/875), and from Skipton to Grassington (Witch Way X43 until October 21st 2018, then taken over by the Keighley Bus Company 72 service).
There is also a demand-responsive service “The Wharfedale Packhorse”, operated by Grassington Community Transport on a Saturday evening, which runs up and down the Dale in both directions from Grassington. Note, this service only runs on the first Saturday of each month between October and Easter and does not run in the depths of winter.
Full timetable information on all bus services in the Yorkshire Dales can be obtained via the DalesBus website.
Addingham
Addingham has 5 pubs, all serving real ale, all can be found on the main street. At one end of the village is the Craven Heifer, at the other is the Fleece. The first and last are highly food-oriented. More down to earth are the Swan, the Sailor and the Crown, the latter unfortunately closed for refurbishment (still closed March 2019). Addingham also has a chippy. Addingham Social Club, across the road from the Fleece, is a welcoming club, and does sell real-ale.
Bolton Abbey
At the Devonshire Arms Hotel
you will find real ale in the public bar. The
style is not to the author‘s tastes and the beer is on the
pricey side - the name, “the Devonshire Arms Brasserie and Bar” gives
you some idea of what to expect. The nearby Abbey is well worth a visit
and Strid Woods are an excellent place for a walk, especially if you
appreciate wildlife. The Devonshire Arms is on bus route 74A (Mon, Wed, Fri) and bus routes 873 (Sun) and 874 (Sun and summer Sat).
Appletreewick
Appletreewick is well worth visiting and can be reached from Barden Tower (over 3 km) or Burnsall (about 2.5
km) by walking the Dalesway, which follows the river bank. The 74A bus does go through the
village but on Sundays a visit will require a walk. (A shorter route from/to the main road is by footpath using the stepping stones at Drebley, crossable only by very brave people when the river is very low. You need to leap (both feet off the ground) between stones at the Drebley end!) The New Inn
currently offers Goose Eye Chinook, Black Sheep Best Bitter, and a guest. It is closed Monday and Tuesday, but open all day the rest of the week. It serves full meals at lunch time and in the evening. The family-owned Craven Arms has stone-flagged floors and lots of cosy corners, with log fires burning in traditional ranges. Food is served all day at weekends and in summer. The cruck barn, built using traditional methods, at the rear is worth investigating if it is not in use for a function. The Craven sells a good range of cask ales including three from local hero, Dark Horse (their Night Jar is a rare beer and difficult to find, but always on offer here), and Old Peculier from wooden casks, stillaged behind the bar. The OP is not cheap - to get it in wood, the owner of the pub has to drive to Masham to fetch it! The menu here often lists locally sourced game in autumn and winter. The Craven was voted Keighley and Craven CAMRA Pub of the Season for Winter 2011/12. The Craven hosts a beer festival in mid-October.
Burnsall
Burnsall is on the bus route and has two real ale outlets. The Devonshire Fell Hotel and Bistro is up the hill back
towards Bolton Abbey, the Red Lion
is adjacent to the bridge. The Devonshire Fell is mainly food-oriented but offers up to three cask beers. The stone-flagged Red Lion, next to the bridge, also focuses on food (served both in the bar and the separate dining room) but does serve a good range of cask beers: 2 from Dark Horse, 2 from Timothy Taylor, Theakston Best Bitter and at least one guest beer, often Ilkley Mary Jane or Wharfedale Blonde. The Red Lion has extensive outdoor seating, some at the front of the pub and some to the rear.
Hebden
Hebden is a 2.5km walk along the river from Burnsall. The Clarendon Hotel is a free house selling Taylors Best Bitter, Tetley Bitter and a couple of guest beers. The village shop is next door and run by the owners of the pub, so if you need anything from the shop and it is closed when the pub is open, ask in the pub and, if they are not busy, they may sort it out for you. The Clarendon may close between 3 and 5.30 on weekdays, if wishing to call in during this period, ring ahead to check. To get to the Clarendon from the river footpath, walk up into the village from the suspension
bridge and turn left when you reach the main Grassington to Pateley
Bridge road. Anyone interested in industrial archaeology might like to
visit the old lead workings approximately 3 km up Hebden Beck from the
pub. A 3 km stroll along the main river (upstream) will take you to the
next cluster of pubs in Linton, Threshfield and Grassington.
Linton
Linton is a very
picturesque village with a large green cut in half by a babbling
brook, spanned by an ancient stone bridge. The Fountaine
Inn looks onto the green and serves cask ales. The range does vary but typical would be John Smith's Bitter, Black Sheep Best Bitter and Tetley Bitter plus a guest beer or two. Some but not all buses on the 72 route (Monday to Saturday) go
through the village. The 74A/874 pass the road-end about
200 yards from the village. Threshfield (1 km) and Grassington (1.5 km)
are also within easy walking distance by footpath. The Fountaine usually serves food all day, all year.
Grassington
Grassington is the place
to head for in the afternoon if you are exploring the lower part of the
area. As well as being an attractive town with a cobbled square, it
boasts 4 pubs and several cafés. The Grassington
House Hotel and the Devonshire Hotel are on the Square. The Black Horse
is up Garrs Lane about 20 metres
from the square, whilst the Foresters Arms is tucked away about 100 metres up the Main Street. The Foresters usually offers Black Sheep Best Bitter, Tetley Bitter, both Taylors Best
Bitter and Landlord plus at least one guest beer. Black Sheep Riggwelter is often available - this is the only regular outlet for this beer in the branch area. The Grassington House usually has Tetley Bitter, Thwaites Original and Dark Horse Hetton Pale, the Devonshire is now a Timothy Taylor tied house offering the full Taylors range plus one guest, whilst the Black Horse usually offers a house beer, branded as Hardy and Hanson (so brewed by Greene King), plus two or three others. All buses stop at the National Park Visitor Centre which is a short walk from the Square,
the 72 also picks up and drops off in the Square on certain services. If you are in Grassington for the festival, look out for Festivale, brewed especially for the event by nearby Dark Horse and usually available at festival venues.
Threshfield
Threshfield is a pleasant
village astride the main road up the valley from Skipton. The Old Hall
sells Timothy Taylor Landlord, Theakston Best Bitter and sometimes has John Smiths Cask, Tetley Bitter and perhaps Courage Directors.
Long
Ashes
The Gamekeeper‘s Inn on the extensive Long Ashes Caravan Site has a pleasant bar and is open to the public, selling mainly Thwaites beers plus an occasional guest beer.
Kilnsey
The Tennant Arms Hotel
is located just along the road from the spectacular Kilnsey Crag. The
emphasis is on food. Cask beers such as Tetley Bitter, Taylors Landlord and Boltmaker are usually
available. Buses stop at the door.
Kettlewell
Kettlewell is the largest settlement at the head of the valley, although sadly the majority of the properties are either holiday cottages or second homes. Midweek in winter
this can make it feel a bit of a ghost town, but in the summer months and at weekends it
is usually bustling, especially during the scarecrow festival. Here you have a choice of three pubs. The Kings
Head re-opened in Spring 2014 after a long closure and has been completely refurbished. Beers available are Black Sheep Best Bitter, Tetley Bitter and Dark Horse Hetton. The Blue Bell serves up three beers from Yorkshire Dales Brewery plus up to three guest beers, whilst the Racehorses
serves Timothy Taylor Golden Best, Best Bitter and Landlord plus an occasional guest beer. The Blue Bell serves food all day on Sundays, even in winter.
All buses stop outside the Racehorses/Blue Bell. The 72B goes round the village, the 874 stays on the main road
Starbotton
Starbotton is a pretty village approximately 3 km from Kettlewell. The bus stops outside the Fox and Hounds, which has Black Sheep Best Bitter and Wharfedale Blonde plus one or two guest beers, often one from Yorkshire Dales Brewery. The Fox and Hounds changed hands in Autumn 2016 and now stays open all day. There are two footpaths between Kettlewell and Starbotton,
one along the west side the river, the other one through the fields on
the east side of the road - this path has many stiles to climb. These combine to make an excellent circular
walk. The 3 km walk on to Buckden is also highly recommended. (It is on the west side of the river: go back towards Kettlewell to find the start of it.)
Buckden
In the hamlet of Buckden
the Buck
Inn
re-opened in Spring 2018 following a long period of closure. It has been substantially refurbished, during which it has been opened out to form one large room. It sells beers from Moorhouses plus guests from further afield. Up to six cask beers are usually available. The Buck is open all day with food available 12-2 and 6-9 during the week and all day at weekends.
Hubberholme
From Buckden it is a 2 km walk along the Hawes road or the river bank to the tiny hamlet of
Hubberholme. Contrary to logic, in very wet weather, the river bank is
the recommended route as the road floods and becomes impassable to
walkers! The George
is a cosy, stone-flagged pub, under new ownership from Spring 2013. It was supposedly one of J.B. Priestley's favourite watering
holes. If open, the church is worth a quick look inside. In winter, the George opens from 6 on Mondays, is closed Tuesdays, is open lunchtime and evenings on Wednesday and Thursday, all day from 12 Friday and Saturday and from 12 until 5 on Sunday. It may stay open longer if busy and is open all day Wednesday to Sunday in summer. Three beers are usually available, often including a dark beer e.g. a mild, and often something from Yorkshire Dales brewery. If you wish to eat, a reservation is recommended, especially at weekends.
Cray
From Buckden it is also a
2 km walk uphill to the other tiny valley-head hamlet of Cray. Here you
will find the White Lion. This free house is now owned by Dennis Peacock and it re-opened after being closed for 18 months on Christmas Eve 2015. The main bar area has been fully refurbished, with the bar top comprising a single piece of oak. It retains its former cosy feel.The side room is now a snug with settees and the letting accommodation has also been refurbished to a high standard. Black Sheep Best Bitter is served alongside two guest beers. The White Lion is open all day, but food is only served 12-2 and 6-8.30.
Littondale
Although inaccessible by public transport (without a substantial walk), the beautiful side valley of Littondale boasts two traditional Dales pubs. The Falcon in Arncliffe has barely changed in decades. New licensees arrived in 2014 and took the radical step of installing two handpumps and a second beer. The Taylors Boltmaker continues to be served straight from the cask via a jug (dispense via handpump is now also an option) whilst the second pump supplies a rotating guest beer. The interior is traditional and unspoilt and the pub is listed on CAMRA‘s regional inventory of historic pubs. The Falcon is closed between 3 and 7 on weekdays in winter. The Queens Arms, another three miles up the valley, also retains a traditional two-room layout. New owners (in 2011) refurbished and brought the left-hand room back into use. The brewery behind the pub was brought back into use in late 2017 and the local brew is normally available on the bar. Four beers are sold: the house beer (Queens Arms Ale), Wharfedale Blonde plus two changing guests. The Queens closes from 3 to 6 on weekdays and is closed all day Monday. If you wish to eat at the Queens, it is advisable to book as space is very limited.
Other useful information
Many suggestions are given above for walks between pubs. As well as
excellent scenery, Wharfedale has some interesting flora and fauna,
especially in summer. Look out for nuthatches, redstarts, yellow
wagtails, sand martins and spotted flycatchers on the wing and Bloody
Cranesbill, Birds Eye Primrose (photo right), various orchids and many other
interesting plants on the ground. Kingfishers and dippers can be seen
on the river if you are lucky. In Winter the valley can be home to
large flocks of thrushes (redwing and fieldfare) and buzzards are seen
more regularly. Wading birds (lapwing, curlew, redshank, common
sandpiper) nest in the area and Ring Ouzels can be found in some of the
side valleys in summer. If you are very lucky and very observant you
may spot a peregrine falcon.
