please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
This community pub was the first of the 2 from the GBG to visit in Hebden Bridge.
9.15 on a Friday night and as I expected it was busy, not packed but busy enough. Being a community pub most punters knew someone, or one of the dogs that was roaming around!
5 ales on the pumps, I stuck with the very difficult to pour but extremely drinkable White Rat @ 4.8% from Rat Brewery.
A cracking pub that really is a community hub, the shareholders are doing a great job, the ales are good, the pub has a very relaxed atmosphere and the electric local's love it.
I don't reckon this will be my last ever visit.
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Fantastic pub and well worth the walk. Great beer knowledgeable staff and a nice quirky pub.
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The beer is Sublime. 5 perfectly kept guest ales plus a well chosen house beer "Goose Juice" from BRidestones Brewery at £2.70. Very Drinkable.
brisk - 18 Dec 2014 18:08 |
BRILLIANT. In this co-operative pub the drinks are superb and well kept (no warm lager for example) and the staff are just great. This is a proper pub and everyone who has worked so hard to save it can feel very chuffed with themselves.
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Much improved since becoming Yorkshire's first co-operative pub. Ever changing choice of beers on the 5 handpumps from small independent brewers.Very friendly. Dogs and walkers welcome. 2 minute's walk from the centre of Hebden Bridge, and there are bus stops nearby with buses every 10 minutes to Todmorden and Halifax.
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I seem to remember a sign which read "we do not serve any French produce".
I'm not sure what that was all about, but looked a bit daft in what was otherwise a pretty decent pub.
Let's wish it every success on its new basis whatever.
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Currently being transformed into a 'Community Pub'. Investments from £100 to £20,000 are invited.
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Excellent selection of real ales on tap and has a homely atmosphere to it. A warm welcome was given when my partner and I went in today. Just located outside the town centre it is easy to reach on public transport. Worth a visit if you love real ale.
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This place is immense - smells fairly strongly of dog piss, but thats all part of its basic charm - proper ale pub, good selection and quality - community in the process of purchasing it i think - a real horse hair of a gem - not for the faint hearted though
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Decent boozer with some good ales.
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Good basic pub with a choice of ales.
Locals and staff friendly, best pub in town.
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After a walk round the hills we were looking for a pub in Hebden Bridge and this was the first we came across (having seen it earlier in the day from the bus, when we noted it looked promising as there was mention outside of an upcoming beer festival). At first we weren't sure if we'd made the right choice, as the pub seemed a little on the quiet side and the interior a bit dingy, although the beer selection was interesting and very reasonably priced. But it was as the evening wore on that the pub really showed its quality. More and more customers appeared, many of them apparently regulars, and a very lively, friendly atmosphere developed. We got into very enjoyable conversation with a couple of regulars and it struck me that this friendly atmosphere, along with good beer, of course, is what elevates this kind of place far above the average modern pub. 10 out of 10.
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Pleasant atmosphere with a little jazz combo playing in one room. Obviously the place in town to come for a beer with a nice ever changing range. Rather let down by my ales being slightly hazy and served in short measures.
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A classic, beer still great and varied. Has Simon left now? so the barman said ..
I always thought he was a decent fella and di the place proud. Hope it remains the same, in fact there may be a reverse trend as a dartboard was mentioned. What next, play your cards right and a pool table?
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Always great beer.
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I've been here twice now and have found it a very charming place. The rooftop beer garden has scenic views of surrounding hebden bridge. The choice of real ale was varied and was kept to a good condition. Infact they were serving one of my favourite porters Acorn's "Gorlovka" 6%. Definately worth walking up the brow to get to!!
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Tried again. Some improvements - ie, smelled marginally less of urine than it did on my last visit - but this time the visit was spoiled by some local holding forth at the bar with some pretty offensive language, while (the landlord?) appeared to ignore him. Bland selection of beer - but no quality complaints...
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Always a port of call when in or around Hebden Bridge. I wish that this pub was my local. Friendly staff, very good beer. Rooftop beer garden has a good view.
The Themed Beer Festivals are well worth a visit.
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Comfortable pub that has decent stock of bottles and around 4/5 handpump options. Smelt a little bit of dogs but there were 4 in when we arrived. Beer garden is tucked up on the side of the hill and is a great feature. Had one bad pint of porter which was changed and they removed the barrel.
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I think he was not misled sir, merely honest on the day!
This has been a regular calling place when we are in the hebden area but I found it scruffy, tatty and lacking any warmth last week when we visited.
Sadly my beer was so so (and the bonhomie was affected by what I think semed to the 'bitter' in house shenanigans).
Will come back when its all blown over and hopefully a smooth and pleasant pint can be enjoyed once more. shame as it was a nice pub.
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"Sadly a shadow of its former self, there is now an air of despondency and barely concealed hostility, reflected in both the neglected beers and atmosphere of this once friendly pub." Bingoringo you were misled by your mates, you have described a different pub!!
Good well kept beer and a friendly welcome.
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Interested by the mix of reviews below, as I found this to be a classic, reminding me a bit of Captain Cook in Staithes and the similarly basic pub at the top of Buntingford that esapes my memory. I visited on a Thursday lunchtime withn only a couple of regulars in; the dark beer was exceptional and I enjoyed some very informed beer discussions. I can see how the pub might feel a bit exclusive to some, but I can only urge a visit - a national Top 30 pub.
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Sadly a shadow of its former self, there is now an air of despondency and barely concealed hostility, reflected in both the neglected beers and atmosphere of this once friendly pub.
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I love real ale as much as the next man, but I don't expect to be sneered at when I reply "something a bit like Tim Taylors" when asked what I'd like to drink - on my visit it stocked predominantly Pennine Brewery beers with which I am unfamiliar. The pint I then received looked and tasted like it'd been sat in an old boot for the last month. I chewed my way through that and left.
I admire free houses and I respect the role they fulfil, but stock a product that's palatable and don't sneer and the uninitiated.
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Visited this pub over the bank holiday weekend for their Whitsun beer festival. Excellent time was had by all. The selection and quality of beer was top notch. If you're in the area, drop in for a pint, and it you're not local, make a special effort, you won't be disappointed.
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Cannot fault the atmosphere, the clientele or the range of beers, BUT on my recent visit I was served a pint of what looked like soup when I suggested that the beer may be off the barman took a mouthful of my pint and proclaimed it to be OK! Luckily the owner (?) intervened and my pint was replaced with an actual pint of beer.
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This is not a, but the pub. Open fire, beardie weirdies, and the ale! You can bring your dog. There is a folk session on the odd saturday, and the people are nice.
Are you up from that London for the weekend? Metropolitan refugee agued with lifestyle anxiety? Come in here and get banjaxed with some proper people, whose opinions come straight from the fine array of liquid newspapers dispensed at the bar.
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Unpretentious real ale house serving 4 or 5 top quality beers of various ABV,s.Cozy and any pub with a poster of J.H.B.behind the drums has got to be o.k.
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Alas, the condition of several of the beers at the late May beer festival was poor, though they were changed promptly. Upon revisiting last week, the quality of the ales served via the pumps was impeccable. Aswell as bar billiards, there are a host of other weird and wonderful bar games.
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Very friendly welcome by the landlord, who kindly gave me his email address in case I had forgotten any questions I wanted to ask (I'm moving into the area in a few months time, and who better to tell you what the area is like than the landlord of a CAMRA pub?). Excellent range of beers (they had the rare WoodenHand Brewery on show when I visited), always a Mild/Stout on the bar, as well as a real cider. No gassy lagers, just proper continental bottled one and some Belgian beers too. And he's got a bar billiards table - what more could you want?
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A warm wecome always awaits the regular drinker or the passer by.
The beers are in the best of conditions and there is always a real cider or perry on handpump. twice a year beer festivals are always well attended
daveL - 29 Aug 2005 12:24 |
