BITE user comments - wppclarke
Comments by wppclarke
Lovely old stone built country pub in scenic setting. Good choice of well kept handpulled ales and very good, reasonably priced, food. Friendly and welcoming. Live folk music on Wednesdays.
31 Jan 2012 01:27
Hard to beat it - excellent food, excellent beer and excellent friendly service!
12 Oct 2011 18:39
Under new management for the nth time in so many years! Handpulled real ales OK. Bit noisy (piped music). Not tried the food but said to be OK.
6 Sep 2011 02:30
The Foresters Inn, Lower Cumberworth
Visited this newly reopened pub last week for a beer. Real ale quality good though range limited and not as locally sourced as alleged on the printed menu! Not tried the food. Pub seems very dark internally - low lighting throughout - and in consequence rather gloomy. I sat in a corner and they immediately turned on some tinny and rather too loud piped music. Rather than ask them to put it off as it was annoying me I drank up and left. Menu looks boring and slightly on the expensive side. May go again if passing by but not at all impressed by previous people running it and not too impressed by the new people so far. Let's see how it develops.
6 Sep 2011 02:12
The Fountain Inn Hotel, Ingbirchworth
Pub suddenly closed in about June 2011 but reopened under new management in August 2011. Many changes of management over the last few years have badly damaged the reputation of this otherwise decent eatery/pub/hotel. Anyway, the latest management seem of good quality and serve food/real ales of decent quality on the basis of one visit! Let's wait and see how it goes and let's see if the new people can make a better go of it than the last half dozen!!!!!
6 Sep 2011 02:06
The Blacksmiths Arms, Lastingham
Been here many times over the years and quite a lot recently as friends have moved to live in the area. Fully endorse the favourable things in previous comments and can't understand the adverse comments (you can't please some people, however hard you try)! In my experience they have excellent food and real ales - enjoyed some nice Copper Dragon the other day. Only slight criticism might be that there are normally only 3 real ales on handpump and two of these always seem to be pretty standard, widely available, beers (at time of last visit Theakston's bitter and 'Abbott', in addition to the superb Copper Dragon bitter from Skipton). Would like to see at least two 'unusual' beers out of the three! Not suggesting they should keep more than three real ales at any one time as the quality might suffer. Can't wait to go again!!
18 Apr 2010 17:40
Excellent pub selling excellent beers. Visited for the first time this evening (a Tuesday) when they'd just finished the quiz. Only criticism is that everyone seemed to be deaf as the customers were all shouting (good natured exuberance) and it was hard for my wife and I to have a quiet conversation as we had intended! Still, I suppose it's my fault for having very sensitive hearing!!
17 Dec 2008 00:37
Very nice pub selling excellent real ale. Very quiet though, even on Saturday evenings - not sure why, as it's got a lot of character and, as I say, the beer is excellent.
9 Nov 2008 01:46
I've been to this beautifully situated pub many times, but less often in the last few years as service seems to have dropped. In particular, about 3 years ago, on a sunny summer Sunday evening, my wife and I had been walking on the nearby moors and fancied a drink. Arrived at about 10.20 - well before the statutory closing time - but we were refused service because they had 'called time'. In other words, they had very few other customers and the staff had decided to get off home early! In the last 2 years I've been prevailed upon by friends to visit twice at lunchtimes. On each occasion the toilets (male and female) were very smelly and insanitary (my wife confirmed the female aspect)!! Now, if a food-pub such as this has unhygienic toilets on two random visits, how hygienic are other arrangements, including the kitchens? I really don't know for certain, but my job involves inspecting food premises from the health, safety and hygiene aspects and poor toilets are more often than not associated with other hygiene problems. I wouldn't happily go there for a meal - might go for a drink if very thirsty!
1 Nov 2008 01:11
A very good pub indeed. The beer, in particular, is first class in quality (mostly brewed by Thornbridge, arguably the best brewery in the UK at the moment - or at least that's my opinion!) and kept/served to the highest of standards. All favourable comments of other visitors are endorsed.
1 Nov 2008 00:50
The Cherry Tree Inn, High Hoyland
Well run pub in a very scenic location with views over towards Cannon Hall Country Park and beyond. Good walking area as well. Tasty range of beers from Elland Brewery and others. Decent if fairly plain (but also relatively cheap) bar meals. Thoroughly recommended.
15 Sep 2008 01:31
Called in a few weeks ago in the afternoon whilst walking. Seemed a well run and friendly place. Didn't have any alcohol as wanted to stay awake, though I've been at other times and found the handpulled Taylor's Bitter acceptable. Has rather insistent piped music at times, but you can sit outside in the covered seated area at the front, which is very attractive.
25 Aug 2008 23:52
Further to comment in Jun 2008, the pub now has a new licensee and appears to be doing fairly well. Taylor's Landlord and Tetley Bitter in handpump. The two pints of Landlord I had the other evening were spot on as regards taste and quality. It's probably 'use it or lose it' as regards Upper Denby's last remaining pub - indeed last remaining commercial facility of any kind if you don't count the dentist!
25 Aug 2008 23:41
A pleasant enough place, roomy, nice outdoor drinking area, serves reasonably priced food and boasts a good range of real ales. Problem is beer (real ale) quality - consistently not up to scratch, despite (I believe still) Cask Marque accreditation. I've been in there several times over the past approx. 6 years and on about half the occasions my pint has been 'past its best'. On last occasion my pint had a slightly vinegary taste/odour. I admit to being a purist (and why not) and some people might not have noticed the off-taste - but I'll not be going there again soon. That's a pity because it's a well-situated pub and in most other respects satisfactory. Shame nobody actually tastes the beer every day before they start selling it (or so it seems).
23 Aug 2008 02:15
The Blacksmiths Arms, Lastingham
Excellent - been there several times recently. Beer choice reasonable and food excellent, plentiful + not excessively expensive. Extremely good pub in very attractive surroundings. Very friendly and helpful staff. Highly recommended. Best to book if wanting a meal.
23 Aug 2008 02:05
Now called Hervey's Wine Bar - see separate entry in that name
30 Jul 2008 01:18
Well worth seeking out! A small pub (not sure why it's called a wine bar) but very friendly and welcoming. 3 or 4 top-class real ales on handpump (3 Copper Dragon + Black Sheep). The Copper Dragon Golden Pippin has a unique apple tang and is worth seeking out (the type of hops is a well kept secret). Very sheltered outdoor seating area, with umbrellas and canopies + radiant heaters in the winter - for smokers and those who prefer to be in the open. Food is keenly priced (I haven't tried it as I'm only here for the beer!) though it seems to be more in the 'tapas' spirit than the usual 'pub grub'. There is piped music (something I don't like) but not unduly loud at most times. The large white pub dog usually blocks the entrance - so don't fall over him! Probably the best pub in Holmfirth.
30 Jul 2008 01:17
The Fountain Inn Hotel, Ingbirchworth
A bit of history: This used to be a genuine oldfashioned village local, selling a nice pint of 'real' Bass. Later (25 years ago) a Tetley Wayfarer pub with lots of things for the children to play on (our favourite venue when the kids were young, as it had a bouncy castle)and good beer as well - that's in the happy days when Tetleys was a decent drop! Food was gradually introduced and it became more and more a dining pub. Then, in the mid-1990s, the children's play area was done away with in favour of an accommodation extension - but the food and beer (a wider range) were still good and reasonably priced. Then it changed hands and went up-market price-wise, but the food simultaneously nose-dived and became poor (following departure of Audrey, the excellent cook - who's gone on to higher things). The place clearly flopped and has changed hands again a couple of times, I think, in recent years. Luckily, at the moment, it seems OK - reasonably priced food (they've brought the Club Menu back), but the handpulled beers (decent small range) a little pricey (not an uncommon problem). So, if you are in the area it's worth a try - especially if you are hungry, as the food really is quite nice!!
30 Jul 2008 01:02
Called in the other evening and really enjoyed the Copper Dragon beer on handpump. There were also several other real ales. Pleasant outdoor drinking area - close to road but not much traffic. Very friendly locals - good conversation on a wide variety of topics (from nuclear power to educational standards)! Not tried the food but it looks OK.
19 Jul 2008 23:09
Excellent well-kept beers (incl. Jennings Cumberland and Caledonian Deuchars). Food looks good though didn't try it this time as arrived too late (9.05pm 15th July 2008). Only adverse comment is that the drinks prices are on the high side. A pity pubs in general don't serve later than 9pm even on summer evenings when one wants to remain late on the fells.
19 Jul 2008 22:51
Absolutely excellent place. Delectably delicious beer (mostly own-brew) and very pleasant place with fast/courteous service. Food was good when I last tried it but only had beer this time (17th July 2008). Highly recommended.
19 Jul 2008 22:47
Nice little pub but drinks are on the expensive side and it's yet again up for re-letting (thanks to grasping pub owning company which seems to want more rent than the pub can support, especially as it doesn't do food). Sooner it's sold of and taken over as a village 'co-op' venture the better.
28 Jun 2008 14:43
The Jolly Sportsman, East Chiltington
Have been there twice and thoroughly enjoyed it each time - especially the selection of local beers from the cask (the only way to serve beer in my opinion, though virtually unknown in my native Yorkshire, where the tight sparkler sadly reigns)!!! Good food and not over-priced either.
6 May 2008 13:32
The facts stated seem wrong on at least 2 counts!! Denby Dale Station is much more than half a mile away (more like 3 or 4 miles!!!) and the pub is quite clearly in Shelley - not Shepley!!! Last time I went in I was wanting a snack (meals were advertised on the outside) and they didn't even have a sandwich (this was lunchtime) - so I haven't bothered since.
21 May 2007 18:47
White Hart, Holmfirth
Now rebranded as Brambles. Went in recently, attracted by the large number of handpumps, but the pint of real ale I was served tasted like a pint of vinegar. Handed it back, was offered another beer but decided to beat a retreat. Shame they can't keep their beer properly as it's a nice place otherwise.
3 Feb 2012 00:23