A pub-crawl of Skipton
Pubs included in this article are listed below.
The article below was first published in the September/October 1999 edition of the Tyke Taverner (The beer consumers' magazine for Bradford and beyond). It was written by Phil Tordoff (aka P.C.T.), who has been contributing pub crawls to the Tyke Taverner (in all its forms) since at least the late 1970s. This crawl is number 148. For more information on Tyke Taverner or to contribute articles, the editor Fred Baker can be contacted. The article has been edited slightly for the context of this web-site. Keighley and Craven Camra would like to thank Phil and Tyke Taverner for their permission to re-publish the crawl here. The numbers in brackets show the location of the pubs on the Skipton town-centre map.
For more detailed information on other real-ale pubs in Skipton and in the Craven area as a whole, why not purchase the new guide to Dales Ale, published by Keighley and Craven Camra.
A section at the end contains additional information on transport links to Skipton etc.
(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. Neither the author, nor Keighley and Craven Camra accept any liability for errors or inaccuracies.) (18/6/03)
The Skipton Selection
The numbers in brackets show the pub's location on the Skipton town-centre map.
Although Skipton is now in North Yorkshire, it does still retain the atmosphere of a traditional West Riding town. Unlike West Riding towns further South and East, Skipton is a market town with just a few mills, one excellent example of which survives near the railway station, though now minus its tall chimney.
Skipton is set in the pleasant Aire valley and is on the Leeds-Liverpool canal. The town centre is relatively level but there are some spectacular steep streets just off the centre. The main street houses a popular open-air market and is crowned by a well-preserved castle and ancient parish church.
Back in the 1960's a pub crawl of Skipton would have yielded many B.Y.B. pubs and a few Ramsden houses but little else. Now there is a greater diversity as seen in this selection of seven pubs. Almost all the rest do sell real ale, much of it of good quality. Here is one possible tour, starting at the beautifully preserved railway station. This may not be as central as the bus station, but there are excellent services from Leeds, Bradford, Bingley, Keighley etc.
On leaving the station, turn right on an extended snicket, which conveniently bypasses the town centre and, after four minutes, the Railway (13) is spotted. This is one of a dying breed - an unspoilt street-corner pub with a genuine public bar. On handpump are Tetley mild and bitter.A former GBG-listed pub, many railway pictures adorn the walls.
Cross over to the Craven (6) for ThwaitesOriginal Bitter and Dark Mild. This pub has all the dignity of a Victorian parsonage, complete with real sash windows. But it has always had a reputation for good ale and was a Camerons tied house at one stage.
Now follows a six-minute walk, crossing the canal and skirting round the left side of a car park with the bus station on the right. Enter the Keighley Road briefly and cross Swadford Street. Only a few weeks separated the two surveys required for this tour, yet, in this time, the next pub, the Woolly Sheep (18) had had a change of owner. Now it is a Taylor pub with an excellent range of Ram Tam or Dark Mild and Copper Dragon (noting that Taylor's now allow a guest beer). Formerly called the Brick Hall, a Whitbread house, it would be one of very few brick buildings in what was essentially a stone-built town of great antiquity. Now it has gone somewhat upmarket with an emphasis on food and with the ale certainly improved.
Walk along Swadford Street for three minutes or so until the exceedingly quaint-looking Cock and Bottle (4) is found on the right. This is a former Whitbread Hogshead pub no wowned by Enterprise Inns, with the anticipated Boddingtons, Castle Eden and Old Speckled Hen and Pedigree but also with a range of genuine guests. However, tall people are warned to beware the low beams - note the "duck or grouse" sign.
A further two minutes brings one to the old-established and very atmospheric Royal Shepherd (17) in its pleasant surroundings alongside the canal. Though again a former Whitbread house, there are no gimmicks and there is a traditional "country feel " to it. The usual range is Copper Dragon, Scotts 1816 and Best Bitter and the inevitable, but always welcome, Taylors Landlord.
The last pub to visit and also one of the most recent to open in 1999 is the Narrowboat
(12) on Victoria Street. 3-times winner of Keighley and
Craven Pub of the Season for Autumns 1999, 2000 and 2001, this is a
successful conversion from a former wine bar. It may be considered a
genuine free house with its impressive range of reasonably priced beers
totally from independent breweries. True, there is food available but
the emphasis is well and truly on the excellent ale. The range includes
Blacksheep Best Bitter, Timothy Taylors Landlord and Copper Dragon beer
with up to five more guests. The atmosphere is great - no music to
drown your conversation, no smoke to get in your eyes and throat,
downstairs at least, and there's always another beer to try. When you
do eventually tear yourself away from here, remember that the station
is not quite as near as some, so allow yourself about ten minutes
before your train.
Other useful information
All real ale pubs in Skipton town centre as well as those in the surrounding area are listed in our local guide Dales Ale.
Skipton is the terminus for the Airedale commuter line into West Yorkshire with frequent trains during the day (half-hourly to both Bradford and Leeds weekdays). There is at least an hourly train evenings and Sundays (last train back to West Yorkshire at 22.14.) Several trains during the day continue northwards and westwards to Lancaster and Carlisle (along the famous Settle and Carlisle Railway), providing links to the west-coast main-line services to Scotland. There is one direct train each day to/from Glasgow and another to/from London. For train times, visit the Railtrack web-site. Tickets can be bought on-line from Virgin, and Trainline.com.
Skipton also has regular bus links to Colne, Nelson, Burnley and Preston in Lancashire and Ilkley and Keighley in West Yorkshire.
