Leeds & Holbeck

Leeds floor map in the Brodrick Hall of Leeds City Museum

The following headings: North Bar, Yard pubs, Wetherspoon pubs, Kirkstall Brewery Taproom & Kitchen, Northern Monk Refectory are included later in this post. Photos of beers mentioned are included at the end of the post. Click on pub's name for link to more details in CAMRA's WhatPub guide.

On Monday 16 January 2023, 12 CAMRA members from Berkshire, Hampshire, South London, Surrey and Wiltshire met in Leeds at the start of  a five day visit.

The Scarbrough Hotel, near Leeds station, was the 3pm rendezvous of the group many of whom had also enjoyed each others company on some of Mark's previous group visits including those based in Stourbridge (2019) and Liverpool (2019 & 2022).

This Nicholson's pub was once favoured by organiser Mark Geeson when he worked nearby in Leeds. 

Tim's beer choice: an obvious choice for the first beer in the city - Leeds Brewery - Leeds Pale (£2.40 half pint) + Black Sheep - Fresh Start Ruby Ale (£2 half pint). 

NB Per pint prices were relatively less expensive and the CAMRA discount was not claimed.

After walking along a road under Leeds station accessed from Neville Street and crossing the channelled River Aire which flows underneath the station we reached The Hop, located in arches near the south side exit of the station.

The Hop is one of the pubs owned by Ossett Brewery and has a popular music theme. Inside there are two levels. Occupying seats near the entrance, several members of the group took advantage of the special pie and a pint for £7 offer.

Tim's beer choice: Ossett Brewery - White Rat (£2.10 half pint).

It was dark when we left the Hop and our route to the next pub involved crossing the Leeds and Liverpool canal by footbridge and then a short walk west along Water Lane at the northern end of Holbeck.

At the dimly lit bar of the Midnight Bell, Tim's beer choice: Ilkley Brewery - Ilkley Blonde (£2.30 half pint). Another room had slightly brighter lighting with candles.

It was only about a 300 metre walk to reach the whitewashed Grove Inn on Back Row which has two entrances and several rooms inside with a central bar.

The music room has a raised stage in the corner. The bar counter had a plate of pork pies and pasties.

Our group ended up occupying all the tables in a cosy front room with warmth from the fireplace. 

The unspoilt traditional interior and friendly service made this pub the highlight of the trip so far.

Tim's beer choices here included: Ilkley Brewery - Mary Jane (£4 pint) and Acorn Brewery - Barnsley Gold (£2.30 half pint) to accompany a pork pie (£2.50).

The Adelphi was the next rendezvous, and could be reached via a riverside path without much of a detour from the most direct route by road.

The dimly lit interior has several high ceilinged rooms and features etched glass partitions and tiled passageways. This Victorian pub is on CAMRA's National inventory of historic pub interiors.

There is a central bar. Tim's beer choice was simply to follow the rules: Titanic Brewery - Plum Porter (£4.90 pint). We would leave the pub at 9.30pm and go to our separate hotels.

North Bar, Leeds

North Bar (a photo from earlier in the day)

However, Tim and Mark ended up inside North Bar, 24 New Briggate, en route to their hotels.

Already established as Tim's favourite Leeds bar from a previous visit in 2016, the dimly lit interior of the narrow space had tables free when we arrived.

Two cask ales from North Brewing Co were available and we would have a half of each before the cold draught from a purposely open door after 11.30pm persuaded us to call it a day. 17 beers and ciders were listed in the Keg section of the menu.

Mark and Tim's beer choices: North Brewing - Vanishing Point Blonde Ale (£2.20 half pint) and North Brewing - Full Fathom 5 Coffee Coconut Porter (£2.65 half pint). Music played had a funky feel including tracks by Dr John and Arthur Conley.

Tim revisited North Bar on Wednesday 18 January after a day out in Saltaire and Shipley. Perched on a tall stool at a high table near the back of the bar, his first beer was a schooner of Attic Brew Co - Signals IPA (2/3 pint, £5.20) from a keg font.

After checking that closing time was after midnight tonight, a bottle of Orval (£5.10) was the nightcap after noticing a promotional blackboard. The Orval coat hooks had been spotted on the previous visit.

Music played on Wednesday night included tracks by some of Tim's favourites: Kurt Vile, Dry Cleaning and Yo La Tengo. This may explain why North Bar is obviously popular with musicians.

Yard pubs

Tim visited two good pubs partly concealed from Briggate pedestrian street as they can only be accessed via alleyways.

Visited with Graham Porter on Tuesday evening, the Angel Inn, Angel Inn Yard. This is a Samuel Smith's pub with beer mats emphasising that it is a mobile, tablet and laptop free zone so it was only possible to take an external photo (above). However, the Angel Inn Facebook page has some plans and photos including one of the cellar. The bar area was noisily busy so we sat in the main room which has bench seating around the walls facing distinctive tables and stools with slightly angled legs. We enjoyed Samuel Smith - Old Brewery Bitter (£3 pint) and Tim remembered this as the best pint of a day that included the Transpennine Real Ale Trail.

Some of our group visited the renowned Whitelock's Ale House, Turks Head Yard, on Wednesday evening after visiting Saltaire and Shipley. It was dimly lit inside enhanced by candlelight. 

Tim's beer choice: Ridgeside Brewing Co - Hold Fast: Calypso Session IPA (Cheers! tankard)

Wetherspoon pubs in Leeds

There are many Wetherspoon pubs in Leeds and Tim visited Beckett's Bank, Stick or Twist and Wetherspoons at Leeds station for breakfast or an evening meal.

Looking at the walls in Wetherspoon pubs usually reveals some useful information although the blackboard with a list of Yorkshire breweries at Beckett's Bank is now looking rather out of date!

Kirkstall Brewery Taproom & Kitchen

On Wednesday 18 January, Tim caught a 60 Aireline bus from Park Row to the Willow Road stop on the Kirkstall Road on a frosty morning to visit Leeds Industrial Museum (£5 admission) by the Leeds and Liverpool canal via Viaduct Road. After a fascinating walk through the multiple levels of the former Armley Mills, there was time to photograph the exteriors of Dave's Pies & Ales and the Cardigan Arms, near each other on Kirkstall Road and Cardigan Fields shopping centre. These establishments have been noted for a future visit.

The Kirkstall Brewery Taproom & Kitchen is a short bus ride back towards Leeds city centre along the Kirkstall Road, back under the railway viaduct and just past the ITV studios.

There are views of the brewery from the impressive entrance hall which features a stained glass window. The Kirkstall Claw (£1) offers the chance to grab merchandise and cans of beer.

The Taproom opens at 12 noon and was initially empty giving an opportunity to take some photos.

The main seating area at the front gets plenty of light from the big windows but the bar area is well shaded and features suspended historic illuminated signs.

Tim's beer choices: Kirkstall - Three Swords Extra Pale Ale (£1.95 half pint) and after a taster to check it was not too sour, Kirkstall - keg Blackberry Sour (£2.75 half pint).

Northern Monk Refectory

Pub in Sheepscar closed in 1982 - model at Leeds City Museum

On the last day of the trip, Friday 20 January, a visit to Leeds City Museum and nearby Leeds Art Gallery was followed by a visit to the Northern Monk Refectory in Holbeck.

Housed in the Old Flax Store, it is next to the larger Marshall's Mill, formerly a flax spinning mill.

The Refectory is on the first floor with the original Northern Monk brewery on the ground floor.

Up to 16 keg beers and ciders and up to two cask ales are served at the brick-fronted bar under a whitewashed vaulted ceiling. Tim met up with Paul Rhoods and Mark Geeson who had arrived earlier at the Refectory which opens at 12 noon (closed Mondays).

There are plenty of solid tables with benches or chairs for seating. Unusual features in the Refectory include a stainless steel funnel for milled malted barley to feed the mash tun below and historic firefighting equipment.

Tim's beer choices: cask version of Northern Monk - The Daily Mash (£2.40 half pint) and keg Northern Monk - Chocolate Caramel and Biscuit Porter (£2.75 half pint), both superb!

A mixture of music was played including some heavy rock followed by tracks by: Ozark Mountain Devils, America and Todd Rundgren

With an LNER train to London to catch at 14.45, Tim left with the others who were heading for nearby Grove Inn but parted at Wharf Approach stopping to take a photo eastwards from the road bridge over the Leeds and Liverpool canal. There would be no time for a stop at The Hop on the remaining short walk to the south entrance of Leeds station. 

A visit to Leeds and the surrounding area is recommended to anyone who enjoys beers from Yorkshire and beyond. This post includes only a few of the many pubs worth visiting.

Saltaire & Shipley

On Wednesday 18 January, ten from the group of CAMRA members from the South, led by Mark Geeson, travelled by train to Skipton returning to Leeds after visiting Saltaire.

This post only features pubs and taprooms visited in Shipley and Saltaire. Click on a pub's name for the WhatPub link with extra details. Photos of the beers mentioned appear at the end of the post. Photos are by Tim Thomas except where otherwise credited.

Shipley

Shipley clock tower at market and bus interchange

Tim Thomas would meet Mark's group later in Saltaire but would first travel by Aireline 60 bus from Kirkstall Brewery Tap + Kitchen to Shipley bus interchange.

Nearby, the Sir Norman Rae (Wetherspoon) gives northerly views towards the Sun Hotel and Baildon beyond.

A good range of beers from Yorkshire are served on cask at the Sir Norman Rae.

Saltaire

The scenic and cultural route towards Saltaire station is along the Leeds and Liverpool towpath with a stop at Salts Mill to view artworks by David Hockney.

An uphill walk leads to SALT Bar + Kitchen, formerly the Old Tramshed.

The mezzanine level gives views of the front bar and the brewery behind.

Tim's beer choices: Ossett Brewery - Yorkshire Blonde (£1.95 half pint) and Silver King American Pale Ale (£2.05 half pint). Contemporary music is played at quite a loud volume.

An advance party of Mark's enlarged group moved on to the Cap and Collar, only 100 metres away, for its 5pm opening time.

The one room contemporary micropub offers a range of eight or so cask and keg beers. Decoration includes cloth caps and contemporary illustrations of local features including the Shipley Clock Tower by Anne-Marie White of Clock Tower Studios.

Tim's beer choice: Wishbone Brewery (Keighley) - Velvet Gloss Stout (£4 pint) in superb condition.

63 Saltaire Road - earlier photo from WhatPub

After a stop for a Fish (haddock) and Chip supper from Websters diagonally opposite at the corner of Queens Road and Bingley Road, the group walked about 400 metres down Saltaire Road to reach Fanny's Ale & Cider House.

The pub was busy at 6.30pm but some space was available at different tables in the back room. It was nice to find real fires warming the pub. Up to nine cask ales are served.

Tim's beer choice: Salamander Brewing (Stubbee Brewery, Bradford) - Golden Salamander (£2 half pint).

192 Saltaire Road - earlier photo from WhatPub

Only 50 metres further down Saltaire Road, on the south side, we found the Salt Cellar, with fewer customers, where we received a warm welcome and enjoyed more space to congregate comfortably.

The log burner was another welcome feature.

The Salt Cellar was Bradford CAMRA Pub of the Year in 2022 and a table at the entrance allows space for CAMRA magazines including Beer Leeds. Tim added a copy of West Berkshire CAMRA Ullage magazine.

From the bar in a central position, with a range that included Mild and Porter, Tim's beer choices: Bridgehouse Brewery - Blonde (£1.90 half pint) and Great Newsome - Pricky Back Otchan (£1.90 half pint). Music played included: ABC - Poison Arrow.

Times of trains from Saltaire to Leeds were checked and we walked downhill back to Saltaire station, via Caroline Street, avoiding icy pavements. By 9pm we were heading back to Leeds on a Northern Rail train. Details of a subsequent visit to Whitelock's Ale House and North Bar are in a Leeds & Holbeck pubs post.

Transpennine Real Ale Trail

On 17 January 2023, the second day of the Leeds based trip, our group of 12 CAMRA members planned a day out visiting some of the refreshment room bars and pubs on the Transpennine railway line between Leeds and Manchester. An off peak day return to Stalybridge costs £12.50 with a railcard discount. 

We caught the Transpennine Express train from Leeds at 10.45, arriving Huddersfield 11.05 soon after the 11.00 opening of the Head of Steam which has an entrance near the south end of Platform 1.

We walked through the first room into a front bar and then left into another front bar where the cask ale handpumps are located. When everyone orders individually it takes a while to get served! Recognising that he was dealing with a group of soft Southerners, the barman kindly offered to take sparklers off when pulling beers but I don't think anyone wanted this done.

The Price is Right was showing on the TV. Music included 'House of the Rising Sun'. Tim's beer choice: Magic Rock Brewing - Hat-Trick 'Modern Blonde Bitter' £1.90 half pint.

At the north end of platform 1, accessed from the impressive station forecourt, the King's Head opened at 11.30am and features a large room with a log burning stove and a second room with a fireplace.

Tim's beer choices: Cloudwater - Fuzzy 'Hazy Pale' £2 half pint (photo above) & Bradfield Brewery - Farmers Belgian Blue £1.65 half pint.

We found out too late that both Huddersfield station bars offer a CAMRA discount.

Although many Transpennine Express trains were cancelled this week, our preferred train to take us across the Pennines to Stalybridge was running but busy and we ended up in different coaches in order to find a seat. After the bright sunshine of Leeds and Huddersfield the weather soon changed to cloudy skies and snow covered hillsides. Two of our group failed to alight at Stalybridge and would rejoin us later after returning from Manchester (8 miles to the west)!

Stalybridge Station Buffet Bar was busy so our group was split across several rooms, one of which featured live folk music. There was an open coal fire in the main bar to provide necessary warmth.

The lunch menu was limited but Tim secured one of the few pork pies remaining (£3) to go with his choice of a pint of Rat Brewery - The Snow Rat (£4.10). Others enjoyed mustard with their pies. Music included Status Quo - Pictures of Matchstick Men.

Heading back towards Leeds, our first stop was at Greenfield to visit the Railway Inn, after crossing the platforms by footbridge.

Here we met up again with Mike and Lesley Andrew who had left Stalybridge earlier and reached the pub by bus with less steps to negotiate.

The traditional pub has several rooms and we enjoyed friendly service. There are interesting vintage black and white photos of the local area and games available include table football.

Tim's beer choice: Millstone Brewery - Tiger Rut (£3.60 pint). Music included early Fairport Convention and Shirley Collins.

A delayed Transpennine Express train to Huddersfield made us anxious that we might miss the Northern Rail connection to Dewsbury but there was time and no need to use the subway to reach the bay platform.

However, we needed to use the footbridge at Dewsbury to reach the West Riding Refreshment Rooms on Platform 2.

It was busy inside but we were able to find seats and enjoy the warmth of the coal fire. Tim added a copy of Ullage magazine to the rack for CAMRA magazines. Tim's beer choice: Thornbridge Brewery - Astryd + North Riding Brewery - Citra Pale (£4 for 2 x half pints) with Citra Pale standing out as his favourite beer of the day.

Thanks to Mark Geeson for organising this great day out on the Transpennine Real Ale Trail.

On Thursday, Tim was able to visit another pub on the trail -  The Commercial, Slaithwaite - as part of a group of five who returned to Huddersfield by train. Also accessible by train, we travelled to Slaithwaite by 181 bus which passes Linthwaite and stops near the pub just after crossing the river Colne and the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. 

As we arrived, efforts were being made to get the log burner to catch fire and generate some heat in the light main room. The pub was quite busy with local people.

Tim's beer choices: Empire Brewing - Commerci' Ale (£1.40 half pint) & Empire Brewing - Raspberry Blower (£1.65 half pint). Music included Richard Thompson.

Although popular with CAMRA members for years before, the Transpennine Real Ale Trail gained publicity and popularity when Oz Clarke and James May featured some West Yorkshire railway bars they visited on an episode of BBC's Oz and James Drink to Britain in 2009.

Other pubs on the Transpennine Real Ale Trail (west to east) include:

Marsden - Riverhead Brewery Tap

Mirfield - Navigation Tavern

Batley -  Cellar Bar