North Bar, Leeds

My previous visit to North Bar, Leeds, was in December 2012 when the bar was decorated for Christmas.

North Bar - December 2012

Some more photos of the bar were included in my Huddersfield, Batley and Leeds blog post under the heading 'Sunday (3)'.

North Bar - March 2016

On the evening of Monday 21 March 2016 my plan was to revisit North Bar and continue on to Oporto Bar for some Gaslight Club live music. However, there was such a good atmosphere and so many good beers to choose from that I stayed in North Bar until closing time!

I found a table near the back next to the 'beer wall' which has the names of beers served at the bar over the years.

Among original artwork at the back of the bar is a painting of Belgian cyclist - Eddy Merckx.

My first beer was Comfortably Numb, a cask golden pale ale brewed by Bad Co of Dishforth, Leeds which cost £1.65 for a half pint.  

My next beer was Prototype, a 3.8% ABV cask session pale ale that is a permanent house beer at North Bar, brewed by North Brewing Co. 'just 900 metres up the road'. A good feature of the North Bar is that there are water glasses next to a tall jug of iced water with sliced fresh lemon on the bar for customers to help themselves from.

My clear view of the bar made up for the lack of company. Behind the bar, hanging on hooks, is an impressive display of personal beer mugs.

Further away, the neon sign behind the bar declares We ❤ Beer. When my glass was empty and I was thinking what to order next, James the bar manager kindly offered to fetch a beer for me but I wanted to go up to the bar to do this myself.

This was when I discovered that the We ❤ Beer logo also appears on some North Bar glasses. The half pint keg Beavertown Bloody 'Ell in the photo turned out to be one of a select few beers which I have scored over 4 points on Untappd.

With beer and service this good I decided to stay in North Bar but opportunely moved a bit closer to the entrance when a group found a table near my first table towards the back and proceeded to cheer each other while drinking some shots!

While ordering my next beer I persuaded James and Bridie to pose with a copy of Ullage and introduced myself as the West Berkshire CAMRA magazine editor. James explained to me that there are other North bars, including Harrogate and Otley, in the North Bar 'family', apart from this one at 24 New Briggate, Leeds. 
I'm sure it's good for customers to see staff who obviously enjoy their work and take pride in it.

The keg Magic Rock Cannonball (7.4% ABV) India Pale Ale, brewed in Huddersfield, was another rare beer for me to rate over 4 on Untappd, confirming my opinion of North Bar as a top bar.
As the evening wore on the bar became busier and some band members dropped in carrying instruments in cases. 

When I took my empty glass back to the bar with the intention of leaving, James was telling a customer about the merits of Swannay Brewery (Orkney Islands) Banyan. I decided to have a third of a pint of Banyan, a keg pale ale hopped with Citra, Mosaic and Simcoe and ended up chatting at the bar with Mick, the customer who had just ordered a pint. I was happy to find a third beer to rate at 4+ on Untappd.
Mick mentioned that ShuffleDog, a BrewDog bar with shuffleboard tables and pinball machines in the basement was quite near and so I resolved to visit ShuffleDog the next day.
It wasn't long before James was ringing the bell for last orders and then for closing time.
Good night to my favourite bar in Leeds! 
Don't miss North Bar when you visit Leeds. Please pass on my regards to James, Bridie and Mick.

On the map of bars and pubs visited on this visit, North Bar is shown in dark red and ShuffleDog is shown in purple. An interactive map which displays photos when markers are clicked can be accessed with this Google Maps link.

North Bar, 24 New Briggate, Leeds LS1 6NU

Wakefield's Black Rock & Beer Exchange

Wakefield Westgate railway station

Most of the Wakefield pubs featured in CAMRA's Good Beer Guide are closed at 2pm on a Monday. However, the Black Rock was open and only a short walk from Wakefield Westgate station, so after leaving the train from Kings Cross, I headed there via Cheapside and Silver Street.

The Black Rock 

The ceramic tiled exterior give the Black Rock a distinctive look and research shows that it was originally a Melbourne Ales (Leeds) public house.

The Wakefield Civic Society blue plaque under the decorative window records that John Potter (1674-1747), a former Archbishop of Canterbury, lived here as a boy in the family home above his father's draper's shop.

On the way to the bar, an engraved CAMRA mirror and a beer board showing six cask ales give a favourable impression.

A half pint of Kelham Island Easy Rider was served through a sparkler, to give a creamy head, for the reasonable charge of £1.30.

From a comfortable seat at the furthest point from the entrance I could survey the main room of the pub, decorated with views of the city and mainly populated with older men. A succession of classic 1960s pop songs playing on the pub's decent sound system appealed to my ears and compensated for the lack of conversation.

Wakefield Beer Exchange

 

A conveniently placed pedestrian crossing makes it easy to reach Wakefield Beer Exchange on the north side of Bull Ring, opposite the Black Rock.

A  blackboard in the doorway mentions 6 cask ales and keg beers are available at the 'Beer Cafe & Bottle Shop'.

The exterior and interior of Wakefield Beer Exchange and the Black Rock are about as different from each other as it is possible to get! The same probably applies to their respective clienteles although it was quiet here on a Monday afternoon.

A changing exhibit of original art adorns the walls at the Wakefield Beer Exchange. In March prints by Ron Wilson were on display.

My first half pint was Fox Glove by Slightly Foxed (£1.55). The bad news is that the beer is more expensive than at the Black Rock but the good news is that 1/3 pint glasses are available so it is still possible to try the keg beers without major expense.

The beer exchange was quiet so I was able to have a chat with the barman. It was great to discover that Adam was familiar with the End of the Road festival and festival bars operated by The Really Good Bar Co. I hope to meet up with Adam again at the 2016 End of the Road festival.

I persuaded Adam to pose for a photo with a copy of Ullage, the West Berkshire CAMRA branch quarterly magazine which I edit.

Wakefield Beer Exchange is associated with The Revolutions Brewing Co and many of the beers served at the bar have been obtained by beer exchanges with this brewery, hence it's name.

Before leaving to catch a train to Leeds, I enjoyed a third pint of Chinook, Southern Cross and Bravo IPA, a collaboration beer between Northern Alchemy and dAt bAr brewed in Newcastle.

The Google map above shows the position of the two bars. Click on the link to see photos of places passed on the way from Wakefield Westgate station.

I will try and time my next visit to Wakefield for after 4pm when the majority of pubs open. However, an earlier start would give me a welcome opportunity to revisit the Black Rock and Wakefield Beer Exchange!

Huddersfield, Batley & Leeds visit

Harold Wilson strides away from Huddersfield Railway Station

With frequent train services from an impressive railway station and a Premier Inn situated next to the canal,

View of Huddersfield Broad Canal from Premier Inn (Annexe)

 Huddersfield was chosen as the weekend base from which to visit some excellent local pubs in West Yorkshire.

FRIDAY - THE TAPROOM, BATLEY

Friday was mainly spent in the car with a long drive in the rain from Newbury to Huddersfield. In the evening we caught the train from Huddersfield to Batley and from there walked to the Taproom, Batley along

Station Road, Batley

cobbled streets lined with impressive stone buildings that were once showrooms for the local 'shoddy' manufacturers.  Just past the Union Rooms, a JD Wetherspoon pub, we reached the Taproom in

The Taproom, Batley

  

Commercial Street, Batley. This pub was once the Wilton Arms but has been renamed since Chris Berry took over in May, 2012. Chris donated the old pub sign to local pub historian, Rod Kay.

Chris Berry, Landlord of the Taproom, Batley

There are two main rooms in the pub and there are handpumps in both rooms providing a good range of ales, mainly from Yorkshire. A blackboard lists all the beers available in both rooms.

Ossett Yorkshire Blonde (3.9% ABV), Timothy Taylor Landlord (4.3% ABV) and Theakston's Old Peculier (5.6%) are the regular beers with several guest ales also available. Live music is featured in the music room on Friday and Saturday nights.

The stage was just big enough to fit 'The Downfall Band' when they played at the Taproom on the Saturday night.

The Downfall Band

For more details of the Taproom, Batley - http://www.taproombatley.com/ 

Twitter: @TaproomBatley Taproom Batley

SATURDAY (1) - THE GROVE, HUDDERSFIELD (1ST VISIT)

Turnbridge lift bridge (Locomotive bridge) over Huddersfield Broad Canal

 The sun came out on Saturday and there was even a rainbow. A good morning for a walk along Huddersfield Broad Canal and a visit to Huddersfield market in the town's Victorian Quarter. A bonus was live music from Frumptarn Guggenband.

Frumptarn Guggenband

An unusual pub sign is sited on the roof of the Boy and Barrel Inn in Beast Market. Irene Morris played piano in the pub every Tuesday evening from 1981 until 2006. 

Boy and Barrel Inn, Beast Market, Huddersfield.

More news about the pub can be found on Johnny and Joe's History 

The Grove, Spring Grove Street, Huddersfield

Although it is on the other side of Huddersfield from the canal basin, the walk past Huddersfield bus station and through the Castlegate underpass soon brought us to The Grove in Spring Grove Street on the corner of Springwood Avenue. A busy pub on a Saturday afternoon is a sure sign of good beer and this is exactly what we found. On our first visit we turned right on entering the pub and went into the smaller of the two rooms. A friendly welcome from behind the bar and a pint of Redwillow Wreckless (Pale Ale - 4.8% ABV) 'An orchestrated cacophony of hops and malt' was the best way to begin this visit! Redwillow Ageless (Double IPA - 7.2% ABV) 'Big on hops, big on flavour' was also available, at the adjacent pump.

Redwillow 'Ageless' & 'Wreckless' - 5th & 6th pumps from left at The Grove

A large blackboard showed details of the beers on handpumps including ABV and price per pint. A smaller blackboard gave details of lagers, wheat beer, fizzy cider and guest kegs.

Smaller blackboard at The Grove

 

A notice on the board near the bar mentioned blues / jazz piano music at The Grove on Sunday evenings so we resolved to return and try some of the other beers the following evening.

More details about The Grove: http://www.groveinn.co.uk/ 

Twitter: @TheGroveHudds The Grove
 

SATURDAY (2) - THE SPORTSMAN, HUDDERSFIELD

From The Grove we walked via the bus station and near the railway station to another pub featured in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide 2013 - The Sportsman.
Situated near the railway viaduct at 1 St Johns Road, Huddersfield, the Sportsman immediately impressed with its art deco style.

The Sportsman, Huddersfield

The curved bar has a big range of handpumps and the fridges behind the bar include an interesting selection of bottled beers.

Curved bar, The Sportsman, Huddersfield

 With a hand pump dedicated to a beer from Mallinsons brewery in Huddersfield, this was a chance for a pint of the pale and hoppy Dabchick brewed by Mallinsons.

 

The art deco detail continues into the Gents toilets. Coloured tiles denote various sports including football with the blue and white stripes of Huddersfield Town FC (left), sailing and horse racing.

Tiles in the Gents toilets, The Sportsman, Huddersfield

The origins of these tiles remain a mystery. In October 2011, Hans van Lemmen, an expert on medieval tiles came to investigate the tiles after being contacted by Huddersfield historian Chris Marsden. The Huddersfield Examiner reported on this visit: Huddersfield Examiner 20/10/2011

Customers at the Sportsman. Framed Huddersfield Town FC football shirt on right.

More details about The Sportsman: Under the viaduct - The Sportsman
Twitter: @TheSportsmanHud The Sportsman

Next stop was Huddersfield railway station for the train to Batley and a second visit to the Taproom. See 'Friday' for more details of the Taproom, Batley.

SUNDAY (1) - WHITELOCKS, LEEDS

To Huddersfield railway station again, this time for the (crowded) train to Leeds.

Water tank on the roof - view from Huddersfield station 

There was time to get a photo of the roof mounted water tank near Huddersfield station, built in the days of steam locomotives, before catching the train. It was nice to be able to see the scenery pass by because the previous journeys to Batley, on the same route, were in darkness. Leeds station has been transformed since my previous visit.

Leeds - station is in lower left of map

A community worker, in a high vis jacket, kindly offered me an identical map of Leeds when I stopped to take a photo of a map at the exit from the station.
There was some time to wait before Leeds Art Gallery opened at 1pm so a pub listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide 2013 would be my first destination. Whitelocks First City Luncheon Bar consists of a row of cottages tucked away in Turks Head Yard, off Briggate.

Whitelocks - Turks Head Yard, Leeds

 Inside the copper covered bar with ornate tiles on the facing and some stained glass windows give a distinctive look to Whitelocks.

Whitelocks Luncheon Bar Dining Area

Tables had been reserved in the dining area but I was able to occupy a table and enjoy a look at the Sunday papers and drink a pint of Kirkstall Pale Ale in advance of the diners' arrival.

More details about Whitelocks: http://www.whitelocksleeds.com/

Twitter @WhitelocksLeeds Whitelocks Ale House

Leeds was now busy with Christmas shoppers and attractive arcades like the County Arcade make the city a good shopping destination.

County Arcade, Leeds

SUNDAY (2) - VERITAS ALE & WINE BAR, LEEDS

After a worthwhile(free) visit to Leeds Art Gallery, I was ready to visit a second pub.

Veritas Ale & Wine Bar (left) and Leeds General Infirmary

The Veritas Ale & Wine Bar at 43 Great George Street, opposite the Gothic Revival style buildings of Leeds General Infirmary, has a good range of draught and bottled beers.

Veritas Ale & Wine Bar, Leeds

It has a light continental feel and is something of a cross between a restaurant, cafe and pub. Timothy Taylor Landlord is a regular beer here but I chose a guest ale, Mary Jane from Ilkley Brewery.

More details: Veritas 

Twitter: @VeritasLeeds Veritas Bar Leeds

SUNDAY (3) - NORTH BAR, LEEDS

A walk towards the east, through the busy Christmas market in Millennium Square

Christmas market at Millennium Square

and past St John's Church, the oldest church in the city centre, leads to the North Bar at 24 New Briggate.

North Bar, Leeds

The North Bar has a narrow frontage but there is a functional long bar inside with a range of keg taps and handpumps. 

North Bar, Leeds

On the long wall opposite the bar there is a wooden board with the names of beers that have been served at the North Bar. The bar carries a big range of bottled beers so many of these beers may still be available. 

'Beer wall', North Bar, Leeds

The beer I chose was 'North Prototype', a 3.8% ABV pale ale, brewed by Kirkstall brewery in collaboration with North Bar.

The buildings and site of the original brewery are now the home of Leeds Metropolitan University in Kirkstall, in the north west of Leeds.The new Kirkstall brewery is situated on the banks of the Leeds and Liverpool canal, in the shadow of the original brewery.

More details for Kirkstall Brewery: http://www.kirkstallbrewerycompany.com/
Twitter: @kirkstallbrew Kirkstall Brewery Co

More details for North Bar, Leeds: http://northbar.com/a/
 Twitter: @NorthBarDrinks North Bar

SUNDAY (4) - KING'S HEAD, HUDDERSFIELD

Back at Huddersfield railway station, there are pubs housed in the old ticket offices at the east and west wings of the station building. The King's Head, formerly the Station Tavern, is situated in the east wing.

Jimi Hendrix in the King's Head pub sign on platform 1.

 There are some stairs up to the entrance at the front and a back entrance from platform 1 for disabled customers. A unique approach is that Jimi Hendrix is the king used in the pub sign.

Smaller bar, near front entrance, at King's Head, Huddersfield

Inside, there is one large room with the original tiled floor and two smaller adjoining rooms with some unusual continental beer posters on the walls.

Pint of Magic Rock 'Curious' (left) at King's Head

I was happy to find 'Curious' by Magic Rock on the bar and ordered a pint. The sparkler at the point of dispense gives the pint a creamy look when first poured. This 'Original Pale Ale' is 3.9% ABV and is  brewed with plenty of US hops to give the beer a floral aroma and citrus flavours.

Magic Rock Brewing Co is a local brewery established in 2011 and based at the Bed Factory, Quarmby Mills, Oare, Huddersfield.

More details about Magic Rock Brewing Co. http://www.magicrockbrewing.com/

Twitter: @MagicRockBrewCo Magic Rock Brewing

More details for King's Head, Huddersfield: http://the-kings-head-huddersfield.co.uk/

                       

SUNDAY (5) - THE GROVE, HUDDERSFIELD (2ND VISIT)

The Grove, Huddersfield

The reason for returning to the Grove, apart from the excellent range of beers, was for some jazz / blues piano music. This time we turned left, into the bigger room, of the pub on entering. The notice below advertising the Sunday Session with pianist Ewen McLeod Hill (aka Thirteenth Pyramid) had been spotted on a previous visit. 

The music was relaxing and Ewen wasn't put off by people chatting while he played.

We chatted with friendly people at the neighbouring table who had brought their dog with them and the pub is definitely 'dog friendly'.

The main blackboards had details of all the cask beers in both bars. My first beer was an American Rye from Buxton Brewery, a good opportunity to try a beer from this brewery whose beers are not seen in Berkshire as a rule. This turned out to be one of my favourite beers of the weekend and a bargain at £2.70 pint. 

Cask ales at the Grove, Huddersfield

The other beers sampled during the evening included the seriously spicy 'Winter Solstice' (3.8% ABV) from Raw Brewing Company, based at Stavely, near Chesterfield, which was served from the 'Low Gravity Pump' and the fruity tasting 'Magus' by The Durham Brewery.

A good feature of the Grove is their splendid 'Grove' branded half pint and pint glasses. These are taller than a standard glass and oversized so that you can be sure of getting a decent measure of beer in your glass.

Another memorable feature of The Grove is the variety of art exhibited on the walls and even on the ceiling.

There was time for a chat with Ewen, the pianist, after his last piece and before it was time to leave. It was also a chance to sample 'Dobber' from the North Manchester microbrewery, Marble Brewery, another brewery whose beers don't reach Berkshire.

More details about the pianist: Ewen McLeod Hill

More details about The Grove: http://www.groveinn.co.uk/ 
Twitter: @TheGroveHudds The Grove