You’ve all done ale trails within an area of Yorkshire.
The Manchester to Huddersfield ale trail, the Calder Valley trail and maybe the Penistone Line trail, spring to mind. Well, here’s an ale trail that crosses Yorkshire sampling the best of the county’s pubs from the South Pennines to the North Yorkshire coast (or vice-versa).
Transpennine Express runs an hourly direct service from Huddersfield to Redcar via Leeds, York, Thirsk, Northallerton, Yarm and Middlesbrough. We’ve picked the best pubs for real ale, craft beer and import beers – all within a stone’s throw of the station.
We’ve also included some of the scenic spots en route and a few suggestions for food to line your stomach and soak up the booze.
Here is what we’re going to call The Great Yorkshire Ale Trail from (for no particular reason) south to north.
There are six stops. You can of course, make further stops but we’ve drawn the line at six because there aren’t many (or any) good pubs within walking distance of certain stations.
And six pints in one day is probably enough.
1. Huddersfield
What a place to start – or finish – the Great Yorkshire Ale Trail. Huddersfield’s grade I-listed station front has two excellent pubs. There’s the cosy Head of Steam on one side with a wide selection of real ales, craft beers and import lagers plus some pretty solid pub grub. At the other end of the concourse is the cavernous King’s Head – the ‘king’ here is guitar monarch Jimi Hendrix whose face graces the main sign – with a beautiful tiled floor and some of the best-kept ale you’ll drink.
2. Dewsbury
It’s a no-brainer here. Thankfully, that no-brainer is in the old waiting room at Dewsbury Station. The West Riding Refreshment Rooms is a traditional station pub with a beautiful, atmospheric interior and a first-class selection of cask ales and import beers. Food is basic (burgers, pizzas and breakfast butties) but pretty solid.
3. Leeds
Across the street from Leeds Station is the Scarbrough [sic] Hotel. It’s fine looking pub with red and amber tiles on the outside and wood panels and stone floors inside. The selection of hand-pulled ales is almost as impressive with a regularly changing cast of cask beers from around the UK. Around the corner from the Scarbrough Hotel is another Head of Steam which is worth a visit if you haven’t already been to its sister pub in Huddersfield (see above).
York - 0f the all the Yorkshire, nay British cities, York has one of the greatest concentrations of great pubs. Sadly, none of them are near the station which is out on a limb outside the city walls. Stay on the train and come back another time to explore York’s best pubs properly.
Thirsk Thirsk’s charming town centre is 30 minutes’ walk from the train station. Groan. There’s the Old Red House, across the road from the station, which serves a couple of real ales. Alight if you’re thirsty, otherwise save yourself for later.
4. Northallerton
It takes 17 minutes to walk to The Northallerton Inn but when you enter this elegant pub’s long, narrow bar, you’ll realise it was 17 minutes well spent. This former police station, which reopened as a pub in 2022, has an excellent selection of real ales.
Yarm - Yarm has an attractive Georgian high street some great pubs. Frustratingly, they’re half an hour’s walk from the station which is in the suburbs. To rub it in, you’ll be able to see some of those pubs as you cross Yarm’s towering viaduct. Gah.
Eaglescliffe - Stay on the train.
Thornaby - Stay on the train.
5. Middlesbrough
The are four pubs within a few minutes’ walk of the station. More conveniently still, they’re practically next to each other. The Twisted Lip on Baker Street is a cosy, quirky watering hole with an excellent selection of brews and ciders. The curious name comes from The Man with the Twisted Lip, one of Arthur Conan Doyle’s short Sherlock Holmes stories. Sir Arthur’s connection to Boro was tenuous at best but the hostelries on Baker Street – one of Middlesbrough’s more attractive thoroughfares – seem to have run with the namesake theme.
Across the road is Dr Watson’s. Easily identified by its brightly painted exterior, Dr Watson’s is another quirky, cosy micropubs with cask and craft beers. Opposite Dr Watson’s is (wait for it) Sherlock’s which serves more of the above.
If the Sherlock Holmes theme doesn’t appeal, try The Infant Hercules, another cool cask ale-serving micropub, around the corner on Grange Road.
6. Redcar
It mightn’t look much from the outside but Rita’s Pantry is the best place for real ale and craft beer in Redcar. It’s on the seafront and therefore a great place to finish (or start) The Great Yorkshire Ale Trail.
If you haven’t eaten yet, get yourself a chippy tea from Seabreeze, Queen Street or Oliver’s on Bath Street.
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