Our final morning in Whitby was almost a carbon copy of our previous one. We rose, again after fitful sleep, got ready for the day and enjoyed a tasty breakfast. However, unlike the previous day, this particular morning would be one of travel, as we continued our road trip and moved onto our next destination. Any trip to Yorkshire would not have been complete without a return to one of our favourite places, even though we'd already visited earlier this year and it would end up being our second visit within 5 months. Still, we never need an excuse to visit and it's always worth it. I speak, of course, of York, or Eboracum, to give it it's Roman name. To get to York from Whitby would require a drive of a little over an hour through some very picturesque countryside. This would mean once again braving the winding Yorkshire roads. We weren't about to be dissuaded from our course however so, with the car loaded and us checked out of the B&B, we headed off. I have to say that the drive from Whitby to York was my favourite drive of the whole trip. And if that alarmingly middle aged statement has caught you off guard, perhaps I should elaborate. The drive took us out of Whitby, west and then southwest, via the A169. This is a beautiful route through the Moors, with fields of purple heather on both sides, which also took us past the imposing, yet eerie, sight of RAF Fylingdales, with its ballistic missile warning system prominent on the hilltop. The road is one of big hills, long drops and sharp turns, including one particularly tight hairpin bend but, after approximately an hour and a quarter, we arrived in the fair city of York, where we would be staying for two days. Our base for our visit was the Crescent Guest House on Bootham, where we have stayed a number of times on previous visits. Since our last stay at this B&B, back in 2023, it has actually changed hands, with the new owners implementing an ongoing program of refurbishment, which has included converting the former dining room and kitchen into an additional bedroom and opening up areas downstairs that were previously inaccessible to guests. We arrived, parked up on the adjacent street and made our way inside to check in. We were greeted by the new manager, who took our payment for parking. It had been free in previous years but is now charged at the rate of £5 per day per vehicle. He was also kind enough to show us what one of the newly refurbished rooms looks like, before escorting us to our room, an older one at the front of the building. The new rooms look fantastic and the changes that continue to be made to the property have certainly improved it. For example, each room now has a coffee machine. We don't drink coffee but if you do, you're in luck.
Checked in and refreshed, we made our plan for the day. We had a loose plan in mind for the duration of our time back in York. I'd cobbled together a list of pubs for the following day, the majority of which were new to us. That meant that the first day would be spent exploring some old favourites as well as parting with our hard earned cash in some of our favourite shops on York's famous Shambles. Unlike with most recent York entries, I'll put more focus on our return visits to places on this occasion. It was set to be another very warm day. The temperature was due to climb a few degrees higher than on the previous day in Whitby. 30 degrees in Whitby, on the coast, had been intense enough on Saturday. 30 degrees in York would feel like opening an oven door and sticking your face inside. And so it proved. To begin our adventures back in York, we headed straight for the Shambles, where we discovered that the, infamously long, queue for the York Ghost Merchants was considerably shorter than normal, likely due to the heat. With a wait time of around 20 minutes, we had no choice but to join it in order to pick up another one or two (9) ghosts for our collection. A pint seemed like a good idea after that. Luckily, the Shambles is blessed with a couple of pubs these days, one of which is directly opposite the ghost merchants. Time to visit Ye Old Shambles Tavern.
This lovely little place opened as a pub in 2013, becoming the first licensed premises on the Shambles in almost a hundred years. There used to be a lot more pubs here but they were closed down in order to make the area nicer and crack down on unsavoury behaviour. This building hasn't always been a pub though. It dates from the 17th century and began its days as one of many butchers on this historic street. After several years the butchers closed and the building went through various changes of use, becoming an art gallery, a bike shop, a sports shop and, more recently, a cafe and gift shop. It was during this later guise that the wife of the cafe owner suggested providing a 'wall of ale' to allow people to take away beer with them. This idea developed into that of a full blown pub and the rest is history. And history is certainly prominent here. Many of the building's original features have been retained, including the walls and the beamed ceilings. The hooks on the wall outside are also original. The layout internally is that of a small room to the front, where the bar takes up the majority of the room, and a slightly larger room to the rear, with tables and chairs and intimate lighting. A covered outside area provides additional space for drinking and dining, as well as for people watching on the nearby Shambles Market. There is also seating on an upper floor, accessed up a staircase located in an adjoining corridor, where the toilets can also be found. One big selling point of this pub is that it prides itself on using Yorkshire suppliers for virtually everything. The real ales are locally brewed. The spirits range is all from local producers as are the multitude of cans available to drink in or takeout. The food is also all sourced locally. Amy and I have visited this place on a few occasions. It first received a proper analysis here in 2022 so it's long overdue a proper summary. We stepped in from the oppressive sunshine and made our way to the bar in search of tasting liquids to quench our thirst. There are 6 handpulls here, in two banks of 3. One bank of these always provides the in-house Shambles beers, brewed by Rudgate. These are actually rebadged beers from the Rudgate range and go by the names Stumbler (Jorvik Blonde), Best Bitter (Battleaxe) and Dark (Ruby Mild). The other bank of 3 always offers guest beers from other Yorkshire breweries. On the day, our options were Pennine IPA, Rudgate Chocolate Stout and Saltaire Lady in Red. I went for the IPA whilst Amy went for a craft can from the myriad of options in the fridge and on the shelves. The total cost of my pint, alongside Amy's can, was £11.35. We decided to sit in the outside covered area to enjoy our first beers of the day. And enjoy is certainly the right word. The Pennine IPA (4.4%) was delicious. Zesty fruits, mild hints of liquorice, and undertones of black pepper collide for a very tasty and refreshing pint. There's no feeling quite like being back in York, especially when you're drinking a delicious beer to help you settle in to your surroundings. We were already very happy to be back. Since we first visited York together in 2021, we've always tried to make it an annual thing. We missed out in 2024 for various reasons but being able to visit twice this year had more than made up for it. In a way, it was poignant that we'd ended up back here for our first pint of this stay too. Since our first visit here in 2022, it's turned out that Ye Old Shambles Tavern has more than just original features still in situ. Some rather strange activity has come to light. A few years ago, security video was shared by the pub showing a member of staff alone behind the bar when boxes, glasses and, even the pub's speaker, all fell off the shelves in quick succession, with no obvious cause. If that wasn't creepy enough, a new member of staff reported a man in a top hat in the upstairs room and enquired as to whether anybody had been to serve him. Upon investigation, alongside another member of staff, the room was empty. The description of the gentleman matched that of a butcher known to have owned the building in the 1900s, with speculation being that he was merely introducing himself to the new staff member. Activity in the building is reported to be mischievous and not especially sinister. One memorable event occurred when a member of staff entered the cellar in the middle of the day to check the beer lines as there was a problem with the beer pouring through. Imagine the surprise when it turned out that all of the beer lines had been disconnected!
Our beers had certainly helped to welcome us back to a city that feels like a second home, and it had certainly been a welcome respite from the sun. However, now that our glasses were empty, on we went. Following a touch more shopping in adjacent shops, we decided to pop into a place that is a relative newcomer to the York pub scene and is somewhere that we first visited as recently as February. It was back to The King's Inn.
The King's Inn only opened in October 2024, in former restaurant premises, although it's no surprise to know that the building itself is much older. Despite being owned and operated by a Canadian ex-pat, the pub is very much British-themed and named after King Charles III, who once visited this very building. The single door leads into a surprisingly large single room, which stretches back to the rear. The bar is located to one side. The furniture is a mix of wooden tables and chairs, high stools and comfy, leather armchairs. The toilets are located down a corridor towards the back. The decor is very much in keeping with the British theme. Union flags, photos of royalty and other British icons are on display throughout. Quotes from monarchs and other British cultural figures are written on the wooden beams. An enormous mirror looks down on proceedings, with several others elsewhere. The floors and ceilings are wooden and in keeping with the age of the building. The pub prides itself on the use of British products, particularly with regards to its food offering, of which there will be more detail later. The drinks range is also primarily British-produced, with several house beers, branded specifically for the pub. This includes the ale selection. Unlike on our earlier visit, both of the available hand pumps were in use when we visited, offering Queen's Blonde and King's Stout, brewed by Yorkshire Heart. The beers are rebadged versions of Blonde and Blackheart Stout. I opted for the Queen's Blonde (3.9%) although this ended up being a regrettable decision as it was tasting vinegary and was clearly off. I went back to the bar and swapped it for a pint of the stout (4.8%). Amy chose a pint of Midway IPA and we headed over to a table almost opposite the bar. The cost for both pints was £13.00. Part of our reason for returning here had been to have a good peruse of the food menu, as it would come in handy the following day. I was hoping that the food would be better than the ale. Unfortunately, the stout tasted it like it was also on the turn. I suspect that real ale isn't the first thing on people's minds when they enter this place. Fair play to the King's Inn for giving it a try at least. It would have been ludicrous for a pub that has such a strong emphasis on British products to not have something so quintessentially English as real ale on its bar. Hopefully, we were just there on an off day. Besides the disappointing beer experience on this occasion, the King's Inn is a commendably comfortable place. The decor is certainly a point of interest, whether you're a tourist or a local. It even has a peculiarly British ghost attached to it. The building is believed to be haunted by a man who was poisoned by a butcher for not paying his debt. Whether this is the same ghostly butcher that frequents Ye Old Shambles Tavern, or another of the same profession on a street which once had many, nobody really knows. Still, what's more British than having a go at someone for not paying their tab? There really is no pub quite like this one for embracing the very essence of Britishness. All it needs now is a queue whilst people complain about the weather.
Our first afternoon back in York would very much be a few hours of visiting some of our most loved, and definitely most visited, locations from previous visits. The next stop would be no exception. Leaving the Shambles behind us for now, we braved the glowering ball of fire in the sky above and retraced our steps back in the direction of Stonegate. Our destination: a place that is known affectionately by us, and likely several others, as 'the shop of dreams'. Specifically, this is the Stonegate branch of House of the Trembling Madness.
As well as being quite possibly the best bottle shop on the face of the planet, and a one stop shop for all of your bottled spirit needs, there is also a bar here, located on the top floor. The building itself dates back to at least 1180, when it was part of the first Norman house to be constructed in York. It has a larger, sister site on nearby Lendal, but this is the original. The name comes from the 'trembling madness' or 'gallon distemper', also known as 'delirium tremens', a rapid onset of confusion caused by sudden alcohol withdrawal. Amongst its documented effects are hallucinatory images of pink elephants, causing the name, and the elephant, to be immortalised in a Belgian beer. Inside this building there are many floors of wonder. The ground floor is the bottle shop, where many many many cans can be bought for consumption on or off the premises. A tight staircase to one side leads downstairs to the spirit store and toilets (watch your head), and up to the pub above. The pub space is all Tudor-style panelling, pew seating and taxidermy animal heads staring down from the walls. One small bar sits in a corner at the top of the stairs. As well as a not insubstantial craft beer selection, the bar is blessed with a set of 4 handpumps, offering a variety of styles. For our delight, we had a choice between Track Sonoma, Track Little While, Two by Two Motueka Riwaka and Abbeydale Coconut Macaroon. I opted for a half of the Little While and Amy went in for a half of something from the craft selection (total cost £6.75). To enjoy our beers, we moved into a snug that sits adjacent to the bar with a low ceiling and a long table. Part of Track's Reflections series, Little While (4.5%) is a sessionable golden ale. A mix of new and old world hops combines to offer a smooth drinkability, complimenting the caramel malt sweetness. It's a very good beer from a brewery that I don't seek out enough. Our nostalgic exploration of some favourite spots was going well so far. This is yet another place that we'll keep coming back to time and again. We're not the only ones either. Something far older has stuck around. Behind the building that houses the pub and shop are a pair of apartments, owned by the pub and available as accommodation. One of these is known as The Haunted Chamber and, as well as boasting a four poster bed, is the scene of much frightening activity that would give anyone sleepless nights. The details are scant but the apartment is part of a well over 600 year old building and features wood panelling, as well as overlooking the Minster. There's a minimum two night stay if you're brave enough. Say it with me: hell no. There's WiFi inside though, which will presumably allow you to email the Ghostbusters for help.
Once our drinks were finished, it was time to move on, via a quick toilet break. Such is the age and structure of the building that the toilet installers have had to get creative and make the use of every available inch of space. To that end, the baby changing station is mounted on a wall between the gin and rum cabinets, making it perfect for multi tasking. Bear in mind, that due to the toilets being downstairs, there is no disabled access. This would not be the last time that we would visit the dream shop over our stay. For now though, we bid it farewell. It was time for some lunch now and what better place to go than Brew York. We made our way back through the city centre and down Fossgate, onto Micklegate where their fantastic taproom is located. Entering to a soundtrack of Linkin Park, we spent a good couple of hours enjoying numerous excellent beers from their extensive range, alongside their bloody brilliant bao buns. The food and beer quality at Brew York never ceases to impress. We could have stayed here for longer but the music got changed to the Cure by someone who clearly wasn't feeling morose enough. No disrespect to the Cure but it totally changed the vibe. Besides which, we did have further plans for the evening. We once again retraced our steps, heading back in the direction of the Shambles but this time we made our way to Patrick Pool. After a quick half at Pivni, our final destination was our favourite bar in York, located opposite. It was time for our first trip to Valhalla since February. We will never ever ever get tired of this place. If you're unaware of the countdown blog I wrote in January, Valhalla is my favourite pub ever. Fantastic beer, amazing food and a constant soundtrack of rock and metal in a Viking themed, three storey building. What more do I have to say? Our original plan was to have some food and drinks here and potentially stay for the Monday night speed quiz. We'd done it before and it's quite possibly the hardest quiz known to man, purely because you don't get very much thinking time. It does at least make it very difficult to cheat which is always a good thing. We drank our fill here, and indulged in some quite excellent Yorkshire tapas style dishes. This is also an old building, which means there's no air conditioning. On a day such as the one on which we visited, it was very hot and, whilst the windows were open, they did very little to alleviate the situation. In the end, it was too hot and too uncomfortable to stay as long as we'd intended so, discretion being the better part of valour, we beat our retreat out into the evening, where at least things were beginning to cool down, at least slightly. A quick return to 'the shop of dreams' for some cans for the room presaged us returning to the B&B in an attempt to make the most of the fan. Day one back in York had been an exercise in nostalgia and creating new memories in old places. More exploration was scheduled for the next day.
Once again, a good night's sleep eluded us. Despite the fan being on all night, we hadn't felt much cooler and whilst we'd had the windows open all night, this left us vulnerable to whatever traffic noise there was, in particular what sounded like more than one vehicle using the road outside as a racetrack. However, tiredness hadn't ruined our fun so far and we weren't about to let it be a factor now. One of the changes made by the new owners of the B&B is that they don't currently offer breakfast. It's unclear whether this is just a temporary decision or whether it's now more of a self catering option but that did at least give us the incentive to head out fairly early. We had decided to put Ye Old Shambles Tavern's food to the test. What a decision that would turn out to be. Arriving just as they were opening for the day, we reclaimed our seats from the day before and ordered a full English. Before long we were presented with substantial breakfast portions and, boy, was it worth the wait. I have no hesitation in stating that the breakfast we had here was the best full English I think I'd ever had. I don't know whether it was the locally sourced ingredients, the setting, or the fact that we were hungry, but it was absolutely stunning. The whole experience was enhanced when a couple turned up with a Bernese mountain dog, one of our favourite breeds. Amy went over to say hello and have a fuss. We were sad when we had to leave. Our second day in York had started swimmingly. Once again, we had a loose plan for how our day was going to pan out. We would do a little bit more shopping and then drop any purchases off at the B&B. This would then be followed by a pub crawl around the Bootham and Clifton area, essentially a single road that runs past where we were staying and towards the city centre. A couple of other premises, closer to the centre, could feature too. All in all, there would be a lot of new pubs to visit plus a refresh of some that have featured in these pages before. But first, another Shambles shopping trip. With new purchases in tow, and our breakfast walked off, a beer and toilet break were sorely required. Being on the Shambles as we were, it seemed logical to pop into another favourite of ours whilst we were in the area. It was time for the traditional visit to the Golden Fleece.
We had originally hoped to visit the Golden Fleece the previous day but, when attempting to do so, found a note on the door saying that they were closed due to unforeseen circumstances. We suspected that the heat had been a factor. Cellar cooling is notoriously susceptible to extremes of temperature so we wondered whether that had been the issue. Happily, this had been resolved by the time we swung by on our second attempt. It was markedly cooler weather-wise which no doubt helped. For those not in the know about this particularly well-known York boozer, the Golden Fleece was originally built as a coaching house and is mentioned in the city archives as far back as 1503 when it was owned by the Merchant Adventurers Hall. The name derives from a time when it dealt with many a local wool trader. It began operating as an inn in 1656 but was not officially licensed until 1668. A former Lord Mayor of York, John Peckett, owned the premises and the rear yard is named Lady Peckett's Yard, after his wife. A more gruesome historical holdover is the replica of the skull of Elizabeth Johnson, hanged for forgery in 1800, who became the last woman hanged at York's Tyburn gallows. The replica occupies a space in the front bar, from whence it was once unceremoniously pilfered, before being returned after an appeal. The inn was rebuilt in the 19th century and given a Grade II listing by English Heritage in 1983. For the uninitiated, the narrow frontage of the pub is deceptive. The door leads through into a front bar with wooden tables and chairs and a servery in the corner. This bar is normally only used during busier periods. A corridor leads from this area to a larger lounge at the rear where the main bar is located. Furniture is similar in both bars, with some original features such as wooden beams in the ceiling. The pub can feel disorientating as it is sloping and uneven, due to it being built without proper foundations. This can lead to the feeling of being slightly intoxicated, even when stone cold sober. The Golden Fleece was quiet when we entered, and we made our way down the corridor, past the toilets and into the main bar. The pub is currently operated by Stonegate so tends to have beers from their list on, with one guest occasionally present. The bank of 5 handpulls were all in use when we arrived. One of these offered Lilley's Apples & Pears cider whilst the others offered beer. The options here were Brew York Calmer Chameleon, Theakston Old Peculier, the house beer, brewed by Black Sheep and Timothy Taylor Landlord. As on our last visit here, we went for a half of Calmer Chameleon each, which somehow set us back £6.70. The beer was in good nick, as it was when we last had it here. At least the beer quality hasn't waned, although it's hard to understand how they justify the price. If you're not befuddled by the beer prices or the alarmingly uneven floors, they pub's reputation goes before it in a different way. It's allegedly the most haunted pub in the city, a bold claim given York's wider reputation for such things. Its many purported phantoms have been written of at length before, including here, more than once but to paraphrase, the Golden Fleece is home to many a spirit: a Canadian airman who fell from a window whilst staying here is seen, both in the room from which he plunged, and on the street outside; a young boy trampled by a horse has been seen in the main bar and is blamed for the sensation of picking people's pockets; 'one-eyed Jack', a highwayman, is seen throughout the pub; the Minster suite boasts moving beds and crying children; the Shambles room has a figure on the bed, strange lights and moving objects; St. Catherine's room is plagued by dark figures and sinister laughter; Lady Peckett has been seen in her eponymous room, as well as on the staircase, normally around midnight; a lady has been seen running through a wall as if being chased; and finally, a phantom dog has also been witnessed. Whatever your attitude towards ghosts and the supernatural is, there is an odd atmosphere at the Golden Fleece. Surely it can't all be down to how much the pub plays on the stories?
Having spent our time at the Golden Fleece, we headed back to the B&B and dropped off our purchases. Now it was time to get some new pubs under our belt. We would begin by making the short walk over to Clifton. Leaving the B&B, we this time went right instead of left and crossed over the road. Following the road straight on for a few minutes, we soon came to our first new destination of the trip, the Old Grey Mare.
What is now the Old Grey Mare is believed to be located on the site of a much older inn, The Maypole, which burned down in 1648. A new pub, named the Grey Horse, was built on the site and adopted its current name at some point in the mid-19th century. By 1902, the pub featured a taproom, a bar parlour, a dram room and two smoke rooms. The pub benefited from a substantial refurbishment in 2022 but then closed suddenly in the summer of 2024. Thankfully, it wouldn't be closed for long. The pub, situated on Clifton Green, was taken on by Brew York and opened in February of this year, becoming the latest addition to the estate of this excellent brewery. We were excited to visit a new pub, not least one run by one of our favourite breweries, and were anxious to see if it lived up to the standards of its other locations. The main entrance leads through into a kind of foyer between the two main rooms. Seating areas can be found either side. The bar is located in the left hand section, as is a free-standing fridge filled with cans that be drunk on or off-site. The decor is smart and modern, as you'd expect from a newly opened pub, with bright walls, sensible lighting and plenty of seating. Brew York's signature artwork brightens up corners and spare walls. Outside, there is an enclosed beer garden with deckchairs decorated with Brew York's can designs. There is a covered area with bare brick walls and additional seating. There is also a garden space to one side as well as some seating out the front, both looking out to the road. The toilets are located down a corridor towards the back of the pub. As with Brew York's taproom, there is also a kitchen specialising in South Asian dishes, primarily bao buns but also loaded fries. It should come as absolutely no surprise that the bar is Brew York oriented, with all 6 of the handpulls full of their products. The core range is well represented, alongside some specials. The choices for us here were Duality, Micklegate Mild, Tonkoko, Maris the Otter, Calmer Chameleon and Keras. It should be obvious by now that we are both massive fans of Brew York. I was content with a pint of Duality, having enjoyed it so much in Whitby. Amy opted for Tonkoko, one of her favourites, and we found a quiet table tucked around a corner. The total cost for our pints was £9.20, which is not bad at all for the area. The beer was fantastic, as you'd hope it would be. More than that, the pub is great. The combination of minimalist decor and Brew York's quirky designs has created a welcoming, attractive pub that deserves to do very well indeed. The Old Grey Mare is an excellent addition to the Brew York stable (pun intended) and they've done a wonderful job giving the pub a new lease of life. It also adds an extra choice for locals at this end of the city or anybody staying nearby who doesn't mind a little bit of a wander away from the centre. When pubs are reopened with the care and effort that has clearly gone into this place, they deserve to do very well indeed.
The temptation to forego our activities and stay here for longer was certainly a strong one. However, in the interests of exploration, and attempting to do at least a half decent job of this blogging lark, we drained the last drops of our tasty beers and got back on our way. We would again be retracing our steps and heading back in the direction of the B&B, although we would now be continuing past it. Our aim was to explore the remaining pubs on and around the road known as Bootham before making our way back into the centre for a couple more stops. Bootham itself is a very old route into the city, leading as it does to Bootham Bar, one of the famed stone archways that allow entry to York. Bootham Bar stands on the site of what was known to the Romans as 'porta principalis dextra' (main gateway to the right), although the current archway dates from 11th-12th century. The name Bootham is likely of Norse origin, meaning 'place of the booths' a reference to the poor huts that once stood here. At one time the road would have been the main route between Eboracum and Cataractonium, now Catterick. Roman stonework and road remnants have been found during excavations under Bootham. During the Medieval period, this would have been the northern entrance to the city. Amongst its current landmarks are several Georgian townhouses on the northeast side and Bootham School, founded by the Quakers in 1823, and with links to the prominent Rowntree family (of Fruit Pastilles fame). It does also feature a few pubs, as we shall shortly see.
Heading past our B&B we continued on down Bootham until we reached the junction with Marygate, where we turned right. A short distance down this road, we would come across a pub that we had ventured to before. It was time for a return visit to the Minster Inn.
The pub was first mentioned in 1823, when it was located on the south-east side of Marygate. It was later renamed the Gardeners' Arms during the mid 1880s but soon reverted back to the original name. By 1902, the owners were Tadcaster Tower Brewery, which decided to relocate it to a new building, opposite the original site, where it stands today. Samuel Needham designed the new building, which opened in 1903. The current layout is a mix of the original style, with some features retained, and modern touches. The doors, windows and tilings are all original. Inside, the layout is that of several rooms arranged around a central corridor. On the right, the first room features the servery, although the door to this room has been enlarged from a stable-door style entrance. Banquette seating and wooden tables are opposite the bar. The back-right room, behind the bar is a recent conversion. The two rooms on the left have retained their bench seating and bell pushes, originally used to call for service. The fireplaces are more recent additions. To the rear, what would originally have been a licensees office, is now a kitchen and the formerly outside gents toilets have been removed. The toilets are now undercover, accessed through a door in the beer garden. The garden itself is fully covered, with a designated smoking area, and has heaters throughout for colder months. As mentioned, we'd been to the Minster once before, where we enjoyed some very good nachos. It was just to be a beer stop on this occasion though so up to the bar we stepped. There are 5 handpulls here. We had an interesting set of options before us: Timothy Taylor Landlord, Craven Blonde, Craven Dark Cherry, Turning Point Warp Factor 3 and Ossett Silver King. There had been a disturbing lack of Turning Point beers thus far on our travels so it was high time that this was rectified. We purchased a half each of Warp Factor 3 (£5.20 in total) and made our way out to the garden. There we obtained a table just outside the door upon which to imbibe. This had been an excellent choice for a beer. Warp Factor 3 (4.1%), aside from being a Star Trek reference, is a hazy pale ale. It's brewed with Citra and Azacca hops which give it a tropical fruit aroma and a hoppy flavour. It's very good. Turning Point don't get around our neck of the woods very often so when I see their beers, they're always worth a go. I don't recall having one I haven't enjoyed and this one is no exception. Set phasers to stun indeed! I was glad we'd decided to revisit the Minster Inn. I'd forgotten how nice a place it is. The welcome was good, the pub is very pleasant and the beer was of great quality. For a pub as relatively tucked away as this is to be consistently impressive is no small feat.
It was time to turn our attention back to some new pubs now. We made our way back to Bootham and crossed over the road. Next on our agenda was a pub a short distance away, The Bootham Tavern.
As you may be able to make out from the above photo, this particular pub was in the process of having a bit of a spruce up. Despite the painting happening out the front, they were still open as normal. Lovely stuff. On the corner of Bootham and Bootham Row, the aptly named Bootham Tavern is a relatively modern addition to the street from an historical point of view, dating to the Victorian era. Inside, there is a horseshoe-shaped bar smack bang in the centre of the room. Around this are various areas of seating in the traditional style. A quieter area to the rear has banquette seating and high tables. TVs throughout show sport. The decor is a mixture of historic photos and modern adverts, with wooden flooring, wooden tiles on the ceiling and a rear feature wall consisting of repurposed keg tops. The bar features 6 handpulls. Of these, 4 were in use when we came in. The choices were a touch more interesting than I'd expected with Ossett White Rat, Titanic Plum Porter, Black Sheep Best and Bradfield Farmers Blonde available. I have a fondness for Bradfield beers so I went for a half of the Farmers Blonde which, combined with a Diet Coke for Amy, came to £5.25. We made our way around to the quieter rear area and took a seat at a higher table. Whilst the pub was relatively quiet, with only a handful of regulars in attendance besides us, the impression here is one of a pub that benefits a lot from evening and sport trade. They certainly make the effort to push in-house events, which includes such things as quiz nights and poker nights. It's perhaps understandable that they're been rewarded with some local loyalty. The beer is decent too. Farmers Blonde is a beer that does seem to travel well but that doesn't mean it's easy to keep. Regardless, it was in great condition here.
The advantage of the specific pub crawl that I'd devised was that the vast majority of the pubs were very close together, given that they were on the same road. For example, we didn't even need to cross over to get to the next pub. We merely turned left and walked a few doors down to The Exhibition.
This Grade II listed building was constructed in the late 18th century, originally as a house. At the time, there was a pub further down the street, next to Bootham Bar, called the Bird in Hand. When the barbican from the Bar was pulled down, the pub was demolished and rebuilt across the road on the corner of St. Leonard's Place. This new pub was also demolished, in 1879, to make way for Exhibition Square. This led to it relocating to the present building above, where it was renamed the Exhibition Hotel. At the time, the pub consisted of six or seven bedrooms, two bars, a coffee room, a sitting room and a kitchen. It was renamed as Churchill's Hotel in the 1880s until being purchased by John Smith's Brewery in 1892, when the name was changed back. In 1896, the building became Dyson's Family and Commercial Hotel but was still nicknamed the Exhibition and it was officially renamed again, and this time the name stuck. A proposal to demolish the building in 1967, in order to make way for a new dual carriageway, was scrapped when the plan was abandoned, and the building was Grade II listed in 1983. The shop-front style entrance is 20th century and the internal layout has been significantly altered. This was another pub where we weren't entirely sure what to expect. We needn't have worried. Entering the front door is like going back in time. A large, sturdy, square bar, sits front and centre, serving rooms to both sides. These rooms are more or less mirror images of each other, with red plastered ceilings, carpeted floors and soft furnishings throughout. Wooden tables and a mix of seating are accompanied by gilt mirrors, decorative plates, old photos and paintings, and various old brewery and beer artefacts, bric-a-brac and artwork. It's a surprisingly large space given the exterior and the proximity of the road. It also boasts one of the largest beer gardens outside of the city walls, just for good measure. Originally, the entrance would have been to the side, with the staircase in the middle, and two rear rooms, separated by a passage. This current appearance is a gem though. I truly wasn't expecting such a traditional interior behind a relatively modest facade. Fingers crossed the beer was worth it. 5 handpulls are here and 3 of these were in use on the day. Whilst one of these was providing Lilley's Tropical cider, the others offered a choice between Timothy Taylor Landlord and Black Sheep Best. A half of Landlord and an Appletiser set us back £7.10. We moved around to the right hand room, where we could truly appreciate the aesthetic of this place. For the record, the toilets are to the rear. This an unexpectedly handsome place to while away some time. I do wonder how many people have chosen not to enter given how nondescript the pub might appear to some. I would implore them to reconsider in future. The Landlord is particularly well kept and this is a great environment in which to drink it. I was impressed!
The Exhibition had been a welcome surprise and, with our next stop quite literally opposite, we were intrigued to see whether the trend would continue. Crossing back over the road, we headed to the White Horse.
Dating back to 1770, the White Horse is one of only three tied pubs in the city belonging to Thwaites. The single entrance leads through into a surprisingly narrow one roomed pub, with the bar opposite the door. To the left, is a small seating area with a TV above. To the right, a longer room with more seats and a slightly more open plan layout, as well as further TVs. The toilets are located through a door in the corner. Despite our initial apprehensions, we were greeted warmly and welcomed in. With this being a Thwaites pub, real ale is indeed available, spread across 5 handpulls, though only 4 were in use at the time. Thwaites beers are prevalent. Alongside their IPA, Gold and Original, there was a single guest beer, in the form of Rudgate Ragnar. There were also a couple of lesser known keg products which broadened the otherwise standard draught choice. I went for a half of the IPA on this occasion whilst Amy went for a half of a kegged IPA called Paradise. Those and a bag of crisps each totalled £8.70. We made our way to a table next to the entrance and pondered this place awhile. It had been another pleasant surprise. Whereas the Exhibition was much larger than it looked, the White Horse was much smaller. There were a few regulars about, as well as a family of Chinese tourists who did look marginally bewildered. This certainly has the feel of another pub with a loyal following. I can imagine it fills up quickly in the evening and at weekends. The beer isn't half bad either. Whilst not really an IPA in terms of strength (it comes in at 4%), the Thwaites IPA offering is hopped with Citra, giving it a recognisable zesty and citrusy bite. I would have liked it to be a bit stronger but you can't have everything.
We were done with our time at the White Horse. Our next plan had originally been to cross over to nearby Gillygate to investigate the Gillygate pub. However, a cursory glance put the kibosh on this idea as it appeared to be closed for what looked like a pretty substantial refurbishment. Never mind. We had completed this part of the city as much as we could so we had now reached the point where we would wander back under the city walls and tick off a couple more pubs, one of which was a new venue for us, and the other a repeat offender. Making our way under Bootham Bar, we continued down Petergate until we reached the iconic York Minster. We immediately turned right, past the Dean Court Hotel (where we stayed in February) and crossed over in front of the war memorial. Continuing down the road, we reached Museum Street and our next stop, the Museum Street Tavern.
Situated opposite the Museum Street Gardens, this building has an interesting history. The building itself dates to the turn of the 18th century. The current facade dates from the 1800s. Believed to have originally been a house, it became a hotel, Thomas's of York, in 1861. In 1900 John Smith's purchased the building, turning it into a pub. It was briefly a Mexican restaurant in later years before returning to a pub under its previous name. After closing in 2022, it reopened in 2024. The property is owned by Stonegate but leased out. Since its 2024 reopening, it is now on its third set of leaseholders, who took over in April of this year. Fingers crossed they have the formula to keep its doors open. Steps lead up into the main entrance of this place, which is blessed with very high ceilings and large windows, making it very light and airy inside. The layout is split level. A large bar runs along the left hand wall, with another section on a lower level, a short flight of steps acting as passage between the two. There are high stools and wooden tables as well as some leather seating and also a row of stools along the lower bar. To the right of the entrance is a smaller room with more traditional seating. Toilets are located up a flight of stairs, which also lead up to a mezzanine. The decor is fairly stripped back with monochrome walls and old photos and paintings of York in each section. The ceilings in the lower section are lower, reflecting the building's architecture, but the lower section also includes an area of raised seating in a kind of improvised snug. The overall feel is one of spacious comfort. On one corner of the bar, there are 3 handpulls. These were offering Rudgate Jorvik Blonde, Timothy Taylor Landlord and Theakston Old Peculier. We'd been seeing Old Peculier a lot over the past few days so it was probably time to indulge by now. I went for a half. Amy settled for an alcohol free can option. The total price was £7.00 on the nose. We decided to try our luck in the raised snug section to the rear. Tables were plenty and we were the only customers. All the better for taking in our surroundings. Aside from the fact that nobody seems to have stuck around for long enough to make a go of it, this is a great place. The heart of the building is definitely in the architecture and how it's been repurposed from its previous hotel life. It's just as easy to enjoy a quiet drink here as it would be to dive into the hustle and bustle of an evening or a weekend daytime. Sometimes, when a grand building such as this is converted into a pub, it can lose a bit of its character, almost as if the soul has been dragged from the bricks and mortar. Thankfully, that's not the case here. Kudos to whoever did the refurb. We spent some time soaking up the history, both from the building itself and that displayed in the photos, especially those of the devastating fire at York Minster back in 1984. The Old Peculier was also up to scratch. Admittedly, it wasn't quite as outstanding as I've had it in other places but it certainly went down a treat. This is a fascinating building that's earned it's rebirth. Assuming the current overseers are able to keep it going.
Before the day was out, there was one more pub that we wanted to visit. It has featured in the blog previously but I don't feel like we properly did it justice. First though, it was time for some food. As our trip there yesterday may have indicated, we'd decided that we wanted to give the food at the King's Inn a go. We made our way back to the Shambles and stepped back inside, where we were pleased to find that there were plenty of available tables, including one right in the window with comfy armchairs. Ordering our drinks (I stayed away from cask this time) and taking a seat, we grabbed some menus and had a look at what was on offer. Things got very confusing very quickly. Firstly, the menu at the King's Inn is enormous. There is a lot on it but it does have a lot of options to suit all appetites and dietary requirements. There's a fairly large meat free section and some vegan options too. Ignoring those completely, we concentrated on the rest. It seemed that the portions were tapas style and were basically smaller portions of British classics. A chat with a member of staff confirmed as much. Imagine our surprise when the portions turned out to be rather large. If I had to describe it, I'd say that rather being smaller portions, they're large portions of smaller versions of things. We ended up ordering much more than we'd realised. A big shout out to the pie flight though, which was literally three small pies, of different fillings, that equated to the size of one normal pie. The food was delicious but we ended up taking some back to the B&B. Some menus should come with warning labels!
Suitably stuffed, we headed out into the evening with one final destination in mind. Walking to the end of the Shambles, we turned right onto Pavement and crossed over. Crossing at the traffic lights, we went over Piccadilly and down onto Coppergate. Continuing on, we turned left when we reached Castlegate. We were now at our last York pub stop for this trip, the Blue Boar.
The Blue Boar began life as a coaching inn, likely in the 15th century. The origins of the name are unclear although there is a suggestion that it may have originally been the 'white boar' emblem of Richard III which was then painted blue after his death at the Battle of Bosworth. The pub has gone by alternative names, particularly the Robin Hood in 1770, although it is not certain whether this was the same pub, or a rival premises in the same building. The entrance to the pub is now down the side, under what was once the entrance point for coaches. This is due to the original coaching yard being paved over after coaches fell out of fashion as railways became more widespread. Prior to this, the pub was an important coaching inn, with coaches running daily to Hull and Leeds and, from 1816, to Selby. A pub thought to be based on the Blue Boar features in Walter Scott's Heart of Midlothian. The front of the pub was rebuilt in 1851 and in 1894 it was renamed as the Little John. It has since been rebuilt internally, extended and Grade II listed (as of 1971). After closing briefly in 2011, it reopened under its original name the following year. Behind the whitewashed frontage, this is a relatively small pub. The bar sits to the back of the room and there are various styles of seating scattered throughout. The floors are wooden and the whitewashed, exposed wood aesthetic continues in most of the internal decor. The toilets are towards the back, adjacent to a second entrance/exit. A staircase at the rear of the room leads downstairs to a flagstoned basement level. What else is down there will soon become clear. As mentioned, we had visited the Blue Boar on a previous trip, to kill time whilst waiting to begin a ghost walk. On that occasion, we didn't take enough advantage of our time here to immerse ourselves in the pub's most gruesome claim to fame. The pub is alleged to be the location where the corpse of notorious highwayman Dick Turpin was taken following his execution. Rumour has it that the landlord at the time saw the opportunity to make a pretty penny and kept Turpin's body on display, charging willing customers money to see it. This is given as the primary reason why Turpin's ghost is believed to reside here. Clearly, his post mortem treatment has left him understandably disgruntled. You would be a bit miffed if somebody denied you a decent burial, and left you on display for people to feed their morbid curiosity and gawp at you. Whether the story holds water or not, the pub have gone to the effort of placing a coffin in the downstairs room, blackening the walls and displaying fake wanted posters relating to Turpin's arrest. For good measure, there are also red leather sofas and old wooden tables and candles down there if you want to get in the mood. Before we get to that though, there was the matter of beer. There are two handpulls on the bar at the Blue Boar. On the evening in question, they were providing Brew York Calmer Chameleon and Timothy Taylor Boltmaker. I went for the latter and Amy for the former, which came to £5.30 for a half of each. We decided to go and say hello to Dick (not a euphemism) or whoever else might be down there. We only spent a few minutes in the lower room. It did feel a bit odd. The difference in lighting levels didn't help but it did feel a bit like we were intruding. We opted to spend the remainder of our time upstairs with the living. I'd forgotten a lot about the Blue Boar. I didn't remember there being a coffin downstairs, assuming it was even there the last time we were here. It's a nice little pub and even though it's geared more towards a student clientele, that didn't prevent us from feeling welcome. The Boltmaker was on good form, at least by student pub standards. We were glad we'd come back to the Blue Boar when we weren't so pushed for time. It was worth it for exploring more of the legend of one of York's most (in)famous sons.
With that, our itinerary was complete. All that was required was to return our glasses to the bar and trudge back to the B&B, obviously not without a quick detour to the 'shop of dreams' for further room cans. Once ensconced in the room, we could reflect. How did this trip to York, and the pubs involved, compare to previous visits? Above all else, it's always good to be back in York. Something about the city has grabbed hold of us since we first came and won't let go. It has our hearts and minds, and a significant amount of our money, and we somehow never get bored of coming here. What this trip also demonstrated is that you don't need to stick to the city centre to find good pubs. Our little Bootham stroll proved that pubs on the outskirts are more than worthy of your time and effort. Sometimes the unexpected surprises are the things you remember the most. If anything this trip was proof that, no matter how many times you visit a place, you can always find something new. That's what pubs, and on a much grander scale, life, should be about.
Next time: The last part, which features a literary legacy, tragic deaths, and chickens
Pub of the trip: The Old Grey Mare is a fantastic addition to the area and to Brew York's estate
Honourable mention: Museum Street Tavern. Lovely inside. Let's hope it stays open
Biggest surprise: The Exhibition is much grander and more traditional than it looks
Beer of the trip: Turning Point Warp Factor 3. I can very much take more, Cap'n!
