A RESERVATION IN KNARESBOROUGH

 

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So, no half in Gunnerside, but I’m claiming a tick as it’s closed with no date for reopening, and with a change of landlord at least.

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Who is Star Bottom ?

But I made another crucial incursion into North Yorkshire by making a booking for Table 3 at Six Poor Folk in Knaresborough.  I’d had to pull over at Catterick Garrison to make a booking that took longer than it would take to drink my beer two hours later.

Knaresborough
Mere 3:46 to the Dales

I’ve always preferred Knaresborough to neighbouring Harrogate.  More curves, sexier windows,

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Stafford Paul has details

and the cakes are better than Betty’s.

I recommend the homemade rum truffles.  Or would if they hadn’t been snaffled by family members when I wasn’t looking.

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If paradise is half a slice

You’ll know Knaresborough (if at all) for the authentic tourist attractions that draw gentlefolk from Boston Spa and Otley.

Rambling ruins,

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Not a future micro

views worthy of Bridgnorth,

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Lots of mucking about in boats down there

and the chance to meet Mother Shipton who will read your palm and predict your NBSS scores for the price of a pint of Doom Bar Ilkley Mary Jane.

Loads of young folk in cafes and on the water down by the Nidd; a sea of gentlefolk in the workaday Market Place.

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Blind Jack wonders if he did anything terrible enough to justify being thrown in the Nidd…
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….but he has a top town pub named after him, so I doubt it

Like Skipton, Knaresborough has dabbled at the bistro/craft bar crossover in the past (So Bar/Half Moon), and you can read Six Poor Folk from the the font.  I don’t have a key for the O with a line through it.  Sorry.

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Two contrasting pubs

A small and socially distanced queue formed for the 3pm sitting.  Will we look back at lines like that in 5 years time and wonder what on earth was going on ?

6pF, as it’s known to the kids, has cheery staff and takes Covid safety very seriously.

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Behind the glass

I do mean that as praise. Honest.

The two Old Boys bought pints of Mary Jane so I followed them (not literally, there’s a pandemic).

It was fine, NBSS 3 stuff. But Table 3 was stuck in the corner with a screen blocking my view of the action. I will never get used to making a reservation for a beer.

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Not a great view

I jealously admired the life inside the Sam Smiths on the way home.

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But that’s never getting in the GBG. Not even now they’ve put the price up by a quid.

Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

20 thoughts on “A RESERVATION IN KNARESBOROUGH”

  1. The Tadcaster Tower Brewery Co Ltd was acquired by Hammond’s Bradford Brewery Co Ltd in 1946 and via Bass Charrington is still brewing.

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  2. It is a shame that pubs are having to institute a “reservations only” policy, as I reckon the Venn diagram of people who love pubs and people who hate having to make reservations for things is very nearly a circle. 😉

    That Blind Jack’s seems to be located in an interesting old building. Did you get to have a peek inside?

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    1. It’s not as many pubs as we’d feared, Mark. I think they’re not as busy as expected, even at reduced capacity, so generally can accept walk ins.
      The brewery tap or gastropub is the one taking reservations for a couple of hours. Imagine that!

      Blind Jack is very characterful. Rather like Waters Green Tavern in Macclesfield (do you know it)?

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  3. Very few pubs in practice are requiring reservations for drinkers. Some did it on the opening weekend but then dropped it. Overall trade is reported to be 40% down, and most pubs aren’t finding reduced capacity a problem.

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    1. Exactly.

      I made 36 pub visits in that first fortnight and only Knaresborough and that Crawley gastro asked for reservations.

      40% sounds about right, and of course quite a few pubs haven’t opened at all yet.

      Nine Wetherspoons used already. They were notably quieter, despite making a good effort to appear safe and welcoming.

      All the micros I planned on visiting are closed.

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      1. Wetherspoons have done a good job in taking the regulations seriously without making their pubs offputting. From my point of view, spreading the tables out and introducing partitions improves them.

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  4. A selfie stick would have been handy for getting a photo around that screen. I believe BB is getting one to increase his interior photos of Midlands pubs, while Si has a secret camera in Colin the Cauliflower.

    The pint of IMJ looks nice

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    1. Ah, Colin the Cauliflower is outed.

      I’m waiting for Beermat to be challenged for taking interior photos, it happens to me once a year (normally when my lad shouts “stop taking photos of old blokes”).

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  6. Some of my watering holes have reservation systems, but the chosen few can always get in without bothering. The Tynemouth Lodge opens next Monday – no reservations – and the Bass is arriving tomorrow.

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  7. You are in my neck of the woods now and I guess I have visited most pubs in Knaresborough over the years. Blind Jacks obviously a firm favourite. Interesting to note if you had done this little journey about 10 years ago, you would have found Copper Dragon brewery and Golden Pippin in nearly every pub.

    I am intrigued by the fact that Starbotton is not coloured in. What are you plans for the Fox and Hounds? Its much improved since the “new” landlord took over 3 or 4 years ago (time moves slowly in the Dales).

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      1. Yes agreed regarding Starbotton. So here’s a walking idea for you. The Ales Way, combine walking with visiting pubs.

        http://thealesway.com/pubs

        The distance from Hubberholme to Ben Rhydding is only 38 miles, so could be easily walked in three days. Added bonus is that more or less follows the line of the Dalesway which runs all the way to Bowness on Windermere and therefore plenty of B7B accommodation en route.

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