If you want to be at the frontier of the craft beer curve you can do a lot worse than get the No 6 York > Osbaldwick / Murton Way for BrewYorks 10th Anniversary beerfest (reduced service on Sundays). Superb beers. Tuju, Finland; Prizm, France; Frontaal Netherlands highlights. A superb beerfestival.

Brew Yorks birthday bash is a highlight of April with a select list including Brouwerij Frontaal but there's always time for a pint of Kirkstall Three Swords at The superb Templar before the Leeds > York Train brewyork.co.uk/brewery-bash/

The Gresley Arms, Alsagers Bank must have one of the best beer gardens in the area. Good views out towards Wales, Warrington and Widnes this afternoon. That climb isn't getting any easier though. Holden's Bitter otb & excellent. A beer I rarely see. At least the ride back is mainly downhill

Is there a better way to celebrate National Bass Day than at The Vine, Pittshill, Tunstall (one of Stokes 6 Towns) with the presentation of CAMRA Heritage Award & National Inventory recognition by @jmarkdodds.bsky.social who braved W Coast Mainline engineering to present camra.org.uk/awards/herit...

Well, the weather changes quickly in The Moorlands so in 3 miles we've gone from Spring in Cheddleton to dark skies & cats & dogs in Leeks Roebuck for a pint of Titanic iceberg

As is tradition trips to The Moorlands start at The Black Lion, Cheddleton village. The landlord has 'pioneered' a new type of Bass: Premium 'BHB' Big Head Bass (see sign over bar) although I opted for 'normal' Bass. Taylor's Landlord also v good (I've had a few average pints lately but never here)

It's starting to feel a bit more like Spring on The East side of The Trent. 'Best Bass at The Elms Inn' (they also had Barnsley Bitter). Still retains a corridor serving hatch. The Bass was excellent and a pleasant walk back into town across The 1889 Trent Ferry Bridge. Gift of Michael Arthur 👌

Heritage Brewing Co. Charrington IPA at The superb Burton Bridge Inn. Love those floral notes. The Trent washlands are looking great today.

What a time to be alive! Who says we can't do infrastructure & lack ambition? We may have truncated HS2 to Manchester & abandoned the Eastern leg BUT THE STATION STEPS AT BURTON ARE FINALLY OPEN👍 This could also be the year they finally finish Leeds City Station steps (but no metro system obviously)

A village stop off before heading to Burton. The Spread Eagle, Rolleston on Dove. Lovely elongated frontage, adjacent to St Mary's. Thought there might be a St Austell beer otb. Not disappointed: Hicks strong Cornish Ale with its subtle toffee notes. Excellent

It's a good job Derby and Crewe aren't very important rail interchanges otherwise the Leeds train timed into Derby at .27 mins and the Crewe train departing at .26 might be deemed somewhat inconvenient but some of the 59 minutes can be spent at The Brunswick. Derby CAMRA pub of the year

Retro beer again in Whitelock's but probably less known than 'DD'. I think that would be a play by kirkstall Brewery on Bentley's Yorkshire Bitter, Woodlesford, SE Leeds

Bass is available again at Blind Jacks Knaresborough, although I obviously eschewed it in favour of Two by Two Snake Eyes Pale on cask which is a rare encounter for me

Stop 4 York Soc for the Preservation of Beers from The Wood is Loki DDH IPA by Half Moon Brewery at Valhalla. The impact of the wood is subtle on this one and certainly doesn't suppress the hops SPBW Wood Cask Walkabout - York - Saturday 7th March 2026 goo.gl/maps/WM4NP9k...

Stop 3 York Soc for The Preservation of Beers from the Wood is The Last Drop Inn. A brace of beers from Sunbeam brewery. Best bitter & a Chocolate Mild which complement each other nicely. A friendly deservedly busy pub SPBW Wood Cask Walkabout - York - Saturday 7th March 2026 goo.gl/maps/6hdbM2A...

Stop 2 York Soc for The Preservation of Beers from the Wood event is Acorn Cherry Porter at The Golden Slipper. Really well suited to wood. Cherries aren't over pronounced, subtle almonds + tannins and quite dry. SPBW Wood Cask Walkabout - York - Saturday 7th March 2026 goo.gl/maps/d1Mdpe3...

Stop 1. York Soc for The Preservation of Beers from the Wood is go. Tigertops Edwardian Porter at The Three Legged Mare excellent, smooth and rich. SPBW Wood Cask Walkabout - York - Saturday 7th March 2026 goo.gl/maps/W1gj5Eh...

Stopping in Leeds for the beers from the Wood event (YORK) tomorrow & I've arrived earlier than expected. I wasn't going to call into Brew Society, Aire St but they have Sonoma Track on. Excellent.

York Soc Preservation of Beers from the Wood aren't on here yet but it's their Wood Cask Walkabout - York - Saturday 7th March 2026. The pubs are all excellent in their own right + the availability of a more unusual beer goo.gl/maps/QyEs8AQ...

A fortuitous delay - Managed to get an hour in Uttoxeter before the Crewe train. Time for a visit to The Vaults to enjoy their unparalleled selection. I'm conservative by nature so never at risk of options paralysis. I always eschew the guests in favour of The Bass which is excellent.

Enough time for a visit to the Victoria & Commercial before the train home. What a beautiful interior. Fantastic to see a pub reopened & revitalised in the context of a negative backdrop for the industry. A rare opportunity for me to enjoy Harvey's Sussex Best too

I've not had a Tun beer before. This Little Monster session NZ IPA is excellent. Highly recommended by the barman at The Swan, York and deservedly so.

York via beautiful Knaresborough for a stop off in Blind Jacks. Bass isn't available today but they have Northern Monk Sup on cask and ultra local Turning Point Porter. Good beer quality and the pub was deservedly busy

GOOD MORNING! Here's the latest edition of news, nuggets and longreads, with good writing about beer and pubs from the past week. This time: drinking up north, the anti-sports bar, and the benefits of being weird. 🍻🍺 boakandbailey.com/2026/02/news...

Early arrival in Keighley for the 2.00pm York Society for The Preservation of Beers from the Wood presentation at Wishbone Brewery means time for a visit to The Boltmakers for a Timothy Taylor's Golden Best. V friendly & welcoming. Beer quality is 👌

Final pub before the train to Leeds, Theakstons Yorkshire Haka at The Beehive Shipley. Slightly hoppier than I anticipated. V imposing pub, accentuated by tiled entrance

This half of Amity / Pomona Island Bright IPA in Reconnection, Shipley is excellent. A deservedly busy, friendly bar

Bradford CAMRA Festival was excellent and a typical opportunity to tag on bars I wouldn't ordinarily visit. Caroline St Social Club Saltaire. Look at the upholstered bar 😍 Visit enhanced by location being a juxtaposition with Salts Mill. Cask Goose Eye was v good

The George and Dragon Apperley Bridge. The extension is dated 1704 but the main building apparently predates the nearby River Aire bridge of 1602. Half a Black Sheep Bitter v enjoyable

Stansfield Arms (Duttons brewery). The inn is situated in the small village of Apperley Bridge, about 3 miles out of Bradford...originally a farm...age uncertain....old oak beams still in evidence...a choice of tasty omelettes. Part of Lord Stansfield's estate. Featuring in both 1960's pub guides

I had a feeling that this was my best chance of encountering it. Thornbridge Imperial Stout at The Bankers Cat. Absolutely sublime beer and perfectly located for Leeds City station before the train to New Pudsey

A complete historical experience (in every sense) this evening. Bass & Double Diamond otb in Whitelock's Leeds, although I opted for Tigertops (Wakefield) Edwardian Porter - strong and rich. Excellent.

The big day has arrived. Hard to conceal the excitement. I've travelled AVE out of Madrid, 300kmh+ DB ICE Sprinter Frankfurt and Alta Velocità out of Rome but today it's the recently launched Northern 'Flyer' Sheffield > Leeds taking 47 minutes for approx 35miles. WE HAVE BEEN LEVELLED UP!!!!🚂

Rotten weather for a circuit & ride up to Peckforton and Beeston Castles (nr Chester) & no views towards Snowdonia but the half of Weetwood Best in The half timbered Yew Tree Spurstow was superb

Unmissable - Kirkstall Brewery's Great Exhibition Beerfest has been announced on the other place. 29-31 May 2026 at The Tetley 👇

Can't fault service 218. Picks you up at The Cross Scythes and drops you straight outside Thornbridge's The Stags, Nether Edge for a pint of superb 1838. If you caught it in the other direction it would take you to the brewery in Bakewell

The Cross Scythes Totley, driven past a lot but never been in. Quite imposing, terraced set back frontage. Taylors Golden Best on the bar and v good. Bus 218 (to Thornbridges The Stags) stops outside

Quite a pleasant walk from The Cricketers to The Crown, Totley. A brace of Chatsworth beers on the bar. The Gold was excellent.

Early start and a bus out to Totley & a short walk to The Cricketers for a pint of Thornbridge Venn. Love those handpumps. Still under a fiver even in posh Sheffield

OOPS! Got things the wrong way around I think: Schedule cycling weekends when The Trent isn't in flood and schedule pub weekends for when the roads are underwater & impassable. Even the towpath disappeared 🚴🌧️

Which of The UK's major infrastructure projects will be completed first? The steps at Burton on Trent Station car park (still closed), HS2 to Manchester or a tram system for Leeds? No wonder this country is screwed

First ever visit to The Cross Keys, Tutbury (I'm normally passing through on a ride & can't indulge). I certainly wasn't expecting Burnthouse Verdant (Origin) Coffee Porter collab, which was excellent. I wonder if Mary Queen of Scots got beer from here as she did from most of the local pubs😉

Final pub before the train. The Olde Cottage, Brook St. Chester. Normally l'd go for a Wye Valley beer but I've not had a Brimstage Brewery beer in 'yonks' & The Trappers Hat was excellent

For a traditional pub which still shuts in the afternoon The Albion's marketing is very homogeneous (glass, pump clip, beer towel). Northern Rising Unity Stout excellent. Beware Charlie the cat.

Bar blockers were a major problem tbh but despite that, great staff who are able to operate in a high pressure environment meant we didn't have to wait too long at The Old Harkers Arms, Chester before a pint of classic Weetwood Cheshire Cat

Beer quality in The Mount Inn, Chester excellent. Can't fault this pint of Hyde's Lowry. Always friendly and hospitable locals / staff. Good views of the Dee from the tiered patio too but maybe better to wait until Spring to enjoy it 🌼

Convenient for all amenities, Christleton Rd, Chester. Ginger Monkey Coffee Roasters for an espresso and next door is Grade II listed Jolly Gardeners (formerly Ye Gardeners) for Weetwood Cheshire Cat. With added fake Tudor ambiance

I was 20 when HS2 was announced. Great to know i’ll probably be in my late 60s when the Birmingham-Manchester section starts work let alone finishes. Seems like a country doing things the right way!

BLOG POST: We really liked St Mars of the Desert in Sheffield. Here, we've tried to articulate exactly why. 🍺🍻 boakandbailey.com/2026/01/st-m...

eBay bargain! Set of 6 of The 1960's Historic & New Inns of Interest for under £14. Five are second copies to keep clean as the others get taken on bike rides for contemporary photos (The Lancashire guide is a first acquisition)