A while back I read about a micro pub that had opened up in Leeds that made its own pies. And then a few months later a work colleague was extolling its virtues. Suitably intrigued, I pencilled it in for a visit some time and so that is why, dear reader, I found myself on a tour of the Kirkstall Road last Saturday afternoon....
I'd got the train over to Leeds, and then on to Burley Park, a few minutes' walk away (or so I thought) from Kirkstall Road, where I had earmarked three places of interest that I wanted to visit including the afore-mentioned micro. It wouldn't have been so bad if I'd turned right at the top of the station steps and gone down Cardigan Lane, but instead I turned left and then right down Cardigan Road, which meant I probably did about an extra 20 minutes more walking than I needed to. Three years living nearby in Headingley, assorted friends and a couple of girlfriends who'd lived in the area, countless visits to the cricket, and gigs at the Brudenell and other local venues over the subsequent years, and I should have known better.
And whilst I won't bore you with all the details, I found Cardigan Road bustling and as busy as a rush hour, with a steady stream of traffic heading in both directions. Shops and a wide variety of takeaways were doing a brisk trade. I came across big queues outside a pair of neighbouring lettings agencies, a reminder that this is the time of year when students are returning keys and seeking a new place for next year, with the groups of redbrick terraced streets like the Harolds and the Thornevilles that occupy this part of the LS4/LS6 postcodes traditionally popular. And as if to emphasise the area's student credentials, a few yards further on, a middle-aged man and a young woman almost knocked me over when emerging from behind a privet hedge bearing boxes which they passed to a lady stood by an open hatchback parked, flashers on, half on the pavement, before disappearing quickly back to the house beyond the hedge, no doubt to repeat until the back of the car was full. I turned right on to Burley Road, continuing on as it rose slightly, then began to dip where I turned left opposite a patch of grassy expanse to finally arrive on Kirkstall Road.
 |
| Street art on the Burley Road |
My first port of call on Kirkstall Road was an old favourite, a classic traditional Leeds pub of the highest order. I have visited the Cardigan Arms many times over the years, but it never fails to impress. This Grade ll-listed pub, which is often referred to as simply The Cardy, was originally a Melbourne pub which was built in 1896, having been designed by local architect Thomas Winn along with its near neighbour the Rising Sun (about which more later) and the Adelphi, which were all built in the style of Victorian drinking palaces. Like the road I had walked down earlier the pub takes its name from the 7th Earl of Cardigan who led the Charge of the Light Brigade and whose family owned land locally. The pub is simply a stunner, with a beautiful curving central bar with a brass rail which serves a tap room immediately to the left as you go in and a large drinking lobby if you go straight on through a pair of heavy wooden doors with glazed windows. A further three rooms lead off from here, all of which continue the theme with dark woodwork, etched glass, ornamental ceilings, and decorative tiling, with a number of large brewery mirrors, breweriana, and period furnishings. There is also a function room upstairs.
The Cardigan Arms remained a Melbourne pub until 1960 when the brewery was acquired by their local rivals, Joshua Tetley and Sons, and it was renowned for the quality of its Tetley Bitter and Mild when I lived in the city back in the 1980s. Tetleys of course were subsequently acquired by Carlsberg and the brewery closed. Tetley beers continued to be brewed elsewhere, but eventually the Cardigan had no real ale on at all, became a pale and unloved shadow of its former self, and suffered damage in the Boxing Day floods of 2015, when the River Aire over beyond the retail park across Kirkstall Road burst its banks. The pub had been closed for a time when it was re-opened in 2017 by Kirkstall Brewery after a major refurbishment which brought out the best of what it had been originally blessed with.
 |
| The magnificent bar in the Cardigan Arms |
On the bar there were the expected beers from Kirkstall, including Pale Ale, Three Swords, and Black Band Porter, along with a guest, XPA from Hackney-based Five Points Brewery who also have local interest themselves having acquired another classic Leeds pub, Whitelocks. I decided I would go for a pint of it, which I then took to a small room off the bar which which was the furthermost from the entrance. Here there were mirrors on every wall and a beautiful tiled fireplace. The beer was a solid enough 3 on the National Beer Scoring System scale, without quite living up to its spectacular surroundings. But that is a minor point; I'd thoroughly enjoyed returning once again to the Cardigan Arms.
 |
| Mirror, mirror: The Cardigan Arms |
I left the Cardigan Arms, and turned left along Kirkstall Road, where it was only a matter of yards to the place that had inspired my return to this part of Leeds. Indeed in the opening image above of Dave's Pies & Ale, the eagle-eyed amongst you may even be able to spot the hanging sign for the Cardy.
There is an interesting story behind the opening of this friendly little place. The eponymous Dave was manager of that fine old pub across the city in Holbeck, The Grove, when the country went into lockdown. With the pub shut and having a lot of time on his hands, he found an old pie-making machine in a reclamation yard, which he set about restoring as a lockdown project with a plan to sell it on. But once it was working, he couldn't resist having a go at making pies for himself. He experimented with different recipes, and soon was making pies for friends and family. They kept coming back for more and demand continued to grow. He then had the idea of opening a micro pub selling his pies and real ales. The former shop that is the bar was empty, and Dave acquired it along with a mate. The aim was to create a traditional place that looked like it had been there for ages, and so they sought out old fixtures and fittings from a variety of sources, finally opening up in November 2021.
It is a small bar, with half or dozen or so tables with additional bar stools plus a little outdoor seating clinging to the front and side of the building. There is an attractive bar in one corner, on which there were 3 handpumps, featuring Ilkley Mary Jane, Rudgate Ruby Mild, and a beer from Durham. I went for the Ilkley and went to one of the tables by the front windows. My pint was very refreshing, flavoursome, and in great condition (NBSS 3.5). I chatted to the friendly lass who was overseeing the bar who told me how they'd got started. And of course I had to try a pie whilst I was there. I decided to have it warm, so she went round the back to where they are made and a few minutes returned with an attractive looking specimen with a little pot containing a dollop of brown sauce. I'd gone for the plain option, but there are several variants such as caramelised onion, stilton, chorizo, and stuffing, and there is a vegan option too. Mushy peas and pickles are also available. I also bought one with stuffing to take home.
And the verdict? I found both hot and cold versions of the pies most enjoyable, the contents were full of flavour and delicious. Personally I do prefer a slightly crisper crust as these were soft and chewy, but the taste was good overall. And the bar? A cracking little place which is definitely worth calling in, and one that I look forward to visiting again!
I set off walking down Kirkstall Road towards the city centre as I had one more place to call in on my visit to this part of Leeds. A few minutes later I came across the forlorn sight of the former Rising Sun, which I mentioned earlier, having been designed like the Cardy by Thomas Winn. The pub had opened in 1897, another Melbourne then Tetley house, and similarly had a classic interior. It is likewise Grade ll-listed but sadly closed as a pub in 2009, spent a year or two as a second hand furniture emporium, suffered a fire in 2013, and was then affected by the flooding in 2015, since when there have been plans to turn it into flats. It remains closed, covered in graffiti, windows boarded up, deserted, and seemingly unloved, attractingly barely a glance from the cars that rush by on this busy road, a sad reminder of those times I recall from the 80s when it was a thriving local pub, a warm and welcoming place to call in for a pint.
 |
| The Rising Sun.... |
I continued my walk, passing beneath the huge railway viaduct that spans the Kirkstall and Burley roads, and carried straight on, passing the large complex of buildings that make up the Yorkshire TV studios, now rebranded as ITV. Shortly afterwards, likewise set back from the main road I came to the solid-looking, modern building that is the home of Kirkstall Brewery, whose taproom was the third place to visit on my list.
There had been a previous Kirkstall Brewery in the city which had been set up in the 1830's, and by 1898 it was producing 72,000 barrels a year. It was acquired by Duttons of Blackburn in 1936 who in turn sold it to Whitbread in 1957. The new owners invested in the brewery and at one point it was producing 250,000 barrels a year, but brewing ceased here when Whitbread pulled the plug in 1983, the former buildings now home to student accommodation.
 |
| Breweriana galore at the Kirkstall Brewery Taproom |
When Steve Holt and John Kelly, who had been running a drinks wholesaling company, decided to set up their own brewery and revive the Kirkstall name, their initial site was close to the where the original brewery had been located near Kirkstall Bridge. They produced their first brew in 2011 but when they outgrew their original 8 barrel capacity, they moved to the current site in 2016. The brewery comprises a state of the art 50 hectolitre brewhouse, whose gleaming vessels can be seen as you enter the building on the way to the taproom, which they opened in 2020. It is not the typical bar surrounded by the tanks and brewing ephemera that you find at many a brewery taproom. Instead, it is a spacious and comfortable wood-panelled pub-like room with plenty of breweriana on display. There was a great atmosphere, it was busy but not uncomfortably so, with additional seating outside. A long bar was selling several of the Kirkstall beers on cask and tap, and there was also a pump clip selling Leeds Pale, which is now brewed and distributed along with other former Leeds beers by Kirkstall, a fact that I am ashamed to admit I had completely missed until recently. I went for a pint of Kirkstall Pale Ale, which I have to say was the best beer of the day (NBSS 4). Plenty seemed to be tucking into some impressive looking food, with the pizzas highly recommended by the girl at Dave's Pies & Ale. The taproom is open every day of the week, with brewery tours on some Saturdays (you need to book first).
I finished off with a half of the Judicious Pale Ale from the taps before I headed back towards the city centre. It had been an excellent afternoon and if you fancy an interesting and varied mini-tour with a little bit of walking involved, I can thoroughly recommend a visit to this part of the Kirkstall Road....
Follow me on twitter: @realalemusic
Comments
Post a Comment