A trip out to an area to the west of Huddersfield where the skies are big and the views are spectacular, with some good pubs there to offer a warm welcome, plus a look at the small brewery that runs a couple of these pubs....
I had a wander out the other day, driving up to Meltham, a small town of around 8,000 people nestling beneath the brooding Pennine moors, approximately 5 miles west of Huddersfield. The area has been occupied since pre-historic times and the village of Agbrigg, which eventually became known as Meltham, was mentioned in the Domesday Book. The settlement grew up like so many others based around the woollen industry, with sheep and water a plenty in the area. The huge Meltham Mills complex was built by Jonas Brook, expanded in the early 1800's and the switch was made from producing wool to cotton, which was not so common in the Yorkshire mills. At its height the Mills employed over a thousand people. A co-operative society was set up in the town in 1827 and was the first to pay a dividend on purchases. Meltham had its own railway station, served by a branch line from Lockwood, with passenger services running until 1949. The town later became famous as the home of David Brown tractors, who were eventually taken over by their US rivals, John Deere. Today, with the attractive surrounding countryside, some of which falls within the Peak District National Park, and plenty of local facilities, Meltham, whilst still home to a number of large businesses in its own right, is a popular location for commuters employed in places like Manchester, Sheffield, Huddersfield, and Leeds.
A couple of miles out of town, at a windswept corner on Blackmoorfoot Road opposite the junction with Deer Hill End Road, lies the Will O'Nats (opening image), below Meltham Cop, a hill whose summit is 1,000ft above sea-level, and close to the Blackmoorfoot Reservoir. It has been a pub for over 170 years, when it was named as the Spotted Cow on a map of the area from 1854, when a William Dyson (who may or may not have been a distant relation) was the licensee, later appearing is the New Inn in the 1871 census. Locally it was known as 'Will O'Nats', meaning 'William, son of Nathaniel', and continued to be so for years after his death in 1881, with the name eventually being adopted formally in the 1970s. The early years of the pub was not without incident; one evening in January 1871, a Thomas Inman, described as a 'tramping scissors grinder' from Sheffield was found collapsed at the foot of the back door steps, having taken a tumble, and died the following day from 'compression of the brain'. Meanwhile, a subsequent landlord, Elliot Walker got into a trouble in 1913 when an off-duty policeman got drunk in the pub and subsequently assaulted a local farmer during an altercation after leaving the pub.
These days, the pub is popular with walkers, drinkers, and diners, who are attracted by the home-cooked food which is available every day. There are up to 6 real ales available, comprising 3 regular ales and 3 guests. Live music events are held on the first Saturday of the month in the Summer, when camping is allowed at the back of the pub. At the back of the pub there is a beer garden behind the car park, with the slopes of Meltham Cop rising beyond. In the distance the waters of Blackmoorfoot Reservoir can be seen.
I parked up and walked in to an attractively decorated room with a lacquered flagstone floor, with a bar featuring 3 hand pumps offering Taylors Boltmaker, Black Sheep Bitter, and Bradfield Farmers Blonde. I did notice another 3 hand pumps on the bar around the corner, but I couldn't see what they were and at that point I didn't realise they could have been the aforementioned guests, thinking they were probably repeats of what was in front of me. As I'd walked in, I let a couple pass first, and after they'd thanked me, she said to him that "it's a shame they've stopped doing food". A young lad behind the bar wandered over to me and asked what I want, and started pull the Farmers Blonde I'd requested. A lady appeared suddenly from around the corner and asked my server if he'd told those people they'd stopped doing food, as they hadn't and he'd asked the wrong person. He was swiftly despatched to the car park to catch them before they drove off to apologise at least, whilst the lady jumped on to finish my pint seamlessly and efficiently as if nothing untoward had happened as I tried to suppress my urge to snigger at the situation.
I retreated to a traditionally-furnished corner with old pictures of Meltham and surrounding area to enjoy my pint. A few minutes later the guy I'd let through as I entered walked through the bar, so it appears laddie's dash was successful, though whether they actually had the meal they'd come for we'll never know. My Farmer's Blonde was above average, with plenty of flavour, cool, and refreshing. (NBSS 3.5). The pub was quite busy, and whilst I think I'd once been here a long time ago, I can't be sure. It has been in the Good Beer Guide many times over the years, with its most recent appearance in 2020. But if you are out in these parts, a stop off at the Will O'Nats is well worth making.
About a mile away on the road heading out of Meltham, before the turn off to the Will O'Nats is a pub that is in the current Good Beer Guide. The Travellers Rest is a smart and solid-looking stone-built roadside pub with a large beer garden with spectacular views over the surrounding countryside, as I noticed when I pulled into the large car park. There had been a beer house on this site since at least 1879, with the first reference to the Travellers Rest back in 1892. As I saw when I walked inside though, despite its advanced years, a total refurbishment in 2017 by current owners' Milltown Brewery has resulted in a modern and comfortable split-level interior with exposed stone walls and polished wooden floors, but still with a few historic reminders here and there. Large windows give the pub a light airy feel and afford visitors some stunning views to enjoy with their drinks. I walked over to the bar, where there were a total of 8 hand pumps, featuring beers predominantly from Milltown, but with a couple of guests including Taylors Landlord and a real cider.
The pub was quite busy with most tables occupied, but I found a small table in a nook across from the bar that was empty where I could enjoy the pint I'd just bought. I'd gone for Platinum Blonde, a 4% very pale ale from Milltown which I had not had for quite some time. And I have to say I found the beer to be very fresh and refreshing, with a floral and citrus aroma from the use of American hops (NBSS 3.5). The Travellers had a relaxed and friendly atmosphere based on this visit. Unlike the Will O'Nats and somewhat surprisingly for a rural pub these days, it doesn't have a food offer, but it does have three holiday lets close by if you fancy a stopover in this beautiful part of the South Pennines.
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| Traveller's Rest, Meltham |
And what of the brewery that runs the Travellers Rest? Well, Milltown are one of a number of small breweries based in and around Huddersfield that have been plying their trade for a few years. Whilst often with the rest of this group which includes Mallinsons, Small World, Empire, and Lords, you may see their beers out and about in both local free houses and, in the case of Mallinsons and Small World in particular, further beyond, Milltown have tended to keep a lower profile. The brewery was set up by Neil Moorhouse, using a four barrel plant in 2011 in the village of Milnsbridge, having left behind a career in IT in order to follow his passion for real ale, despite having virtually no prior experience. The brewery range includes a solid core of 6 beers with a couple of bitters, an American Pale Ale, Platinum Blonde, a golden ale called Tiger's Tail, and a porter, with Platinum Blonde the brewery's best known beer. And whilst they don't get out in the free trade as much compared to their afore-mentioned peers, unlike them they do own a couple of pubs.
One of these pubs is the Traveller's Rest; the other - the first one, and the official tap for the brewery - is the Dusty Miller at Longwood. Now unlike the previous two pubs this is one that I had visited several times before, albeit a while ago. The first time was over 40 years ago was with an old work colleague, who lived around the corner. But subsequently, when I lived in Elland in the 1990's I would pop over the hill and visit what in those days was one of the best free houses in the area with a good selection of beers. I had my first pint of Black Sheep Bitter in here, hardly cutting edge by today's standards but it was a big deal then, as the Dusty was one of the first pubs in the area to get their hands on it following its launch. The landlord back then was, if I remember all the details correctly, a taciturn former police officer called Trevor, whose demeanour on a good day could best be described as curmudgeonly. But he could certainly look after his beer, and so any aberrations in character he may have had tended be overlooked. And to be fair, back in those days, curmudgeon was the default description you would tend to apply to many a landlord!
I decided to revisit the Dusty Miller recently. I approached via the A640 New Hey Road from the Huddersfield side, where having shortly passed the Huddersfield New College/Salendine Nook High School campus and just before the roundabout where you can join the M62 at Junction 21, I turned sharp left on to Longwood Edge Road, and then continued to the right down the steep Gilead Road. The pub is on the left hand side at the junction with Lamb Hall Road. With the steep hillside and properties clinging to the slopes there is no room for a car park, so I parked a little way up the hill and walked down to the pub, which looks to have comprised several separate cottages at one time. It was a sunny afternoon, and there were several customers sat on bench tables in front of the pub enjoying their drinks. It took my eyes a couple of minutes to adjust to the light as I entered the dark interior of the pub. The bar occupies a large area to the right as you walk in and is still in the same position as where it was all those years ago. Whilst the pub is essentially open plan, the bar effectively splits the room in two, with an area to the road side of the pub and another on the hill side. There is a separate area to the left as you walk in. A friendly lass came up and took my order, a pint of Platinum Blonde, which I took outside and enjoyed sat at one of the picnic benches in the sunshine. It was very good, in tip-top condition, and absolutely hit the spot on this warm afternoon. It was very pleasant sat out taking in the expansive views over Golcar and the countryside beyond and watching the cars and walkers with their dogs going past, some breaking their journey and stopping off here for a drink.
I went back to the bar to get another pint but this time I decided to stay inside, opting to sit by the window at a table opposite the bar. The pub is more traditional than its sister pub over at Meltham, with stone-flagged floors, exposed stone walls, and wood-burning stoves. Historic photos are displayed on the walls. My second pint was as good as my first, definitely worth an NBSS 4 rating. The Platinum Blonde is one of 6 beers available on hand pump, along with a couple more from Milltown, Taylors Landlord, and a couple more guests. There was a lovely warm and friendly atmosphere here, and with the pub's location tucked away down a steep hillside it has the feel somewhat of a hideaway from the world beyond. On this basis, I won't leaving it as long before I pay the Dusty Miller another visit....
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