A Place In The Country....

A reflection on rural pubs, how things have changed over the years, and how some of them have adapted in order to survive in these difficult times....

I revisited a pub at the weekend where I used to go sometimes when I was a lad, and whilst I have called in intermittently over the years, it was quite a while since I'd last visited, and so it was interesting to see how it had changed. The pub in question was the Fleece at Barkisland, which is situated high above the West Yorkshire village of Ripponden on the edge of the Pennine moors, where I was attending the evening part of the wedding of one of the football lads, whose stag do I referred to in the blog I wrote following our recent visit to Boston and Newark. 

The Fleece is a traditional pub which, according to an inscription in the stone over the door, dates back to 1737. It was situated on an old pack horse route which in these parts tended to go over the hills and avoid the valleys below, which were often dangerous with potential thieves lurking around and rather swampy ground underfoot. It has always been known as something of a destination pub as long as I have been going there. We used to go there for the disco, as they were known back in those days, which I think was usually on a Monday evening, at a time when they would be run on different nights by several out of the way pubs in the area. The usual situation was that the pub would generally carry on serving beyond the normal licencing hours as they would apply for a supper licence, where they would offer such delights as chicken and chips in a basket or pie and peas. As you tucked into your food, there would be a DJ with a dodgy line in patter and a questionable choice of records playing through a pair of distorted speakers to a group of hulky farm lads on the lagers engaged in a standoff with a couple of bored girls on the Cinzano Biancos. The Fleece was generally seen as being a cut above the rest of the local countryside pubs, though. It was always well-run and used to attract the beautiful people from quite a distance, across Halifax and Calderdale, and even places like Rochdale a few miles away on the other side of the Pennines. It was therefore normally livelier and therefore perceived as offering more potential opportunities for the would-be Romeo. 

The Fleece, Barkisland

The Fleece still retained much of its traditional character back then, although I can't remember the beer being anything special. It also had a reasonable food offering and with stunning views over the Ryburn valley and the hills beyond, it was a great place to enjoy an al fresco drink. Over the years the pub has continued to evolve significantly so that it now bills itself as a hotel and wedding venue. In 2012 it became the Fleece Countryside Inn, one of those modern day affectations of pub names that are designed to appear favourably when searching online. And at the back of the pub there is now a much-expanded room that is set up to host weddings and other big events with its own separate entrance and opening to the now-expanded terrace where those precious wedding day memories can be captured.

Now the beer - on cask a choice between Tetleys and a blonde from Magic Rock - was not outstanding, but as I surveyed the room of happy people with their chilled-out, jackets-off mood, some dancing, some chatting, and some grabbing a bite to eat, it struck me that the Fleece has continued to do well because it has adapted to the times, the economic realities, and societal needs, unlike many of its contemporaries from 40-odd years ago when I first visited the place.

The former Blue Ball at Soyland

The hills of the South Pennines were home to a surprisingly large number of pubs at one time. Like the Fleece, many were based along the old pack horse routes that criss-crossed the moors. On the same side of the Ryburn Valley as the Fleece in the Norland area were the Blue Ball and the New Rock, which both closed some years ago, and the Moorcock, which reinvited itself as fine-dining restaurant receiving glowing reviews and a Michelin Guide recommendation before closing in January 2023. Heading down from the Fleece into Ripponden and then taking the A58 towards Rochdale, as you leave the village you pass two former pubs, the White Hart on the right and the Butchers Arms on the left, which have been converted into housing. Likewise, further on the road overlooking Baitings Dam in the area known as Soyland, are the former New Inn, and then a couple of fields back up the hill, the Blue Ball, the latter in particular a regular haunt back in the day, are now private houses. It is not until you cross over the county boundary into Greater Manchester that you find an old pub that is still open, the White House at Blackstone Edge, which I visited earlier in the year. As I noted at the time, the pub is lucky enough to attract plenty of visitors so that "today this family-run pub is popular with walkers, passers-by, and those from both sides of the Pennines seeking a drink or food. And for those that don't want to drive there is a regular bus service between Halifax and Rochdale which stops close by the pub."

And so that's a snapshot from a small area of the South Pennines, but it is a scene that plays out all across the country. And bearing in mind that the hills around Ripponden that were home to these pubs is close to some large centres of population, it will fare better than most. In plenty of parts of the country there are rural areas miles away from any large settlements that don't have the attractions to draw people in like areas such as the Peak District, the Norfolk Broads, or the Yorkshire Dales. Even in such places, there are no guarantee that pubs will stay open as the same pressures that affect pubs everywhere - increased costs of goods, energy, changing habits, owners retiring, the impact of Covid, etc - play out here too. And also the impact of second homes bought by affluent outsiders, which drive up the cost of houses beyond the price locals can afford which then end up being empty for half of the year leaving the village left as a sad empty shell of its former self.

To those factors mentioned above you can add to that often poor transport infrastructure, though the White House is something of an exception. The last bus that would have got me to the Fleece at Barkisland would have been just after 7, no chance to get one home later, circumstances dictating that in any case I got a taxi to the tune of £20 each way. Back to 40 years ago, we were able to get a late bus home after 11pm after visiting far-flung country pubs such as the Beehive at Soyland (which is still open) or the Travellers Rest at Steep Lane (which isn't), which wouldn't be possible today. Interestingly, the government in the past few days have announced plans to fund London-style bus services across the country although whether that will have a significant impact on rural services remains to be seen. Another difference to be frank is that 40 years ago there was still a relatively significant number of drivers who were prepared to take risks and drink more than they should, the five-and-drive attitude which has been overwhelming rejected by the last couple of generations and society as a whole. Unfortunately some rural pubs from back then did largely rely on this kind of customer, failed to adapt, and have consequently not survived.

Now there are still plenty of villages and rural areas up and down the country that still have a pub or two, but not as many as there used to be. Pubs have closed in our towns and cities of course, but the impact can be much greater in a small settlement where it is the hub of village life. For those villages that are home to commuters to nearby towns and cities it is a lot easier to survive, but for those that aren't, pubs have to be more inventive and creative in order to attract sufficient custom. Many go down the food route, but there are only so many customers in a competitive marketplace, but others have stepped in to provide community services such as when the local post office has closed.

In a small but increasing number of communities across the country, when the village pub is facing closure, the community have stepped in to buy it and keep it open as a key part of village life. An early such example is the Old Crown at Hesket Newmarket in Cumbria, which was facing closure as the owners wanted to sell up, and so a co-operative was set up to buy the pub, and since 2003 this pub and microbrewery has continued to be a vital and thriving part of the local community. A few years ago, I visited the George & Dragon in the village of Hudswell near Richmond in North Yorkshire. Situated high up above Swaledale, the pub had closed in 2008 leaving this long, linear village with no community facilities apart from the village hall. So the locals clubbed together, bought the pub, and set about making it a hub for the village. It re-opened in 2010, and became home to a village shop, a library, allotments, and other community facilities, as well as offering a good range of beers and a highly-rated food menu. It became especially popular with visitors from much further afield when it became CAMRA National Pub of Great Britain in 2016, and continues to be in the Good Beer Guide to this day.

The George & Dragon, Hudswell near Richmond

And finally, one of the most interesting and remarkable community pubs in the country is the Old Forge, which is situated in the small village of Inverie on the remote Knoydart Peninsula in the Scottish Highlands. If you think the lack of public transport elsewhere is a problem, then think again! There are no roads in these parts, so to get to the Old Forge you are faced with either an 18 mile trek across a rugged mountainous wilderness or a 7 mile journey by boat, by which time you will be in need of a pint of one of the real ales on offer. Once you are there you will find a thriving village pub which is at the heart of the small community that lives on the peninsula, and it offers a warm welcome to visitors that have come here in increasing numbers since it opened its doors as a community pub and hub in 2022. A very worthy example of what can be achieved in the most difficult circumstances....

Inverie on the Knoydart Peninsula, Scotland

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