Good Beer Guide Ticking
The River Esk Walk is a new medium distance path.
The Esk Valley Walk is a scenic long-distance footpath in North Yorkshire, England, stretching approximately 35 miles from the village of Castleton to the historic coastal town of Whitby. This route offers a diverse walking experience, combining upland moorland, river valleys, and picturesque villages.
From our base in Sleights, it takes us exactly where we want to be. The tourist and pubby highlights of Whitby. The walking is functional, following sheep fields and railway lines. What is surprising is the lack of views of the river. If it wasn't for crossing at Ruswarp, we wouldn't have seen it at all until the estuary.
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| Where's the Esk? |
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| Good signage |
Usual tourist photos, alongside sail boats, up 199 steps and next to ruined abbeys that inspired fictional pointy toothed monsters.
Time to add to the Good Beer Guide Ticks, from a previous visit to the area when we could only sit outside the few pubs that had chosen to open in Spring 2021.
The Black Horse would not have coped with covid. A squeeze through the front door to a tiny front room where you have to make friends with everyone. A couple of springer spaniels will aid that process significantly.
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| Peaking Early - Today's Best Pub |
This is one of those places that will improve through experience. A first visitor could be forgiven for thinking the front room is all there is - where two beers are available. Oddly, from Suffolk and Cornwall. However, there is another room around the back with some more LocALE offerings.
Conversations flowed with the landlord, the locals and the tourists until we reached the point when we had bored everyone and we were the last couple standing. Things we learnt? The landlord has never seen a ghost here but he had at his previous pub, the Hole in the Wall, York. Tapas in Yorkshire is Yapas. Obviously.
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| My type of gaff |
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| Cultural Appropriation |
We did head up the steps and have a revisit of the previously blogged Whitby Brewery. A must visit on a sunny day.
Strategically positioning ourselves for public transport home, we head towards the station for one of the three trains a day. Not steam, regular Northern.
The Station Inn does nothing to dispel my suspicion that any pub named after railway infrastructure is likely to be a bit rubbish. It doesn't look great from the outside.
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| Ordinary Pub |
Inside, it fares better. Multi roomed and apart from the stifling temperature, the little lounge, with its green leather bench seating, is a nice place to drink.
The drink? A poor example of Timothy Taylor Landlord in a dirty glass. We move on.
Where better to wait for a train than The Waiting Room? Sister pub to the Saturday visited Arch and Abbey but unless you like cider, not quite as interesting.
Its the tiniest of micros. WhatPub listing it as 6 yards squared. Not sure it has more than four tables.
For me a micro needs to offer more than a regular pub to work. Four Cask, no Keg at all and a small collection of International bottles. Nine ciders could have been that unique offering, but not quite up my street. I like cider, but wouldn't know how to choose from a list of names and producers. There are all £4.95, so I would probably apply the same high ABV as I do to beer. 7% seems a bargain.
The cask - Abbeydale Absolution - was perfect. So it definitely warrants its place in the bible.
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| Last Train to Sleights leaves at 4pm |
Amusingly, if you wish to use the facilities, you are forced to ask for the key, which is connected to a giant fob. Instructions say you must lock the door and return the key to the bar.
The place is that small that no one could sneak in for a crafty tinkle without the staff noticing.
Obviously, there was an incident that forced this policy to be implemented.
In other news, Northern Trains were ready for us at the allotted time. £7.80 for two for nine minutes.
Walk Details
Distance - 4 Miles
Geocaches - 5
Walk Inspiration - The Esk Valley Walk
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