Golden Cock, Farnley Tyas: The 200-year-old pub bursting with character and traditional features
“Have you been to the Golden Cock in Farnley Tyas?” asks a beer monster chum. “I think it might be up your street.” Not only haven’t I been to the pub, I’ve never been to Farnley Tyas, which is something I’m slightly ashamed of, since a) I’ve lived in West Yorkshire for upwards of 40 years and b) it turns out to be a really pretty village high on a hill four miles south of Huddersfield. At 900ft above sea level it’s surrounded by Green Belt, and the majority of the village is designated as a Conservation area, with a number of listed buildings.
Uphill and down dale we drove, then round a corner this handsome stone pub appears, and you know you’ve landed well. Their website calls it a ‘wayside pub’ which I’m happy to go with. There’s a pleasant beer garden at the back for a pint of very well-kept Tim Taylor Landlord and a glass of nicely chilled Gulara Chardonnay. It’s surprisingly quiet in this neck of the woods given that the metropolis of Huddersfield is a spit away.
The pub is actually 200 years old and I’m pleased to see that it hasn’t been messed around with (by which I mean Farrow & Ball painted panels everywhere) maintaining its traditional features and character inside and out. Check out the exposed brick walls, wooden beams, fireplaces, and lots of space – several rooms to kick back in with comfy seating and a mix of flagged, wood and tiled floors.
On the pumps, Theakstons Best Bitter, Black Sheep Blonde and Tim Taylor Landlord, and there’s an excellent wine list including a cracking Argentinian Malbec, Dead Man’s Dice, a Chablis and a Barolo, a very nice English rose and lots of bubbles.
What my beer drinking chum didn’t tell me is that there’s a big emphasis on food here. It’s a pub grub menu but up a notch or two, with the likes of cheese souffle, chicken schnitzel alongside F&C, steak and ale pie and Cumberland sausage. Seabass fillet with broad bean and spinach risotto, burgers and a mixed grill. Quiz night, I’m told, is an institution.
The Golden Cock, 2 The Village, Farnley Tyas, Huddersfield HD4 6UD
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Welcome5/5
Atmosphere5/5
Drinks choice5/5
Prices4/5