Pub of the week: The Ferry Boat Inn, Thorganby, York.

THERE are certain summer afternoons which seem destined to be whiled away in a sunny beer garden by the banks of a gently-flowing river. For as long as anyone can remember, the residents of Thorganby have done this at the Ferry Boat Inn, beside the River Derwent.
By The Newsroom
Published 20th Jun 2011, 01:00 BST

This is a place where time stands still. The Ferry Boat has remained in the safe hands of the same landlady for more than 60 years – though Olive Rogers now allows her daughter and son-in-law, Jackie and Phil Williamson, to do much of the work.

Inside, it feel as if little has changed since Olive took on the licence back in 1948. The tiny pub is a treasure trove of low wooden beams and community spirit, with framed Camra awards on every wall.

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At the bar, four finely-kept beers are available, all of them local, some having been brewed within 25 miles of the pub. Not for nothing was this voted Camra’s pub of the year for Yorkshire in 2010.

The food is simple fare – rounds of homemade sandwiches with a choice of ham, cheese or tuna fillings, the pickles plentiful upon the side. But it is the garden outside which is surely the biggest draw, a sprawling lawn leading down to the riverbank where villagers sun themselves beneath huge weeping willows.

Boats meander past, most unable to resist mooring for an hour at the pub’s wooden jetty. If you’re lucky enough to nab a table close to the water, you can spend happy hours people watching. Among the faces spotted recently was the Sundance Kid. Robert Redford is clearly a man of taste.

Jack Blanchard.

* The Ferry Boat Inn, Ferry Lane, Thorganby, York, YO19 6DD. 01904 448224.

THE VERDICT

Welcome****

Drinks selection***

Atmosphere****

Prices***

Related topics:YorkCAMRAYorkshire