Pub Of The Week: White Horse Farm Inn, Rosedale

Probably the most spectacular route is to head north from Hutton-Le-Hole and take the seemingly vertical, winding drop down Rosedale Bank. Then, on entering this huge, handsome 16th-century former farmhouse, you are hit by the finest odour known to man – wood smoke mixed with the smell of beef roasting somewhere nearby. It’s the kind of warm, welcoming aroma that lets you know you’re in a great pub.

Despite serving the residents of Rosedale from 1703, the pub had been through a turbulent recent past, with a string of owners leaving the White Horse in need of a major shake-up. This it received two years ago when a consortium of locals bought the pub and concentrated on improving the beer, the food and the welcome. They also refurbished throughout, including the 11 guest rooms, which now do a roaring trade.

Virtually all of the pub’s public space is dedicated to dining, with a solid menu of traditional grub made from locally sourced ingredients. For the non-diners, there are three hand-pulled ales and a cosy bar with settees in front of the roaring log fire or tables outside on the lawn with truly spectacular views of the dale.

The most noticeable signifier of the amazing turnaround the White Horse has undergone is that it was named Yorkshire’s Favourite Pub 2012 in a competition held by Welcome To Yorkshire. A well-deserved honour for the dedicated owners and staff of the White Horse Farm Inn whose hard work has turned this into the perfect pub to find at the end of a long walk on a summer’s day or to be snowed into come winter.

Dave Lee

White Horse Farm Inn, Rosedale Abbey, North Yorkshire, YO18 8SE. 01751 417239.

THE VERDICT

Welcome*****

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