Shepherd’s Rest, Lumbutts: The historic Yorkshire pub popular with wild swimmers and walkers

One place I can mention with impunity is Gaddings Dam at Lumbutts, as it’s an incredibly popular spot and the subject of a gentle and rather lovely documentary film called Wild Water.

It’s quite a hike from the road and on a warm weekend navigating parked cars is interesting if you’re heading for the Shepherd’s Rest.

There’s a plea in the pub not to park in their car park, which is completely understandable.

But if you’ve made the effort i.e. walked up the hill, swum and walked down again I suggest having a beer break because otherwise you’d be really missing out.

It’s a big old roadside inn built originally as a farmstead on a pack horse route.

In the 1850s it was some sort of museum and became a pub later in 19th century and extended in the 1930s to create a shop and cafe. Today it’s a family-owned freehouse.

There’s lots of space outside to eat, drink and take in the endless views: at the front towards the Upper Calder Valley, and at the back the impressive Stoodley Pike, and at the side of the pub there’s a safe play area for the kids too.

Inside, a comfortably traditional vibe with beams, stone walls, fires and more horse brasses than you can shake a stick at.

There’s a dining room for families, and your canine chum is welcome in the bar, where there are generally two or three cask beers available, including Wainwright Gold and Tim Taylor Landlord.

The wine list is decent and the menu is pretty good too – a notch or two above standard pub grub.

The walking from here is good: you’re pretty much on the Calderdale Way, and Gaddings notwithstanding, have a trek up to Stoodley Pike it’s quite a way but absolutely worth the effort – the 360 views are sensational.

My advice is to take Stoodley first and collapse into the pub afterwards.

Welcome 5/5

Atmosphere 4/5

Drinks choice 5/5

Prices 5/5