The Bingley Arms, Bardsey: The historic Yorkshire pub which displays everything from a suit of armour to a Harry Kane England shirt
There aren’t many pubs that have a suit of armour on display in a fireplace. But then The Bingley Arms isn’t your run of the mill pub.
For starters it is among those that claim to be England’s oldest inn.
Given the fact that official documents were pretty thin on the ground in Medieval times (they didn’t have Google or anything), and that pubs are a great breeding ground for rumours and tall tales, it’s hard for any pub to lay claim unequivocally to this accolade.
Even so, the Bingley Arms is dripping with history and, more importantly in my mind, it’s also a cracking place to have a drink.
If you like a pub with a backstory then this place nestled in the tranquil West Yorkshire village of Bardsey has it in spades.
Originally called The Priests Inn, it was used as a safe place for persecuted Catholic priests during the 16th century – two priest holes were built in the pub to house Catholic clergy fleeing from persecution following the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
The pub’s name changed around 1780 when Lord Bingley bought the building and changed its name to The Bingley Arms.
Everywhere you look there’s some historical quirk or feature, like the Dutch oven which dates back to 1738 (and sits next to an even older inglenook fireplace).
With all this history to take in you need something to wet your whistle and there are some decent options on the beer front.
There’s a couple of Ossett Brewery beers, Yorkshire Blonde and White Rat, on cask, along with the ever reliable Timothy Taylor’s Landlord and Beavertown’s Neck Oil.
You might think the pub would be a bit of a museum piece frozen in aspic, but it isn’t. In the snug tap room next door to the main bar there are TV screens and sporting photos and paraphernalia adorn walls (including a signed Harry Kane England football top).
This is still a popular local haunt that has midweek steak nights and a quiz every Thursday. And if ‘Fish Fridays’ aren’t the sign of a good pub I don’t know what is.
The Bingley Arms, 37 Church Lane, Bardsey, West Yorkshire. LS17 9DR. Tel: 01937 572462. The Bingley Arms
Welcome 5/5
Food 3/5
Drinks choice 4/5
Prices 4/5