Harrogate and Ripon Campaign for Real Ale
Join us
We hold monthly branch meetings and social events in Harrogate, Knaresborough, Ripon and beyond.
BRANCH DIARY
Beer festivals and events
Find out about upcoming beer festivals and beer related events in our area.
EVENTS
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Latest branch news
Harrogate news
The Stone Beck at Jennyfields (Punch, no real ale) has reopened again.
The Winter Gardens (Wetherspoon) is to hold a Cider Festival from 31st July to 9th August showcasing traditional ciders and including tasting events.
Knaresborough
Mother Shipton Inn (Admiral Taverns) is now only occasionally serving real ales. We have had a number of ‘no cask ale’ reports from visiting members over recent months, and reports of ‘beer ran out’ and ‘awaiting delivery’ from the staff, perhaps suggesting poor cellar management.
Cross Keys has received a certificate to celebrate 15 consecutive years in the Good Beer Guide. Photo below shows manager Ruby Walker accepting the award from branch member Allan Gauld.
Ripon
The Portly Pig, our town Pub of the Year, has extended into the next door premises doubling the size of its ground floor with lots more seating. The old police cells at the rear of the building have also been converted into drinking areas, which can be booked for small groups. Three local cask ales are served, note that the pub is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Photo below shows owners Stuart and Katie accepting their Pub of the Year 2026 award.
Other towns and villages
The Furlong & Furrow (formerly The Black A Moor) at Bridge Hewick has opened under new ownership. A food-led pub but three local cask ales, two from Theakston plus TT Landlord on opening day.
The Black Swan at Burn Bridge (Heineken) has reopened under a new tenant following a 12 month closure. TT Landlord plus three changing beers from Black Sheep, Ossett and Theakston. No food currently, but expected at a future date.
At The Black Lion in Skelton on Ure (Skelton-on-Ure Pub and Hub Limited) tenants, Tadgh and Mary, have left after just six months, citing ‘the reality of the hospitality industry at the moment particularly for independent rural pubs’ making it ‘impossible for us to continue sustainably’.
Club news
The Oatlands is serving Tetley’s Original Cask bitter again alongside its two local beers, Rooster’s Yankee and Leeds Pale.
Brewery news
Bosun’s Brewery are moving from their site in Wetherby to a new location.
Success for Daleside and Harrogate Brewing in Camra’s Champion Beer of Britain competition. HBCo won silver in the mild category with Nidd Mild while Daleside also won silver for their Monkey Wrench in the premium bitter category. See all the winners at https://wb.camra.org.uk/2026/05/19/independence-day-for-champ
We will be presenting Daleside and Harrogate with certificates in the future.
Plan a local pub crawl...
KNARESBOROUGH
This small market town boasts a diverse selection of great real ale pubs.
HARROGATE
RIPON
The spa town with victorian inns, modern bars and micropubs.
From one-eyed rats to pigs and unicorns, this cathedral city has a variety of real ale watering holes.
Branch boundary map
You may be surprised by how large an area Harrogate and Ripon Camra covers, from Thornton Watlass, near Bedale in the north, to Pool in Wharfedale on the edge of Otley in the south. The map below shows the branch boundary.
Branch diary
MEETINGS
SOCIAL EVENTS
PRESENTATIONS
Tuesday 21 July 2026
Branch meeting
Bilton Club, Harrogate.
19:30
August 2026
Branch meeting
Oatlands Club, Harrogate.
TBC
September 2026
Branch meeting
Hunters Inn.
TBC
Saturday 25th July 2026
Shipley and Saltaire
A2 bus @10:55 to Yeadon ‘spoons then A3 bus to Shipley @11:50 arrive Shipley 12:31
Train to Leeds @ 11:22 then train to Shipley @12:12 arrive Shipley 12:28
Meet at the Beehive, Saltaire Road, Shipley at about 12.40.
Saturday 08 Aug 2026
Mini-bus trip
Pick up in Ripon at 11:45.
Saturday 22nd August
Pateley Bridge
Visit to pubs and beer festival at Pateley club. No 24 bus from Harrogate at 11:55, or Killinghall at 12:07.
Beer festivals and events
Beer scoring and the Good Beer Guide
You are probably aware of the ‘Good Beer Guide’, National CAMRA’s flagship publication which lists the best real ale pubs in the UK. But what you may not know is how those pubs are selected to appear in the Guide. The answer is that it is largely via beer scores submitted by CAMRA members from all over the country. If you are a CAMRA member you can send in beer scores. If you’ve ever wondered why your favourite pub isn’t in the Guide, this may well be because you, and others, haven’t entered scores rating the quality of beer there. By beer scoring, you can contribute to the process of selection of pubs that go in the Good Beer Guide. Here's how...
So how do I score the quality of the beer?
It's really simple. Go to any pub on https://camra.org.uk/pubs then click or tap on ‘Beer Score’. You just pick a rating that best describes the quality of your beer. We've also given some potential reactions (see below) to help you pick the best rating for your beer. You'll enter the date and rate the quality of the beer served, and add the price if you want. It's a great way to share your experiences and guide fellow beer lovers.
An added bonus is that a record of your scores is kept so you can look back to see the beers you’ve had and how and when you rated them. Find out more about beer scoring at https://camra.org.uk/nbss
How do I edit my scores?
If you submit an incorrect score by mistake or decide you want to change a score, you can edit them here
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For more information about CAMRA, or to become a member visit camra.org.uk