Following our successful summer 2024 Ale Trail, you can still use the guide to visit 30 real ale bars across the area. Download a copy from our 'Ale Trail' page using the link below.
Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough Ale Trail
ALE TRAIL PAGE
Latest branch news
Harrogate news
At the Little Ale House a planning application to expand into the next door premises has been approved by North Yorkshire Council (ZC24/02514/FUL).
The Mayfair Pub & Kitchen (Newgate Pubs and Bars) has announced that its new sports bar in the former Jamie’s Italian on Parliament Street will soon be opening, though no date has been given.
https://www.yourharrogate.co.uk/local-news/harrogate/new-sports-bar-to-open-in-harrogate-town-centre
Montpellier Jazz Bar is likely to be the name of a new venue to be opened early next year. Simon and Sharon Colgan of Blues Bar have acquired Prego Café Bar, further down Montpellier Parade, which is to be refurbished and re-opened as a jazz café.
Irish themed bar chain, Katie O’Briens, have announced they will be opening on The Ginnel in the
unit formerly occupied by Manahatta and previously The Pit. https://katieobriensirishtaverns.com/harrogate
In Bilton at the former Lunns blind shop on Skipton Road, there is an application to North Yorkshire Council for change of use to a micropub by the owner of The Office Ale House (ZC24/03247/FUL).
Knaresborough news
The Cricketers (Marston’s) at Calcutt is no longer serving real ale.
Ripon news
The Portly Pig has changed hands, and is now under the ownership of Stuart and Katie Ross. They intend to maintain the 3 changing cask ales.
The Golden Lion (Greene King) has re-opened again with a new tenant. Open Wednesday to Sunday. Cask ale choice has reduced to two changing beers.
The Lamb & Flag (Heineken, closed 2022) has been sold to an unknown private buyer.
https://thestrayferret.co.uk/news/latest/vacant-ripon-pub-under-new-ownership
The Water Rat has reopened following a two-week refurbishment.
Other towns and villages news
The Tiger Inn at Coneythorpe (closed 2023) has been bought by the owners of Goldsborough Hall who have said they will re-open the pub next Spring with a similar offering as previously.
https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/24625502.goldsborough-hall-owners-buy-tiger-inn-coneythorpe
Meanwhile the Bay Horse Inn at Goldsborough (Stonegate) has reopened with new tenants following a short closure. This pub was operated by the owners of Goldsborough Hall since 2019, however they were unable to agree terms with Stonegate to renew the lease.
Black Lion at Skelton on Ure (closed 2019) which was purchased by the local community from Admiral Taverns last year and who are working hard towards a re-opening as community pub and hub for the village, are advertising a free of tie lease for £18k.
https://www.daltonsbusiness.com/listing/black-lion-skelton-on-ure-community-pub-for-sale-DB2197795
The lease of The Bull Inn at West Tanfield is up for sale for £95k. This pub was earlier this year voted by our members into the recently published 2025 Good Beer Guide for the first time.
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/153213272
If you have any pub, club or brewery news that we are not reporting here please email harcamra@hotmail.co.uk
This small market town boasts a diverse selection of great real ale pubs.
The spa town with victorian inns, modern bars and micropubs.
From one-eyed rats to 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
Sunday 19 January 2024
Branch meeting
Harrogate Tap
11:30
Monday 17 February 2024
Branch meeting (including Good Beer Guide selection)
The Winter Gardens, Harrogate
19:30
Saturday 14 December 2024
Ripon Christmas Social
Meet at the One Eyed Rat 12:15, followed by a tour of Ripon's best real ale pubs. All welcome.
36 bus from Harrogate at 11:40.
Saturday 11 January 2025
Knaresborough Social
From 12:00 (venue TBC), visiting the best of Knaresborough's real ale pubs.
Regular '1' buses from Harrogate (every 20 mins), or 11:35 train from Harrogate, arrives 11:44.
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?
You don’t have to be an ‘expert’ to begin scoring your beer. However, it is not about your personal favourite beer receiving the highest scores! You may try a beer that isn’t to your normal taste but what you need to consider is the quality of that beer, how well the pub has kept it and served it, and score it according to the general guide below. It is a simple 0 to 5 point system, with half points being used if your opinion of the beer falls between two categories:
0. No cask ale available
1. Poor. Beer is anything from barely drinkable to drinkable with considerable resentment
2. Average. Competently kept, drinkable pint but doesn’t inspire in any way, not worth moving to another pub but you drink the beer without really noticing
3. Good. Good beer in good form. You may cancel plans to move to the next pub. You want to stay for another pint and may seek out the beer again
4. Very Good. Excellent beer in excellent condition. You stay put!
5. Perfect. Probably the best you are ever likely to find. A seasoned drinker will award this score very rarely
How do I submit my scores?
In order to submit your scores you need to either login to CAMRA’s online pub guide www.whatpub.com on a desktop computer or a smartphone, or you can use the GBG app on a smartphone. On WhatPub you will find over 30,000 real ale pubs from all over the UK; these are not all Good Beer Guide pubs, merely pubs that serve real ale. The same pubs can also be viewed on the GBG app or you can just select the Good Beer Guide pubs. In order to start submitting scores via either WhatPub or the GBG app you need to:-
1. Login to WhatPub. To do this you need your membership number and your CAMRA password. Or, in the GBG app link your CAMRA account by following the ‘Profile’ icon in the bottom right-hand corner.
2. You can then search for your pub by name. Be careful here as there are many pubs in the country which share the same name. Try searching the pub name and the town or postcode. The What Pub web page on a mobile device also gives you the option to search for real ale pubs nearby, very useful if you are in an unfamiliar town.
3. Once you have found your pub, go to the ‘Submit Beer Scores’ box on the right-hand side of the screen (on the WhatPub desktop version), tap ‘Submit Beer Scores’ on the tab bar underneath the pub photo (on the mobile WhatPub version), or tap ‘Beer Scoring’ immediately above the pub description (in the GBG app).
4. Simply fill in the date and your score, then as you begin typing, the brewery name should automatically appear underneath where you are typing. You do not have to enter the name of the beer you are drinking but if you wish to do so once you have entered the brewery name you should be able to click on the arrow in the beer box and a drop down list of that brewery’s beers should appear. In some cases the beer you are drinking may be new or a one off by the brewery so may not appear on the list, if this is the case you can simply type in the beer name. Select the beer name, click ‘submit score’ and your score will be entered into the database. (You can also optionally include the price per pint and comment on the beer under ‘Advanced options’).
It is as simple as that. An added bonus is that a record of your scores is kept so you can look back (on either WhatPub or the GBG app) to see the beers you’ve had and how you rated them.
How do I edit my scores?
If you submit an incorrect score by mistake or decide you want to change a score, here is a link to step by step instructions on how to edit your submission. EDIT MY SCORES
Want to know more?
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For more information about CAMRA, or to become a member visit camra.org.uk