Some of the best pubs in Yorkshire aren't the ones with flashy websites or magazine spreads. They're the ones you stumble across on a back lane in a Dales village, with a hand-pulled pint waiting and a fire crackling in the grate.
The Redmire Village Pub
Tucked away on Hargill Lane in the tiny village of Redmire, deep in Wensleydale, the Redmire Village Pub is exactly that kind of place. It sits in the shadow of Bolton Castle, with Penhill rising behind and Aysgarth Falls just a short drive away. But the real draw isn't the scenery — it's what happened to save this pub from disappearing entirely.
The building dates back to the 17th century, originally a farmhouse before becoming a pub in the 1750s. For decades it was known as The Bolton Arms, and older viewers might recognise it from the BBC's All Creatures Great and Small, where it appeared in the episode "Beauty of the Beast". It was even the dale's last working farm-pub until around thirty years ago. But by 2022, the pub had closed and was up for sale, with the village facing the very real prospect of losing its only pub forever.
Then came one of those unlikely stories that could only happen in Yorkshire. Mike Burn, a Geordie living in Bend, Oregon, spotted the pub's plight on Facebook and made an out-of-the-blue bid to buy it. Meanwhile, locals had formed the Redmire Community Pub Limited, a Community Benefit Society, to fight for the building's future. Together, they brought the pub back to life. It reopened with a new name — simply, The Redmire Village Pub — and volunteers helped with everything from replacing floors to redecorating.
The food here is proper Dales fare, cooked to order with ingredients sourced from local suppliers they proudly call their "Local Food Heroes". The weekly changing menu makes the most of what's in season. The steak pudding is a standout, rich and deeply savoury, and the fish pie is comfort food at its finest. If you're visiting on a Sunday, the roast Angus beef lunch is superb — served with fresh veg, roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese, and a Yorkshire pudding that does the county proud. Mains typically sit around the £14–18 mark, and portions are generous.
At the bar, the pub holds both LocAle and Cask Marque accreditation, so the real ale is taken seriously. Three handpumps pour rotating cask beers from Wensleydale Brewery in Leyburn and Pennine Brewing Co in Bedale, alongside stalwarts like Theakston Best Bitter and Black Sheep. If cask ale isn't your thing, there's Hawkstone Lager, Guinness, and a decent wine list.
The atmosphere is exactly what you'd hope for — muddy boots welcome, dogs by the fire, locals at the bar, and walkers refuelling after a morning on the moors. It's the kind of place where the staff remember your name by your second visit.
The pub is closed on Mondays, and food service runs Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner, with Sunday lunch served from noon until four. Booking is easy through their website and recommended for Sunday lunch. There's a car park, and the village is a short drive from Leyburn. Currently rated 4.8 stars on Google with over 130 reviews, it's still genuinely under the radar.
If you're anywhere near Wensleydale, make the detour. This is a pub with a proper story and a community behind it — and the steak pudding alone is worth the drive.
