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The Birch Hall Inn, Whitby
Beck Hole
Postal town: Whitby
YO22 5LE
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about The Birch Hall Inn
Absolutely splendid little pub in an idyllic location by a stone bridge over the rocky river. The main action is in the little public bar, which has not so much a bar as a hatch through to the ancient sweetshop and general stores next door, with the same person serving at both. The ceiling is brown painted boards and the walls have antique floral wall paper. To say the furnishing is traditional is an understatement - the benches round the sides have ancient cushions, with a handful of old dining chairs to help out. Somehow a dartboard is squeezed in the middle, but there isn't really room to play if there are more than half a dozen customers. An old gas lamp hangs over the hatch but a couple of electric bulbs provide light nowadays. Some way down a stone passageway past the toilets there is a riverside garden. The tiny bar at the front of the building is equally timeless and even smaller but does at least have a counter. It is not always open however. Ales on were Black Sheep and two from North Yorkshire brewery, including the rather nice malty house ale and in excellent condition. Food is limited to pork pies and butties, and it is popular with walkers, which is handy as parking is limited to a handful of roadside spaces. A definite experience and worth seeking out.
On 9th May 2022
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Birch Hall Inn
We walked here from Goathland on the old railway incline, after having read with enthusiasm the pub's entry in Camra's inventory of historically important pub interiors. We entered the "big bar" on the left, which is apparently the original pub, but having manoeuvred through the packed crowd to the bar, found no one serving. We therefore went out and to the "little bar" next to the shop, which dates back to the 1940s. This was also full to bursting, but we spied a couple of hand pumps and after a short wait we were served. The choice was Black Sheep Bitter or the house beer: Beck Watter brewed by the North Yorkshire Brewery. The weather was fine and warm, for January, so we went outside and begged a little space on one of the benches. This is a lovely village and an interesting pub, unique even. I would not say that it was one of my more impressive pub experiences, though.
Date of visit: 8th January 2017
On 21st February 2017
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3734 recommendations about 3471 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about The Birch Hall Inn
Fantastic, tiny two bar pub, rather isolated but within 20 minute walk from Goathland/Aidensfield/Hogsmeade station on the preserved NYM Railway (though its all up hill on the way back!). Very beautiful area and character upspoilt pub, with the bar being served through an open window from the sweet shop in the middle of the building.
Local beers available, plus pork pies to die for!
On 9th June 2016
- rating: 10
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Andy Ven left this review about The Birch Hall Inn
Situated just off the Goathland to Grosmont Rail Trail (walking route along the old railway line) turn off near to Incline Cottage. There’s a tiny bar to the right (with one table), a medium sized bar to the left and a traditional old confectionery store in the room in between the two bars which also sells Beckwatter bottle conditioned ales. A beer garden to the rear overlooks the Eller Beck river just before it meets the Murk Esk. We had a fine cheese butty with pork pie and pickle. Another quaint feature is the miniature version of the pub that they sell for alongside your model railway or just to place on top of the TV.
Black sheep Best Bitter, Beckwatter Beckhole’s Best Bitter ( nice dark, maltier drink) and Idle Brewery Black Abbot on handpull with a supporting cast of Carlsberg, Guinness and Gray’s Herefordshire Dry Cider.
The gaffer told us that the place gets busy in summer, when it stays open all day, but becomes much quieter from September onwards when opening times become 11.00 until 3.00 every day re-opening at 7.30pm except Monday evenings when it doesn’t re-open. The pub also closes on Tuesdays from November.
One of Yorkshire’s heritage pubs.
On 4th October 2011
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 244 recommendations about 240 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Boots left this review about The Birch Hall Inn
One of the most famous pubs on the North York Moors it sits in a deep valley reached by narrow twisting lanes from the tourist hotspot of Goathland, also known as TV's Aidensfield. Sitting next to the beck it is an odd shaped building probably being a two storey cottage and a three storey cottage knocked together. The public rooms are one very tiny bar, a small shop and a small bar that seats about 12 people. The tiny bar has the counter with three handpumps and a couple of benches and narrow tables. The "main" bar is reached via a side alley that also leads through to the well appointed outside toilets and the beer garden. Once inside there are benches round the walls and three very narrow tables with chairs, somehow a settle and a dart board have managed to squeeze in as well. Service here is by a hatch with the beer choice shown by pumpclips displayed in the hatch. Being a tiny place there is a limited choice of other drinks but the beer is excellent, cask beers from Wells, Black Sheep and Daleside on my last visit. The pub is almost constantly listed in the Good Beer Guide. The décor looks unchanged since before the Second World War which only adds to the rustic charm, naturally there are no screens, music or games machines, just conversation and to look at prints and photos of the pub, village and local people with some hunting prints to complement the hunting scene wall paper on the fireplace. A unique and lovely pub.
On 12th February 2011
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3230 recommendations about 2939 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Mike Hewitt left this review about The Birch Hall Inn
I first visited this tiny pub in the early 1970's and was fascinated watching the locals play darts in the only room from corner to corner. Since then it has grown in stature but not in size. The Theakstons Cask is perfect and where better to drink it than in the raised beer garden, listening to the resident black faced sheep, the birds, the river Murk Esk gurgling away and the sound of Steam locomotives hauling trains up the incline from Grosmont to Goathland.
On 31st August 2006
- rating: 10
[User has posted 83 recommendations about 71 pubs]