The Station Inn, Carnforth

Facebook page of The Station Inn - www.facebook.com

Official site of The Station Inn - www.thestationinnribblehead.com

A better experience than my previous visits, with an interesting and varied offering of five beers from four local(ish) breweries (see photos). It looks like the Ribblehead Bitter and the 1875 are regulars, but the latter is from Tirril Brewery, which I always swerve. The Settle Brewery offering was not as good as their Mainline Bitter, but was in very good condition (NBSS 4) and slipped down a treat. One of my walking companions said it was "cracking" and the other enjoyed his Black Sheep Respite (neither of them will do proper beer scores). We sat in the back garden, which had some pleasant shade on a sunny day. As tourist-reliant pubs go, I would say this is one of the better ones.

Facebook page of The Station Inn - www.facebook.com

Official site of The Station Inn - www.thestationinnribblehead.com

This remote North Yorkshire pub clearly relies on the draw of the adjacent Ribblehead Viaduct to run its business. As we approached the vicinity, it was clear that there were plenty of visitors to the viaduct, including a few coaches. The car park at the rear of the pub was filled mainly with caravans and mobile homes. There are also a few rooms that belong to the pub. We walked into a packed pub with all tables taken. After getting served, we managed to bag a couple of seats at the end of an occupied table. However, after about 10 minutes, the pub emptied dramatically. Seemingly a train to Leeds was due in the nearby station and the customers were in fact mostly daytrippers by train. Those left were presumably owners of the mobile homes, caravans or part of the coach parties! With the train actually being delayed, we supped our drinks in a bit more of a relaxed setting before heading outside to see it pass across the nearby landmark! The house beer here is Tirril 1875, the year that the viaduct was completed. It seemed rude not to try that one whilst I was here. It was in reasonable condition, but wasn't really my kind of beer. The other regular beer was Black Sheep Best Bitter. Guest beers were Black Sheep Blitzen (being sold at a reduced price) and Banks's Brewdolph. It's worth a stop here if travelling through the Dales. The Viaduct is impressive, but the pub is also worth a visit in its own right.