The Head of Steam, Huddersfield

As you enter this pub which is housed at one end of Huddersfield train station, you are presented with a choice of bars. To the left, there is a an open room with very little in the way of seating - just a couple of sofas and low tables in one corner - which is decorated with all manner of old advertising signs for the likes of Cadbury's Chocolates, Bristol Tipped Cigarettes and Lyons Cakes. A huge Bass mirror hangs over the fireplace on the right hand wall and a doorway leads to a smaller, similarly decorated room to the rear with what appears to be access out to the platform. A side room was signposted as being a games room, but it appeared to be closed and the games, which included lots of traditional pub games and some old school video machines (Space Invaders, Pacman etc...), were all packed away when I had a look. Should you turn right upon entering, you will instead find yourself in a nice, carpeted bar with banquette seating and all manner of rail memorabilia on the walls including some rather lovely train station signs. A TV was on in here, showing 'Loose Women' which was mercifully muted in favour of a rather enjoyable selection of music. Again a second, smaller room can be accessed and as with the other side of the pub, this one is similarly decorated to its corresponding front room, with the train sign theme still prominent. There are more standard tables and chairs in this room and it was being used by quite a few diners whilst I was there, myself included. A doorway in here leads to the other rear room, meaning that you can complete a full circuit of the pub's four bars. A very strong beer line up was split across the four bars but listed on blackboards for ease of ordering. The selection on my visit was Roosters Spearmint Mild and Mocha Stout (£3.05), Black Sides Best Bitter, Brass Monkey Baboon, Copper Dragon Golden Pippen, Wylam Heddon Light (which is apparently brewed especially for this pub and costs just £2.25 a pint), Nethergate Priory Mild, Northumberland Bucking Fastard, Cottage Comet and Harviestoun Bitter and Twisted. There was a mild festival in progress throughout May, with 31 milds (one for each day of the month) lined up for the coming weeks. I counted a list of seven ciders and perrys on the blackboards as well. I also had some food in here and thought that it was fairly good value for money as the portion size was very generous. I got a very friendly welcome in this pub and really enjoyed my time in here. There is an excellent beer selection which no doubt makes it very popular with those enjoying the Trans Pennine Ale Trail and a wealth of rail memorabilia which should please the train enthusiasts who stop off here. Well worth getting to the station nice and early to enjoy some time here before setting off.

Official site of the Head of Steam - www.theheadofsteam.co.uk

Official site of the Head of Steam - www.theheadofsteam.co.uk

Excellent place. Was it four rooms or five? I’d lost count by this time. The long narrow former ticket office has been converted into a games room with jenga, table space invaders and a swinging skittle game thingy. The platform side room is set out for dining, the rooms on the opposite side next to the taxi rank is for the drinkers. It vies with the Station Buffet Bar in Stalybridge for the title of best pub on the Trans-Pennine Rail Ale crawl. Its absence from the GBG 2010 is an oversight, surely.