The Sportsman Beerhouse, Huddersfield

A cracking pub round the corner from the train station. 3 roomed and descriptions are elsewhere and still accurate. 10 handpumps with 2 for cider and all in use today. Crafty beers are also available from 8 fonts. A signed Huddersfield Town shirt is displayed for footy aficionados. Definitely worth a visit.

Agree with BF, this pub should not be missed when on a visit to Huddersfield. We called in on a Sunday afternoon and there was a nice laidback atmosphere of fellow drinkers, enjoying a decent range of ales. I enjoyed the XT 3 Indian Pale Ale, along with the Horbury Blonde and the Summer Wine Brewery Union Pale. We especially liked the 1930's curved oak bar with curved ceiling pelmet. The square pattered red and green lino in the private room was also to be marvelled at, along with the Double Diamond and Bass framed prints around the walls.

A short walk from the station and a pub that shouldn't be missed.The interior is noteworthy with a curved 30's art deco bar in wood,banquettes with wooden finish in the tap room and two charming side rooms,the smaller raised and full of photos from the Huddersfield of yesteryear while the larger side room can be hired for a private party and has a parquet floor and bell pushes.Lot of original features are dotted about.There is a small outside beer garden,being set up for a beer festival on my trip.Occasional live music is played,and there was a tapas evening in full swing,with an impressive age range to the clientele .The 8 handpumps were delivering a fine selection in the shape of Magic Rock Hire Wire,Mallinsons Ella,Five Points Pale Ale,Partners Ghost,SYL First Chop,Golcar Hostess and TT Landlord available on my trip so there is every chance of sampling the wares of the many micros of the immediate area together with pokey ABV brews.The Sun-Thurs 10% CAMRA discount is another plus point,I would highly recommend including this pub on any ale tour of the Town,and it's also worthy of an extended stay.

Corner pub with high ceilings near the station, a bit basic and a real ale type boozer. There is a main room with a curved bar on the far wall and two smaller 'snug' type areas divided by curtains. Nice enough feel, warm, very good choice of craft beers on cask or keg & very good quality. Arty background music. Watch out for the large dog which is allowed to jump around.

Occupying a main road position close to Huddersfield station is The Sportsman, a fine traditional, golden/ honey coloured stone, street corner pub. The main bar area features an unusual, quite striking, curved bar counter with glass shelving and fixed padded seating around the perimeter of the room, accompanied by rather more modern looking low backless wooden seats. Just inside the front door is a framed potted history of Hammonds Brewery, whose H logo is still evident on the windows. A collection of beer bottles occupy a shelf high up and, in one corner, is a framed Huddersfield Town F C football shirt, but the overall feeling is of a slightly spartan interior. Pleasingly, there’s no TV’s or fruit machines. There’s two additional, traditionally furnished, smaller rooms, one at each side of the main bar area. The room on the left has some old black and white photos of Huddersfield and old architects plans of the pub. The room on the right has various old Double Diamond posters and Brewers Society adverts and a lino floor. Both these rooms can be curtained off for private hire. Note the unusual sporting theme tiles in the gents toilets and the 1950’s style mirrors and glasswork in the doors. The pub is featured in the Yorkshire Real Heritage Pubs book. Distractions include occasional music nights, Spanish tapas on Friday evening and, most notably, should you feel so inclined, you can sign up for Spanish lessons on Tuesday evenings. A good range of pub grub is offered – on my visit, rather substantial and appetising looking brisket butties - £ 4.95p – were proving popular. A lively, but cordial atmosphere prevailed, with a number of groups of crawlers who appeared to be doing the Trans Pennine Ale Trail ( even though this pub is not one of the pubs on the official trail ) making the pub quite busy. . A sandwich board in the doorway outside proudly announced that the pub would be holding its 5th Birthday Celebrations between 24-27 April 2014. As well as its own on site microbrewery, the pub is a keen supporter of local micros with 8 beers in total available on handpump. On my recent Friday evening visit, only one on site beer was available – Hop Cotch – supplemented by two beers from Manchester’s Marble Brewery, 2 beers from Sheffield’s Brew Co, Timmy Taylors Best plus Mallinsons SPA. Small tasting pots on the bar counter, rather resembling those small individual jam pots that you find at breakfast in corporate chain hotels, allow you a taster and let you see the colour of the beer. The Mallinsons SPA - £ 2.50p – was in good form, as were the Marble beers. The pub has been a CAMRA Good Beer Guide regular in the last few years. The pub is also determined not to miss out on the craft beer bandwagon, with various pricier beers available in 1/3 pint measures. - eg Thornbridge Colorado Red ( 5.9% ABV ) at £ 1.55p for a 1/3 pint Worth looking out when in Huddersfield – and its relatively central location makes it a good spot to meet up or to start or end a town crawl