The Kings Arms, Keighley

A bigger stone built pub at the top of the hill adjacent to three other pubs. Extensively but sympathetically modernised inside with modern flag and possibly recovered boards as flooring. The counter is L shaped and stone built, it is a haven for bar blockers. Three pulls on each face serving six beers from Bridgehouse in reasonable condition, as a sop to tourism four beers are given the names of the Bronte siblings, Anne (blonde 4%), Emily (amber 4.1%), Charlotte (IPA 5.6%) and Branwell (porter 4.5%), the other two, boys beers at 3.4%, retained their maiden names. Two T-Bars serve the usual mix but with John Smith’s Smooth included. There’s a split level extension at the back/side with tables and comfy seats, it’s decorated on one one wall with a large Victorian map of Haworth.

The Kings Arms has undergone a makeover and renovation since the last reviews and has now received the TLC that the previous reviewer mentioned was required. It is now a collaboration between Punch and the Bridgehouse Pub Company, whose Microbrewery is situated at the Airedale Heifer pub in nearby Keighley. Still a very impressive imposing stone building from the outside, inside it’s a smart food and beer oriented pub. The main bar is a mixture of bare wood and stone flagged flooring with beamed walls and ceilings and stone walled sections to give the place character, comfortable seating around the edge. And then on a lower level to the main bar is a separate carpeted wood panelled dining area utilising the usual Farrow and Ball colour scheme. This section has various black and white prints of the surrounding countryside including an impressive wall panel depicting a map of Haworth and the surrounding area at the time of the Bronte Family that stretches the whole length of one dining section. There are now six real ale handpumps on the bar in two banks of three and these usually provide five Bridgehouse beers and one guest. However due to its proximity to the Bronte Parsonage Museum around the corner, the Bridgehouse beers are gimmicky given names of the various members of the Bronte family, but fortunately the chalk board next to the bar does give a good description of each ale giving a clue to what actual beer they are if you are familiar with the Bridgehouse Beers. Actually, for our visit there were four Bridgehouse Beers, referred to as Emily, Anne, Charlotte and Branwell and two guests with Father Mikes from the Brunswick Brewery and Bear town Kodak Gold. I went for the Branwell (which is the Bridgehouse Porter) and Anne (Bridgehouse Blonde in real life) and they were both well kept. We didn’t eat here but the menu looked like reasonable Yorkshire pub grub rather than any gastro rubbish with such things as Yorkshire Dales Steak and Porter Ale Pie for £11 and Haddock and chips for a tenner. This is now a good comfortable pub for a beer or eats when visiting this tourist village but be warned apparently the staff dress up in Bronte period costumes during the tourist season. However, we visited early enough in June to avoid any of that nonsense.