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Reviewing milestone with Walty
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Detail Pages
The Shepherds Arms, Wakefield
Horbury
Postal town: Wakefield
WF4 5DA
Reviews see review guidelines
Old Boots left this review about The Shepherds Arms
White washed pub in the outskirts of the town centre, on entering there is an overwhelming smell of cooked vegetables. The counter is straight ahead with two disappointing beers on handpumps, even worse on inspection they were found to be Wainwright Gold and Hobgoblin Original in handpump hijack guise (brewery conditioned), hazy and flat and fairly nasty. One horseshoe and a group of four solos with the usual suspects but including Murphys stout. Tartan carpet and rough cast walls with odd bits of tongue & groove, some exposed stone. Little sign of the historic features except the ceiling of the carvery section, I didn’t venture into the back rooms. Fellow punters were engaged in eating, the carvery is up a step or two on the right with a grey plague paint job. Not one for me.
On 15th January 2026
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3859 recommendations about 3526 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Shepherds Arms
Unfortunately this pub has had some sort of facelift done on it since Andy's photo from 2010 and it now looks a complete mess; well, it does to my eye, anyway. No doubt others will have different views. I ventured inside but the smell of roast meat was overpowering - and the presence of just the one beer on the bar (Wainwright) wasn't sufficient enticement for me to stay.
On 15th April 2022
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 4598 recommendations about 4212 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
aleand hearty left this review about The Shepherds Arms
A fairly innocuous looking, but surprisingly historic, large detached pub, found a little way out of the town centre. Tudor in origin, it dates from the sixteenth century and was once known as Nether Hall. However, only the gable end gives a clue to its past. Once inside, there are four rooms, with the main L-shaped space and two further rooms to the rear (one of which houses a pool table and dart board) all pretty nondescript. However, the raised area, to the right on entering, is impressive with its dark wooden panelling and historic feel.
At the bar there were three hand pumps, none of which were in use, although a collection of old pump clips, behind the bar, suggested a commitment to cask ale at some stage. On settling for half a Guinness, I asked the friendly barman if real ale was likely to return in the future, but he said it was unlikely, offering the old chestnut ‘that there was no demand for it’. Atmosphere wise, it was pretty dead during my Friday afternoon visit, with only three or four other punters in the place. However, looking beyond the lack of custom, it all felt a bit run down, lacking investment and TLC. As I polished off the last of my Guinness, ‘moribund’ was the word that sprang to mind, along with the realisation it could be so much more. Unfortunately, in its present state, the chances of a return visit are virtually nil.
Visited 22.08.14
On 5th February 2015
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 709 recommendations about 689 pubs]