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Ring o' Bells, Halifax
Halifax
HX1 1QS
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Moby Duck left this review about Ring o' Bells
A traditional pub of great age sitting below the slightly soot laden Halifax Minster, the five beers that were on are noted below with myself opting for the Saltaire Blonde which I found in good shape. It's a very nice pub with a reasonable range of beer and a good starting point for a crawl of Halifax.
On 7th July 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2151 recommendations about 2118 pubs]
Tris C left this review about Ring o' Bells
In the acoustic shadow of Halifax Minster’s bells from whence the pub taketh its name and according to CAMRA, with a history going back a good 400 years, making this the town’s oldest licenced establishment; a church headstone of 1635 is incorporated into a cellar wall and since 2022, the east wall has displayed a large mural depicting Suranne Jones as Anne Lister of Gentleman Jack fame.
This is a simple, no-nonsense place with white walls and older locals; a great 1980s’ soundtrack played.
My half of Titanic Plum Porter was good, but the pub uses the ‘Return Tray’ method to recycle used beer overspill.
Very handy for the train.
On 2nd July 2024
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2208 recommendations about 2165 pubs]
Bucking Fastard left this review about Ring o' Bells
Close to the station,a traditional pub with a cosy tap room with a long fitted bench,while through an arch are two sections,one with more bench seating ,the other with dining type tables.The muzak was decent and not too loud,food is served and there tables outside near the road.
Good ale selection with a 10% CAMRA discount which on my trip meant Titanic Plum Porter,TT Landlord ,Acorn Barnsley Bitter and Saltaire Blonde (NBSS 4).A very good start or finish for any crawl and deserving of a longer stay next time.
On 30th June 2024
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2936 recommendations about 2936 pubs]
Old Boots left this review about Ring o' Bells
White painted pub next to the church hence the name, it’s also fairly handy for the railway station. A three room set up inside with the counter ahead in a square room as you enter and there’s a couple of rooms off to the right. Six pulls with five running, Taylors advertising abounds and Landlord was on with the dark version coming soon, Acorn Barnsley Bitter, Titanic Plum Porter and Saltaire Blonde were also on. Traditionally furnished with banquettes and wooden tables and chairs, it’s a fairly traditional place all round and the beer was fine.
On 24th June 2024
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3599 recommendations about 3279 pubs]
Steve of N21 left this review about Ring o' Bells
Decent traditional multi spaced pub which, although slightly out of town is still only a four minute walk north of Halifax train station.
We utilised it as the first stop and meeting place for the Pubs Galore crawl and it was reassuring busy when we rucked up early Friday lunchtime, or at least due to the fantastic sunny weather, the outside patio area to the front of the pub was.
Internally it’s a front bar room with two additional rooms to the right, one carpeted and one with a flagstone floor.
Six hand pumps on the bar with one unused and TT Landlord, Saltaire Blonde, Acorn Brewery Barnsley Bitter and Titanic Brewery Plum Porter available on the others. The fifth was badged with with TT Landlord Dark but had a small ‘coming soon sign’ in front of it, so it was unclear if it was on or not and as I only had eyes for the Plum Porter I didn’t bother to inquire.
Some impressive serving behind the jump to handle the queue we had generated which included the barmaid nipping down to the cellar to change the TT Landlord barrel mid pint for the round in front of us.
All in all I thought this was a very good pub and an ideal start or end to a crawl when visiting Halifax by train.
On 22nd June 2024
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2236 recommendations about 2098 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Ring o' Bells
A bit off the beaten track, though handy as a final stop before the station and it looks the part what with the big soot covered church looming in behind the pub. This is an old school local of the type that hasn’t seen much in the way of modernity for the best part of 50 years. Bit of knock-through inside but essentially it’s two rooms with a cream and burgundy colour scheme. Six pumps with three cask on, my Acorn Barnsley Bitter was a solid NBSS 3.5 and the welcoming hyperactive barmaid also knew her stuff and warned me that it may be coming toward barrel end and to let her know if it was. Sadly it was really quiet on a Friday night – hopefully this is isn’t the norm as it’s a decent place.
On 25th June 2022
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5552 recommendations about 5533 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Brainy Pool left this review about Ring o' Bells
olde worlde pub with a historic church behind it, what a very quaintly british scene! The pub was sadly overwhelmed by a graduation ceremony going on behind it which meant a lot of cooked food polluting the air and kids running around. good selection of cheap real ale and i imagine, if experienced at the right time, this is a great traditional pub.
On 28th September 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1174 recommendations about 1136 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about Ring O Bells
Agree with Rob, this is a very friendly and welcoming pub, with a good atmosphere. This is a stand alone pub, with a traditional interior, which consisted of burgundy painted walls up to a timber dado rail and blue grey colour above. The bar area was floorboards and carpeted throughout the rest. My Acorn Barnsley Bitter was good, but unfortunately Mrs Ale's choice of beer wasn't so lucky. The barman changed it immediately and turned the pumpclip. So all in all, a good beer drinker's pub and well worth a visit.
On 9th June 2015
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3645 recommendations about 3645 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about Ring O Bells
Named after the peals of the nearby Parish Church bells this is a great little locals pub. Two separate rooms, but with a broken through doorway, the rear room is quiter whilst "the craic" dominates the front room. Loads of banter going on between the regulars which made for a lively last stop of the day for me. In fact I enjoyed it so much I ended up having a pint and a half, despite the long day behind me. 5 handpumps including a real cider on offer and both the beers I had were in very good nick. Probably the friendliest pub I encountered on my trip round Halifax and one that I'll definitely visit again.
On 19th May 2015
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3286 recommendations about 3196 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about Ring O Bells
The Ring O’Bells stands in the shadow of Halifax Minster at one end of the Halifax Mile Ale Trail making it an ideal start or finish for this recommended activity. It’s not hard to see where the pub name is derived although it was initially called Sign of the Church and has the spurious claim to being Halifax’s oldest pub. Whilst the Shears Inn (at the other end of the crawl) dates from 1664, the Ring O’Bells was rebuilt in 1720 on cellars that are believed to date back to the 13th Century (which I was fortunate enough to be shown around).
The interior is cosy enough but perhaps not as Olde World as you would expect given the pubs history with a main bar area and a couple of rooms radiating off to the right hand side. The main bar has bare floors, solid furnishings and a central open fireplace over which stands a late 19th Century photograph showing the pub and the adjoining Waterhouse Almshouses that were demolished when the pub was extended in the middle of the last century. The carpeted side rooms have some interesting and unusual brewery nick nacks and drink adverts (the Heineken one particularly caught my eye).
On the beer front there were 6 ales available, Acorn Barnsley Bitter, Woods Quaff, Elland Scarletts Fury, Phoenix Double Gold and Brass Monkley Bitter and one that I missed (it was at the end of a long day!). Unfortuanetly I didn’t note any details regarding food, probably for the same reasons.
The landlord was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable not just about the beers and the pub but the history of the town and the customers (albeit at a quiet time) came across as very welcoming and chatty. To be honest, this wasn’t initially on my list of pubs to visit but there is certainly enough to warrant inclusion on any jaunt around the town’s better hostelries.
On 2nd April 2012
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]