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Beer of the Week (w/e 2nd November 2025) with Wittenden
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Ring o' Bells, Halifax
Halifax
HX1 1QS
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
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]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
James Joines left this review about Ring O Bells
Acorn Barnsley Bitter always available plus upto guests.
Home cooked food and snacks.
Small fuction rooms
Large carpark
Karaoke Friday & Saturday
Live bands monthly
On 8th March 2011
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 841 recommendations about 835 pubs]