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Image posted by Graham Coombs
Submitted on Tuesday, 6th May 2025
With picture contributions to 5680 other pubs
View all this pub's pictures (2 more images)
Detail Pages
Buck Inn, Ripon
Thornton Watlass
Postal town: Ripon
HG4 4AH
Served areas
Reviews of Buck Inn (Average Rating: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Blue Scrumpy left this review about Buck Inn
Village pub overlooking the village green where a cricket match was taking place upon our arrival (and departure). The village team were apparently doing quite well.
A bar to the front is carpeted and has a cosy feel with music playing. There is green leather banquette seating. A cabinet on one wall had various ornaments and items of interest in it, whilst high shelves held some model cars. The day's newspapers were available to read on one table.
Elsewhere, there is a function room the other side of the bar and a separate dining room. In addition, there is a large garden to the rear with children's play equipment alongside a limited amount of parking. On our Saturday lunchtime visit, a small group were having lunch in the dining room, with just one other gent in the bar reading a newspaper.
There are 4 regular cask ales alongside a guest. Regulars are Theakston Best Bitter, Black Sheep Best Bitter, Timothy Taylor Landlord & Wensleydale Falconer. The guest was Pennine Lions In The Heart. The cider was Stowford Press.
I thought this was a pretty and inviting village pub. One of the best we found on this visit to the Dales. It's place in the Good Beer Guide is deserved.
On 28th July 2025
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3204 recommendations about 3202 pubs]
Graham Coombs left this review about Buck Inn
A solid village pub which has been tarted up a bit and needs to re-find a bit of character but is still quite pleasant. The bar has a bit of a nineties feel with some naff stained glass and modern fittings, but retains an open fireplace. The adjoining dining room was pretty featureless, although the garden behind looked rather nice. The big function/entertainment room on the other side looked as though there had been a performance the night before but was actually being set up for the weekly village choir practice! There are still 5 (Yorkshire) handpumps on the bar, offering a very nice Wensleydale Falconer, Black Sheep Best, Theakstons Best, Yorkshire Heart Blonde and TT Landlord, although the latter was being pulled though. Food is fairly conventional pub stuff, though clearly home-made, with special menus on some nights. Friendly, perfectly serviceable and clearly a focal point for the village. Oh, and I didn't mention the picturesque cricket pitch opposite on the village green - would be a lovely place to watch a game!
On 5th May 2025
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3742 recommendations about 3677 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Boots left this review about Buck Inn
October 2015
Under new management for a few months, still with five pulls in the bar, more in the "Long Room", bitters from Theakstons, Black Sheep and Walls Gun Dog as regulars with a guest from Small World and Hop Studio on this visit. Beer quality isn't bad and the dead animals have gone being replaced by model cars, brewery mirrors and tasteful prints and photos. There has been a general redecoration but nothing drastic to detract from this classic Yorkshire village inn.
November 2009
Handsome stone built pub on the village green, it has a cozy bar, a dining room and a function room “The Long Room. Traditional pub décor in the carpeted bar, long benches, stools and Brittania tables, no noisey things such as TVs or fruit machines, just conversation and a friendly atmosphere. The usual sort of maps and pictures you expect to find plus a few mounted heads and tails of foxes and otters, dead a long time ago I hasten to add. Five handpumps gracing the bar with fine Yorkshire beers from Theakstons, York, Black Sheep and Daleside. The usual keg products of Tadcaster etc are naturally available. There is a large collection of "we're in the Good Beer Guide" stickers behind the bar testifying to the quality of the ales. Good food is also available.
On 2nd October 2015
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3686 recommendations about 3364 pubs]
View more reviews of Buck Inn (4)
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- Official site of Buck Inn - www.buckwatlass.co.uk
- Facebook - Buck Inn
- CAMRA WhatPub :: Buck Inn - whatpub.com
Thirsk, 14.34 miles, 4 hr 36 min walk (show)
Darlington, 22.64 miles, 7 hr 17 min walk (show)
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : Yes last updated 13 September 2014 by Will Larter
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 05 May 2025 by Graham Coombs
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 28 July 2025 by Blue Scrumpy
- Beer Garden : Yes last updated 13 September 2014 by Will Larter
- CAMRA Discount : No last updated 28 July 2025 by Blue Scrumpy
- Car Park : Yes last updated 05 May 2025 by Graham Coombs
- Child Friendly : Yes last updated 13 September 2014 by Will Larter
- Darts : Yes last updated 05 May 2025 by Graham Coombs
- Dog Friendly : Yes - Bar only - last updated 28 July 2025 by Blue Scrumpy
- Function Room : Yes last updated 05 May 2025 by Graham Coombs
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 13 September 2014 by Will Larter
- Jukebox : No last updated 28 July 2025 by Blue Scrumpy
- Karaoke : No last updated 28 July 2025 by Blue Scrumpy
- Live Music : Yes last updated 05 May 2025 by Graham Coombs
- Live TV Sports : No last updated 28 July 2025 by Blue Scrumpy
- Micropub : No last updated 05 May 2025 by Graham Coombs
- Pinball : No last updated 05 May 2025 by Graham Coombs
- Pool Table : No last updated 28 July 2025 by Blue Scrumpy
- Quiz Night : Yes last updated 28 July 2025 by Blue Scrumpy
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 29 July 2013 by Dave McNally
- Real Cider : No last updated 05 May 2025 by Graham Coombs
- Wheelchair Access : No last updated 28 July 2025 by Blue Scrumpy
- WiFi : Yes last updated 05 May 2025 by Graham Coombs