The Bingley Arms, Leeds

This is an imposing pub set on a bank in the village of Bardsey. As previous reviews have said, it lays claim to being the oldest pub in England. It has a rather large car park at the front, also set on the bank. We entered up some steps into a dining room. The waitress/barmaid that greeted us suggested that it was best for us to sit outside, where there is a covered patio at the rear. However, it was strange that nobody else had been asked to sit outside, with quite a few drinkers in a separate bar area. Timothy Taylor Landlord is a regular beer here. The guest was Ossett Yorkshire Blonde. Despite it being a Sunday lunchtime, there were no other diners present, which made our relegation to the patio all the more strange. A little too pretentious for my liking, despite its historic appeal.

Easy to reach by bus from the centre of Leeds: the X99 takes just under half an hour, and the village is a short walk from the bus stop on the main road (less than half a mile bus stop to pub). I made a special trip to get here, having only recently found out that it claims to be the oldest pub in the country. Apparently there are American tourists who make a point of visiting, though to outward appearances it could be any age; I was informed that there is a tunnel connecting the cellars to a vault under the nearby church, but whatever the claim of 953AD is based upon, it is obviously similarly underground and unseen by the modern drinker. With Covid-19 table service in operation I was quickly escorted through the main bar to a table on the sunken patio at the rear. The garden is above this, approached by steps, but the patio was covered and heaters added to assist with reopening after the lockdown was lifted. Two beers were available on hand pump, Timothy Taylor Landlord and a Yorkshire Blonde, whose provenance I didn't determine. Luckily the Landlord was in the best condition and taste I can recall in recent years, which has earned this pub an extra mark or two from me, and at £4.30 is only a pound a pint more expensive than in John Bonser's review of more than a decade ago. It was quiet at the time of my mid-Sunday afternoon visit, but from talking to one of the friendly staff I found out that it had been busy at lunch time and they have been doing a good trade since reopening, which is good news. I ate here, and had a vegan tart with new potatoes and a generous salad for £13. It might be good to come back another time when things are more relaxed - I exited via the signposted one way system which goes through a public bar to the left of the main room, which seemed pleasant and well occupied, presumably by locals.

Facebook page of The Bingley Arms - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of The Bingley Arms - www.facebook.com

Situated in the small village of Bardsey, a mile or so off the main Leeds - Wetherby A road, the Bingley Arms is one of a number of pubs that, with varying degrees of justification, lays claim to being the oldest in Britain. As you drive through the small village, you suddenly see an impressive and imposing looking Yorkshire stone building with a large car park in front. A sandwich board outside tells us that The Bingley Arms is "one of England's oldest inns dating back to 953 AD .An enamel sign affixed to the wall announces the pub as "England's oldest inn recorded in The Guinness Book of Records". I'll leave you to read all about the pub's history on their own very informative website. Perhaps inevitably, there's various ghostly rumours, about which you may share my scepticism. A traditional door entrance leads into a low ceilinged, dark beamed, flagstoned bar with several different rooms, with candlesticks on the tables and plenty of old pictures. A traditional olde worlde feel was somewhat marred by the presence of a large TV which had been set up on the table in preparation for the World Cup. Thankfully, it wasn't on during my visit, although a smaller public bar at the side through a small corridor was showing a game during my recent visit, although there was no none watching. The pub has a good reputation for food, although I noted that the upstairs restaurant "Spice at The Bingley" now only serves Indian food. Pub style meals are served in the main ground floor bar. On the beer front, Tetleys, Black Sheep and TT Landlord were available. The TT Landlord, at a predictably expensive £ 3.30p - wasn't particularly good. Perhaps surprisingly, the pub doesn't close in the afternoon. Worth popping in if passing by, but I don't really think it's worth much of a detour to specifically visit.

Official site of the Bingley Arms, contains menus and wine list - www.bingleyarms.co.uk