The Fleece, Leeds

This is a very homely, traditional, two bar Theakston’s pub a little way from the centre of Horsforth, but still easily reached by bus if travelling from the city centre. The front room is the marginally larger of the two, although both rooms have a similar feel to them. The pub is carpeted throughout with plenty of bare stone walls, large wood beamed fireplaces at either end of the front bar and some long padded banquettes around the perimeter of both rooms, supplemented by chairs and low stools. A few traditional paintings hang from the walls and there is a pretty decent pump clip display around the bar back. The rear room has a dartboard in the far corner and a TV screen which was turned off in favour of some quiet background music. The pub has won a ‘Most Improved’ award from CAMRA fairly recently and it was a nice surprise to find five ales on the go, although two were only visible from the rear bar, so I didn’t know about them when ordering. The options on my visit were Theakston Best, Purity Mad Goose, Marston’s Ashes Ale, Kirkstall Pale Ale and John Smith Cask. The Ashes Ale was a pretty decent drop and served up by a friendly barman. A poster in the rear room detailed a ‘Double or Nothing’ night on Mondays, where punters can buy their round and then roll two dice. If you throw a double, you get the same round again for free. This pub wasn’t on my original itinerary but I’m really glad I called in. It’s a cosy, friendly place with some decent ale available and is exactly the sort of pub I enjoy spending a bit of time over a quiet pint. Well worth considering if you find yourself in this neck of the woods.

Traditional old local with two bars front and back in exposed stone, carpeted through out and with traditional furniture of bench seats. Cask beer choice of John Smiths or Old Speckled Hen, the Smiths was fairly flat but inoffensive. Décor from a few prints and photos plus a lot of certificates for darts, naturally there is a board in the back bar. The urinals are proper tall ones.