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The Flying Duck , Ilkley

Pub added by peter ashworth
16 Church Street
Ilkley
LS29 9DS
Phone: 01943609587

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Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Old Boots left this review about The Flying Duck

Not a lot has changed since my last review in 2014, there’s been a widening on the beer range to 9 pulls and 10 keg taps on one of them horseshoe shaped pipe things, some of the kegs are unusual, the cask is mostly from Wharfedale with a guest from Dark Horse and a mango cider. The toilets look new and there’s a neat display of old Ilkley photos in the corridor leading to them. Events are held in the upper floor; “The Loft”. I can understand Wharfedale beers not being to all tastes, mine was fine but the hops used imparted a slight burnt rubber flavour. The only Ilkley pub in the 2022 GBG.

On 15th January 2022 - no rating submitted
[User has posted 3209 recommendations about 2920 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Debbie Hammill left this review about The Flying Duck

My husband and I visited this ale house this afernoon. First visit since well before the start of the pandemic. We used to enjoy visiting so looked forward to returning.We had a couple of drinks each and we were a tad disappointed.My husband tried a guest ale and a Wharfedale beer and did not enjoy either beer. I had a couple of halves of the Pilsner. It was ok but I'd enjoyed tastier lagers.The place was also quieter than on previous visits.

On 25th September 2021 - rating: 7
[User has posted 2 recommendations about 2 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Rob Hunter left this review about The Flying Duck

A quiet two room pub, both rooms with people in at the time of my afternoon visit but still very quiet. This is a Wharfedale brew pub and there are three of their ales take the centre hand pulls on the bar (a blonde, bitter and a mild) accompanied by six guests (one of which was off).

I like to try the local beers whenever I can but I found the Wharfedale Blonde not to be anything special and I was left feeling I probably should have gone for one of the guest ales instead. I can't remember the full lineup of guests but it included the excellent Titanic Plum Porter.

There was a wood burning stove going in the main room. The gents were modern and clean. There is apparently a function room available for hire.

Definitely worth a look.

On 13th May 2019 - rating: 8
[User has posted 750 recommendations about 598 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Lester Ford left this review about The Flying Duck

My review is from a visit in July 2016.

A Wharfedale brewery owned roadside inn on the main road towards Skipton, this was tick number 2 in Ilkley from the GBG.

York stone flagged flooring through the bar and dining area which is to the left of the long wooden bar. The bar has 4 of the breweries ales on plus another 5 from Yorkshire breweries' Wantsum, Northern Monk, Ilkley, Bridgehouse and Dark Horse. I had a pint of Wharfedale's Blonde, a citrus session ale at 3.9%. They also have 3 ales & lagers on keg.

We spent around 45 minutes here and it filled up around 6pm with couples.

Reputablely the oldest pub building in Ilkley, nicely laid out and worth a visit, just lacked a bit of atmosphere for me, maybe because it wasn't that busy.

On 27th March 2017 - rating: 6
[User has posted 80 recommendations about 78 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Real Ale Ray left this review about The Flying Duck

A very good traditional pub with friendly and welcoming bar staff, who are knowledgeable about their beers. The interior hosts honey coloured stone walls, flag floors and lots of oak timber. Nine pumps with eight in use on our visit, so we went for the Wharfedale Golden and James & Kirkman Brewery New American Pale. My American Pale was excellent and I could have easily stopped here for a few more. A proper Ale House, this one and one not to be missed.

On 23rd November 2016 - rating: 9
[User has posted 3380 recommendations about 3380 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Alan Winfield left this review about The Flying Duck

The Flying Duck is a stone pub that is on a very busy road.
Once inside there is a square shaped room with the bar facing,the floor is stone,the seating normal tables and chairs,there is a smaller area to the left which also has normal tables and chairs plus a few pew seats.
The pub is a Wharfedale tied house so there is a good selection of their beers on the bar,i had a drink of Wharfedale Blonde which went down well,the other beers noted were Wharfedale Black /Best,York Terrier,Hop Studio India,Goose Eye Spring Wells and one from Dark Horse.
Background music was playing and food was being served.
This is a good pub to visit if in Ilkley.

Pub visited 7/11/2015

On 7th November 2015 - rating: 8
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Old Boots left this review about The Flying Duck

Now refurbished and under the care of Wharfedale Brewery, a 2.5 barrel unit located at the back of the pub. Structurally not much different to its Albert days, downstairs has two distinct areas, to the right mainly vertical drinking with one table, some chairs and a bench, there are also a few stools alongside a drinking shelf. To the left is a more comfortable seating area. Behind, along the rear wall is the counter with its nine pulls, which includes two ciders, there are also seven kegs taps. Ales come from the on-site brewery plus other small breweries, on this occasion from Hetton, Jarrow and Bollington. Upstairs is another seating area split into two sections with a corner counter carrying two more pulls, you can also go outside here onto a deck or "sun terrace". Inside the roof timbers are exposed the building dating back to the beginning of the 18th century although it became a licensed premises only in the 1980s. Excellent home brewed beer, pub quizzes and live music, what more could you ask for?

On 3rd June 2014 - no rating submitted
[User has posted 3209 recommendations about 2920 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


david hammill left this review about The Flying Duck

called in this fine pub on sat night what a cracking little pub beer in fine form pleasant bar staff nice surroundings had 3 pints of wharfedale blonde very nice cheers

On 2nd February 2014 - rating: 10
[User has posted 96 recommendations about 86 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Old Boots left this review about The Flying Duck

Reopened 14th November 2013,

"In late 2012, sixteen businessmen and women, all with a close connection to the town, formed two companies; (Flying Duck Enterprises Ltd and Wharfedale Brewery Ltd), which acquired the lease of the former Mallard Inn (more recently the Albert) on Church Street. The majority of the investors are past chairmen of Ilkley Round Table and founder members of the highly successful Ilkley Beer Festival. They felt there was a niche in the market place to capitalise on the resurgence in the popularity of real ale, by producing and selling their own beer, in the kind of pub that they felt had been sadly lacking in the Ilkley area for generations.The property is Ilkley's oldest pub building, dating back to the early 1600s. The current Grade II listed structure was built as a farmhouse in 1709 and retains many of its original features. This provided an exact match with the investors’ plans to create a Yorkshire Dales style real ale and fine wine venue, in a setting packed with character, which could also incorporate a microbrewery. And thus, Wharfedale's first BrewPub was born. The pub has been renamed the Flying Duck, in a nod to it’s most famous previous name, and the third incarnation of Wharfedale Brewery has been established. The pub will serve nine rotating cask real ales (from Wharfedale and other microbreweries throughout the UK) draught ciders, continental lagers, bottled beers from around the world, an extensive range of fine wines, whiskies and spirits, soft drinks, teas and coffees." So says its opening press release

On 15th November 2013 - no rating submitted
[User has posted 3209 recommendations about 2920 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Old Boots left this review about The Albert

A very old looking building judging by the stone window mullions and the beams in the low ceiling. Entering the Albert is much like entering a cellar, it is low and dark with the counter at back. Only one man and a dog in when I called on a Saturday lunchtime, eventually someone appeared to serve me with ale from the two handpumps tucked away on a corner of the counter. Both pumps were serving beer from local micros which appears normal according to the small clip collection round the bar, the dominant T Bar holds the usual national brands. The beer was a bit cold but OK. There is a big stone fireplace with a wood burner in one half of the divided room, flooring is stone flag and carpet and the furnishings leather sofas at low tables, there are the usual machines and a couple of big screens. The function room upstairs has a pool table. Décor is a bit sparse with a couple of Irish number plates and some music related pictures. I thought it was a bit of a mish mash, with poor service but the beer was fine, probably more of an evening venue.

On 2nd April 2012 - no rating submitted
[User has posted 3209 recommendations about 2920 pubs]