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Image posted by Graham Coombs
Submitted on Saturday, 6th January 2024
With picture contributions to 5136 other pubs
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Detail Pages
Mother Shipton Inn, Knaresborough
Knaresborough
HG5 8HZ
Served areas
Reviews of Mother Shipton Inn (Average Rating: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Graham Coombs left this review about Mother Shipton Inn
A strange pub which falls somewhere between tourist trap and unspoilt but is certainly bursting with character. There are various separate rooms and corners, all furnished with motley historic stuff (including a table claiming previous ownership by one G. Fawkes) but in a good 'collected by accident' way rather than corporate designer. Outside, the beer garden takes advantage of a prime location by the river. A couple of clutches of handpumps offered some competent if not overexciting beers, two from Theakstons, TT Boltmaker and Hobgoblin. A pub that is possibly worth avoiding on summer weekends but overall much better than expected.
On 6th January 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about Mother Shipton Inn
I was fully prepared to dislike this pub, seeming as it does to exploit a half-remembered old woman, almost as famous for her ugliness as her wisdom, so I was surprised to find myself warming to the place and appreciating its authenticity and lack of improvement. Perhaps careful and tastefully done restoration might be more to the point, but I spent my time here consuming a very good half pint of John Smiths Cask Bitter appreciating my surroundings as much as my beer. The bar has two pairs of hand pumps at different parts of the bar counter: one pair on a short section soon after entering, the other at the end of a longer stretch around the corner. (Other beers on offer were Hobgoblin Gold, Taylors Landlord and Theakston Best.)
I took my seat at a long table that was a bit of a squeeze to get into, but neither the table nor the settle were amenable to being moved, so I managed somehow. The fireplace opposite was very attractive, as were two chairs placed in front of it, more for decoration than seating, by the way they were set. Elsewhere were various nooks and crannies, surprises around corners, steps up and steps down. My best pub of the day in Knaresborough, and would have scored higher than my 8 if the offering had included a local beer or two, and if the background music had developed an irreparable fault, like someone cutting the wires to the loud speakers for example.
The notice near the bar, "Unaccompanied children will be sold to the Goblin King", reminded me of visits to Knaresborough with my daughters more than 30 years ago, though we didn't go in any pubs then. This notice didn't look that old, anyway.
On 27th May 2022
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3745 recommendations about 3482 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Boots left this review about Mother Shipton Inn
A few changes since the last visits, the beer range is about the same but the food offering is rather more plebian than before. It's still got an olde world interior, maybe with less fittings than before and the riverside position is of course the same.
On 12th December 2021
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3269 recommendations about 2978 pubs]
View more reviews of Mother Shipton Inn (5)
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- Official site of Mother Shipton Inn - www.mothershiptoninnlowbridge.co.uk
- CAMRA WhatPub :: Mother Shipton Inn - whatpub.com
Starbeck, 1.74 miles, 33 min walk (show)
Hornbeam Park, 3.09 miles, 59 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.
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 06 January 2024 by Graham Coombs
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 12 December 2017 by ROB Camra
- Beer Garden : Yes last updated 21 March 2010 by hondo .
- CAMRA Discount : No last updated 12 December 2017 by ROB Camra
- Car Park : Yes last updated 12 December 2017 by ROB Camra
- Child Friendly : Yes last updated 06 January 2024 by Graham Coombs
- Dog Friendly : Yes last updated 06 January 2024 by Graham Coombs
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 12 December 2017 by ROB Camra
- Live Music : No last updated 06 January 2024 by Graham Coombs
- Live TV Sports : No last updated 06 January 2024 by Graham Coombs
- Micropub : No last updated 12 December 2017 by ROB Camra
- Pinball : No last updated 06 January 2024 by Graham Coombs
- Pool Table : No last updated 06 January 2024 by Graham Coombs
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 12 December 2017 by ROB Camra
- Real Cider : No last updated 12 December 2017 by ROB Camra
- Wheelchair Access : No last updated 06 January 2024 by Graham Coombs
