Some of the oldest pubs in Yorkshire where you can watch the World Cup 2022 and the history behind them

Yorkshire is home to many breweries and pubs that have been instrumental in the tourism trade for the region. Many of the most historic pubs are situated in Yorkshire’s most historic towns and cities including York, Sheffield, Otley and Leeds.

Brewing has been used widely in Yorkshire since at least the 12th century, for example at the now derelict Fountains Abbey which at its height produced 60 barrels of strong ale every 10 days. Most of the current Yorkshire breweries date back to the Industrial Revolution of the late 18th and early 19th century.

Many of the following pubs have a fascinating history that date back to the Roman and Domesday years. The pubs now offer a great variety of ales, lagers, beers, traditional pub food and now most of them are showing the World Cup 2022 on their screens.

Nine of the oldest pubs in Yorkshire

The Bingley Arms, Leeds

The Bingley Arms, based in Leeds, was originally named The Priests Inn and is said to be the oldest pub in Britain.

It dates back to between AD 905 and AD 953 and is thought to have served as a safe house for persecuted Catholic priests as well as a courthouse from around AD 1000 where offenders were taken to the pillory across the road.

It is also a restaurant and a former winner of the Yorkshire Evening Post Restaurant of the Year Award.

The Old Bridge Inn, Halifax

The earliest record of this pub is thought to be 1307; it used to be the home of the early Yeoman Clothier Robert of Brigge of Soland.

Their descendants built many fine houses in the area, including Somerset House in George Street, Halifax.

It is located conveniently next to the River Ryburn and on the main road between York and Chester, which makes it a suitable place for travellers to stop by.

The White Horse Inn (Nellies), Beverley

This pub used to be a coaching inn predating 1666 and is considered the second oldest surviving inn, in Beverley, next to that of The Sun Inn, opposite Beverley Minster.

Its historical significance comes from original featured maintained from its foundations including gas lights, chandeliers, small single rooms, stone and wooden floors, and open fires.

The Old Queens Head, Sheffield

The Old Queens Head dates back to 1475 and is located in the city centre of Sheffield, which makes it a great place for some delicious food and drink with friends and family.

It is a renovated pub in a timber-framed building and it offers fresh, home-cooked food and a variety of cask ales, gins, and mixers.

It was in the estate of George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury. By the start of the 19th century, the building was used as a house and the pub’s name came from Mary, Queen of Scots, who was imprisoned in Sheffield from 1570 to 1584.

The building has been designated as a Grade II listed since 1952.

The Old Hill Inn, Carnforth

This pub is situated in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales, located between Ingleborough and Whernside, which makes it an idyllic place to enjoy the stunning views.

It dates back to 1615 and was originally a farm, then Drovers Inn, and now offers delicious fresh food and it prides itself on its puddings.

It is a family-run business, owned by a famous pastry chef and sugar sculptor, Colin Martin, and displays his elaborate sculptures in the dining room.

The Red Lion, York

The building was originally a house in a yard off Walmgate, the original part of the building to the north-east was built in the 15th century.

The south-eastern part of the building was rebuilt around 1600 and in the 17th century, a lower wing was added to the south-west in two separate sections with a ground floor of brick.

There were more additions implemented in the 18th century and a new front was added in the 19th century. The building only became a pub in the 19th century.

Ye Olde Starre Inne, York

The Ye Olde Starre Inne was built in 1644 is considered York’s oldest pub and according to its website, during the English Civil War was used as a hospital and mortuary for the soldiers.

You can pop in for a pint, some food or snacks and watch the World Cup.

Cross Keys Temperance Inn

The earliest records of the Cross Keys mention Thomas Bland as the owner in 1619 and was likely to have been extended in the mid 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.

The most historic part of the building is the parlour and the room above it. It was left in the hands of the National Trust in 1949 in Mrs Edith Adelaide Bunney’s will, to be preserved as an unlicensed inn, in memory of her sister, Miss Mary Blanche Hewetson.

In the early 1700s, Cross Keys was a farmhouse named High Haygarth and is thought to have been turned into an inn shortly after 1819.

The Old White Swan, York

According to the Old White Swan website, the pub dates back to the 16th century and the Grade II listed building was being used as an inn by 1703, which made it one of the oldest pubs in York.

The world’s tallest man, Mr O’Brian, who was eight feet seven inches tall, was at the pub with the landlord, who charged visitors a shilling to look at ‘the Irish Giant’.