YORK
trail 4- To King’s Square
York is a walled city in North Yorkshire. The city was founded by the Romans and has been an important part of British history ever since. The city became a major trading and religious centre. Eventually chocolate and railways became the major industries in York, though they have now declined. At present the biggest employers are in service industries.
York is easily reached by road or train and has many attractions for tourists. Cars can easily be parked for a week while attractions, shops, cafes restaurants and bars keep a visitor occupied.
Two rivers run through York, the Ouse and the Foss. This pub trail looks at pubs caught between the river Ouse and the city wall on the more substantial side which includes the Shambles and York Minster.
Welcome to Yorkshire National Trust Yorkshire Visit York York Brewery Train Museum Jorvic Viking centre York Walls
PUB CRAWLS
There are five pub crawls illustrated for York involving 39 drinking establishments. Several pubs feature in more than one crawl.
All journeys start from the Minster which is the tallest place in York
1. Around The Minster. (green icons) 8+2 pubs
2. In the middle lanes (Purple icons) 8+1 pubs
3. Down Stonegate (yellow icons) 7+2 pubs
4. Around King's Square (Red icons) 8+2
5. About Fossgate (Blue icons) 9 pubs
1. Trail 4 - Around Kings Square (Red icons) 8+2
Trail 4 - Around Kings Square (Red icons) 8+2
From the front door of the Minster walk along and past the right-hand side where the road curves round and The Cross Keys appears on the corner.
Additions - go up from here and there is The Golden Slipper and The Royal Oak.
Turn right into Goodramgate to discover The Habit and opposite it The Snickleback Inn and further down on the right is The Old White Swan.
Keep going across the crossroad to Church St and there is The Golden Lion on the right, continue along and turn left into Patrick Pool and as this narrows there is Pivni
Leaving here continue down the alley and turn left. This will take you to a small square where there is The Duke of York and on the road beyond this The Last Drop.
York Pubtrails
-
Minster to Monkgate
York Arms
The Lamb & Lion
Eagle & Child
Three legged Mare
The Cross Keys
The Golden Slipper
The Royal Oak
+ The Habit
+ Snickleback Inn
-
Middle Lanes
Thirteen Thirty One
The Slug & Lettuce
Stonegate yard
+ Bobo Lobo
+ Kennedy's
Oscar's
Roman Bath
Three Cranes
Burn's Hotel
-
Stonegate
House of the Trembling Madness
Evil Eye
Ye Olde Starre Inn
Kennedy's
+ Bobo Lobo
Yorkshire Terrier
The Punchbowl
Harker's
Lendall Cellars
-
King's Square
The Cross Keys
+ The Golden Slipper
+ The Royal Oak
The Habit
Snickleback Inn
Old White Swan
The Golden Lion
Pivni
The Duke of York
Last Drop
-
Fossgate
Ye Olde Shambles
Pavement Vaults
The Three Tuns
Golden Fleece
Sutler's
The Terrace
The Bluebell
The Hop
Fossgate Social
PUB FACTS
York is a place where many people enjoy a pub crawl as it is full of interesting bars.
Almost all pubs do food.
Lots have outside seating.
Most have some sort of courtyard to the rear for smoking if not sunbathing.
Several have roof top terraces.
Local report on pubs - Within the Walls , a York pub guide
Cross Keys ★
Cross Keys is one of four Nicolson pubs in the centre of York. This one is situated at a Y-junction and spreads down both streets. The servery has a similar shape serving two sides of a triangle. There is plenty of comfortable seating and ding tables and chairs. Some rooms around the right hand side and here is also an outside courtyard looking out towards the minster. Meals and disabled access.
Have a pint here
Real ale : Red Macgregor (Orkney): Nicolson’s PA; Three Swords; Dick Firkin; Britannia (Navigation); John Smiths; The Rev James Rye; Off The Wall
Lager: Becks; Stella; Peroni; Carling
Aspall Suffolk; Strongbow
What’s in a name: The Crossed Keys were the symbol of Peter, the first Pope who hold the keys to heaven
Golden Slipper ★
Golden Slipper is a multiroomed traditional bar. The entrance takes you along a short corridor to the main bar area with the servery ahead on the left. There is seating round to the left between the window and the servery. Off to the right are two smaller rooms and just beyond the bar area a small ‘library’ room. There is an outside courtyard at the back. Offers food at lunchtime.
Have more here
Real ale : Farmers Blonde (Bradfield); Bombardier; Golden Pippin (Copper Dragon); Timothy Taylor Golden Best ; Proper Job (St Austel)
Bitter: John Smiths
Lager: Coors; Carling; Heineken; Amstel
Milestones cloudy cider; Strongbow Guinness
What’s in a name?: In 1984 a medieval slipper was found by workmen.
PLACES TO VISIT WITH PUBTRAILS
The towns and villages highlighted on this web site have a wide variety of pubs and beers in them. All of the places are great to visit, whether for a day or longer, and most have tourist attractions for all of the family.
There is a large variety of pubs throughout the different towns shown below. Some you may wish never to visit again but even discovering these can be interesting. There are pubs that you would not take your wife into. While some you could not take your girlfriend into. A few you would not take either into. However, most of the pubs are very pleasant.
HOME MAP of places visited
Alnwick Ambleside Anstruther Bakewell Bamburgh Barnard Castle Bath Berwick upon Tweed Birnam & Dunkeld Bourton on the Water Bowness on Windermere Bridge of Allan Chester Chichester Dunblane Dunoon Edinburgh Ely Fort William Glasgow Gourock Greenock Helensburgh Inverness Kelso Keswick Knaresbourgh Largs Linlithgow Lyme Regis Melrose Montrose Newton Stewart North Berwick Norwich Oban Pebbles Penzance Portree Pitlochry Quorn Richmond Rothesay St Andrews Seahouses Seend Shrewsbury Skipton Stirling Stratford-upon-Avon Stockton Heath Whitby Windemere Whitstable York
The Royal Oak ★
The Royal Oak has 17th Century Inn emblazoned outside (perhaps 1591) on a mock Tudor frontage. Inside is a corridor where there is a small sitting room to the right; with a small bar first left then further on, still left, a lounge. The servery is in the middle and serves both these areas. Food is important in the lounge which also has a small seating area up a few steps. The back lounge has been tastefully and carefully decorated and then has red fairy lights hanging around the room.
Have a pint here (in the bar)
Real ale : Golden Salamander; Dark Island; Old Peculiar; Rev James (Brains); Theakstons Best Bitter
Lager :Becks; Carling; Estrella
The Habit ★
The Habit is another pub with a shop window appearance; however, it is not a bottle shop. Downstairs is a small room, which narrows with depth, with small servery at the far right. Downstairs has very basic tables and chairs while upstairs has low couches and low tables. There is also a terrace with York Minster touring over it. Food is recommended. Music most nights. Kegs piled in corners.
Have a pint here.
Real ale : Absolutely (Madness) ; Hobgoblin; New World; Old speckled Hen
Craft: Shipyard Pale Ale 13 Guns IPA (Thwaites)
Lager:; Krusovice; Leffe; Estrella; San Miguel; King Star (Wychwood)
Cider: Rekorderlig Apple ; Strawberry Lime Guinness
The Snickleway Inn
The Snickleway Inn is a popular local pub. The entrance takes you to the main bar area with a high ceiling. The counter is straight in front with some seating along the right by the window. Off of the main area are two other small rooms; one straight ahead and a thinner one to the left and down a step. These rooms have much lower ceilings. Despite the light from the large windows the pub has a dark traditional feel to it. There is a back outside courtyard.
Have a pint here.
Real ale : Copper Dragon Best Bitter; Moonshine; Snecklifter; Dark Masquerade (Half Moon); Steam Beer Amber Ale; Yankee (Roosters)
Bitter: John Smith
Lager: Samuel Adams; Amstel; 1664; Fosters Guinness
PUB QUIZ
Which band did Ringo Starr play with before The Beatles?
Answer at foot of page
The Old White Swan
The Old White Swan , a 16th century coaching inn, is one of four Nicolson’s pubs in the centre of York. The entrance is via a small courtyard which has some seating and even though it is outside it is non-smoking. The right hand door takes you to a small L shaped bar serving a room which is far more of a bar area than expected from Nicolson’s. The other door off of the courtyard takes you to the Tudor dining room which curves around to the left to a central serving area which serves the same selection of beers as the bar room. this is more the lounge and dining table style expected. Both rooms are actually connected at the back. Following the Tudor dining room around brings you to the Georgian dining room. there is also a small back yard for smoking
Have a pint here
Real ale : Mary Jane; Red Macgregor; Doombar; Ruby Mild; Nicolson’s PA; Wherry (Woodforde); Yorkshire Terrier (York)
Bitter: Longhorn IPA;
Lager: Becks; Peroni; Carling; Stella
Guinness
The Golden Lion
The Golden Lion is a traditional single roomed pub. It is broken up well by pillars and alcoves to keep sense of privacy. Some tall large tables in centre of room with dark wood and low lighting. Rooftop garden. Pub grub.
have a pint here
Real Ale: British Bulldog; Black sheep; 1730 PA; London glory; Old Peculiar
Bitter: John Smiths
Lager; Carling; Peroni; Heineken; Stella; East Coast PA
Cider: Aspall Suffolk Guinness
Pivni
Pivni is a bar with seating spread over three floors as there is not much on the ground floor. This has the servery some seating along window and limited standing room but lots of beer.
CAMRA Good Beer Guide -last 2020
Have a few here
Real ale : Hopshakle (Simmarillo); Golden Thread (Salopian); Blonde (Exit 33); Vintage Ale (The Tapped Brew); Silken Stout (Loch Lomond)
Craft: Penine PA; Late Hopped Ale ; Marmalade and Assam Tea PA; (Northern Alchemy); Foundation German PA (Crewrepubblic); Calypso; Primator
Lager: Bernard
Duke of York
Duke of York is a Leeds brewery pub. Entrance takes you straight to the servery counter. There is a large room to the right and another through to the left. Stairs opposite the servery go up to second floor. It is a busy city centre pub.
have a pint here
Real ale : Best; Pale ale; Yorkshire Gold; Midnight Bell (all Leeds Brewery); Building Big Plans; Pale (The Hop Studio); West Coast PA; Northern Lights (Hardknott)
Bitter: Monsoon IPA; Gathering Storm; Ramen PA
Lager; Amstel; Leodis Lager ; Brooklyn; Sagres; Heineken
Cider: Symonds; Rekorderlig Straberry Lime Leodis Black; Little Carrie Stout
The Last Drop
The Last Drop is another York brewery pub. This one does not allow under 18s in. Large front room then up stairs to smaller area with servery to the right and seating opposite. More seating further on and outside courtyard. Refurbished 2021 and now selling Black Sheep beers
Have a pint here
Real ale : Ghost Ale; Terrier; T’otherside; Guzzler; First Light (all York brewery) - Black Sheep beers now being served (Black Sheep took over brewing York Brewery Beers info)
Bitter: Imperium
Lager: Mahou; San Miguel; Carlsberg; Staroperamen
Cider: Thatchers Gold Black Cab Stout; Guinness
“Once, during prohibition, I was forced to live for three days on nothing but food and water.”
— W C Fields
ANSWER: Rory Storm and the Hurricanes