North
Yorkshire – the largest county in this wonderful country of ours
and one I have been lucky enough to have been raised in and visit its
vast and varied delights on a regular basis. Not only is it home to
the unspoiled natural beauty of 'The Yorkshire Dales', heading East we
have the spectacular North Yorkshire Moors stretching across to the
coast, covering over 500 square miles.
This August, I was given an
opportunity to have a mini-break way up in the far North of the
territory thanks to Sykes
Cottages. A beautiful holiday cottage in the stunning Hambleton
District near to the village of Potto, 5 miles from the historic
market town of Stokesley. In the town itself, I'll step back in time
and discover the importance of the local Inn-Keepers, their brewed
ales and its remarkable beer-related history. More on that later.
The
cottage is set at the foot of the hills, the magnificent moors rising
up in the distance not far away. Not only is the location great for
walking and the local towns, the coast is within easy reach on a
carefree drive to take in Saltburn-By-The-Sea, Staithes and even the
bustling fishing port of Whitby. Head in the opposite direction and
you'll drive through the market towns of Northallerton or Thirsk.
Slightly further West still at the edge of The Dales lie two of the
most well known breweries in North Yorkshire, if not the country. Easily accessible and well worth the visit are Black Sheep Brewery and Theakston's Brewery, both in Masham. There's
long Theakston family history connecting these two here and not all
of it is pleasant but it's well worth a read into the history if
you're so inclined.
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| The Black Sheep Brewery - Masham |
The
Black
Sheep Brewery
was my brewery of choice, not for the first time may I add. They have
a wonderful set up and has become a very popular tourist attraction,
be that to sample some tasty 'thirds' of their beers, a piping hot
meal in the bistro, or a brewery tour to see the beer being brewed
before your eyes. The beer? Their Best Bitter (3.8%) is a good old
Yorkshire drop of ale. No thrills really, does what you'd expect of a
true Yorkshire bitter. Golden Sheep (3.9%) is a highly drinkable
golden ale, perfect for Summer evenings. Riggwelter (5.9%) on the
other hand might not be for the faint-hearted. This could easily lead
to a sore head in the morning if you're not careful. Richer, darker
and overall a much more powerful beer. A nice seasonal addition was
this one below, their Hoptacular (3.6%) is an easy drinking, highly
flavoursome pale ale. Big on the hops but at a generous abv it makes
for a quick return to the bar for another!
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| Cooper Cottage - Potto |
After
a good ale tasting session in Masham the comfortable, clean, and
quiet cottage back in Potto was perfect to head back to. Cooper Cottage provided me with a temporary home in which to relax in and
rest from adventures up in the moors, towns and coast. A warm
greeting by the owner, who was very pleasant and easy-going with a vast knowledge of the area and being provided with fresh milk,
biscuits, tea and coffee meant settling in was instant and hassle-free. How many times
have you arrived somewhere in need of a cuppa but having to go hit
the supermarket or nearest shop first?
A
log burning stove (not used as the weather was very kind indeed), and
a lovely patio area to the back made a great place for morning coffee
and late night boozes while watching the stars and enjoying the
silence. I didn't even need to use the games room in a converted
barn. Ideal for families if the rain does fall and something to
occupy the kids though.
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| North Yorkshire Market Town of Stokesley |
Stokesley
may have moved with the times some what, its coffee shops, tea rooms
and usual high street chains are plentiful. But look a bit harder and
you'll notice tell tale signs from years gone by that this was once
the
place
that traders flocked to in their droves and the town was a hub of
activity for livestock, printing and linen businesses. All this meant
the locals needed to provide for the influx of people coming into the
town to stay. Accommodation, food and drink was a necessity and with
the boom in beer production, the late 18th
and
early 19th
century
saw a huge rise in the number of Innkeepers, public houses and beer
houses in the town. As I take a wander up and down this largely
one-street town now, it's hard to imagine that at its peak there was
something like twenty actual Inns, and numerous beer houses
(literally a house with the holder selling beer, usually in bottles
from within). You can easily imagine the trade-offs and deals being
struck in the alley ways and house doorways. The Inns were all very
traditional in name – The Queens Head, Kings Head, George &
Dragon, Black Horse and so on. Very patriotic.
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| The White Swan - Stokesley |
Over
time of course, things changed, life changed and many of the Inns
packed up and became something else entirely. To this day only a few
have survived. In their place are of course all the business's you'd
expect to find in a modern day town – banks, fast food outlets, hairdressers
and so on. Pleasingly there are a number of small independent shops
that fit nicely into the picturesque town here in North Yorkshire.
Everywhere you go there are plants and flowers lining the streets and
corners, all sitting in an old half beer casks, a dead giveaway of
just what importance the drink was to the place all those years ago.
Now, three pubs remain in the main part of town which from the
outside look remarkably like they probably haven't changed all that
much. Inside of course it's a different story. I took the time to see
what possibly the most well known pub of the town –The
White Swan was like in 2015. Boasting its own brewery 'Captain
Cook Brewery' at the pubs rear, I thought this place would fill me
with not just tasty beer but some fine tales and facts from those
18th
and
19th
century
times. Sadly I was hoping for a bit too much in the way of nostalgia
I think. The pub was typically 'Olde English' inside and pleasant
enough. The beer was adequate but nothing too note worthy. Upon
enquiring about the different Captain Cook beers at the bar and my
request for an IPA, I was met with awkward blank faces and a 'what's
an IPA?' answer from the barmaid. Oh well.
Dreamily
I set foot back into the town and pondered how different life must
have been back then to the rat race we all find ourselves in in
modern times. Stokesley has been an insight into that period and a
thoroughly enjoyable North Yorkshire town to discover. Even if I
couldn't get an IPA.
Accommodation provided free of charge by Sykes Cottages. All words and opinions are my own.