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A day out around West Yorkshire making use of the £4.50 bus ticket which allows travel anywhere in West Yorkshire. Started off in Ossett visiting a couple of Micropubs alongside Ossett Brewery and a couple of local pubs, before heading to Horbury and visiting a couple of brewpubs alongside a couple of local independent pubs.
Hopped onboard the 126 bus from Wakefield to Dewsbury getting off at Ossett Bus Station. First call was to get breakfast before visiting the first place. The Well located down a small alley on the main street serves an amazing freshly cooked breakfast and well worth dropping into if you have time.
Bier Huis
My first calling point in Ossett was to “Bier Huis”, what started off as a bottle shop opening in November 2011 and later changed to allow drinking on the premises aswell. It is located behind the bus station. A really warm welcome from David in here when I entered.
The shop stocks around 500 cans and bottles both from local breweries aswell as ones from around the world. The A-Z system of all the beers is really something aswell that you dont see too often.
A choice of 2 cask beers being served today, alongside a real cider, a pilsner and a wheat beer. I started off with “Kingdom King” from Pennine Brewing Co, brewed for the Kings Coronation last weekend, followed by “Hoopa” from Harrogate Brewing Co in collaboration with Ossett Brewery.
To get to my next calling point, I could either walk around 25/30 minutes or use the bus. I decided to get the bus down and walk back, so boarded the hourly 120 bus run by Globe Travel, this took me to the bottom of Healey.
Ossett Brewery
Located in Kings Yard industrial estate in Healey is “Ossett Brewery”. The brewery was formed in 1998 at the pub I am visiting next “Brewers Pride”. Brewing moved to this current venue in 2005.
On entering the Brewhouse where the bar is located, the brewing equipment can be seen on the right hand side, with the bar being located on the left.
A choice of 4 Ossett Brewery cask ales, 2 Rat Brewery cask ales (owned by Ossett Brewery), and a choice of SALT Brewery keg beers. I decided to go with “Excelsius”, which is Latin for “forever upwards” which is signified by the Yorkshire Red Kite on the pump clip. A refreshing and classic pale ale.
Brewers Pride
A short walk from the Brewery brings me to “Brewers Pride”, a historic freehouse that was the birthplace of Ossett Brewery and after that was home to “Bobs Brewing Co” which brewed in an outbuilding, which has now ceased brewing.
A fantastic choice of beers here, being 9 cask ales to choose from. Including Ossett Brewery, Abbeydale Brewery, Phoenix Brewery and Rudgate Brewery. I went with “Silver Moon”, a collaboration between Abbeydale Brewery in Sheffield and Ossett Brewery. A very easy drinking pale ale.
There is a blue plaque at the entrance to the pub stating that a “Reginald Earnshaw”, lived here when it was The Millers Arms, and was the youngest known casualty of World War 2 being only 14 years old.
The Tap
A 10/15 minute walk back uphill heading back into Ossett brings me to “The Tap”, formerly the Masons Arms and since being bought by Ossett Brewery and is now known as their Brewery Tap.
A great line up of cask ales, 5 being the standard line up from Ossett Brewery alongside a seasonal beer and a guest from Ossett Brewery owned Fernandes Brewery. I went with “Rose Petal”, a collaboration between Ossett Brewery and Adnams Brewery.
Prop’ur Baa
My last call in Ossett was to a Micropub called “Prop’ur Baa” which started in 2019. The bar being named after the owner Sam Drury who played as a Prop Forward for nearly 40 years. A great warm welcome here from Sam and Angela. A really great looking inside to this micropub and a really relaxing feeling.
Another good selection of cask ales, 5 being on the bar here from Abbeydale Brewery, Roosters Brewing Co and Wensleydale Brewery. I went with “Mosaic” from Wensleydale Brewery in Leyburn.
A friendly local in the pub offered me a lift to “Calder Vale Hotel” in Horbury, so this was my next calling point. Horbury is the home of “Onwards Christian Soldiers” – this was written in 1864 as a processional hymn for the school children of Horbury Bridge.
Calder Vale Hotel
My first call in Horbury was to “Calder Vale Hotel”, a large Victorian Building which is now owned and run by “Luddite Brewing Co”, using a 6 Barrel Setup. A fantastically renovated building which keeps lots of the original features of the building.
A line up of 5 cask ales from Luddite Brewing Co, alongside one from Revolutions Brewing Co (who no longer exist). I started with “Yorkshire 1812 Bitter” before moving onto “Mosaic Pale”. Both were great tasty beers and well worth the trip down to here.
Cricketers Arms
A short walk back towards Horbury Town Centre brings me to the “Cricketers Arms”, a former Melbourne Ales and later Tetleys pub. It is run by the Beerhouses group which runs some really good pubs locally including pubs on Dewsbury and Stalybridge Railway Stations.
Another great line up of cask ales, being a choice of 6 on the bar to choose from. Some local breweries and some from further afield. I went with “NZ Pale” from Shiny Brewery based in Little Eaton, Derbyshire. A juicy pale ale enjoyed outside in the sunny beer garden.
Boons
Next onto “Boons – Horbury”, one of the former pubs owned by Clarks Brewery in Wakefield. This was formerly a coaching inn known as The Woolpack. A really welcoming and relaxing feel when I entered this pub.
A great line up of 7 cask beers on the bar at Boons, from 7 different breweries. “Mill Blonde” was my choice from Mill Valley Brewery based in nearby Cleckheaton. A fruity and easy drinking pale ale.
Cherry Tree Inn
My last call in Horbury was to the “Cherry Tree Inn”. The building dates from 1887 and is listed as a building of local interest. It has been extensively renovated and opened in late 2018. Horbury Brew Co (and recently Cherry Tree Brew Co) brew on the same site. The latter is a beer brewed exclusively for the pub. A fantastic lower level beer garden and bar here aswell. Proving very popular in the sun.
6 cask ales available on the bar, 3 being from Horbury Brew Co, 1 from Cherry Tree Brew Co and Guests from Kelham Island Brewery and Bradfield Brewery. A good craft line up is also available at the back of the bar. I started with “Green Eyed Monster” from Cherry Tree Brew Co, and went onto “Pale to the Chief” from Horbury Brew Co.
The Star Inn
A quick trip over to Sandal to visit the last pub of the day “The Star Inn”. A pub which holds regular beer festivals and is home to Morton Collins Micro Brewery. A welcoming family and dog friendly pub which has always been busy when ive visited in the past.
5 cask beers on the bar here, 2 of which are from the on site brewery. I went with one of their own beers “Suzuka”, an interesting beer described as a Japanese Style Pale Ale. Some great flavours from this.
Micropub Adventures 