The Airedale Heifer

Here’s a short post about a pub that impressed on my first visit to the Bingley area of West Yorkshire, back in 2018, and which impressed again, this time around. I mentioned the Airedale Heifer at least twice in recent blog posts, but for the record the pub is an impressive stone-built, former barn, which once formed part of the nearby East Riddlesden Hall Estate. Furthermore, it is just 15 minutes’ walk from the Premier Inn we were staying at.

The pub is named after the famous Airedale Heifer which was kept on the estate during early 1800s. The animal is still on record as the heaviest cow in the UK, and it was said to have been 3.5 metres (over 11 feet) long and weighing more than a ton. It became a much-visited local animal celebrity until it had to be slaughtered following a serious injury in 1830. This information comes from the pub’s website, although it doesn’t give details of the injury the beast sustained, or how many cuts of meat, and pies, were obtained as a result of the unfortunate animal’s demise!

Evidence of the pub’s former use as a barn, can be seen from its L-shaped footprint, its substantial stone walls, and the heavy wooden beams which support the ceiling. It’s not clear when the building became a pub, but in 2015, the Bridgehouse Brewery took over the establishment from its previous owners and built their new 15bl Brew House in the beer garden, at the rear of the property. Following a substantial investment, and a total refurbishment, the Airedale Heifer was brought back to its former glory and has remained popular with local residents and businesses ever since.

The first thing that visitors will notice, is the life-size wire sculpture of the famous heifer, crafted by Whitby-based artist Emma Stothard, standing outside the front entrance. Inside, the pub is furnished informally for relaxed eating or drinking, with the open-plan layout set out around a single L-shaped bar, which offers up to six Bridgehouse Brewery beers. The food is of a high standard, and after enjoying a family meal on our previous visit to the pub, I can personally vouch for its quality.

There is a sizeable, south-facing garden between the rear of the pub and the brewery, and I took full advantage of this when I called in late last Thursday afternoon. As well as casual drinkers like me, there was a good mix of people who had either just finished work, or were local residents enjoying a welcome drink, in the early June sunshine. My pint of Bridgehouse Aired Ale 4.1% (get it?) was on top form, as was the pint of Blonde 4.0%, from the same brewery, when I called in with Matthew, the night before.

We sat inside, on that occasion, and although the pub seemed relatively quiet, it was quite late in the evening. The bar staff were friendly though, and eager to chat, something which is always the mark of a good pub, and I’m pleased to report that Heifer remains as good as it was five years ago. With good beer, and with six house-brewed beers to choose from, including a porter, what was not to like? I am sure we shall be calling in again on subsequent visits to Eileen’s’ cousin, especially as there is a bus service running between the Heifer and the Premier Inn.

I’d like to end with a few words about the Bingley Premier Inn, or "Bradford North," to give its official title. Mrs PBT’s is a big fan of the Premier Inn chain, as she says you know what you are getting when you book a stay with them. I find their hotels pleasant enough, but being more adventurous than my good lady wife, I like to try different places, and especially independently owned establishments. Such places, of course, are becoming few and far between, and you occasionally run the risk of finding a duffer.

Fortunately, proprietors from the Basil Fawlty school of hotel management are increasingly rare, so given the preference, I prefer sticking my neck out by giving family, or independently owned establishments a go. It’s something about them having more character, I suppose. I also don’t g along with my wife’s argument, as she knows full well that the Premier Inns, we stayed at in both Ross-on-Wye and Southampton West, didn’t quite deliver, although both occasions were four years ago.

The Bingley Premier Inn didn’t have air-conditioning – not that I minded, as it did have windows that opened. The reception staff on duty, during our stay, were extremely pleasant and helpful, a task which wasn’t made easier by a problem with the hotel’s television antenna. This occurred just before our arrival and wasn’t resolved until the following afternoon. It didn’t bother me, although my tele-addict wife was going slightly crazy from missing her daily TV fix. The reception staff apparently received quite a few complaints from other guests, which does make me wonder what people do when they are away from home.

With a fine pub, just down the road, and several others in nearby Crossflatts, what more can people want? If they don’t fancy going out, the attached Beefeater restaurant offers a reasonable selection of food and drink, and when they get back to their rooms they can always read a book or, shock-horror, perhaps talk to one another!