Craven Arms

After an 18 km walk round Bolton Abbey, three hungry people needed some decent food down their neck and boy, did we find it here.
A lovely country village pub with a roaring fire and a lot of people enjoying good food and great service (and dog friendly).
The starters were go good the three of us couldn’t choose which one we wanted, so a surprised staff member delivered their first (I’m sure) four starters for three people (there’s nothing wrong with one for the table right!?).
There was quite a strange silence fallen over the table as we devoured our starters. The creamy garlic mushrooms were amazing, the goats cheese peignet with pickled beetroot (for sharing) was delicious, and the pork spring rolls and pâté were met with equal delight.
The mains of slow cooked pork belly (with roasts not mash), the steak & ale pie with chips and corn fed chicken supreme were all very well presented and more importantly, tasted amazing. The pork with LOTS of crackling was only let down let down by the lack of Yorkshire pudding (I know, not meant to have it with Pork dinner but I wanted one and it wasn’t allowed due to exact numbers being made).
The food was washed down with two bottles of white Rioja and followed by some beautiful desserts of chocolate brownie and Baileys Crème Brûlée with cookie.
All in all, a perfect Sunday roast and for £122, was pretty impressive.
Note: the staff were young but were absolutely honest and professional. It was great to see and they brought the food out promptly and couldn’t have been nicer. A great find.

The place really is excellent, as you would expect for a pub in the middle of nowhere…
We sat outside for an hour or so before lunch, just enjoying the views. It really was a pleasure to hang around here, despite being ever so slightly chilly (I’m used to the balmy climate of London). The views are awesome, there’s wildlife everywhere and plenty of dogs around if you’re a dog person.
The lunch was in the cruck barn and this is really an. Exceptional building, it looks old despite being only 10 years old! The décor is perfect. Except maybe the projection of the menu, not the biggest fan if that (it was hard to read).
The food was impeccable, I had the pigeon and venison and it was perfect, the table generally seemed very pleased with their food so I think everything else was good too! The roast looked incredibly, serious food envy there.
The drink selection, as you would expect in a decent traditional Yorkshire pub, was local and very very good.
If you’re in the area (or even just in the north east) then I would definitely recommend coming here for some food. Beware the roads however, super difficult to drive around.

The pub has character and is in a great place as a focus for a variety of walks. They have a good selection of cask ales and micro brews. The menu selection is varied and I have really enjoyed all the dishes I have tried. The steaks are great with home made onion rings in beer batter (the best I have ever had). I can highly recommend their beer battered haddock too. It does get busy at lunchtime at weekends and be warned the service suffers when it is busy and that is why I gave 4 rather than 5 stars.

Classic country pub that we’ve been coming to for years. There’s the usual wood fire, old beams and slate floors which makes it feel welcoming. Fantastic range of beers including two dark beers which is very rare.
The food has always been top notch, the partridge I had was superb nice and gamey with a good selection of roast vegetables.
What I really love about this place is that you were made to feel welcome here. Sometimes pubs that are this popular have staff that become jaded and unfriendly. Well not here it has always been a warm welcome even if we only come once every two years.
One thing tough, it can get very busy on Sundays but since they serve food all day it may be better to come after 2pm when it gets quieter.

It’s an honor to write the first review of this historic pub. I’ve been coming here for three years on vacation and can say that this pub has the best atmosphere of any pub in the UK. Food is top notch, coal fires will keep you warm, and the ales are to die for.
The owner, David, is often out front mingling with the guests. He is a fine man and will make sure you are comfortable and glasses are filled.
The craven is a great spot after a long Yorkshire walk. Work up an appetite for the awesome food. The pheasant wrapped in bacon can’t be beat!

A wonderful long standing old pub now once again run by a local family. The new Cruik barn is an absolute joy and architecturaly stunning with great attention to detail. A fantastic venue for that special function.
A vast choice of excellent real ales, including some that the owners family started brewing locally.
Good prices and a good choice of food. Ideal for visitors and locals alike. The stunning views cross the valley alone make it worth a trip and there are plenty of local walks which are absolutely exquisite. Great outside seating area if we ever get a summer.

A fantastic pub with a wide range of excellent real ales, the staff are all local and very freindly, and the landlord/​owner is practically a living legend.
The prices for the beer are very reasonble considering the quality of the pints. The food is what you would expect from a pub of this sort, which is not to say it is poor quality. The new Cruick barn is a great addition to the premises and is frankly fantastic to those interested in achitecture and buildings.
Highly recommended.