Where to Base for a Proper Local Night in the Yorkshire Dales

Five real pubs worth planning a night around, with the towns, drive times and room-booking logic that make each one work.

Masham and the Black Sheep Triangle

Masham is the smallest town in Yorkshire and punches absurdly hard for beer: both Black Sheep and Theakston's breweries sit within a mile of the market square. The White Bear on Wellgarth, a Theakston's house, is the classic local's choice, with low beams, a fire and a menu that runs to steak and ale pie rather than gastropub foam. Friday and Saturday you'll want to arrive by 6.30pm to get a table; after 8pm it's standing room and conversation only. Budget around £12–£18 for a main.

Base in Masham itself if you want to walk home, and book early: the town has maybe 60 beds total across the King's Head and a handful of guesthouses, so summer weekends sell out weeks ahead. Alternatively stay in Ripon, 25 minutes' drive south on the A6108, where there's far more choice and a late taxi back is realistic. I'd book Ripon for a Friday arrival and drive over — parking on Masham's Market Place is free after 6pm but fills fast.

Hawes: The Crown and the Pennine Way

Hawes sits at the head of Wensleydale, 90 minutes from Leeds and about 2 hours from Manchester via the A684. The Crown on Main Street is the pick: a warm, unpretentious pub with Wensleydale ales, decent fish and chips, and a steady local crowd rather than coach parties. The Green Dragon a few doors up has more space and a bigger menu but less atmosphere. Both are walkable from anywhere in the village, which matters when the drive back over Buttertubs Pass in the dark is not something you want to attempt after three pints.

This is the best base in the Dales for a two-night stay. Hawes has the Wensleydale Creamery, the Dales Countryside Museum and enough B&Bs and small hotels along Main Street and Burtersett Road that you're not fighting for the last room. Expect £95–£140 for a double in a decent guesthouse in May, June or September. August is rammed and pricier; January is cheap but half the pubs shut midweek.

Skipton and the Gateway Pubs

Skipton is the practical answer for most people: direct trains from Leeds in 45 minutes, a castle, a market four days a week on the High Street, and pubs that stay open late enough to be worth the trip. The Narrow Boat on Victoria Street sits right on the canal and does a solid pint of Copper Dragon; The Castle Inn off Mill Bridge is smaller and more local-feeling. Neither is a destination pub in the way the Masham and Hawes places are, but they're open on a Tuesday in February, which the villages often aren't.

Book a hotel in Skipton if your trip mixes walking with a night out and you don't want to drive after dark. There's a broad spread — from £70 budget rooms near the bus station to £150+ at the higher end near the castle — and you can get a taxi out to Grassington (20 minutes, roughly £25) for an evening and back without wrecking the budget. I'd take Skipton over Settle for a first visit purely because the train line makes arrival and departure painless.

Grassington and Kettlewell: Upper Wharfedale

The Devonshire Arms in Grassington — the Grassington one, not the Bolton Abbey one — anchors a handsome cobbled square and gets busy with walkers from the Dales Way. The Angel Inn in nearby Kettlewell is worth the 15-minute drive up the B6160: small, flagstoned, and serving Timothy Taylor's Landlord properly. Both are best in late spring when the hay meadows above the village are at their peak, usually late May into mid-June.

Accommodation in Grassington is limited to a few inns and B&Bs, mostly £100–£150 a night in season, so book six to eight weeks out for a weekend. Kettlewell has even less. If both are full, stay in Skipton or Ilkley and drive in — 25 minutes from Skipton, 35 from Ilkley — but nominate a driver. There's no useful bus after about 7pm, and phone signal through Wharfedale is patchy enough that booking a taxi on the night is a gamble worth avoiding.

Questions, answered

Which town is the best base for a Yorkshire Dales pub night?

Skipton for convenience — trains, taxis, year-round opening and the widest choice of hotels. Hawes for atmosphere if you're staying two nights and want to walk everywhere. Masham only if you book accommodation early; beds there are scarce.

Do I need to book Dales pubs in advance?

For food, yes on Fridays and Saturdays, and always in Masham and Kettlewell where capacity is small. Drinks only, you can usually walk in before 6pm. In summer, ring ahead the same morning.

When is the best month for a night out in the Dales?

Late May to mid-June, or September. Weather is decent, the hay meadows are at their best, and pubs aren't stretched. Avoid August weekends and the week between Christmas and New Year unless you've booked everything.

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