Pubs work together to revitalise the TransPennine Real Ale Trail
Pub campaigner, Dale Harvey takes it on and gives The Great British Pub Crawl seal of approval
Dale Harvey, known by his thousands of followers as The Great British Pub Crawl, came to Yorkshire on 25th November to take on the newly revitalised TransPennine Real Ale Trail, which was originally made famous when Oz and James featured it on their Drink to Britan BBC show in 2009. There are 7 pubs along the TransPennine line – 6 in West Yorkshire and 1 just over the Pennines in Stalybridge – that are known for their cask and keg beers and offer a different kind of pub crawl, taking in 7 towns.
It’s fair to say that the Trail developed a bit of a reputation as a rowdy affair, favoured by stag and hen parties, a few years ago, but that has all changed now and has had a revamp recently, with the 7 pubs collaborating to create a new website that guides Ale Trailers on their journey. It takes in Stalybridge Buffet Bar at Stalybridge, The Riverhead Brewery Tap at Marsden, The Commercial at Slaithwaite, The King’s Head at Huddersfield, The Navigation Tavern at Mirfield, The West Riding at Dewsbury, and Cellar Bar at Batley.
This year, severe disruptions to the TransPennine line, which even saw Huddersfield Railway Station close for the full month of September, has meant that the trail has been very difficult to do, impacting on trade for all these pubs and more in the affected towns.
However, the pubs did not take it lying down and used this time to work together to create the new, improved website to revitalise the trail now that much of the improvement works have been completed.
And who better to test it out than The Great British Pub Crawl? You can see Dale’s trail unfold, which started at Stalybridge, on his Facebook page, and the full video of the day is on YouTube.
He loved it and said: “An absolutely brilliant little ale trail. I hope that people watching this video are now inspired to come and do it for themselves.
"You won’t be disappointed by the quality of the pubs, and you won’t be disappointed by the quality of the beer. A really good day out”
And, by the look of the comments, many people agreed.
Dale is what can only be described as a professional pub crawler, dedicated to supporting Britain’s pub trade by documenting his pub crawls across the UK. His mission is to showcase the brilliant pubs that are out there, many of whom are struggling in an extremely difficult climate for the hospitality trade.
The Trail spans Stalybridge to Batley and can be done in either direction (a top tip is to start at the furthest point and work your way back home!).
The new website details each pub, including location, opening times, and services offered and is a great example of pubs working together to create something that helps them all survive in this difficult time for hospitality.