Think country lanes, peace and quiet with only the moo of a cow or baa of a sheep to break the silence. Add to that, beautiful Yorkshire Dales scenery in every direction, and some of the best country walks you have ever seen.
That’s what you find in the village of Appletreewick in the south of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, situated between Grassington and Bolton Abbey. A walk down Appletreewick’s main street is like taking a step back in time as the road is lined with stunning 17th and 18th century stone cottages. There’s even a classic British red telephone box, which is something of a rarity these days.
As we know, every village needs an exceptional pub, and Appletreewick has one of the best in The New Inn. We stayed there on a miserable night in autumn. The sky was grey, the rain was lashing and The New Inn with its original beams, traditional features and roaring fires was a welcoming, comfortable safe haven against the storm outside.
We had planned to get there early and take in one of the local hiking routes to build an appetite for dinner, but the weather had other ideas for us and to be honest, settling in with a beer and a glass of wine in front of the open fire in the bar was a much better option.
On better days, The New Inn is the perfect stop off for hikers, bikers and cyclists and a great place to drive out to for a delicious meal, or even better, as we were to discover, an overnight break.
Run by local couple Alexa and Chris Ives, with head chef Mikael Paylor, (who was born and bred down the road in Grassington), running the kitchen, this formidable team have traditional pub hospitality down to a fine art.
Alexa and Chris above
Alexa has extensive front of house experience, including eight years at The Box Tree in Ilkley, and is a real hands-on grafter, serving drinks behind the bar and overseeing the meals in the bar and restaurant. Chris, who founded Ilkley Brewery in 2009, brings vast beer and spirits expertise, and together as a team, they are being recognised within the food industry and nominated for prestigious awards.
There are six en-suite bedrooms at The New Inn, and our own had the most amazing views of the Yorkshire Dales, which we were to fully appreciate the next morning when the weather had completely changed to a clear blue sky and brilliant sunshine. Rooms are named after Alex and Chris’ favourite features in the unique landscape and habitats of the Yorkshires Dales; Moor, Pasture, Fell, Wood, River & Beck.
All rooms are dog friendly and at no extra charge, so you can bring your fur babies with you. There’s also free WIFI, which is essential as Appletreewick is off grid to any signal.
We had a very comfortable King Room with a fabulous en-suite bathroom, and even though there was a storm howling outside, after a delicious dinner in the restaurant, we slept like babies.
Now let’s talk about dinner…
The New Inn has a restaurant just as cosy and welcoming as the bar, with original beams and rustic features and another roaring open log fire. The menu was full of great hearty dishes with everything from snacks and sandwiches to small plates and large plates.
We chose to start with snacks of Homemade Soda Bread with seaweed butter and Dale’s Dairy butter, plus Hashbrowns with homemade brown sauce. We almost asked for seconds of the hash browns! They were absolutely delicious, however, they were also a generous portion, so we decided to play it safe and stick with the one.
We followed with two dishes from the Large Plates selection; 8oz Ribeye Steak with bone marrow and beef dripping chips and New Inn Fish & Chips with minted garden peas and homemade tartare sauce. Of course we tried each other’s, and I can confirm that steak was not only huge, it was juicy, full of flavour and cooked to perfection, and the chips were magnificent!
However, my own Fish & Chips were a real treat. Not something I eat very often as I am extremely fussy about batter and the quality of the fish. I was very pleased with my choice, the fish was fresh, cooked perfectly with crisp, tasty batter and my plate was clean enough to put straight back into the cupboard, which tells you everything you need to know!
We ate everything put in front of us, we would usually leave something of each course to make sure we had room for dessert – on this occasion we were too full, but very happy with our choices.
Breakfast the next morning was served in the bar and was a cooked to order menu – which knocks those corporate breakfast buffets into a cocked hat! A Full English and Poached Eggs on Toast, with lashings of Yorkshire Tea and toast with preserves, set us up for the day.
New Year
If you’re looking at somewhere for a New Year Break, The New Inn is offering two and three night packages. We think this is a fabulous place to be to see in 2026.
Sunday Lunch
Appletreewick is such a gorgeous location and The New Inn is the perfect place to drive to for a delicious Sunday Lunch in the country.
Overnight Getaway
Why not book yourself a room at The New Inn. Breathe in that pure Yorkshire country air and then hunker down in front of one of those roaring open fires with your favourite tipple, before a delicious lunch or dinner in the bar or restaurant. We know you will love it.
Book a room HERE.
Walkers
Whether you’re looking to take on all three peaks or just looking for a hike through the South-West of the dales, The New Inn, Appletreewick is the best place to stop off and refuel.
Check them out and thank us later.
Phone: 0751 6780023
Review and images by Angela Riches and Dave Riches
Some images supplied
