Farmers Arms, Mukerback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Having consulted the 2015 GBG we make a detour on our way between Whitby and Kirkby Lonsdale to this quaint ex slate mine village In the heart of the Yorkshire Dales.
The Farmers Arms is on the main road through the village and cannot be missed, though there's not much parking available.
The ample seating area to the front is a sun trap and was the perfect spot to sit with a pint and a sandwich.
Very traditional inside with low ceiling beams and a flagstone floor. Several diners were inside to escape the warm weather.
4 cask ales available, Theakstons Old Peculiar, Black Sheep Best Bitter and 2 from Yorkshire Dales Brewing Co , I went for the Farmers Bitter @ 3.7%. A cracking pint that was well poured and kept.
The wife and I each had a sandwich for lunch and it was very good, fresh with good ingredients.
Lovely village pub that I wouldn't have even have considered without the help of the GBG and my sat nav.
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We were up in the Dales for the 1st time in July and fell in love with Muker. The Farmers is the only pub in the village and it's just perfect for walkers, bikers, passing sheep farmers and soft southerners in 4x4's, (us),
Here I discovered Black Sheep Best Bitter and my mate settled for draught Thatchers Cider. The food is good wholesome well prepared English grub, reasonably priced and served by friendly staff, in fact everyone we met was friendly and ready for a chat. PS. Asda do a bottled version of Black Sheep Bitter which is very pleasant, pour yourself a glass and imagine being in the Dales. Perfick!
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Super friendly and welcoming. Beer is just the best. Food very good for what you pay. Can't fault it.
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Pubs like this are fast dying out so it is wonderful to visit one that maintains our age old traditions and remains a quality inn. Serving great food at reasonable prices and served by helpful, friendly and hard working staff, the accompanying ale and wine selection is varied, sensibly priced and top notch.
If there were more pubs not willing to compromise on service and service to earn a quick buck or pander to latest fashions then maybe, just maybe, the on trade would not be in such steep decline. Helps being in prime walking country but all the basic principles still apply. Well worth the blisters!
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I used to visit this pub over the new year for many years, I have looked for a place to rent for coming new year, but was not able to find one.
Always enjoyed the visit, will try to make a visit in the summer.
Nick S Phillips
Birmingham
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Great pub. Real fire/stove, good beer, friendly staff.
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really good pub with an excellent ale selection and a very knowledgeable woman behind the bar who was able to accurately decribe all the beers to assist my choice! The beer was spot on as were her descriptions. Not to be missed if in the Dales.
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Visited this week, good pint of Theakstons. Friendly Landlord. Food was good honest pub food, �7.95 for Fishemans Pie. Lovely atmosphere. Dog friendly and slap in the middle of Swadul walking country, what more could you want?
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Another delightful visit to this charming pub. We were pleased to meet Darren, the new landlord, who took over the pub just a few days before Christmas! A local lad, who served his apprenticeship at the Tan Hill Inn, seems the ideal choice to blend the requirements of both locals and visiting walkers and tourists. He is aware of the high prestige this pub is held in amongst the walking community, and his priority is to retain its reputation.
At the time of our visit he had just 3 real Ales on - Black Sheep Bitter, Theakston's Best and Yorkshire Dales Cock Robin Cottage (3.9%), a Christmas Ale. It's early days for him yet, but he is considering at least one stronger ale.
Pub food was great - ideal for the cold, snowy, windy day we were there, and there was a great open log fire! We had the Hot Beef Baguette, gravy and chips. and the Chilli con carne. Both delicious. At the moment he serves food from 12.00 to 2.30pm, and 6 - 8pm, but as the number of walkers builds up through the year he is hoping to start the evening food at 5.30pm to cater for walkers who want a hit meal at the end of an afternoon.
We've been coming to this pub on our visits to Swaledale for the past 20 years and wish Darren and Emily every success.
PS Dogs welcome!
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Aye, it's Usha Gap by the way, as stated on their sign.
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Visited The Farmers Arms on Sunday the 9th of Nov 2010. It came highly recommended and the people I was with had visited it several times before. The welcome was friendly enough and we sat down by the roaring fire and cast our eyes over the menu. All of the items looked delicious and all but one or two said �Homemade� somewhere in the description.
Between us we settled on a Game Pie, Chicken Pie and Roast Beef with all the trimmings.
One of our group asked what kind of pastry was used in the pie, puff or short�.the response was �ummm don�t know, but its proper pastry�. We also asked for Roast Potatoes with the Game Pie, but we were told we couldn�t do that, the choice was chips of new potatoes (despite roast potatoes being available with the Sunday lunch.�when asked if the chips were home made we were told they were not. The warning bells should have been going off at this point.
When the food arrived we were sorely disappointed. The roast beef was sliced impossibly thin�.so thin it clearly came out of a packet, �All the Trimmings� consisted of 2 flavourless old boiled spuds (despite asking for roasted), undercooked carrots, a frozen Yorkshire pud and a big heap of ASDA�s own canned corn (honestly who puts canned corn on a Sunday roast!) topped with packet gravy. There was some much un-drained liquid on the plate it was like soup! I have had microwave meals better than that rubbish!
Game pie wasn�t much better and came with the same �Trimmings�. The chicken pie gravy was the same as the gravy used in the game pie, which didn�t complement chicken at all. The pastry was soggy, all in all very disappointing!
If this is what passes for good pub food in the Dales then something has gone horribly wrong! It�s a shame to see what was obviously once a really great pub slide so far down hill. I will be doing my best to avoid this place in the future, if you are in the area and you want a decent meal take a quick trip over the hill to Hawes instead.
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Our party of 16 (and 4 dogs) spent 3 happy days here over the recent sunny bank holiday. It's a nice friendly local in this pretty little Swaledale village, and only 10 mins walk from our campsite at Usher Gap. Popular with walkers and locals.
There is well kept Theakston's Best, Black sheep bitter, Black Sheep ale & Old Peculiar, but in the main we drank the superior local brews, first Muker silver, then when that ran out Lundsdale (?) bitter. The food is ok pub food, (the ploughmans is popular)
Reccomended
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Visited Yesterday at Lunchtime. Very quiet when we went in with two dogs , welcoming even thou our dogs nearly demolished a table. Food reasonably priced. Very very nice pint of Black Sheep, shame there aren't more real ales on Tap , just Theakstons too. Clean , warm and friendly , definately worth a visit.
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A lovely pub in beautiful, truly beautiful, Swaledale. Good food and guest ales from local micro breweries (Silver "something" brewed nearby at Askrigg when I called in). Coast to Coast walkers should stay if poss at Swale farm in the village, a great place with a lovely welcome and good quality b/b + rooms. Worth seeking out.
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I was looking at pubs that I have known from the past and came accross "The Farmers Arms".
Between 1969 - 1979 I used to spend January in the village and most nights at the pub.
I always felt welcome and never remember a bad pint.
If you are a walker, the area full of great walks, from just a stroll down to the river to some great climb, those not able to walk far some great drives ( dont miss the "Butter tubs pass"),for some reason no one drives fast.
I rememeber one winter we could not get the car out due to the snow. a farmer got out his tractor and got us on our way it took hours. That the sort of welcome you get.
Must go back with luck it may snow.
Nick Phillips
Birmingham.
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This pub was a regular haunt for a week whilst on holiday and the welcome, food and drink was all excellent. The pub is warm and cosy and offers bar meals both lunch and evening whilst also welcoming dogs (under control). This is the best pub in the area and outshines the Kings Head in Gunnerside.
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Excellent pub, consistantly good. Not just a walkers' haunt,there is usually a local or two in the bar. The food is good, nothing fancy, and the beer is always on top form. In mid October, the Black Sheep and Rigwelter were prime, though a stranger to me, Yorkshire Dales Stag Fell, tasted rather peculiar, as though the brewer was rather heavy handed with the roasted barley. Perfectly drinkable though.Unfortunately, an old favourite, Castle Eden Ale was not available.We, and the dogs, can't recommend this pub too much.
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Just want to concur with everyone. Great pub, friendly manager and staff and V good food and beer. It should also be pointed out that there are not many pubs in the area so a stop is absolutely necessary.
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Great pub, the best OP around, smashing food and a warm welcome - this is one not to miss!
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The pint of Black Sheep was very welcome after a 8 mile walk up Gunnerside Gill... which I recommend to everyone!
This pub is the only pub I've ever been to where there is a sign which says "the pub is behind you" on the side of the road where the sign is!
Traditional pub in an absolutely stunning and relatively unknown part of North Yorkshire!
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Really warm welcome when we called in for a late afternoon drink at new year. Really good pint of Black Sheep "Rigwelter"! Also first pub I've found offering Jaegermeister schnapps to warm you up on a cool day!
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Good pint of Black Sheep & Theakstons. Food a bit pricey.
anonymous - 17 Oct 2005 13:51 |
Good old traditional pub.Decent ale and food
James - 12 Nov 2004 22:02 |
A classic dales pub. Real ale and good pub grub
chris - 5 Sep 2004 19:44 |
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