Looking back over my previous posts and something struck me , despite our the last year and a bit of our quest to find the best dog days out and dog friendly pubs we’d not visited the place we live at all , so here goes ..a mutt day out in the stylish metropolis that is Keighley ..prepare to slightly surprised …

We began in Park Wood, an area of common land just to the east of the Town Centre , that was was given to the people of Keighley by the Duke of Devonshire in 1928. It’s a maze of woodland paths and rock formations , with breaks in the trees giving some fantastic views out across the valley and into the town below , a great location to appreciate the industrial heritage in the area.

It’s a real haven for dogs off the lead with plenty of undergrowth and bushes to explore , perfect for the little squirrel chaser in your life ! Paths are in the main clearly marked and although a bit rough in places , boots and walking gear are only really necessary in the winter months .However  the approach to the woods is up a steep path that may not suit everyone and at times there are a couple of drops off the path sides to be aware of with both mutts and young uns .

The piece of the countryside right on the town’s doorstep is in much use by local schools and community groups as a venue for forest schools and outdoor holiday activities, so again just something to be wary of with pooches off lead ! Chances are you will hear the kids before you see them !

Although the area isn’t huge you can easily lose an hour or more wandering with the Autumn months a particularly spectacular time to visit .

From the wood it was a short walk through a couple of old industrial areas, past the imposing yet Dalton Mills , (location for some of the early series of Peaky Blinders)   and through traditional Yorkshire ‘Ginnels’  to the Wishbone Brewery , located incongruously in a quiet street of works buildings just a couple of minutes walk from the main railway station .

Having sampled a few of their brews on our travels we’d been intending to check out the monthly(ish) Friday /Saturday onsite bar openings for a while and finding out that the place was dog friendly was a bonus !  Obviously word had spread and Saturday afternoon was proving popular with local canines with almost every table populated by a pooch of varying size and shape  plus of course their owners.

Wishbone let it be said  is not the place for posh surroundings , the bar is in a working brewery with rough stone floors  , seating on beer barrels with trestle tables and you’ll without doubt need your ‘big coat, but that’s all part of the fun . For those who are interested the actual brewing plant is open for inspection those obviously this a mutt free zone . Kids are allowed on in the bar on a Saturday afternoon but it’s made plain on the company website that they will be expected to behave. 

It being Christmas , a festive mood was apparent  and if we’d have stayed longer we could have enjoyed the experience of a local ukulele band in full flight ,  (not quite sure what Bruce would have made of that ! ) However during our stay Santa  (or was it Roy Wood ? ) landed to be offered his own pint to pull in lieu of the traditional sherry . Meanwhile local cafe Lemon Tree was doing a roaring trade in turkey butties in a pop up stand and lots of dodgy Xmas jumpers were on view to add to the convivial atmosphere.

We really enjoyed our first visit to Wishbone , a no frills venue ,quality beer at only £2 a pint an obviously regular friendly clientele and it’s dog friendly credentials all add to make  a different but excellent ‘dog’ pub experience .

Our second and final port of call was a short walk to that Real Ale institution , The Boltmakers tucked away on East Parade. The Unofficial ‘Brewery Tap’ of the Famous Timothy Taylors Beers , their award winning Best Bitter was renamed ‘Boltmaker’ in recognition of the Pub’s reputation for the quality of it’s ale.

We’ve been in many times over the years dog-less  but our first experience with Bruce was positive with a warm welcome for mutts from the Landlord and his staff . The Boltmakers is tiny , a one room pub with an open fire makes for a cozy destination after a winter walk  although it’s fair to say  size might prove problematic if there are more than a couple of mutts in .

As Bruce was the only one he stuck his nose up his backside and snored gently under the table while we enjoyed a couple of excellently kept beers . There’s no food here the Bolts is a good old fashioned beer house that remains one of the most popular pubs in the town  and was a cracking way to finish off a fine afternoon in our home town.

Looking back over my previous posts and something struck me , despite our the last year and a bit of our quest to find the best dog days out and dog friendly pubs we’d not visited the place we live at all , so here goes ..a mutt day out in the stylish metropolis that is Keighley ..prepare to slightly surprised …

We began in Park Wood, an area of common land just to the east of the Town Centre , that was was given to the people of Keighley by the Duke of Devonshire in 1928. It’s a maze of woodland paths and rock formations , with breaks in the trees giving some fantastic views out across the valley and into the town below , a great location to appreciate the industrial heritage in the area.

It’s a real haven for dogs off the lead with plenty of undergrowth and bushes to explore , perfect for the little squirrel chaser in your life ! Paths are in the main clearly marked and although a bit rough in places , boots and walking gear are only really necessary in the winter months .However  the approach to the woods is up a steep path that may not suit everyone and at times there are a couple of drops off the path sides to be aware of with both mutts and young uns .

The piece of the countryside right on the town’s doorstep is in much use by local schools and community groups as a venue for forest schools and outdoor holiday activities, so again just something to be wary of with pooches off lead ! Chances are you will hear the kids before you see them !

Although the area isn’t huge you can easily lose an hour or more wandering with the Autumn months a particularly spectacular time to visit .

From the wood it was a short walk through a couple of old industrial areas, past the imposing yet Dalton Mills , (location for some of the early series of Peaky Blinders)   and through traditional Yorkshire ‘Ginnels’  to the Wishbone Brewery , located incongruously in a quiet street of works buildings just a couple of minutes walk from the main railway station .

Having sampled a few of their brews on our travels we’d been intending to check out the monthly(ish) Friday /Saturday onsite bar openings for a while and finding out that the place was dog friendly was a bonus !  Obviously word had spread and Saturday afternoon was proving popular with local canines with almost every table populated by a pooch of varying size and shape  plus of course their owners.

Wishbone let it be said  is not the place for posh surroundings , the bar is in a working brewery with rough stone floors  , seating on beer barrels with trestle tables and you’ll without doubt need your ‘big coat, but that’s all part of the fun . For those who are interested the actual brewing plant is open for inspection those obviously this a mutt free zone . Kids are allowed on in the bar on a Saturday afternoon but it’s made plain on the company website that they will be expected to behave. 

It being Christmas , a festive mood was apparent  and if we’d have stayed longer we could have enjoyed the experience of a local ukulele band in full flight ,  (not quite sure what Bruce would have made of that ! ) However during our stay Santa  (or was it Roy Wood ? ) landed to be offered his own pint to pull in lieu of the traditional sherry . Meanwhile local cafe Lemon Tree was doing a roaring trade in turkey butties in a pop up stand and lots of dodgy Xmas jumpers were on view to add to the convivial atmosphere.

We really enjoyed our first visit to Wishbone , a no frills venue ,quality beer at only £2 a pint an obviously regular friendly clientele and it’s dog friendly credentials all add to make  a different but excellent ‘dog’ pub experience .

Our second and final port of call was a short walk to that Real Ale institution , The Boltmakers tucked away on East Parade. The Unofficial ‘Brewery Tap’ of the Famous Timothy Taylors Beers , their award winning Best Bitter was renamed ‘Boltmaker’ in recognition of the Pub’s reputation for the quality of it’s ale.

We’ve been in many times over the years dog-less  but our first experience with Bruce was positive with a warm welcome for mutts from the Landlord and his staff . The Boltmakers is tiny , a one room pub with an open fire makes for a cozy destination after a winter walk  although it’s fair to say  size might prove problematic if there are more than a couple of mutts in .

As Bruce was the only one he stuck his nose up his backside and snored gently under the table while we enjoyed a couple of excellently kept beers . There’s no food here the Bolts is a good old fashioned beer house that remains one of the most popular pubs in the town  and was a cracking way to finish off a fine afternoon in our home town.