The 500-year-old North Yorkshire pub at the top of the moors

Just the moor stretching in every direction, the wind, and a pub that has been standing on this ridge since the reign of Mary I.

The Lion Inn at Blakey Ridge is one of the most extraordinary places in the North of England and most people have no idea it exists.

Built between 1553 and 1558, the pub is believed to have been constructed by monks as a rest stop when carrying coffins across the moors.

It sits at 1,325 feet above sea level at the highest point of the North York Moors National Park – and is the fourth highest pub in England.

The views from the car park alone are worth the drive.

What it feels like inside

Walk through the door and you walk into another century. Low beamed ceilings, bare stone walls, flagstone floors, and fires burning in ancient stone fireplaces.

The pub is a series of small interconnected rooms, each with its own atmosphere.

There is real ale on the bar – Black Sheep, Theakston’s Old Peculier, Timothy Taylor’s Landlord, and a menu that runs from midday to 9pm every day.

“I just love the old feel of the place and the unique layout – the way all the little rooms lead into each other,” wrote one regular visitor on Tripadvisor.

“There’s always a cosy atmosphere and a little corner to sit in.”

Another reviewer, who has been going for years and sees no reason to stop, described it as “exactly the kind of place that’s emblematic of why I love pubs like these” – great atmosphere, wonderful aesthetic and fantastic food.

What to order

Come hungry. Portion sizes at the Lion Inn are a recurring theme across more than 1,000 Tripadvisor reviews.

“The portions are simply huge, even the plates they are served on are bigger than normal dinner plates,” one regular visitor said kindly.

The Sunday roast is what people travel for.

“Fantastic quality with huge slabs of beef,” wrote one reviewer who booked online the night before and was served within 15 minutes of ordering.

The steak sandwich gets its own devoted following, with one visitor, who came after a family celebration from Scarborough, calling it “the best I have ever had.”

The soup is homemade and described as “great” and “thick and hot.”

Jam roly poly and custard is also on the menu for pudding, if you can manage it.

A word on the walk

The Lion Inn sits on the Coast to Coast walking route, one of England’s most famous long-distance walks, and is the highest and most isolated overnight stop on the entire route.

Walkers have been stumbling through that door for generations.

On a wet day on the moors, with the fires going and a pint of Old Peculier on the table, it must feel like salvation. It is, as one reviewer put it, “a real gem of a place.”

Getting there

The Lion Inn is on the road between Castleton and Hutton-le-Hole, near Kirkbymoorside, North Yorkshire, YO62 7LQ. It takes around 45 minutes to drive from Teesside and an hour from York.

Booking ahead is strongly advised.