Cautiously reversing, an unhealthy grinding sound came from my vehicle as its four-wheel drive fought for traction. I was on sheer ice. The main roads and towns were blissfully clear, but turning off onto jagged moorland tracks for the final 30 minutes of my drive, the conditions worsened mile by mile. These are the joys of visiting Tan Hill Inn in December.
Tan Hill Inn is isolated in the middle of the Yorkshire Dales, a desolate expanse of moors, valleys and hills in northern England. When William the Conqueror's surveyors ventured here in 1085, they promptly left after jotting down a single word to describe the surrounding area's setting: "wasteland".
As the highest pub in Britain (located 1,732ft above sea level), the weathered, 17th-Century stone structure has long attracted locals and hardy wanderers, but its remote setting means visiting is not for the fainthearted. However, those who make the journey are rewarded with a cosy bar next to a roaring hearth, traditional British treats like giant Yorkshire puddings and guest rooms upstairs, should they choose to settle in for the night. With a whiteout on the horizon as I approached, as well as sheet ice underfoot and bleak moorland as far as I could see, some rural hospitality was much needed.
Excellent advert and video.