The drive to Aberford from the ring road in Leeds is just the job to remind you of all that is beautiful about England. Lush green fields, higgeldypiggeldy hamlets, wonky old stone walls, roads that have never seen a set square, village churchyards, chickens on verges and old folk on pushbikes with flowers in their baskets.
Head off York Road onto Leeds Road towards Barwick-in-Elmet LS25 and just enjoy the drive...even better you can grab the 64A bus and not have to think about watching the road at all. After Barwick comes Aberford, a beauitiful and classic Yorkshire village set around a river- and just over that river bridge you will see the black and white frontage of the Arabian Horse Inn.
Good wines, warming food, a wide choice of ales, a roaring open fire....and two jack russels who get their own chairs at the bar. It's so welcoming, everyone nods at you and says hello when you walk in, folks turn around in their chairs to ask you what you think of this and that they happen to be talking about at the time and the keeping up of the fire is a joint effort where every now and then one of you takes the initiative and wanders over to the woodstack hoping to create some sparking magic in the grate.
For a longer day out Lotherton Hall is just up the road and if you require some protein the farm just over the river from this pub sells the BEST EGGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
I could, quite literally, live in the snug in the Arabian Horse Inn and survive happily on chunky sandwiches, real ale, local crisps served in tubs (??) and the life affirming licks of those two fat little terriers.
England at it's very best. Warm, friendly, funny and just the right amount of eccentric. Beautiful.
Oh and the river is called Cock Beck *snigger snigger* read more