Arrive at this tall-gabled, Yorkshire-gritstone pub in the middle of a farming village on the eastern side of the Pennines – with views to Ilkley Moor – and you expect cheery fires, horse brasses, copper-topped tables and hunting prints on the walls. Step inside The Penny Bun, however, and golly – it’s very spare, very sleek and very brown. There are fat white candles glowing in the fireplaces, acres of polished floorboards, elegant bar stools, and some very cool jazz playing.
A well-known hostelry for some 150 years, the Penny Bun is a smooth new interpretation of a British country inn, offering good food and good comfort in relaxed surrounds but in a consciously sustainable way. Think reclaimed oak flooring, cork-cladding, no fires or log-burners – and with bags of design elan: Ercol chairs in the restaurant and snug, clay plaster walls. The ground floor’s open-plan series of spaces, set with unfussy tables, suggests more eating than drinking is done here. And the menu makes good use of produce from nearby Denton Reserve which owns the pub. As with the five bedrooms upstairs, there’s a Quaker-like sobriety mixed with an elegant modern craftsmanship. A sophisticated retreat after a red-cheeked moorland hike in the Nidderdale National Landscape, an exploration of lovely Wharfedale, or a browse of Ilkley’s smart shops.
Highs
- Views south across the Wharfe valley to moorland – including the famous Ilkley Moor – are mesmerising; especially over breakfast on a bright morning
- A sleek uncluttered style that’s both calming and luxurious
- Creative but not fancy menus with genuine local sourcing
- Home-made flapjacks in bedrooms plus a help-yourself cupboard of goodies including popcorn and old-fashioned sweets
- A careful use of candles that proves very effective
Lows
- Bedrooms can feel plain – no art, perhaps a vase of dried leaves – some with only one armchair
- Lighting levels in bedrooms can be challenging
- No cooked dishes on the breakfast menu may not suit folks who are after a good Yorkshire ‘full grill’
- No food served from Sundays 4.30pm until to noon on Wednesdays
- No twin beds
Best time to go
This is North Yorkshire, so a degree or three cooler than southern Britain but not as damp as neighbours on the western side of the Pennines. Spring can be lovely – especially the bluebells in Middleton woods in Ilkley – and the summer gorgeous with the moorland heather in bloom but possibly autumn has the edge with game on the menu and trees ablaze with colour. Ilkley Literature Festival (October) usually has a pretty glittery line-up, too.
Our top tips
Ilkley has a gem of an art deco lido (May to mid-October) with magnificent views of the moors and plenty of grassy lawns. And if you're really into wild swimming there's a popular spot in the River Wharfe, with a small beach, about 10 minutes’ walk from the pool. So, pack your swimmers. It's also worth packing some decent walking boots as both moorland and riverside walks can turn muddy.
- Boutique gastropub
- 5 rooms
- Restaurant and bar (open Wed noon-Sun pm)
- All ages welcome
- Open all year
- Pool
- Spa Treatments
- Beach Nearby
- Pet Friendly
- Disabled Access
- Car essential
- Parking
- Restaurants Nearby
- WiFi
- Air Conditioning
- Guest Lounge
- Terrace
- Garden
- Gym
Rooms
Head upstairs to the five bedrooms and shoulders relax as wafts of incense seep, it seems, into your very soul. This sets the scene for the high-beamed rooms that seem designed to calm, soothe and, possibly subliminally, simplify guests’ lives – at least for their stay.
Furnishings are spare – shelves as desks, stools as bedside tables, open wardrobes – colours earthy, and decoration minimal; perhaps an earthenware vase of dried leaves or a couple of vintage sherry glasses. Fabrics, too, seem straight out of a Dickensian novel: sheepskin rugs, linen bedcovers and muslin curtains (though with 21st-century blackout blinds). No TVs, but Bluetooth speakers and weighty books on art and nature, should you fancy. There are poured concrete basins in shower-only bathrooms, and more of that expensive scent (Chapter Organics) in the unguents.
We plundered the home-made flapjack, lusted after the posh Stagg kettle, liked No 1 (Large) for its in-room bath, and No 5 (Medium) for its moorland views.
Features include:
- Bathrobes
- Bluetooth sound system
- Central heating
- Coffee / tea making
- Hairdryer
- Iron
- Radio
- Toiletries
- WiFi
Eating
This is where the Penny Bun’s aims come together: high-quality, but comforting, food; unfussy presentation; and a keen sense of terroir. Nearby Denton Reserve supplies meat and game, woodland provides foraging – including the eponymous mushroom which turned up as an arancini when we stayed – and the Yorkshire coast provides seafood.
It's pub classics dialled up. My fishcake came with preserved green strawberries in the parsley sauce while the belly pork with bean cassoulet kept diners quiet. I was also tempted by the mushroom burger with apple bbq sauce and harissa mayo. It’s all served with fat candles flickering in windows and a cracking bluesy soundtrack. Wines are well-priced and interesting; ales and gins proudly Yorkshire.
Breakfast is simple – fruit salad, an enormous yogurt-granola bowl, and croissants – but surprisingly filling. If you feel peeved that there’s no Yorkshire ‘fry-up’, bag a table in the conservatory with those glorious views and all will be well in your world. Note that breakfast is only served Thur-Sun, and all other meals from Wed lunchtime until 430pm Sun.
Features include:
- Bar
- Breakfast
- Honesty bar
- Kids' meals
- Restaurant
- Room service
- Vegan options
- Vegetarian options
Activities
- Pull on your boots for a walk up on to the moorland, down to the river or through woodland around nearby Fewston and Swinsty Reservoirs. You're in the 600 sq.km Nidderdale National Landscape, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty where you can also kayak, cave, climb, cycle, fish or horse ride
- Alternatively, head 10 minutes the other way to Ilkley for a blast on its famous moors …finishing with tea and cakes in the town's Betty’s Café Tearooms, a Yorkshire institution, before a mooch around its independent shops
- Drive west up Wharfedale, past Ilkley, for stone-washed villages, good pub lunches (try The Craven Arms at Appletreewick), and more walks; Burnsall and Kettlewell are good starting points
- Admire the Palladian architecture of the John Carr-designed Harewood House, home of the Earl and Countess of Harewood (30 minutes), Renaissance art collection and Capability Brown grounds
- Family day out? Head to Bolton Abbey estate (25 minutes) with its picnic areas, cafes, river paddling – and stepping stones – woodland walks, and summer pirate ship and pop-up beach
Activities on site or nearby include:
- Caves
- Climbing
- Cycling
- Fishing
- Hiking
- Historical sites
- Horse riding
- Kayaking
- Shopping / markets
Kids
All ages are welcome but the pub isn’t particularly family-friendly for overnight guests, although children’s menus are offered. No additional beds are provided so children must either share with a parent or take their own room. Free cots, however, are offered, you will need to bring your own bedding.
Best for:
Babies (0-1 years)
Family friendly accommodation:
Cots Available
Children's meals:
Kids menu serving upmarket tasty dishes such as pasta with venison ragu, crispy cod fishcakes and chips, smaller portions of roasts on Sunday, and ice cream with mini-marshmallows.
For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection
Location
The Penny Bun is in the centre of Askwith (farms, houses, school, village hall), on a country road midway between Ilkley and Otley (both 10 minutes), and overlooks fields and moorland. This is the southern section of the Nidderdale National Landscape, an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, on the eastern side of the Yorkshire Pennines.
By Train:
Ben Rhydding and Ilkley railway stations, 6 and 10 minutes by taxi respectively, connect to mainline trains at Leeds with direct trains to London Kings Cross (3h 20m), Edinburgh (4h), Birmingham (3h) and Manchester (2h).
By Car:
A car is essential: A1(M) 18m; M65, leading to the M6, 23m. London is 4 hours 45 minutes, Edinburgh 4.5 hours, Manchester 1.5 hours.
By Air:
Nearest airports are Leeds Bradford and Manchester. You can pick up hire cars at both, see our car rental recommendations.
Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.
Airports:
- Leeds Bradford Airport 11.2 km LBA
Other:
- Beach 122.0 km
- Shops 5.7 km
- Restaurant 5.7 km