Review

The Village of Barkston Ash near Tadcaster in North Yorkshire is apparently named after the legendary ash tree that is supposed to sit at the very centre of Yorkshire. We had a look about the place and couldn't see the tree but what we did find was The Ash Tree Inn, a traditional coaching inn established in 1769 just across the historic London Road on the edge of the Village.

Predominantly attracting a steady flow of visitors by road for their food offering, a fairly recent interior renovation has created a very smart and homely pub. The front two rooms are warm and welcoming with some booth seating and low beamed ceilings and window nooks. The bar opposite had three local cask ales and the usual commercial kegs stuff, the prices were very reasonable.

This is a large pub with plenty of restaurant space, including a back room and conservatory, perfectly geared towards large events. To the rear is an expansive astro turfed beer garden with a line of Swiss chalet style covered tables alongside a raised pond and more seating. It's a very pleasant open space that is well isolated from the busy road just beyond.

It's certainly a decent enough spot to stop by for a couple of drinks if you're walking in the area and it had some of the best toilets we've seen for a while. Although it's obviously geared more towards food, as you would have to be in such a rural location, the beer offering was still ok. We didn't get a chance to try any food but from the busy car park we can deduce that it must be good. The pub has certainly come a long way from when we visited a few years ago.