A Summer Visit to North Yorkshire

This article was originally written for a digital platform that promoted stories of North Yorkshire, but sadly their website was hacked soon after the article was published. As it’s quite hard to find homes for personal travelogues, I’ve decided to re-publish this one on my blog. So, here is an account of my summer visit to beautiful North Yorkshire last year:

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The sunny summer sun shone on the pathway lined with sturdy English oaks growing alongside tall hedges. Occasional birdsong and the pitter-patter of our host’s black Labrador accompanying us on our walk, provided a delightful score for our lovely mid-morning outing. A soft dandelion whisked by, willing me to wish upon it. And I did, capturing the magical moment for posterity. This beautiful memory was created moments before our departure from the picturesque village of Nether Silton in county Thirsk, North Yorkshire, where my family and I spent a memorable weekend last summer.

My husband’s sister-in-law belongs to this part of the world. Every year, therefore, we make an annual trip to England to visit family, gladly escaping the terrific heat of our Indian summer in the process. London is our usual base, though we visit her home seat in North Yorkshire for a weekend getaway when we can. This was my second visit to this serenely beautiful part of England, and my first to its romantic moors.

We spent most of our weekend in their country home, where views of the rolling moors stretched as far as the eye could see. I felt transported back in time to my teenage years, as I vividly recalled devouring a dog-eared copy of my mother’s “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Brontë. One evening, the weather gods blessed us with a gorgeous sunset awash in hues of yellows and oranges, reminiscent of a Renaissance painting.

Yet, the natural beauty of North Yorkshire wasn’t the only highlight of our visit. On the first day, soon after our arrival, we drove to the nearby town of Guisborough for a special event. Our destination was a tiny taproom located in the storage area of an erstwhile industrial estate converted to a mall. Guisborough Brewery, the place and the artisanal beer, were both established in 2020, and ever since, Robin Field, its co-director and brewer, organises community events at the taproom with music, snacks and plenty of beer.

Sadly, the live band was washed out by freak bouts of rain, but it was heartening to see a number of enthusiastic people turn up to enjoy the local brew and banter, despite their absence. Two beers were offered on tap – the in-house ‘Dark Habit’ and the ‘Crafty Monkey’, which belonged to a different brewery. One could also choose from bottled versions of Guisborough’s most popular offerings. I stuck with the Dark Habit in keeping with my preferences and loved its heartiness with a hint of sweetness, which made it light and palatable. Though the choice of brew differed for everyone present, the easy flow of conversation and free-flowing drinks ensured that a good time was had by all.

As a visitor, I thoroughly enjoyed watching this communal camaraderie at play. I had always associated the alcohol-led-social outing with the very English tradition of the local pub, and found it interesting to see a much smaller brewery serve the same purpose. Was this then the new-age equivalent of pubs, where people meet to unwind from the pressures of regular life? I asked Robin if that were the case.

He responded, “Though North Yorkshire has its fair share of old breweries still plying their trade such as Sam Smith, Theakstons and Black Sheep as well as new breweries Brew York and Northern Monk, sadly, the Teeside area which is closer to where Guisborough Brewery is located, does not have such a strong culture with real ale. I believe our brewery has helped to reintroduce these classic beers and continues to educate people about what makes good tasty beer.”

He was keen to highlight that the UK as a whole has a very vibrant craft beer and ale culture, which is best enjoyed in the bars of major city centres. “I feel, however, craft beer and real ale is generally most appreciated amongst the more rural areas,” he added. Thinking of that delicious dark ale and my pleasant memories of our weekend in North Yorkshire, I have to agree that the most authentic experiences are indeed best enjoyed in rural areas.

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This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’  hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Dr. Preeti Chauhan.

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*This is not a sponsored post.

**Copyright in pictures and content belongs to nooranandchawla.com and cannot be republished or repurposed without express permission of the author. As I am a copyright lawyer by profession, infringement of any kind will invite strict legal action.