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ONE PUB ONLY?
The Fighting Cock
CRAWLING FROM RAILWAY STATION TO THE GROUND?
Castle, Shoulder of Mutton then Corn Dolly
SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT?
Fighting Cock
|  |  The Castle
20 Grattan Rd, BD1 2LU T 01274 393166 W www.castle-hotel-bradford.co.uk
G Paul Chand
F Sandwiches
SP SK BM P D
O 11 to 11, 12 to 10.30 Sun
The Castle is a truly impressive building. The stone - faced Yorkshire edifice hides a real local that has a grand scale in its interior layout. It was closed for refurbishment and rescue when I toured Bradford in 2005 and there was much concern as to its future. Therefore, it was great to receive a call from Paul asking whether I might visit this year as he wanted to re - establish the Castle as a popular venue on the town real ale scene.
Paul has done a great job and the plans for the future are truly exciting. This included a real ale policy that always has a dark beer, nationals and rarer local ales as shown below. This large street - corner pub lies just out of the town centre but convenient for those making the pilgrimage to the Fighting Cock. Developments have included a totally new cellar and over the next year the pub will undergo massive improvements on the décor that will build on the traditional style of the pub. A tap room and beer festivals will also be other great developments in the coming year. You can only be grabbed by Paul’s enthusiasm. Paul No. 2 runs the bar and is a perfect gent, talking of real ale and pub life with genuine love and affection. Talk to Paul and his love of music suggests that this will also feature heavily in the news that the pub will inevitably create. It is already a good pub that will soon be very very good.
BWV 1.3.06: Jennings Cockerhoop, Mansfield Cask Ale, Marston’s Pedigree, Mordue Black Midden Stout, Red Brick Double Barrel | |  Cock and Bottle
93 Barkerend Rd, BD3 9AA T 01274 222305
G Peter Fell
F All home - cooked traditional style pub grub 12 to 2.30
CP SK BM P D
O11.30 to 12, 11.30 to 1 Fri - Sun
The recent history of this street - corner pub is fascinating and deserves full documentation, alas elsewhere. It is the future that excites this writer because, having being reopened as the tap for the William Greenwood Brewery, it surely will be a destination for real ale lovers visiting the town. I met with Peter and friends on the day they finally started production at the 50 barrel a week plant on the site.
The refurbishment is truly monumental and impressive. The pub has many rooms, all with features that deserve the attention of pub architecture students. I liked the painstaking way the stained glass has been restored and timber walls reinstated. Each room is of a different size and often shape. You could well get lost if you become; as the locals call it, “stiffened”. The plans include regular live music in the room that doubles as a Sky TV room. Innovations also include wireless internet access for those inevitable business meetings held here. My visit soon turned into a mini pub crawl with Peter and “Saddam.” We left Karl, the rugby loving bar person to look after the impressive list of ales and toured the town talking of how The Cock will be huge if things go as planned. The pub is unmissable if you arrive by car via the main road.
BWV 1.3.06: Black Sheep Riggwelter, Dent Bitter, Kelham Island Pale Rider, Marston’s Pedigree, Oakham Kaleidascope, Rudgate Well Blathered, Timothy Taylor Landlord, Wensleydale Forresters Bitter, William Greenwood Fat Prop, Flying Winger
UPDATE Greenfield brewery now gone and so too their beers | |  Corn Dolly
110 Bolton Rd, BD1 4DE T 01274 720219
G Neil Dunkin
F Good honest pub grub 12 to 2
CP TV JB P D
O 11.30 to 11, 12 to 10.30 Sun
The Corn Dolly is a single bar, timber and plaster framed, that serves really good and rarer ales to add to the national standards. Bradford CAMRA awards stand proud in the pub as does a fascinating painting of Bradford legend Ces Podd. Add in a pool table and you get the feeling that this is a proper community pub that has welcomed beer hunting guests into their midst. I enjoyed a brief lunchtime visit and soon felt that I had found a much - loved refuge just outside the town centre. The food comes recommended so it is therefore my city centre choice, perhaps the pub to visit after the game if you are aiming to get a later train home. I had a great chat with Neil and his returning friend, gleaning valuable insights into the other city centre ale houses.
UPDATE: Three different visits this year, all were excellent. Neil was often on holiday!
BWV 14.3.05: Black Sheep Bitter, Cottage Merchant Navy, Durham White Gold, Everards Tiger, Glentworth Bad March, Hopback Summer Lightning, Moorhouses Dolly Bitter, Timothy Taylor Landlord
BWV1.3.06: Anglo Dutch Spike On T’Way, Black Sheep Bitter, Bowland Double Centurion, Durham Bishop’s Gold, Everards Tiger, Holden’s Black Country Special, Moorhouses Dolly Bitter, Timothy Taylor Landlord | |  Fighting Cock
21 - 23 Preston St, BD7 1JE T 01274 726907
G Sue Turner F Good value home- cooked hot and cold lunches 12 to 4 Not Sun
SP TV JB
O 11 to 11, 12 to 10.30 Sun
The Cock is an award - winning boozer that would be popular in any town or location. In Bradford it sits isolated in an industrial estate, yet still draws the devoted from afar. The pull is more than a predictable beer followed by a curry, rather then joy of finding great beer in a tap room atmosphere to die for. It looks, and indeed smells, like a serious pub. One can imagine rough cut cigarettes and talk of the good old days among the regulars who are far too young to know what they were. I would always make an effort to get to this pub. The locals comment on the great juke box.
UPDATE: Just as brilliant, Local CAMRA awards: Pub of the Year 2005, Winter Season 2005
BWV 14.3.05: Bank Top Port O’Call, Glentworth Early Spring, Greene King Abbot, Holden’s Thigh Bones, Kelburn Goldihops, Old Mill Bitter, Phoenix White Monk, Theakston’s Old Peculier, Timothy Taylor Golden Best, Landlord Biddenden's Dry Cider, Monk’s Delight Cider, Weston’s Old Rosie
BWV.1.3.06: Bradfield Blonde, Castle Rock Hemlock, Copper Dragon Golden Pippin, Goose Eye, Golden Eye, Greene King Abbot, Old Mill Bitter, Phoenix White Monk, Pictish Brewers Gold, Theakston’s Old Peculier, Timothy Taylor Best, Golden Best, Landlord Biddenden Dry, Monk’s Delight cider, Weston’s Old Rosie | |  Shoulder of Mutton
28 Kirkgate, BD1 1QL T 01274 726038
G Paul Cokey
F All home cooked Yorkshire / English menu 12 to 2.30 Not Sun
MP
O 11 to 11 Mon - Sat, 12 to 10.30 Sun
The second port of call for Peter, DJ Deaf and myself was this beautiful and somewhat relaxing town centre pub. It had also come highly recommended by the crew at the City Gent, so I was very happy to set into the OBB at a price that all find remarkable. This is a truly friendly and intimate town centre pub that instantly invites cross - table conversation as I found when the group was extended to some regulars enjoying and praising the merits of “their” local.
The pub has many small rooms and a fantastic pub courtyard. The impressiveness comes from the towering walls of the surrounding buildings and the fact it is cool in summer and wind - free in winter. I wondered how this pub is not “listed.” It oozes character that is enhanced by having no music, games or machines. Chris and Annie introduced me to Billy, Arif and friends; it is just that type of pub. It is so easy to get into easy chat. The pub is not on the main town drag and will be quieter than the usual town centre pub on matchdays, which would suit me just fine. It is a good honest boozer with a touch of class that should be a bit of a secret to those in the know. It will have a gentle purr of contentment that goes with ale houses that need little advertisement, as they generate business by repeat trade. For me it is the place to start my town crawl if arriving via the Forsters Square Station that is just around the corner.
BWV 1.3.06: Samuel Smith OBB | | New Beehive
Recommended by Colin Parker
www.newbeehiveinn.co.uk | | | BRADFORD CAMRA | | 
CORAL WINDOWS STADIUM | | LOCAL BREWERY
SALAMANDER BREWING CO
22 Harry Street
Dudley Hill
Bradford BD4 9PH
Telephone:01274 652 323 | | WETHERSPOONS
The Turls Green Unit D, Centenary Square Bradford BD1 1HY Opening Times: Sun-Wed 9am-midnight; Thu-Sat 9am-2am
The Sir Titus Salt Unit B, Windsor Baths Morley Street Bradford BD7 1AQ Opening Times: Sun-Thu 9am-midnight; Fri/Sat 9am-1am
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