Shoulder of Mutton

No Longer In Business

The Shoulder of Mutton suffered badly in the floods that hit the Calder valley in the summer of 2012. When we last visited it was newly reopened and I felt it had lost some of its charm, perhaps because it smelt of paint and was very brightly lit. It’s a nice pub though, partly knocked through, with a quarry tiled floor round the bar, a tartan carpet and two new (but old style) fireplaces. By one of them is a shelf of books on sale for 50p each with the proceeds going to the local hospice. There are six hand pumps – nothing very exciting but they usually have some local microbrews on offer. The pub is popular for its food - the carveries in particular are very good value – and there’s a nice old fashioned stone patio at the back by the river which is pleasantly sun-dappled on summer days. (Last visited 26 December 2012).

Close to the railway station and set next to the small river feeding the Calder just a few metres away. This is a pub that does a good line in cheaply priced meals a couple of times a day and has a few ales to choose from if you want a locally produced brew to go with it. The decoration is slightly more modern than the building might suggest, but no less comfortable for it. The patio area to the rear and side overlooks the low-rise river. Hit badly by the floods on Boxing Day in 2015, it is currently closed and maybe for quite a while.