The Tan Hill Inn is a public house at

Tan Hill, North Yorkshire Tan Hill () is a high point on the Pennine Way in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. It lies north of Keld in the civil parish of Muker, near the borders of County Durham and Cumbria, and close to the northern boundary of t ...

. It is the highest

inn Inns are generally establishments or buildings where travelers can seek lodging, and usually, food and drink. Inns are typically located in the country or along a highway; before the advent of motorized transportation they also provided accommo ...

in the

British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...

at above sea level. According to the ''

Guinness Book of World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

'', it is slightly higher than the

Cat and Fiddle Inn The Cat and Fiddle Inn is the second-highest public house in England, the Tan Hill Inn being the highest. In 2020, the outlet was sold to a distiller, who intend to open Britain's highest-altitude whisky distillery. It is in the Peak District ...

in the Peak District, which is at .

History

The building dates to the 17th century, and during the 18th century was used as a

hostelry A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

by workers digging coal pits, which is reflected in its earlier name, The Kings Pit. It is unusual for its isolation, but it was previously surrounded by miners' cottages. In addition to miners, farmers and pedlars, frequent visitors at the inn included drovers leading cattle to the coal pits. After the closure of the last mine in 1929, and demolition of the associated cottages in the early 1930s, the pub remained open due to the patronage of local farmers and the development of the motor car. From 1974, boundary changes moved it into

County Durham County Durham ( ), officially simply Durham,UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. is a ceremonial county in North East England.North East Assembly �About North East E ...

, but this was reviewed in 1987 after much protest, and it reverted to within the Yorkshire boundary. In 1995, the Tan Hill Inn became the first public house in the UK to be granted a licence to hold weddings and civil ceremonies, after new laws were established to allow couples to marry in places other than churches or register offices. The pub is a free house and has served a range of beers from the

Black Sheep In the English language, black sheep is an idiom that describes a member of a group who is different from the rest, especially a family member who does not fit in. The term stems from sheep whose fleece is colored black rather than the more comm ...

and Theakston breweries. Visiting bands have included Arctic Monkeys,

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and British Sea Power. In May 2007,

Kentucky Fried Chicken KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) is an American fast food restaurant chain headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, that specializes in fried chicken. It is the world's second-largest restaurant chain (as measured by sales) after McDonald's, with 2 ...

threatened legal action against the Tan Hill Inn for trademark infringement over the use of the term "Family Feast" on the inn's

Christmas Day Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...

menu, but on 10 May 2007 KFC confirmed that it would not be pursuing the case. Revellers celebrating

New Year's Eve In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve, also known as Old Year's Day or Saint Sylvester's Day in many countries, is the evening or the entire day of the last day of the year, on 31 December. The last day of the year is commonly referred to ...

at the pub on 31 December 2009 were unable to leave the pub for three days as they were snowed in. The pub made headlines worldwide once again in November 2021, when

Storm Arwen Storm Arwen was a powerful extratropical cyclone that was part of the 2021–22 European windstorm season. It affected the United Kingdom, Ireland and France, bringing strong winds and snow. Storm Arwen caused at least three fatalities and wides ...

brought heavy snowfall, trapping patrons inside for a weekend. A reunion was held at the pub in December the following year.

Plans for improvement

In July 2017 the pub was put up for sale by landlady Louise Peace who had run it for 13 years with her husband Mike. Since mid-2018, owner Andrew Hields has been restoring the character to the Inn and will be continuing to improve the facilities. A report at the time indicated that the owners planned to open the barn as a carvery and to add a second bar. In 2019, the facility was encouraging camper vans and caravans and campers to stay for a moderate nightly fee, and a venue for live music acts was in operation. The guest rooms were refurbished in 2019, and electrical work completed; the other plans for improvements were still in the works. Additional plans for the future included a rustic spa and outdoor pool.

Media appearances

During the 1980s the pub appeared in an advert starring

Ted Moult Edward Walker Moult (11 February 1926 – 3 September 1986) was a British farmer at Scaddows Farm near Ticknall, Derbyshire, who became a radio and television personality. Early life Moult was born in Derby. He left Derby School at 17 in ...

for replacement-window company Everest, and it appeared in the first

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advert, broadcast during the 1990s. Everest returned in 2008 to film a new advert with Craig Doyle and installed new windows and

solar panel A solar cell panel, solar electric panel, photo-voltaic (PV) module, PV panel or solar panel is an assembly of photovoltaic solar cells mounted in a (usually rectangular) frame, and a neatly organised collection of PV panels is called a photo ...

s. The inn was visited by James May and Oz Clarke in ''

Oz and James Drink to Britain ''Oz and James Drink to Britain'' is a BBC television series in which wine writer Oz Clarke and motor journalist James May travel through Britain and Ireland to discover the array of available alcoholic drinks. The series is a sequel to ''Oz and ...

'', first broadcast in 2009. In late 2017, the inn again featured in TV coverage, for

Waitrose Waitrose & Partners (formally Waitrose Limited) is a brand of British supermarkets, founded in 1904 as Waite, Rose & Taylor, later shortened to Waitrose. It was acquired in 1937 by employee-owned retailer John Lewis Partnership, which still se ...

supermarkets' Christmas advertising campaign. In May 2019, scenes for ITV show ''

Vera Vera may refer to: Names *Vera (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) *Vera (given name), a given name (including a list of people and fictional characters with the name) **Vera (), archbishop of the archdiocese of Tarrag ...

'' were filmed, for an episode aired in January 2020. The pub has also featured in ''

The Inspector Lynley Mysteries ''The Inspector Lynley Mysteries'' is a British crime drama television series that aired on BBC One from 12 March 2001 to 1 June 2008, consisting of six series and 24 episodes. The protagonist, Detective Inspector Thomas "Tommy" Lynley, 8th Earl o ...

'', '' Murder in Mind'', '' Top Gear'', '' The Fast Show'', '' Wish You Were Here...?'', '' All Creatures Great and Small'', and '' Jude the Obscure''. In December 2022, it was featured in the Channel 5 documentary series '' Beyond the Yorkshire Farm'', in scenes filmed that August.

References

External links

The Tan Hill Inn Official Website
* {{oscoor gbx, NY896066 Grade II listed pubs in North Yorkshire