There are prizes to be won if you visit these 24 pubs....

On Friday, organisers officially launched the seventh York Ale Trail, one of the region's longest, most demanding and most commendable pub crawls.

Many local pub-goers will be old hands at this by now, but for any new or forgetful readers, here's how it works....

Each year, ahead of the York Beer and Cider Festival on Knavesmire, the York branch of the Campaign for Real Ale produce an Ale Trail card, with photos and details of 24 pubs.

The York Beer Festival is on Knavesmire in September

Participants are encouraged to visit some or all of the pubs over the course of six and a half weeks, collecting a stamp at each stop where they purchase a half pint or more of real ale or cider.

And as we all know... pints mean prizes:

• Anyone who collects 12 different stamps can claim free entry to a session at the festival.
• Anyone who collects 18 stamps can claim free entry to one session, two free pints when you get there, and entry into a prize draw, to win three bottles of beer and a meal for two at the Fulford Arms or Ferry Inn
• And anyone who collects all 24 stamps can claim two free entries to any session, two free pints, and free entry into an even better prize draw, for 12 bottles of beer and a Sunday lunch for four at The Ainsty or The Jefferson Arms.

This year's selection of pubs includes 12 from the city-centre, six from the suburbs and six from the surrounding countryside, and David Blamires from Camra says they have sought to particularly promote pubs that have recently opened, relaunched or changed hands.

3 of the pubs in the Ale Trail

So in the city-centre, for instance, the list includes The Falcon Tap in Micklegate and The Black Horse in Monkgate, both of which relaunched late last year, reverting to their original names in the process, and also The Watergate Inn in Walmgate, which sadly went the other way when it ditched the unique Five Lions name it had held for almost 200 years.

The Gillygate, The Judge's Lodging, The Woolpack and The Walmgate Ale House also feature, having undergone big refurbishments.

Away from the city-centre, The Melbourne in Cemetery Road features, as a nod to the recent determined local campaign to save it; The Highwayman in Sheriff Hutton is included, having changed hands; and Tadcaster Social Club features, in honour of its commitment to real ale.

Sutlers, in the old Army & Navy Stores building in Fossgate, is on the list

Personally, I'll be making a bee-line for an old favourite of mine, The Blacksmiths Arms at Naburn, which consistently serves one of the best Sunday carveries in Yorkshire, and I'll be seizing the excuse to return to Sutlers, in the old Army & Navy Store in Fossgate. A word of advice if you head to the latter: it's worth also checking their £3 "bottle of the week" promotion, which has included some excellent options recently.

David from Camra says: "The idea is to get people to go to pubs they might not have been to before and give new pubs a bit of publicity - and the whole thing promotes the festival in September. It's growing every year in popularity and people look forward to it."

The festival itself runs from September 16 to 19 on Knavesmire and will include around 450 real ales, 100 ciders and perries, a foreign beer bar, soft drinks, food stalls, music and entertainment, and wine for the philistines.

Until then, happy hunting!

The pubs taking part are listed below. Ale Trail cards are available at the bar in each.

Alternatively, you can download the leaflet here and print it off. 

City centre:

• Bay Horse in Marygate
• Black Horse in Monkgate
• Falcon Tap in Micklegate
• The Gillygate in Gillygate
• Judge's Lodging in Lendal
• Keystones in Monkgate
• The Mount in The Mount
• Pivni in Patrick Pool
• Sutlers in Fossgate
• Walmgate Ale House in Walmgate
• The Watergate Inn in Walmgate
• The Woolpack in Fawcett Street.

Suburbs:

• The Ainsty in Boroughbridge Road
• The Beeswing in Hull Road
• The Blacksmiths Arms in Naburn
• The Fulford Arms in Fulford Road
• The Melbourne in Cemetery Road
• The Volunteer Arms in Watson Street.

Further out:

• Dawnay Arms in Newton-on-Ouse
• Ferry Inn in Cawood
• Jefferson Arms in Thorganby
• Highwayman in Sheriff Hutton
• Nelson Inn in Selby
• Tadcaster Social Club in Tadcaster.