GAVIN AITCHISON heads off down a steep little road and finds a delightful pub at Kirkham Priory

TWO pubs, separated by 20 miles but united by one enchanting theme.

That was the idea behind this piece. With spring in the air and bank holidays on the horizon, we would take a long-overdue look at two charming little country pubs, each in the shadow of one of North Yorkshire’s stunning ruined abbeys.

It would have worked as well, had it not been for one unfortunate fact – namely that The Abbey Inn is no more.

I discovered this belatedly and to my horror when I embarked on a four-mile walk around Byland Abbey a couple of weeks ago, hoping to take in the pub en route.

The building is there and the roadside A-boards are still out. But what was once a simple pub has been converted into an English Heritage tearoom, bitter and butties replaced by tea and traybakes. Not since the dissolution of the monasteries itself has Byland witnessed such butchery.

So one pub it is. Forget Byland when you embark on family days out this year, and head instead to Kirkham Priory, six miles south west of Malton, down a steep little road off the A64.

Anyone who has taken the train between York and Malton or Scarborough will likely have seen the Priory ruins, evocative and impressive in all their glory. You need to visit in person to appreciate them in full though, and certainly if you wish to enjoy the delights of The Stone Trough Inn, a hundred or so yards up the road.

Country pubs invariably exude antiquity but although the cottage on this site dates back centuries, it became a pub only in 1983.

The actual “stone trough”, incidentally, is in fact a large piece of rock believed to be the original base of a 12th-century cross, erected by Walter l’Espec in memory of his son. Walter was a French knight who founded the nearby Priory, but after the cross was lost the base reportedly came to be mistaken for a trough and it now sits unassumingly at the entrance to the car-park.

The pub itself has two main entrances, one to the front and one from the car-park. The latter opens into a reception area but the former takes you into the heart of the pub, with the bar dead ahead of you and an open fireplace to either side.

Yorkshire loyalists would have been pleased with the drinks selection last Monday. From Great Yorkshire Brewery there was Yorkshire Lager, Yorkshire Cider and Cropton Yorkshire Moors. York Brewery’s Guzzler was also available and alongside those were Tetley’s Cask, John Smith’s Cask, Guinness and Amstel. On my previous visit, Great Heck was also represented.

The menu is impressive, the food is hearty, there is a smart dining room for those who want more peace than the bar room can offer, and there is a pleasant garden area outside, offering idyllic views towards the Wolds and the Howardian Hills. If an Abbey and an ale sound an appealing combination, this is the place to go.

• THE Clifton Hotel in Water Lane, York, was being relaunched last night after refurbishment.

Paul Watson, who ran the pub from 2000 to 2007, is back and says he hopes to make it a success again.

He said: “I ran the pub for seven years and in that time it gained a reputation for our sport and leisure teams, having numerous darts, dominoes, football teams as well as a pigeon association and angling team. The Clifton was recognised by various industry bodies in that time culminating in four different awards for the pub.

“I and five of the regulars have joined forces to bring the pub back to life and we want it to succeed as it means so much for the local community.”

The pub, which is owned by Punch Taverns, has letting rooms, will reintroduce food and will sell cask ale for the first time, depending on demand.

• THERE are beer festivals this weekend at The Knavesmire in Albemarle Road in York, at Scarborough Brewery and at The Sun Inn in Pickering, and then next weekend at The Rook and Gaskill in Lawrence Street in York and at The Goodmanham Arms.