How high is the Lion Inn on Blakey Ridge?

The inn gives its elevation as 1,325 feet. CAMRA calls it the highest pub on the North York Moors.

How old is the Lion Inn?

Tradition dates it to 1553 or 1558, and it describes itself as a 16th century inn.

Is the Lion Inn dog friendly?

Yes, in the bar, though not in the dining rooms. Some bedrooms accept dogs on request.

About a mile north of the Lion Inn, beside the minor road to Rosedale on Danby Moor.

Where did the Rosedale railway start?

At Blakey Junction, where the cutting is still visible beside the car park.

Things to Do

Blakey Ridge and the Lion Inn

By Jon Cosson · Updated 29 October 2026 · Checked 29 October 2026

Blakey Ridge is the high moorland ridge between Farndale and Rosedale, and the Lion Inn sits right on top of it at 1,325 feet. Around the inn you will find the trackbed of the Rosedale ironstone railway, old coal pits and, a short drive north, the ancient cross known as Fat Betty.

Before you go: the practical facts

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Address: The Lion Inn, Blakey Ridge, Kirkbymoorside, York YO62 7LQ. Telephone 01751 417320.
Who runs it: the Lion Inn describes itself as a family-owned free house.
Opening: open daily, 11am to 11pm, with food served noon to 9pm (the inn's own site and CAMRA agree). The menu is served in the bar and three restaurants; restaurant tables should be booked, while bar seating is unreserved.
Rooms: 13 bedrooms, with breakfast included.
Car parking: CAMRA lists parking at the pub. There is also a car park at Blakey Junction on the old railway. See /plan/parking.
Dogs: well-behaved dogs are welcome in the bar but not in the dining rooms, and some bedrooms take dogs on request.
Accessibility: low beamed ceilings and stone walls; we could not find an access statement, so ring ahead.
Beer: CAMRA's York branch lists the Lion Inn in the Good Beer Guide, with five regular cask ales and two changing beers.
Public transport: Blakey was not on the 2026 Moorsbus network, so plan to drive, cycle or walk. The inn has secure cycle storage. The ridge is exposed; check the forecast in winter.

What you will see

The inn. heavy beams, bare stone walls, ancient stone fireplaces and fires in winter. From outside, the views fall away over Rosedale and Farndale.

The railway. at Blakey Junction, close to the inn, wagons of roasted ironstone from Rosedale joined the line north and went down the steep Ingleby Incline to Teesside. Look for the deep cutting beside the car park and a bridge parapet across the road. The branch line ran round the head of Rosedale to the East Mines kilns at Low Baring. For the kilns on the other side of the dale, see Rosedale Chimney Bank.

Coal pits. low mounds around the inn are the spoil of small coal workings.

Fat Betty. about a mile north of the inn, on the north side of the minor road to Rosedale, stands the cross known as Fat Betty, or White Cross. It is a scheduled monument: a gritstone base topped by a circular cross head that Historic England dates to the 10th or 11th century. It marks the meeting point of the old parishes of Danby, Westerdale and Rosedale.

A short history

About 1200: a charter of Peter de Brus to Guisborough Priory mentions the road from "Blakenhou" to Ralph's Cross.

1553 or 1558: tradition dates the inn to one of these years, and the inn uses "Est. 1553".

Mid 18th century: farmers from the upper Esk dales held a corn market at the inn.

1856: ironstone mining began at Rosedale's Chimney Bank; extraction on the east side followed in 1860.

August 1865: the railway branch reached its terminus at Low Baring.

1926: mining in Rosedale ended, after around 11 million tonnes of ironstone had been taken from the valley.

13 June 1929: the branch line closed and the track was lifted.

Tips and timing

Book a restaurant table at weekends; the bar is first come, first served.
Combine a pub lunch with a look at the railway cutting at Blakey Junction.
Fat Betty is right beside the road, so it is an easy stop on a drive across the tops.

Nearby

Blakey Ridge and the Lion Inn FAQs

How high is the Lion Inn on Blakey Ridge?: The inn gives its elevation as 1,325 feet. CAMRA calls it the highest pub on the North York Moors.
How old is the Lion Inn?: Tradition dates it to 1553 or 1558, and it describes itself as a 16th century inn.
Is the Lion Inn dog friendly?: Yes, in the bar, though not in the dining rooms. Some bedrooms accept dogs on request.
What time does the Lion Inn serve food?: Noon to 9pm every day.
Where is Fat Betty?: About a mile north of the Lion Inn, beside the minor road to Rosedale on Danby Moor.
Where did the Rosedale railway start?: At Blakey Junction, where the cutting is still visible beside the car park.

Sources checked 29 October 2026: The Lion Inn, home and history pages; CAMRA WhatPub; Historic England, Fat Betty (1012892); Historic England, Rosedale East Mines (1018981); Historic England research report 62/2019; North York Moors National Park, Land of Iron, Rosedale; Land of Iron, Blakey Junction; Moorsbus timetables.

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