This lovely old pub sits between the two sides of a peaceful green valley. To reach its front door you must first climb past the stone cottages of a narrow winding road, before descending steep Blake Hill to where Shibden Brook bubbles along beside the car park.
You might easily be out in the Dales or high in the North York Moors. And once inside, propping up the bar, sitting beside the roaring fire, or relaxing in one of the pub’s beautifully appointed bedrooms, you can suspend disbelief sufficiently to imagine that you really are in some lovely countryside location, and not just a mile from the centre of Halifax.
The name is a corruption of the old English ‘Scepe Dene’ – sheep hill – and the mill once ground corn for the whole area. The small inn on the site was bought by local brewers Websters in 1890 when it became the Shibden Mill Inn, and over the past 25 years, it has established a reputation for first-rate hospitality with the accommodation extended into a nearby barn.
We’ve visited sufficiently often over the years to have witnessed its incremental changes. On this occasion, we are lucky enough to be here for the night, and our stay begins with us being shown through to the beautiful Bower Suite with its deep roll-top bath, plush sofa, private terrace, and a bed the size of Derbyshire.
Washed, relaxed, and refreshed we first head down to the bar. Though the Shibden is clearly edging toward the fine dining end of the market, its credentials as a pub are underlined by the choice of beers, which starts with their own Shibden Special, brewed by Moorhouse’s in Burnley and continues by way of regulars Black Sheep and Little Valley’s Withens Pale, along with one guest beer, the hop-heavy Bread and Butter from Vocation Brewery, based next door to Little Valley in the hills above Hebden Bridge.
And though nursing a beer in the comfortable lounge would be a splendid way to spend the evening, we go one better and treat ourselves to dinner from the Shibden’s menu of high-end pub food. We’re shown to a barrel-ceilinged room, decorated in oxblood red, where the artwork is a homage to fine wines.
Our starters are a perfect opening to an evening of fabulous dining. A mound of red onion and blueberry chutney offers a tangy counterpoint to the earthy venison parfait which is presented in a miniature Kilner jar with a small brioche loaf. The soft scallops are beautifully displayed among a verjus foam, chicken skin custard, and slices of strawberry.
The tang of soft-smoked tomatoes cuts nicely through the delicate flavours of the red bream, decorated in watercress, dashed with mussels, and drizzled in a fennel sauce. The 8oz rump is nicely pink at its heart and is served with a basket of chunky chips, shallots, tomatoes, and an oversized mushroom.
Coffees and a selection of cheeses round off a memorable evening, and rather than having to navigate our way up Blake Hill in the dark, we are fortunate to simply climb a short flight of stairs to bed.
It’s an indulgence, but we all deserve one of those from time to time.
Factfile
Name: The Shibden Mill, Shibden, HX3 7UL
Type: Food-oriented country inn
Telephone: 01422 365840
Website: shibdenmillinn.com
Email: enquiries@shibdenmillinn.com
This article was first published in the Yorkshire Evening Post in 2020.
