Transpennine Real Ale Trail – Yorkshire Train Pub Tour

The Transpennine Real Ale Trail is a unique “ale trail by train” through Northern England, linking eight of Yorkshire’s and Lancashire’s finest pubs via the rail network. Along the way you can hop on and off the train between Stalybridge and Batley to sample cask-conditioned ales in historic, railway-adjacent pubs. This itinerary appeals to ale lovers and tourists alike: it combines local beer culture with scenic Pennine landscapes, traditional architecture and convenient transport. All the trail pubs are either in or a short walk from their train stations, making it easy to relax over beers without worrying about driving. In short, the Transpennine Real Ale Trail offers a memorable day-trip across Yorkshire on a train, with stops at some of the region’s best real ale pubs (and even the odd Lancashire classic) along the way.

Stalybridge

The trail begins at Stalybridge station (Greater Manchester/Lancashire border). The main stop here is the Station Buffet Bar, a rare surviving Victorian station buffet dating from 1885. Inside, original marble-topped fittings and vintage railway memorabilia give it a cosy, museum-like atmosphere. The Buffet Bar offers an ever-changing range of eight real ales (plus farm cider and Belgian bottled beers) on hand pump, along with traditional snacks like black peas and all-day breakfast in one room and a sunny platform terrace for eating on warm days. In short, it’s a step back in time: a friendly local pub in a working station, with dark wood panelling, open fires and classic beers.

(Other pubs nearby: A short walk off-station is the Westgate, a large Victorian pub on Market Street, and The Swan with Two Necks – both serving ales and ciders. These can be good alternatives or complements to the Station Buffet Bar if you want more choice.)

Greenfield

Next the train climbs into the Saddleworth hills to Greenfield station (Uppermill area, Greater Manchester). Opposite the station stands The Railway Inn, a 150-year-old alehouse that still feels like a classic country pub. The Railway Inn’s walls are covered in old Saddleworth photos and kitsch (there’s even an old toilet-seat “throne”), adding to its rustic charm. Behind the pub is a large beer garden overlooking the Chew Valley floor – an ideal spot on a sunny afternoon. The pub is famous locally for live music (it bills itself as “Saddleworth’s premier live music venue”) and a strong selection of cask ales. Regulars and visitors alike enjoy beers from nearby breweries (Deuchars IPA, Bombardier, Golden Pippin, Old Peculiar, and more are often on tap). Note that the Railway Inn does not do hot food, but it has a fine pork pie and a jukebox, plus warm hospitality regardless of age or dress code.

(Additional pubs: A few minutes’ walk down the road is the Station Inn, another traditional alehouse. The nearby village of Uppermill also has several good pubs (the Mount Inn, Joiners Arms, etc.) if you want to explore more of Saddleworth.)

Marsden

Continuing east, the next stop is Marsden (West Yorkshire). Here the trail heads to The Riverhead Brewery Tap & Dining Room, a modern riverside pub with its own microbrewery in the cellar. The ground-floor bar has 10 hand pumps – nearly all pouring Riverhead’s own ales brewed on-site. The pub’s dining room upstairs looks out over the Colne River and moorland beyond, and serves freshly cooked meals (fish & chips, pies, burgers) to complement the beer. Atmosphere here is friendly and contemporary, with dark wood furniture and plenty of local character (the brewery tanks are visible through glass, and the interior feels part pub, part brew facility).

(Additional pubs: Marsden village has other traditional pubs. The Packhorse Inn in central Marsden is a historic alehouse (with guest ales and a river view) if you fancy a short hike. Near the station, the King’s Head (not to be confused with Huddersfield’s) is another corner pub.)

Slaithwaite

The train then drops to Slaithwaite, a picturesque village straddling the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. The key pub here is The Commercial, located just down the hill in the village centre. This traditional local has eight hand-pulled beers on tap: the pub’s own pale and mild (from local Empire Brewery, just £2 a pint!) plus six rotating guests from UK microbreweries. One handpump is reserved for real cider. The interior is warm and wood-lined, and a covered smoking shelter with picnic benches at the back serves as a suntrap beer garden. On weekends they offer hot pies (meat or vegetarian) alongside your pint. Upstairs is a snug with Sky TV for sports, and a function room for parties. Dogs and walkers are very welcome here.

(Nearby options: By the canal a short walk away is the Bridge Tavern (a cosy pub with live music and canal views) and The Britannia with guest ales. Also, the village events calendar often includes beer festivals and “Slaithwaite Sessions” beer walks.)

Huddersfield

The next stop is Huddersfield. The featured pub is The Kings Head, situated right in the east wing of Huddersfield station. (Huddersfield’s station is a Grade II listed neo-classical building from 1850, so stopping here doubles as some architecture sightseeing.) The Kings Head specialises in ale: it stocks ten regularly changing beers – all sourced from independent and regional breweries. Expect a mix of local Yorkshire and wider Northern ales (they’ve carried brews like Black Sheep Best Bitter, Blue Monkey Original, North Riding’s Gandalf IPA, etc.), plus a few ciders and lagers. The vibe is relaxed and family-friendly, with a wooden bar and Victorian-style decor. There’s also a small covered beer garden at the rear and a dartboard. (Families and dogs are welcome.)

Nearby (though not officially part of the trail) Huddersfield has loads of pubs worth mentioning. Within a five-minute walk of the station you’ll find the Lord Nelson (an unspoilt Victorian pub on John William St, also with real ales and Thai food upstairs) and the Planet Bar (part of Trinity group, with guest ales and live music). Further afield is the Priory (award-winning real ale pub), the Trinity & Co beerhouse, the Front pub on the canal, and more. Between beers you can admire Huddersfield’s Victorian market hall and cloth hall, or wander along the historic canalside.

Mirfield

Heading southeast, Mirfield is a small town notable for its church and the Kirklees Light Railway. The trail pub is The Navigation Tavern, literally 50 yards from Mirfield station on the canal bank. The Navvy is a friendly local known for “the best beers, ciders and guest ales in the area”. It has a long dark wooden bar inside and a large beer garden overlooking the Huddersfield Broad Canal. In summer the outdoor decking and covered seating make it very pleasant (there’s even an outside bar counter). Inside you’ll find a games room (darts, pool) and a TV for sports. The Navigation has won local beer festival awards and even offers B&B rooms upstairs. Regulars enjoy its selection of local ales (Theakstons, Black Sheep, others) and monthly guest cask beers.

(Also nearby: Mirfield’s Primrose Brewery runs the Primrose Inn on Leeds Road, a short walk away; it’s a traditional corner pub with a few Primrose cask ales on tap. On busy days, the Navigation’s beer garden can fill up, so Primrose is a handy alternative.)

Dewsbury

The penultimate stop is Dewsbury. Here the trail heads to The West Riding Refreshment Rooms, a pub housed in the original Wellington Road station building. Dewsbury’s former LNWR station (opened 1848) was restored in the 1990s and turned into this bar. The architecture is striking: Italianate/Tudor style with unusual Arabic arches over the windows and doors. Inside, the West Riding retains a traditional interior with a long wooden bar and railway memorabilia on the walls. It has eight real ale handpumps, often pouring Yorkshire favourites (for example there’s often Batemans XB, Jennings Sneck Lifter, Ruddles County, etc.). On Saturday mornings the pub even hosts an “Ale Day” breakfast (full cooked breakfast with a pint). It’s a sociable spot – families and groups gather here, and large tables make it easy to lunch on pie & peas or fish and chips.

(Other local pubs: Within a short walk of Dewsbury station is the Bag O’ Nails (bar & eatery on Dewsbury Road) and Stanleys Tap. Alternatively, the historic Old Post Office (down town) has more ales.)

Batley

The trail concludes at Batley station. The featured pub is The Cellar Bar, just across the road. This modernised pub opened in a former Victorian cellar and is clearly branded as a real ale spot – its website even notes it’s “part of the Real Ale Trail”. The Cellar Bar offers a wide variety of real ales and guest beers. In practice that means three permanent keg fonts (e.g. Barnsley Bitter, Saltaire Blonde, Bombardier) plus multiple changing casks. It has a rustic brick bar, sports on TV, a pool table and jukebox, and fortnightly live music on Saturdays. The Cellar Bar also serves burgers and wraps, and is known for a large all-day breakfast. In fact, if you start your trail in Batley heading west, the Cellar Bar’s breakfast is a big draw.

(For more: The nearby Red Lion (on Station Road) is an atmospheric old pub with its own ale selections, and on the other side of town Batley has a cluster of curry houses if you fancy a South Asian meal after your beer.)

Practical Travel and Visitor Tips

• Getting there: Trains from Manchester Victoria run frequently via Stalybridge, then onward through Saddleworth to Huddersfield and Leeds. A rail day-return ticket from Manchester to Batley (or vice versa) covers this journey, and off-peak/open-return fares are usually quite reasonable. (As an example, an off-peak day return Manchester–Huddersfield is often around £15–£20; check National Rail or Trainline for up-to-date pricing.) You can start at either end – the Yorkshire Post notes the trail “can be started at either Batley or Stalybridge”. Buying an Off-Peak Return ticket for each leg (or an Anytime Return) allows you to spend several hours on the trail and catch any later train home. Remember that first/last train times can affect plans, so check schedules in advance. Multiple pubs are close enough (or have only 5–10 minute walks) that you can plan a route on foot; Northern and TransPennine Express websites offer journey planners.

• Best time to visit: Spring through early autumn are ideal, when the beer gardens and countryside views are at their best. Weekdays might be quieter on trains and in pubs, but weekends (especially Saturday afternoons) make for lively pub atmospheres. Bank holidays and local festival weekends (e.g. summer beer festivals at individual pubs) can also be fun. Many pubs open around 11am or noon; note that the Station Buffet Bar in Stalybridge opens at 11am daily, and the West Riding in Dewsbury serves an Ale Day breakfast from 10am on Saturdays. Pubs generally close by 11pm (check their posted hours), so a daytime excursion is recommended.

• Food and sustenance: Some trail pubs serve substantial food: The Riverhead Tap (Marsden) and the West Riding (Dewsbury) both have kitchens and daily menus. The Station Buffet Bar offers sandwiches and pie-and-peas. Other pubs may offer snacks (cheese plates, pork pies) or let you bring your own picnic. In Huddersfield and Batley you can easily slip out for fish & chips or curries if needed. It’s wise to eat a good meal as part of the trip and drink water between ales.

• Responsible drinking: Always pace yourself on an ale trail. Space beers out, alternate with soft drinks, and never drink and drive. UK health advice recommends that both men and women keep alcohol under 14 units per week (roughly equal to 6 pints of typical beer). Take regular breaks: a canal walk in Slaithwaite or a riverside stroll in Marsden can be a great way to sober up a bit between pubs. Stick to off-peak trains if possible (they’re less crowded and you can relax more). Above all, have a designated driver or other transport plan for getting home safely at the end of the day.

• Additional planning tips: Bringing a small rucksack or shoulder bag is useful – you can carry an ale trail checklist (perhaps noting your ale ratings!) and any purchases (many pubs sell bottled beers to takeaway). Some pubs (Stalybridge, Greenfield, West Riding) have small car parks if you’re driving to the start. Wi-Fi is available at a couple of pubs (e.g. Greenfield’s Railway Inn offers Wi-Fi), so you can even check social media photos as you go. Most of these pubs are dog-friendly, so well-behaved dogs are welcome in all.

Scenery and Culture Along the Route

The Transpennine Rail Ale Trail isn’t just about pubs – the train journey offers some lovely scenery and points of interest. The line climbs through the Saddleworth and South Pennines, offering glimpses of moorland, reservoirs and valleys. From Greenfield you can see over Chew Valley, as one guide notes. In Marsden you’re in the heart of the Peak District fringes – nearby are the famous Standedge Tunnel and canal, where you can walk or boat through Britain’s longest canal tunnel. Slaithwaite and Mirfield lie along the Huddersfield Narrow and Broad Canals respectively, and you’ll pass under quaint canal bridges and through cuttings. In Dewsbury and Huddersfield you’ll see fine Victorian architecture: Dewsbury station’s Italianate/Tudor building with its unusual arched façades, and Huddersfield’s grand neoclassical station. The route also parallels the River Colne and River Calder at points, so there are riverside walks and picnic spots (for example, Marsden Lower Locks or mid-channel paths). Town attractions include Huddersfield’s Victorian Market Hall and Castle Hill, Mirfield’s unique Round-Table football (medieval) game on Shrove Tuesday, and Batley’s Traction Engine Museum. As you travel, you’ll pass through landscapes of patchwork fields, stone-built villages, and even glimpses of Manchester’s fringe at the start. In short, the entire journey is a cultural as well as culinary experience.

The Transpennine Real Ale Trail offers eight distinct pubs each with its own charm – from the Victorian buffet at Stalybridge to the canal-side garden in Mirfield, from brewery-brewed ales in Marsden to arch-brick charm in Dewsbury. Riders will enjoy a day rich in local flavour – where rail meets ale. It’s a truly unique day out in Northern England, combining train travel and classic pubs in a way you won’t forget.

Plan your Transpennine Real Ale Trail adventure today: check train times, pick your pub stops, and share your photos and ale reviews afterwards. It’s an unforgettable Yorkshire & Lancastrian rail-ale journey that deserves a place on every beer lover’s bucket list!