A Great Place for Dining

This is day 13 of my quest to visit 28 historic North York Moors Inns during the month of February 2014.

Today I've chosen to visit one of my long-time favourite pubs - in the small rural village of Lastingham on the edge of the Moors between Pickering and Helmsely.

The Blacksmiths in Lastingham - History is All Around.

The Blacksmiths at Lastingham

The Blacksmiths has established itself a reputation as a "destination Inn" serving excellent food.

People come from as far away as York, Harrogate, Thirsk and Scarborough to dine at the Blacksmiths in Lastingham.

And as much as I enjoy eating out at the pub, it's the cosy bar with it's blazing range-fire that I love on a cold day.

Turn Up Any Time After 1130am.

The Blacksmiths is a long, thin pub; with multiple rooms all inter-linked.

As you enter through the porch doorway, the bar is on the immediate left.

You pass through the bar into the first dining room come lounge; and then further on into a second room that is almost totally given-over to diners.

There is also a tiny room with just one table which leads out to the beer garden.

If you retrace your steps back through these rooms and out of the bar, there are further rooms for diners on the other side of the entrance porch.

The Fireplace in the Bar Makes for aWarm and Cosy Pub.

One thing I like about the Blacksmiths is all the "stuff" they have on the walls and ceilings.

If you're drinking or eating alone; it can occupy a pleasent amount of time just looking around.

The bar is given over to an extensive range of tankards and beer mats; plus other parathernalia.

The first dining room has a selection of Yorkshire flat caps - tradition says they're donated by the local Game Keepers whenever they get a new hat.

The second dining room has a great display of antique water jugs hanging from the rafters.

It's all good fun - excepting if you don't like clutter!

You'llSee Loads of Stuff on Display - Hats, Jugs, Tankards, Beer Mats and Knick-Knacks.

On the food front, the pub serves an extensive range of starters, main courses, and puddings.

All the meat is sourced from local butchers; and the providers are listed on a black board in the bar which is a good sign!

On the beer front, the bar serves three hand-pulled real Ales plus 7 taps for keg beer, lagers and cider.

Top Tip for Lastingham

If you decide to visit the Blacksmiths at Lastingham for lunch; you simply must also pay a visit to the St Mary's Church - which is directly opposit the pub.

The Church is open everyday during day-light hours.

See the Amazing Vaulted Roof and St Cedds Crypt in Lastingham Church.

There has been a Church on the site since 654AD - and parts of the current Church date back to 1078AD.

The Church was founded by St Cedd who came to our region from Lindesfarne with the purpose of founding it as a Celtic monestry.

Below the current Church, you can visit the Crypt of St Cedd which dates back to the Norman conquest of our Country.

You can also see the original Aine Howe Cross - dating from those early times of Christianity - which stood on the Moors above Rosedale Abbey.

The orignal Cross was replaced by the new Ana Howe Cross which is the tallest on the Moors today.

You Can Pay a Visit to Ana Howe Cross - Between Rosedale And Lastingham.

It's all fantastic history!

Getting to Lastingham

Lastingham is a couple of miles from Hutton-le-Hole; which is off the A171 between Kirkbymoorside and Pickering.

It is also about 10-minutes by car from Rosella Cottage here in Rosedale Abbey.

You can head-off up Chimney Bank and turn left at the T-junction just before reaching Hutton-le-Hole; or drive down Pry Hills Lane and turn right just after Hartoft.

In either case, just follow the signs and you'll find the Blacksmiths Arms at Lastingham soon enough!