Pannal village, WRY Yorkshire UK

This area just up the hill on the south side of Pannal was once a farm owned by the Spac(e)y family in the late 18thC. There was a farm house, out-buildings and a number of workers cottages over time. The area become known as "Spacey Houses". It is unclear whether the farm developed before or after the Leeds-Harrogate Turnpike road was built through here - constructed by the famous "Blind Jack of Knaresborough". In either case, the road divides the "Spacey Houses" area, also being the parish boundary with Kirkby Overblow on the south, a sliver of land in the Spofforth parish on the north side down to Crimple Beck, the Pannal Parish boundary.

Road construction was very thirsty work and inns quickly developed along these roads, and the Spacey Houses Inn was one of them, on the north side of the road. In turn the inns were welcome rest points for travellers.

The inn had its own brewery attached, like most inns of the time. From the upper photograph, it can be seen that they also serve "John Smith's Tadcaster Ales". Spacey Houses Inn had many proprietors over the years. William and Ann (Nancy) Trees operated it in the 1870's to 1890's. The author's gr.grand-father was a maltster there up till 1887.

Mr. J.Holmes was the publican in the 1900's - the name "J.Holmes Old Spacey Houses Hotel and Brewery" can just be discerned on the side of the dray in the middle photograph. In the 1950's, new extensions and a restaurant were built on the front (see lower photograph). It was sold to Joshua Tetley (of Tetley tea) in 1960.

The building opposite Spacey Houses Hotel, was once also an inn, the old Ship Inn, which had been one of the od farm buildings. It was reputedly used by the monks travelling to and from Fountain Abbey.

The Black Swan Inn is at Burn Bridge further towards Leeds on the Harrogate-Leeds road. It is a very old hostelry and there seems to have been a "watering hole" there since 1650 when it was used by the charcoal burners who travelled the country and camped in this area. It has been suggested that Burn Bridge (or Burnt Bridge as it was called in the late 19thC) got its name from them, or from a wooden bridge that spanned Crimple Beck at that point, that was destroyed by fire.

The middle photograph more clearly shows the name board above the door, and the malt house with its characteristic chimney, behind the inn.

The lower photograph shows the current establishment on the site, recently renamed to simply "The Swan", although the locals still call it the "Mucky Duck".

This building was originally a smithy built between 1700 and 1740, but it subsequently became a coaching inn, with part of the old dining room used for the building and repair of coaches.

It was at one time run by an old woman who used to peer out of the window at customers - she was referred to as "The Cat", and the pub was nicknamed The Cat.

When it was sold in the 1930's its name was changed to the Squinting Cat. It had been until relatively recently, a country pub of real character, but the chain of breweries that own it decided that it needed "modernisation".

This was originally the Pannal railway station building, a quite substantial structure indicating the busyness of the station. With the advent of diesel trains, the need for engine coaling and watering facilities disappeared, then with the closure of the junction, the signalman was no longer needed either. Then in 1965 the goods service to Pannal ceased. The station became yet another unstaffed stop.

In October 1980, after lying empty for a few years, the station building was turned into a public house called Platform One. A Pullman carrriage named "May" after the landlady at the old Harewood Arms (now the Lascelles Arms) in Follifoot, was installed as a restaurant. After a few changes of ownership, Platform One stands empty - "May" was removed on 17th May 1998.