The Old White Bear, Cross Hills, is T&A's Pub of the Week

The oldest building in Cross Hills, the inn - our Telegraph & Argus Pub of the Week - has over time served as a hotel, a brothel, a court house and a dance hall.

It was also a council meeting place, where local representatives met to discuss matters including the route of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, a section of which was carved through land not far away.

Becoming a pub in the mid-19th century, it’s first landlord was Jabez Nelson. Now, Neil and Mark Pickles are named above the door.

The Old White Bear in Cross Hills

The stone-built pub - a welcoming mixture of traditional and modern styling - is brimming with character, with sturdy, 24-inch thick wall, exposed stonework, wooden panelling and exposed beams.

Framed pictures of Cross Hills and the surrounding area in days gone by adorn the walls.

“It is really cosy, especially at this time of year with the fires on - we have three fires, one open and two log-burners - they definitely draw in our customers,” says assistant manager Sophie Birks.

The cosy bar

It's a characterful spot for dining

Some of the beams used to build the pub are believed to come from a naval ship called White Bear - hence the name - which took part in the battles against the Spanish Armada.

The Keighley Road inn attracts many regulars. “A lot our customers are local - some have been coming here for years, but being on the main road through the village we also get a lot of people who are passing through.

"We also get groups of walkers who have visited the Yorkshire Dales and are stopping off on their way home, or have walked here along the canal," says Sophie.

Traditional pub food is served, with popular dishes including steak and ale pie and beer battered haddock and chips. Lasagne is also a top choice. “And we have weekly specials which include a fish and a steak dish.

“A lot of people, especially families, some on a Sunday for our roast dinners,” says Sophie.

All beers on sale are brewed locally, with Saltaire Brewery’s Blond, Goose Eye’s Bitter, Timothy Taylor’s Landlord and Landlord Dark as permanent ales.

There's a good selection of locally-brewed ales

A cosy corner

“We love our local breweries and like to support them,” says Sophie. “We have a good range of lagers and spirits too.”

In the tap room customers enjoy darts and dominoes - the pub has teams in the local league - which is also home to a traditional ring the bull game in which a metal ring is thrown onto the nose of a wall-mounted bull’s head. “People come here especially to play it, it's really good fun,” says Sophie, who has worked at the pub for more than two years.

“It’s a great pub to work in - the staff are like a big family, and we know so many of the customers well,” she says. "There's always a really lovely atmosphere."

There's an attractive garden for warm days

A beer garden is a sun trap in warmer months, drawing in customers who enjoy an alfresco pint and bite to eat.

*The Old White Bear, Keighley Road, Cross Hills BD20 7RN; oldwhitebear.co.uk