Looking for somewhere to go on a trip out over Easter, I spotted on a map Hudswell Woods just outside Richmond. The name Hudswell rang a bell - yes it is the location of the CAMRA National Pub of the Year 2016 ; the George & Dragon . So on Easter Saturday Mrs Ken and myself set off down the A1M into North Yorkshire.
I had sold the idea based on parking next to the woods then walking up ( note the word up) to the village. The car park was a mile outside of Richmond on the road to Leyburn.
So after a picnic we set off along a path next to the River Swale. We soon passed some walkers with dogs coming the other way, including two guys with beards ( one of which was a goatee about 6 inches long). Exchanging pleasantries we then started up a track which eventually reached a long flight of wooden steps.
With the wife cursing me , we started climbing. Eventually we reached the top, with the smallest pub sign I have ever seen.
Following this work of art , we found another sign, directing us up by the side of someones allotment leading us into the garden of the pub. The garden had a stunning view over the River Swale valley.
The village itself is just over a mile long with
properties on either side of a minor road. In the centre of the village is the
George & Dragon. The pub closed in
2008 but was rescued by the community and reopened in June 2010 as Yorkshire’s
first community pub.
On entering the pub from the garden is a split level lounge with a bar with 6 handpulls, 5 beers and a cider. Waiting to get served, standing next to me were the 2 guys with the beards !. They had come the other way round but drove. 
After some confusion on the barmaids part ( she thought we were all together and asked the goatee if he was paying !), I ordered drinks and deposited some CAMRA branch magazines in a CAMRA holder on the bar.
Goatees mate took a magazine and disappeared into the small snug to the right of the front door of the pub.
Now the thing to note is in the magazine is a Pub Quiz, with 2 wrong answers !. Soon Goatees mate came out of the snug and said, " you see this quiz ?" Unable to escape I explained what had happened and foolishly owned up to the fact I had compiled the quiz.
After a second drink ( half of Cherry Flavoured Cider) I needed the loo. To get there, I had to walk through the snug passing Goatee and his family, His mate shouts " Here's the guy who set the quiz!" I explained I don't sign autographs and dashed to the loo. They all said some complementary things about the content of the magazine, so felt better after that.
Next door, and part of the pub, is the village shop. In between the two doors hanging on a wall was an NHS defibrillator! As we had walked up over 200 steep steps from the River below to get to village, I’m thinking the defibrillator should have been at the top of the steps! . ( how many people put a photo of a defibrillator in a blog ? ed)
Escaping the quiz fan club, we left the pub, and we walked down the village street, crossed a field to the woods and took a different track down to the car park. Coming up were a couple who looked lost. I pointed out on a map where we were and recommended heading for the pub. "Oh, we are not interested in the pub" he said
Felt like giving him a slap over the head.!
