The Old White Swan

Jim's York Pub Guide

Closed recently for refurbishment, I visited soon after and I was hard pushed to spot any changes, although I'd be first to state I'm no regular. I still can't understand the theme of the main bar - is it Western, Australian, Olde Yorke or what? Answers on a postcard. The courtyard that you pass through to enter the pub is nice, and note the steps that used to be used to help people board coaches, allegedly (see below). I usually visit on a Sunday night when they have rock bands playing live in one of their lounges. Last time it was Duffel Goat, rather heavy, but they played a mean Purple Haze while the old hippies in the pub had a collective flashback.

Real Ale		Nearby Pubs to Crawl To:
Bass and Worthington's		The Golden Lion
Other Information		The Snikleway
Live music 4 nights a week. Quiz Monday & Wednesday.		The Last Drop Inn
The building dates from the 16th Century and once occupied about twice the space, predating J. D. Wetherspoon's pitch. In 1723 it was noted that parish constables had to be on the lookout for the illegal activities of the Papists. In 1781 the inn had stabling for about thirty horses and Carriers left here for Easingwold, Thirsk and Northallerton. At one time the inn also hosted a pigsty, and seems to have been a central location for the trade and commerce of the city over the centuries. In the sixties, it was reputed to be a biker's hangout and, from what I saw, some have never left. Thanks to Pete Coxon's Yorks Historic Inns
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