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Leeds’ oldest pub reopens with new-look beer garden following longest closure in 300 years

First licensed back in 1715 as The Turk's Head, Whitelock’s has witnessed countless key moments of local record.

Georgina Pellant - 10th May 2021

The oldest pub in Leeds is back.

Leeds' favourite Whitelock's Ale House has announced it will be reopening its doors on 17th May with a string of events designed to celebrate local independents, revealing a brand-new beer garden in the process.

The comeback has been heralded by locals and marks the end of a six-and-a-half-month closure for the historic pub - the longest it has been shuttered in the whole of its 306-year history.

First licensed back in 1715 as The Turk's Head, Whitelock’s has witnessed countless key moments of local record.

Described by poet John Betjeman as "the Leeds equivalent of Fleet Street’s Old Cheshire Cheese and far less self-conscious," it has been a favourite rendezvous for many guests of note over the years.

The pub received royal approval when Prince George (later Duke of Kent) entertained a party in a curtained-off section of its restaurant and was known as a popular haunt for stars of the stage in days gone by. 

To mark its much-awaited return, Whitelock's will be teaming up with adjoining sister bar The Turk’s Head to showcase the very best of Yorkshire's independent drinks scene.

Punters can look forward to some award-winning guest beers from independent Leeds breweries Northern Monk, Kirkstall Brewery and Anthology, plus those further afield such as Zapato, Roosters and Abbeydale.

Local distillers Whittaker's, Sloemotion and Filey Bay will be in attendance serving up some of Yorkshire's finest gins and whiskeys, alongside York wine merchants Field & Fawcett.

From the kitchen, guests can expect the usual Yorkshire pub classics made using ingredients sourced from local suppliers at Kirkgate Market.

Feature image - JMA Photography, Leeds