Tan Hill, North Yorkshire facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tan Hill |
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Tan Hill Inn and surrounding countryside
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 Location in North Yorkshire
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| Location | North Yorkshire, England |
| OS grid | NY896067 |
| Coordinates | 54°27′20″N 2°09′36″W / 54.4555°N 2.1600°W |
Tan Hill is a high place in North Yorkshire, England. It's on the Pennine Way, a famous long-distance walking path. This area is quite isolated, meaning it's far from towns and cities. The nearest town, Kirkby Stephen, is about an 11-mile drive away.
The Tan Hill Inn is a very special pub located here. It holds the record for being the highest inn in the British Isles, sitting 1,732 feet (528 meters) above sea level.
Contents
Mining for Coal at Tan Hill
For hundreds of years, people dug for coal around Tan Hill. The coal here was found in a layer of rock called shale, which was above a type of sandstone. This coal was known as the Tan Hill seam.
- Early Mining: The first records of coal mining here go all the way back to 1384. At that time, people dug shallow holes to get coal for Richmond Castle.
- Coal Quality: The coal from Tan Hill wasn't the best quality. It was dusty and made a lot of dirt. However, when mixed with peat (a type of fuel made from decayed plants), it burned well and could stay lit for a long time.
- Making Coke: Before the Industrial Revolution, the easy-to-reach coal was mostly used up. Miners then had to dig deeper. By the 1600s, they started turning the poor-quality coal into coke, which they called "cinders." This coke was important for melting lead and iron.
- End of Mining: As better coal became easier to get from other places, the local coal from Tan Hill was not needed as much. The last mine officially closed in 1929. Some local people continued to dig for coal by hand until the mid-1930s.
The Famous Tan Hill Inn
The Tan Hill Inn is the highest inn in the British Isles, at 1,732 feet (528 meters) above sea level. The Guinness World Records says it's a bit higher than the Cat and Fiddle Inn in the Peak District.
- History of the Inn: The building itself is very old, dating back to the 1600s. In the 1700s, it was a place for coal miners to stay, which is why it was once called "The Kings Pit." Even though it seems very isolated now, it used to be surrounded by cottages where miners lived. Besides miners, farmers and traveling salespeople also visited the inn, along with drovers who moved cattle to the coal pits.
- Staying Open: After the mines closed and the miners' cottages were taken down in the 1930s, the pub managed to stay open. This was thanks to local farmers and the growing popularity of cars, which allowed more people to visit.
- Boundary Changes: In 1974, the inn was moved into County Durham due to boundary changes. But after many people protested, it was moved back into Yorkshire in 1987.
- Weddings at the Inn: In 1995, the Tan Hill Inn became the first pub in the UK allowed to hold weddings and civil ceremonies. This was a new law that let couples get married in places other than churches or special offices.
- Food and Music: The pub is a "free house," meaning it can sell beers from different breweries, like Black Sheep and Theakston. Some famous bands, including Arctic Monkeys, have even played there!
- "Family Feast" Fun: In 2007, a big fast-food company, KFC, thought about taking legal action against the inn. The pub had used the name "Family Feast" on its Christmas Day menu, which was similar to a KFC product name. But KFC later decided not to pursue the case.
- Snowed In! On New Year's Eve in 2009, people celebrating at the pub got snowed in! They couldn't leave for three days because of the heavy snow.
Future Plans for the Inn
The Tan Hill Inn got new owners in mid-2018, Andrew Hields and Mike Kenney. They have some exciting ideas for the future:
- Northern Lights: They want to add special rooms with glass roofs. This would let guests watch the Northern Lights from their beds!
- More Comfort: They plan to make the bunk rooms more comfortable by adding more showers, cleaning facilities, and places to charge phones.
- New Areas: The owners are also thinking about opening the barn as a carvery (a place to get roasted meats) and adding a second bar.
- Camping and Music: In 2019, the inn started welcoming camper vans and caravans for a small fee. They also have a place for live music.
- Spa and Pool: Future plans even include a rustic spa and an outdoor swimming pool!
Tan Hill Inn on TV
The Tan Hill Inn has appeared in many TV shows and adverts:
- Adverts:
* In the 1980s, it was in an advert for Everest windows, starring Ted Moult. * It was also in the very first Vodafone advert in the 1990s. * Everest came back in 2008 to film a new advert with Craig Doyle, and they even installed new windows and solar panels at the inn. * In late 2017, the inn was featured in a Christmas advert for Waitrose supermarkets.
- TV Shows:
* James May and Oz Clarke visited the inn in their show Oz and James Drink to Britain in 2009. * In May 2019, scenes for the ITV show Vera were filmed there. This episode aired in January 2020. * The pub has also been seen in other shows like The Inspector Lindley Mysteries, Murder in Mind, Top Gear, The Fast Show, Wish You Were Here, All Creatures Great and Small, and Jude the Obscure.
