The Black Horse, Beamish

Feb 14 2010 by Eddy Eats, Sunday Sun

AN ex-MP for County Durham, his name lives on in that popular ditty Bobby Shafto’s Gone to Sea, which has always been a favourite in the Eats household.

We were keen then to try out the recently revamped Black Horse in Beamish which lies in the former estate of the mighty Shafto Esquire.

Steeped in history, The Black Horse was originally constructed around 1690 when it was one of 10 cottages built on his land before becoming a licensed drinking pub around 1850.

Local businessman Bob Fountain bought the pub four years ago and has spent the last two years recreating its charm and atmosphere.

When She Who Must Be Fed got wind of this, I knew a trip to Beamish was inevitable, and to be honest I was with her on this one.

The pub is on a long, winding country road not far from Beamish Hall, as well as the popular tourist attraction Beamish Museum, with terrific views of the County Durham countryside. As we approached the driveway we noticed a sign declaring: Good Beer, Canny Crack. It sounded just like our kind of place.

We arrived just after 2pm and the Black Horse was bustling with people enjoying drinks at the bar as well as families and couples tucking into hearty grub in the restaurant area.

Located on two floors, it’s quite a substantial eaterie. There are food areas on two floors and there is also an outdoor seating area, which will be great in the summer.

Mrs Eats fancied a drink by the open fire in the bar before we sat down for food. We’d been wise enough to book in advance and we were glad we did as the pub was pretty busy.

The place had a really homely feel with a good mix of modern and old features, keeping in with the traditions of the property. Mrs Eats loved the beamed ceilings.

A waitress took our drinks orders and after a pint and a glass of fine red another waiter showed us to our table upstairs.

The second-floor eating area has exposed stone walls and large glass windows which Mrs Eats remarked was a real room with a view.

After we were seated, and having had a brief look at the Sunday lunch menu, another waitress came over to take our order with a rather blunt “what can I get you?”, with no hint of a smile.

She must have been having a bad day.

We didn’t have to wait too long for our grub to arrive which was a relief as we were famished.