Otley Run

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Otley Run is a pub crawl in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The route follows the A660, also known as Otley Road at the point the pub crawl begins, hence the name. It is popular among students and many from Leeds University and Leeds Metropolitan University can be observed taking part at weekends and other nights ^[1]. The Otley Run is a popular social gathering for students, sports clubs and other societies and also a common activity for birthdays and other celebrations ^[2]. Participants often wear fancy dress and coordinate their costumes to a particular theme.

1 The route
2 Rules and variations
3 Trivia
4 See also
5 References

[edit] The route

Depending on the route taken the Run can include up to 22 drinking establishments, beginning at Woodies in Far Headingley and finishing in Leeds city centre. Additional bars have been constructed along the route since the creation of the Otley Run and their inclusion is optional, with many choosing to visit only the traditional pubs. The Otley Run is often started in the afternoon to allow time to visit each pub before closing time.

Woodies Ale House, Far Headingley
The Three Horseshoes, Far Headingley
The New Inn, Far Headingley
Arcadia Ale & Wine Bar, Headingley**
Trio, Headlingley *
The Arc, Headingley *
Headingley Taps, Headingley
The Box, Headingley *
The Skyrack, Headingley
The Original Oak, Headingley
The Hyde Park, Hyde Park Corner
The Library, Woodhouse Lane
The Packhorse, Woodhouse Lane
The Eldon, Woodhouse Lane
The Old Bar, Leeds University Union
The Terrace, Leeds University Union
The Fenton, Woodhouse Lane
Strawberry Fields, Woodhouse Lane
Met Bar, Leeds Metropolitan University Students Union *
The Dry Dock, Woodhouse Lane
A Leeds City Centre club. Numerous clubs and bars including Walkabout and Bourbon claim to be the end of the Otley Run

(* - These newer bars and pubs are usually omitted by the more traditionalist Otley Runners. The student union bars are open only to those with membership.)
(** - Does not allow fancy dress, and may not necessarily be considered part of the Otley Run.)

[edit] Rules and variations

People attempting the Otley Run may do so casually or choose to follow a specific set of rules ^[3]. Some examples of rules include:

Drinking a pint in each pub
Half pints or a single unit for women
An Otley run starting at the Sun Inn in the town of Otley, necessitating a 13-mile walk and including 7 additional pubs.

[edit] Trivia

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

'Woodies Ale House' was regularly featured on the 2000-2005 ITV1 / Yorkshire Television drama Fat Friends. However the external scenes were all shot outside the Three Horseshoes pub just down the road with the sign doctored to make it appear that it was in fact Woodies.

Until approximately 2002 the New Inn was known as O'Hagans New Inn and had an Irish theme.

The Arcadia Ale & Wine Bar became the first solely non-smoking pub in the Leeds area when it opened in April 2004. ^[4]

The distinctive architecture and the name of "The Headingley Taps" come from the previous function of the building as a local water pumping station.

The Original Oak once had a Bowling green. In recent years, this has been converted into a beer garden.

The Original Oak and The Fenton are the only pubs along the Otley Run route that continue to have the typical Tetleys pub sign writing that was commonplace across Leeds until the 1990s.

The Elinor Lupton Centre of Grammar School at Leeds (formerly Leeds Girls' High School) on Headingley Lane is under plans by Wetherspoons for conversion into a pub. However due to widespread opposition for excessive numbers of bars in Headingley, the planning and licence application is expected to be blocked. ^[5]

The Library on Woodhouse Lane was formerly the Woodhouse library, fire station and police station. More recently, it was known as the Feast and Firkin which was part of the Firkin Brewery chain. It is now part of the Scream chain alongside Dry Dock, which is owned by Mitchells and Butlers.