The Bingley Arms is an old pub in Bardsey

Bardsey, West Yorkshire

Bardsey, West Yorkshire, England is a small village in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, north east of Leeds city centre. The village is in the LS17 Leeds postcode district. It is part of the civil parish of Bardsey cum Rigton...

, Leeds

Leeds

Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...

, which was originally called The Priests Inn.

It is claimed to be the oldest pub in Britain, with a known history dating back to AD 953 and evidence suggesting it could date to AD 905. It is also said that it served as a safehouse for persecuted Catholic priests and also as a courthouse from around AD 1000, from which offenders were taken to the pillory across the road.

The pub is said to have been a scene of supernatural activity. Apparently, ghosts of a musketeer, young girl and dog have been spotted at the pub.

Today the pub acts as a popular restaurant and is a former winner of the Yorkshire Evening Post

Yorkshire Evening Post

The Yorkshire Evening Post is a daily evening publication published by Yorkshire Post Newspapers Ltd in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...

Restaurant of the Year Award.

The beer garden is home to a yew tree which is said to pre-date the Bingley Arms itself.