Remember, Remember: Bonfire Night, Yorkshire Roots, and Día de los Muertos at the Inn

There’s no escaping the smell of woodsmoke in the valley as November rolls in.

Come the 5th of November, bonfires will be blazing across the hillsides, sparklers will be fizzing in back gardens, and rockets will be lighting up the cold night sky. We all know the rhyme: “Remember, remember the fifth of November, gunpowder, treason and plot” but around here, Bonfire Night has always felt that little bit more personal.

Guy Fawkes wasn’t some distant historical figure from London; he was Yorkshire born and bred. Born right in the heart of York in 1570, he grew up walking our county’s cobbled streets and attending St Peter’s School before heading off into history and legend. So when we light the fires each year, we’re marking a tale that started right on our own home turf.

Around these parts, you can’t talk about Bonfire Night without talking about Yorkshire parkin!

Proper parkin is an art form. Made with plenty of black treacle, oatmeal, ginger, and syrup, it needs time to sit and get properly sticky before it’s ready to slice. It’s dense, spicy, warming and about as honest a Yorkshire bake as you’ll find. We’ll have thick slabs of homemade parkin on the counter as part of our bar bakes right across the weekend. Pair a slice with a piping hot mug of Darkwoods coffee or follow with proper pint of cask ale pulled straight from the pumps. It’s the ultimate antidote to a freezing autumn night.

This year we’re doing something extra special to mark the turning of the season.

Alongside our traditional fireside comforts, we’re bringing a vibrant splash of warmth and colour to the valley with our Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) day!

While we look after our 700-year-old stone walls, we love bringing folk together for a proper celebration. Día de los Muertos is all about honouring memories, celebrating life, and sharing fantastic food and drink with the people you love. Have you seen the incredible menu our kitchen team has put together for the event? We’re laying on a feast of authentic, mouth-watering Mexican dishes that’ll blow the autumn chill right out of your bones, from slow-cooked, spiced street tacos and rich, slow-simmered chilli to sizzling sharing plates loaded with fresh lime, charred chillies, and homemade salsas that pack a proper punch.

Of course, we wouldn’t leave your whistle dry. We’ve lined up a cracking drinks list crafted specially for the evening to complement every bite. Think zesty, handcrafted margaritas shaken fresh behind the bar, authentic Mexican beers, and spiced, warming pours designed to get the fiesta properly started.

Whether you’re calling in across the packhorse bridge for a warming pint, treating yourself to a slice of sticky parkin by the hearth, or booking a table for an event of vibrant Mexican flavours and cocktails, we’ve got the fires roaring and the glasses ready.

Spaces for our Día de los Muertos event are still available, so check out the full menu on our website, get your table booked, and come celebrate with us.

¡Ahí nos vemos, amigos! xx