Snowed in at the Tan Hill Inn: an unexpected three-night stay in 2021
Updated: Nov 4
A night out became a three-night stay for guests at the Tan Hill Inn in November 2021. People who had travelled to the Yorkshire Dales pub to see an Oasis tribute band found themselves snowed in after the performance.
Heavy snow blocked the route out. Abandoned vehicles and fallen power cables complicated efforts to clear access, leaving the guests and staff waiting for a safe way through.
By Monday morning, a snowplough had reached the pub and some guests were able to follow it away. Our report, published on 30 November, picked up the story as people began heading home.
It was an unusual situation, and the original article asked arcade regulars a playful question: how would they feel if an evening at their favourite venue unexpectedly became a much longer visit?
The answer would probably depend on the company, the food and how soon the roads reopened. For the Tan Hill guests, the immediate concern was getting home safely after an evening that had gone well beyond anyone's plans.
The story above is our November 2021 report. The visitor notes below were checked on 4 November 2026; they are researched planning information, rather than a first-hand stay.
Make a Dales meal of it
A pub stop in the Dales deserves more than a rushed sandwich in the car. If Tan Hill is your lunch stop, build the drive around the kitchen: the inn lists split lunch and evening sittings, with an afternoon gap. Open the current menus and book a table before fixing the rest of your day. That way you can enjoy the meal instead of arriving hungry just as service finishes. Dogs are welcome in the pub, too.
Family room, twin room or a bunk for the night?
Staying over gives you a reason to make the Dales the whole outing. For a family, the Deluxe Family Room has a double bed and bunks for two more guests, plus its own bathroom. Friends who want separate beds can look at the Standard Twin. Travelling light? The Group Bunk Room is shared accommodation with a shared bathroom, so it is a different choice from booking your own family room. The inn lists dog-friendly rooms, but its Superior Doubles do not accept dogs. Choose the actual room type on the booking page and check the price for your dates.
Sort the last part of the journey
The inn says the nearest public transport reaches Keld rather than the pub itself. Motorhomes and large vehicles are specifically advised to avoid Stonesdale Lane because of its tight bend. If that is your vehicle, call the inn on 01833 533007 for route advice before setting off. Let the 2021 story supply the unusual read; use the inn’s current travel information to plan your own journey.
Photo information
Tan Hill Inn, photographed 24 February 2012 by Martin Dawes. Source photograph · CC BY-SA 2.0. The banner crop is offered under the same licence. This is a historical exterior photograph, not a photograph of the November 2021 snow incident.
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