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The Otley Run is the name given to a pub crawl in Leeds, West Yorkshire. Typically held by students at Leeds' Universities and colleges as it passes campus buildings and many student residences, it features in Freshers' Week, Rag Week, and in society and hall of residence events.

Changes in licensing laws permitting all-day and late-night drinking have led to the opening of many new public houses which have been incorporated into the route from Woodies to the Dry Dock as set out in Steve Lovell's London Underground style maps of Leeds pubs. Similar variants including city centre pubs and club nights are enjoyed by students and graduates, Leeds residents in general, and visiting stag and hen parties. By 2010, Leeds Rag's themed events including fancy dress runs had caught on among the general public, supported by local fancy dress shops.

Rules and Variations[]

As with any pub crawl, the number one rule is to plan ahead:

  • Know your route and schedule - start early and pace yourself, expect some busy pubs, plan food stops
  • Stick to your budget (and bring ID if needed)
  • Don't mix drinks heavily and look after stragglers

Games and other suggestions

  • One pint per pub is traditional for pub crawls. You may choose to vary drinks and styles - while Tetley's bitter was once widely available (and Diesel popular in the University bars), a broad range of local ales is now available
  • Choosing a fancy dress theme
  • Pub Golf could help you keep pace, and traditional bar games that don't require sitting could be played in different pubs, eg. Buffalo Club and Medusa
  • Sober/fun run and "Greggly Run" alternatives have also taken place
  • Plan fewer stops, and go out afterwards - or just relax in your final pub ... if you make it!

The Route[]

The popular Otley Road route covers Headingley and Woodhouse, and when including the city centre is over two miles long. As a list of public houses, the Orderaround "Otley Run" route chooses to omit the University campus bars and in addition has some others which participants should avoid - in particular, Arcadia declares itself unsuitable for large groups and The Golden Beam has licensing conditions requiring them to be turned away. Otherwise, there can now be more than a dozen venues and the run is now common on weekends since this takes most of a day.

Over time, the Otley Run route has included:

  • New Inn (Far Headingley, traditional)
  • Trio (Headingley, new)
  • Havana Tapas & Cocktail Bar (Headingley, new)
  • The Arc (Headingley, new)
  • The Box (Headingley, new)
  • The Old Bar (previously "Tetley Bar"; at University of Leeds Students' Union, traditional), or The Terrace (new)
  • Strawberry Fields (Woodhouse Lane)
  • Leeds Beckett University Students' Union bar/nightclub (originally Leeds Polytechnic SU; at civic centre campus, traditional)

Trivia[]

  • Prior to 1987, the Old Bar was known as the Tetley Bar, and was often the meeting point for Otley Road pub crawls. Both universities' Union buildings were originally members' clubs and NUS membership or a guest pass was required for entry, a restriction kept in place for the Old Bar until redevelopment work that included creation of Stylus and Terrace bars. Bars and common rooms were also available at halls including Bodington and Devonshire.
  • Early student crawls kept closely to the Otley Road, passing halls of residence in Woodhouse (Saint Mark's), Headingley (Cavendish, Devonshire, James Baillie, Lupton, Tetley), and Adel (Bodington, Weetwood). Many of these are now closed or have been rebuilt.
  • Instead of heading home from campus, both universities' student sports societies favoured south-bound crawls and might add pubs close to playing fields at Bodington Hall, with student nights attracting teams and their opposition back toward campus in the evening. Leeds' Rag Society also planned south-bound crawl events so that money collected could be safely stored on University premises.
  • For a period in the 1990s, the fad for Irish theme pubs in England led to the New Inn being briefly known as O' Hagan's New Inn. Its "no tick" clock above the door is a reference to the policy of not offering credit at the bar.
  • For a time, Woodies operated a wheel behind the bar which Otley Run participants could use to select their first drink. Woodies Ale House had been regularly featured on the 2000-2005 ITV1 / Yorkshire Television drama Fat Friends.
  • The Arcadia Ale & Wine Bar was the first solely non smoking pub in the Leeds area when it opened in April 2004. BBC Article
  • The distinctive architecture and the name of The Headingley Taps comes from the fact that it was formerly the local water pumping station for the area.
  • Prior to closing in January 2005, The Lounge Cinema in Headingley Centre was one of the few cinemas in Britain where it was possible to drink alcoholic drinks whilst watching a film although this applied only to movies with an 18 certificate. Its closure was mentioned in TimeOut magazine's "Surviving the Otley Run".
  • The Wetherspoon's pub The Golden Beam was built on the grounds of the Leeds Grammar School/Elinor Lupton Centre. As part of its licence application it was agreed that Otley Runners should not be permitted there.


External Links[]

Wikipedia Otley Run page

CAMRA's WhatPub

Historic Pubs in Headingley

BBC Guide to Headingley

Otley Run Fancy Dress Shop

See also[]

  • Binge drinking


Reference[]

  • Wikipedia
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