The Buck Inn in Malham joins Thwaites

Thwaites has purchased The Buck Inn, Malham in the Yorkshire Dales.

19th March 2025…// Dating back to 1874, The Buck is a historic village inn with bags of character, comprising a bar and restaurant, plenty of space outside to enjoy the Yorkshire Dales, as well as 11 cosy bedrooms.

The addition of The Buck takes Thwaites’ portfolio of managed pubs with rooms and hotels to 23, with The Buck becoming its second site in Malham. The Lister Arms is also owned by the company, as well as The Red Lion in nearby Burnsall, The Golden Lion in Settle, the Harts Head in Giggleswick and The Gamecock in Austwick, together creating an unrivalled collection of places to stay  in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, clustered around the Yorkshire Three Peaks.

The grade II listed dog-friendly inn will continue to trade as normal, providing home cooked food, using local, fresh seasonal produce in one of the busiest spots in the Dales.

Commenting on the purchase, Rick Bailey, executive chairman at Thwaites, said: “We’re thrilled to be expanding our growing family of hotels and inns, and delighted to bring The Buck in Malham on board. We have been after this pub for over a decade and have huge confidence that we can capitalise on the existing success of The Lister Arms in Malham.

“The Buck has tremendous heritage and character and with a bit of investment it will become another firm favourite with visitors to Malham in what has become a walking mecca of the north.”

The spectacular setting of Malham and its gorges and limestone pavements has attracted national praise and featured on Julia Bradbury’s ‘Best walks with a view’ TV series, Adrian Edmondson’s documentary ‘The Dales’, as well as being used as a setting for the filming of Lord of the Rings.

Located on the Pennine Way and set at the foot of Malham Cove, the Dales village is a walker’s paradise, with an abundance of routes on its doorstep including Malham Cove, Gordale Scar, Janet’s Foss and Malham Tarn.