The Old Bulls Head in Little Hucklow was a regular Good Beer Guide entry in the 1970s and 80s when it sold a fine pint of Buxton-brewed Winkle Saxon Cross Bitter (3.8%). It later sold Wards Bitter.
The Old Bulls Head has historical interest dating back to the 12th century with claims to be the fifth oldest pub in England. Little Hucklow was once the scene of much mining activity, with considerable remains of old shafts, gravel hillocks and rakes still surrounding the village. The Bull’s Head pub contained a collection of mining relics. In addition, the handpumps had Shakespearean characters carved in wood.
In more recent years, the building sat derelict for about a decade, until two years ago when renovation work started. This involved alterations to the pub building, including the addition of a glazed ‘seed room’ extension, the addition of an external stone stair, an extension to the south-west corner, removal of the porch, alterations to openings, and internal layout changes. In addition, the car park was altered to accommodate a new building which includes six letting rooms.
The pub re-opened in July 2020 as the Blind Bull and offers a choice of four real ales, with a regular house beer The Blind Bull IPA, designed and brewed with Eyam Real Ale Company, and three regularly changing beers predominantly from local brewers, including Eyam Real Ale Company, Pennine Brewery, Peak Ales Brewery, and others. The varied food menu includes vegetarian and vegan options. The overnight accommodation is due to launch soon.
The Blind Bull was entered into CAMRA’s National Pub Design Awards and we are pleased that it has been recognised as the joint winner in the refurbishment category.
