UK’s highest pub feels ‘like going back in time’ — and costs £100k to run

The Tan Hill Inn in Richmond, North Yorkshire, is the highest pub in the UK and is completely self-sufficient, with no cables or pipes connecting it to the grid — costing the landlord thousands to keep it running

Staff working behind the bar at Britain’s highest pub have described how life in the renowned bar feels ‘like going back back in time’. And it is also a costly operation, with thousands being spent to keep the establishment open.

The Tan Hill Inn, located in Richmond, North Yorkshire, operates entirely off-grid, with no mains connections for electricity or utilities. This means maintaining the ale supply and keeping customers satisfied requires enormous effort, with landlord Andrew Hields, 40, admitting that it costs an eye-watering £100,000 annually “just to keep the lights on”.

Sat atop the breathtaking Yorkshire Dales landscape, this historic 17th-century inn and accommodation stands 1,732ft above sea level. The closest settlement, Kirkby Stephen, lies 11 miles away and can only be accessed via narrow moorland lanes that twist and turn.

The remote position makes it extremely vulnerable to harsh weather conditions as it remains completely exposed to the elements. The Tan Hill Inn grabbed international attention earlier this year when 23 customers — including a four-year-old kid — were trapped inside for five days after heavy snowfall cut off access.

This followed another widely reported episode in 2021, when 60 people found themselves marooned within the premises due to massive bouts of snow. Father-of-two Andrew has owned this isolated establishment for over seven years since June 2018, describing taking on the venture as an irresistible test that challenged every aspect of his expertise, according to the Mirror.

Andrew has dabbled in several ventures ranging from renewable energy through to marketing, but had never helmed a bar before taking over The Tan Hill Inn. Since stepping into the landlord role, he’s also assumed control of The Green Dragon Inn, situated 12 miles away in Hardraw, renowned for being home to Britain’s tallest waterfall.

Andrew revealed: “This place pulled on all of my past experiences and skill sets and required me to learn fast as well. The challenging issues of staffing up here, the logistics of it all.

“It’s £100,000 a year now to keep the lights on. That would cripple most other pubs but luckily a thousand people a week are coming through the doors which helps.”

The venue features six staff quarters plus 11 guest bedrooms, with the majority of workers bunking down for three or four nights each week. Staff members without their own wheels can arrange lift-shares or rely on pub-organised transport, whilst a dedicated shuttle service is in the pipeline.

Between his two venues, workforce numbers can swell to around 50 during busy periods, and 26-year-old manager El Applegarth described how the staff operates like one extended “family”. El commutes from Newcastle, dividing her time between Tan Hill and the Green Dragon whilst working away, and described pub life as: “It’s a bit like a uni house, sometimes. I’d never been to uni but it’s that kind of experience.

“We’ll have a drink on a night-time, and you will get up in the morning, chat, and get to know each other as friends. It does get on top of each other, sometimes, but not as much as what you would think.”

Speaking about the pub’s character, El explained: “It’s magical, really; it really is. People talk — it’s a bit like going back in time.

“People actually talk to each other as they know they’re going to be stuck together. It’s not like there’s a few pubs around where you’ll go ‘I’ll see you at the next one’. It brings a lot of people together.”

Behind the scenes, Andrew revealed that operating such an isolated venue is an exceptionally “tough business”. He recommended: “Market. Market heavily and well. I say that especially as we’ve got no footfall. We’re not in a city, we’re not near another tourist attraction.

“You have to treat the customer and the staff well, and never take advantage of a customer, at all. Try and give the best experience that represents your kind of offering that you want people to experience. Don’t try to be anybody else.

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