Canny Bevvy 243

Dipton Mill Inn
Dipton Mill, Hexham
The ceilings are low, the furniture obviously
dates from a time when people were much
shorter than today. There are 2 open fires, built
at different times and if you look carefully at
the inside of the pub, you may notice that walls
aren’t always square and measurements don’t
always match.
Mark working behind the bar
How old is the Dipton Mill Inn? Well, it
depends which bit of the pub you are looking
at. Some bits are comparatively recent, as
they were rebuilt after a fire in the 1950s
or 1960s, other bits are Victorian, however,
the original building is more than 400 years
old. Over the centuries the building was
dual purpose, with the occupant recorded
as miller/publican. It has also been a family
home, the Brooker family moved in nearly
30 years ago and the Dipton Mill Inn is still
dual purpose, a pub and a brewery. For
many years it has been the brewery tap for
Hexhamshire Brewery, it is now also the
location of the Hexhamshire Brewery.
The Dipton Mill Inn, as you would expect as it is
the home of Hexhamshire Brewery – it is close
to Hexham, about 5 minutes away by car. Take
the road by the Tap & Spile, signposted to the
racecourse and lookout for the street marked
Dipton Mill Road, follow the road up the hill and
back down the next valley. The pub is next to the
river and the only building – so you can’t miss it.
The small bar stocks the range of Hexhamshire
beers and a real cider. The pub also takes pride in
stocking high-quality wines, over 20 malt whiskeys
and soft drinks from local firm, Fentiman’s.
Issue 243 • Spring 2018
Whilst Canny Bevvy readers are primarily
interested in beer, the food is the main
attraction for many visitors. The food is homecooked,
with the menu changing daily. There
are traditional dishes such as steak and kidney
pie, mince and dumplings, when I visited
recently with Canny Bevvy editor Adrian, I had
baked haddock with tomato and basil, Adrian
chose lamb steak in wine and mustard. We
were both very impressed. The Dipton Mill
doesn’t have gastro-pub pretensions, the food is
of high standard at a reasonable price. The beer
garden is a great place to enjoy a few beers in
the summer. There are plans to develop a few
attractions for children.
If you like traditional pubs with great beer,
a good food menu with a calm, relaxing
ambience – I suggest you head out to the
Dipton Mill Inn.
Martin Ellis
Press & Publicity Officer
The Beer Garden
9