This pub on the moors, not far from Huddersfield, has long been a resting place for weary travellers.
And so it proved again when we decided to try it out, even though the journey wasn’t particularly testing or tiring.
The Junction Inn at Denshaw is a 15-minute drive from Outlane – just follow New Hey Road over the moors past Scammonden, twisting and turning alongside a reservoir and when you eventually reach a junction at Denshaw there is the pub right in front of you.
The Junction Inn at a junction. Hardly rocket science.
It’s one of those old pubs that has a warm, familiar, even cosy feel the moment you walk through the doors.
And the way the seats are arranged there is an instant feeling of space – plenty of room to stretch out, and you certainly won’t feel crowded.
Another plus is that it’s dog friendly, so a perfect stopping place for walkers.
To go with the atmosphere the menu is all about comfort food, offering everything from pies to steaks, burgers and a list of specials. Plenty to go at; so it was fortunate we took friends Frederick and Barbara along to help out.
In fact, we were spoilt for choice.
Wife Ruth chose warm breads with balsamic, olives, feta and sundried tomato (£5.95). We were advised by the friendly waitress that it’s quite a big dish so Barbara decided to join her and share it.
It was a wise decision – huge chunks of home-cooked bread that proved just how marvellous bread can be – especially one that seemed to have a chilli-style kick to it. Great value for money and just the right amount ... for two. You can’t beat dipping bread into balsamic vinegar, which must go down as one of life’s simple pleasures.
I was tempted by the Junction Tower (£5.85), smoked bacon potato cake, black pudding, tomato with soft poached egg and wholegrain mustard sauce.
My concern, as my dad used to say, was that “my eyes were bigger than my belly” when it came to this, but my dining companions offered to chip in to help if it looked like I was in trouble. God bless ‘em.
It certainly was a tower and absolutely smothered in a delicate mustard sauce, which certainly didn’t bully the other flavours into submission. Now I’m a saucy kind of bloke, but even I wondered if less could be more here, so you could see just what was going on underneath it. The egg was cooked to absolute perfection as it ran all the way down the side of the dish once it had been ‘lanced.’
Frederick went traditional with soup (£4.25) although nothing was traditional about its ingredients as it combined garlic with parmesan cheese and leek and was a substantial starter that left Frederick more than happy.
For mains Frederick beat me to Piggy In The Middle (£12.95) from the specials which was slow cooked pork belly, black pudding and pork sausage on a bed of spring onion mash garnished with bacon crisp and apple compote. Now that is a hearty dish – a right plateful – and Frederick was soon in heaven with the pork crackling and the monster sausage.
So I went for a Thai fish burger (£10.95) which came with French fries and a lime dip. The burger itself was well spiced – certainly lifting it out of the ordinary – and it came with ultra thin French fries. I’d have preferred chips.
Ruth opted for smoked haddock with spinach mash (£10.95). The wholegrain mustard sauce made another dominating appearance along with a soft poached egg. Masses of delicate fish and the egg wasn’t as runny as mine, yet strangely was just how Ruth likes it. Were the staff reading our minds?
Barbara likes her steak and went for a 10oz rib eye, which came with full size chips. She asked for it medium rare and the chef absolutely nailed it.
After all that we tried just one pudding, creme brulee (£4.95) with a great glazed top with the creme thicker than expected.
Service was very good and the pub was warm – it has an open fire in winter.
Well worth the short journey although you’ll be more tired when you’ve eaten than when you arrive.
Junction Inn
2 Rochdale Road, Denshaw, Oldham, OL3 5SE
Phone: 01457 874265
Opening hours: Food served 12noon to 9pm Mon-Sat and from 12noon 8pm Sunday.
Children: Yes
Disabled access: Yes, and a disabled toilet.
The bill: £101.55 for four, including a bottle of wine (£13.95), pint of bitter (£3) and a couple of soft drinks.
Would you go back? Yes.
