The Rams Head Inn

I really think our group hit the meteorological jackpot recently — gorgeous blue sky, sunshine and fallen snow (albeit bitterly cold temperatures but I prefer that to heat!).
So after blowing away the cobwebs on a chilly walk along the byways of Saddleworth, soaking in the views of the valleys and reservoirs, we completed the loop and were back at The Rams Head Inn for a much-​needed Sunday feast.
With two nippers in tow we opted for the side seating area away from the main dining room, which meant we were nicely self-​contained and also fellow diners didn’t have to endure ‘toddler carnage’!
You can select from their main menu here, as well as their bar menu. Not wanting to pass up on the chance to try a full meal I decided on wild boar & apple terrine for starter and lamb shank for mains — both were terrific; there was a generous portion of terrine and the lamb sloughed off the bone thanks to its cooking for 24 hours.
If I see lemon meringue on any menu I’m compelled to order it and so it was done. Gorgeous it was too, more so with lashings of cream (I was telling myself I needed to replenish all those calories lost climbing over walls and ascending gravelled tracks…).
For lighter dishes the bar menu certainly had some tempting options; ones I’ll try when we come back again.
Lovers of truly hearty and quality food, served in a friendly, rustic setting and surrounded by the wilds of moorland — look no further.

Best decision ever? Quite possibly!
The holy grail in terms of 1. a sunny day, 2. wanting to do a walk where the stunning scenery meets challenging terrain and a 3. a good pub serving quality food — was all met by us deciding to go to the Rams Head this Sunday.
Driving up from South Manchester, it only took us 30 mins and without planning on doing so we entered into Yorkshire (literally just across the border) and set eyes on some breathtaking scenery before pulling into the large onsite car park.
The Rams Head has got a main dining room serving very «proper» meals but we were just wanting something casual so ate in the bar and chose from their ‘kitchen menu’
Between us, my wife and myself ordered the freshly roasted pork and stuffing roll and a beef one to go with it too — both were succulent, tender and most importantly super tasty. At £5.95 each they were great value and just what we were after. Throw in a bowl of homemade chips for a few quid and a pot of tea leaves Yorkshire tea (seemed rude not to) and you had the perfect lunch out for less than £20.
On site there’s also a fantastic gourmet deli selling fine meats and cheeses, cupboard items and an amazing array of wines and champagne — a real find and fully unexpected. They also have a further room in here called ‘the pantry’ where you can have light afternoon snacks and a cup of tea.
After our bellies were about to pop, we did make it onto our walk which was a 3 mile circular from the car park, through some forests and around a couple of reservoirs — up and down a couple of moderate hills which really did get the blood pumping! If you want to do the walk then check out this:

Overall we had a great day out and can’t wait to go back — if you love good food and the great outdoors then I’m sure you’ll enjoy it too!