The Blue Lion
The Blue Lion accommodation in East Witton — 15 rooms
East Witton, near Masham — 7 miles / about 10 minutes' drive (Leyburn is about 4 miles the other way)
Main Road, East Witton, DL8 4SN
Dog welcome in the room and at dinner.
Featured in: Dinner, Bed and Breakfast at Pubs with Rooms
Photo: JThomas, CC BY-SA 2.0
Rooms at The Blue Lion
- Rooms
- 15
- Parking
- Yes
- EV charging
- Not confirmed
- Nearest station
- No direct rail — nearest mainline stations are Northallerton (about 17 miles by road) and Thirsk (about 21 miles), so you'll need a car or a pre-booked taxi
Book a stay at The Blue Lion
- Booking route
- Bookable direct or via major booking sites
Checked October 2026. Pubs change hands, hours change, policies change — always confirm anything that matters, especially the dog policy and kitchen days, directly with the pub before you book. Run this pub? Confirm or correct these details.
A bit of history
The pub's own account says it was built as a shooting lodge and became a coaching inn around 1840, run by one family from 1856 for three generations. The former stables are now the courtyard bedrooms. (Other write-ups date it to the 18th century; we haven't found a dated record that settles it.)
Source: Pub's own website — thebluelion.co.uk/about/; Geograph caption (geograph.org.uk/photo/527400) and Yorkshire Food Guide (yorkshirefoodguide.co.uk/restaurant/blue-lion-east-witton/) give an 18th-century date instead
Stories & legends
- Local legend: Bessie Fletcher, last of the family that ran the inn, is said to have served beer straight from the barrel in a back room, on weekdays only and only to people she liked, then played the organ at the parish church on Sundays when the inn stayed shut. The pub's site adds that this made it the last public house in England with a six-day licence. We haven't found an independent record of the licence claim. Source: Pub's own website — thebluelion.co.uk/about/ (which itself calls her a local legend)
Dog policy
From published sources- In the bedroom
- Selected rooms only
- At dinner in the restaurant
- Dogs in certain areas only
- In the bar
- Yes
- Walks from the door
- Not confirmed
- Charge
- £10 per dog per night
- Max dogs per room
- Not confirmed
- Extras provided
- Bowls, beds and treats provided, 11 of the 15 rooms are dog-friendly (the pub's rooms page says the Courtyard Superior rooms don't take dogs); arrange by phone or in the booking notes, A £100 cleaning/replacement charge may apply if bedding is damaged or needs specialist cleaning
Source: Pub's own dog-friendly page — thebluelion.co.uk/dog-friendly/ — and its rooms page — thebluelion.co.uk/room/ — checked October 2026
Food
From published sources- Character
- Gastropub
- Menu style
- À la carte
- Booking model
- Dinner is booked separately from the room
- Dinner, bed and breakfast
- Dinner, Bed & Breakfast — from £210.50 for two people sharing (one night)
A Dinner, Bed & Breakfast offer is listed from £210.50 for one night, two sharing, including a £40 per person dinner allowance (pub's offers page, 14 Oct 2026; call to check dates). A plain room booking doesn't include dinner, and the pub advises reserving a table when you book a room because restaurant space is limited.
One night's stay for two sharing, breakfast, and a £40 per person dinner allowance
Book by phone on 01969 624273. No days, minimum nights or restrictions stated. Dinner is an allowance, not a set menu.
Dates: undated (page says offers are regularly changed). Pub's own website, checked October 2026. Offers change, so confirm with the pub.
Source: Pub's own dining page — thebluelion.co.uk/dining/; Yorkshire Food Guide listing (yorkshirefoodguide.co.uk/restaurant/blue-lion-east-witton/) — checked October 2026
Other pubs with rooms near East Witton
Straight-line distances, so allow longer by road.
- The White Bear
Masham about 5.8 miles
14 rooms. Dogs in selected rooms.
- The Bay Horse
Masham about 5.9 miles
4 rooms. Dogs in the rooms not confirmed.
- The Kings Head
Masham about 6.0 miles
27 rooms. Dogs in selected rooms.
Questions people ask about The Blue Lion
- Are dogs allowed in the bedrooms at The Blue Lion?
- In selected rooms only at The Blue Lion — not every room takes dogs, so check when you book. There's a charge of £10 per dog, per night.
- Can dogs join you at dinner at The Blue Lion?
- In certain areas only at The Blue Lion, not the whole restaurant — worth checking when you book.
- Does The Blue Lion offer dinner, bed and breakfast?
- Yes — The Blue Lion advertises "Dinner, Bed & Breakfast" on its own website. It includes one night's stay for two sharing, breakfast, and a £40 per person dinner allowance. Price: from £210.50 for two people sharing (one night). We checked in October 2026; offers change, so confirm with the pub.
- Is there parking at The Blue Lion?
- Yes — The Blue Lion has parking.
- How far is The Blue Lion from Masham?
- The Blue Lion is in East Witton, near Masham — 7 miles / about 10 minutes' drive (Leyburn is about 4 miles the other way).
- Does The Blue Lion serve food every day?
- Yes — the kitchen at The Blue Lion is open every day.
Is this your pub?
Some of this page comes from published sources, not from the pub. If you run The Blue Lion, tell us how it really is — dogs, kitchen days, parking, photos — and we'll mark it as confirmed by the pub. It's free, and we never charge to list, check or rank a pub.