THE SHEPHERDS REST

Hotels
Independent
6.2 (23 reviews)
125 Bolton Brow, Sowerby Bridge, England, HX6 2BD , Sowerby Bridge , GB

Facilities

Free WiFi
Designated smoking area
Wheelchair accessible
Front desk (limited hours)
Housekeeping on request
Accessible shuttle
No accessible shuttle

Review Highlights

Pros:
Friendly staff
Good bar selection
Cons:
Poor cleanliness
Room issues (leaks and darkness)

Categories

Cleanliness
5.16
Room was clean, but some areas appeared dusty and poorly maintained.
Service
8.13
Staff were friendly and helpful, providing good service.
Location
6.67
Convenient location, but some noise from the road.
Room Quality
5.62
Room was satisfactory, but issues like darkness and leaks affected the experience.
Amenities
6.15
Basic amenities were present, but dining options were limited.
Value for Money
5.61
Fairly priced for the budget; however, expectations should be managed.
Food and Beverage
6.66
Good selection of drinks at the bar, but limited food options.
Overall Experience
5.63
Experience was mixed; value aligns with budget expectations.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-01-10 09:10

Property Description

Central Location
Convenient access to popular attractions like Wainhouse Tower and Manor Heath Park and Jungle Experience.

Limited Front Desk Hours
Although front desk services are available during specific times, our team ensures your comfort and needs are met promptly.

Designated Smoking Areas
Catering to all guests, the hotel offers designated smoking areas for those who enjoy it.

To experience the charm of Sowerby Bridge and its surrounding attractions, book your stay at THE SHEPHERDS REST today!

Important information:

This hotel offers designated smoking areas.

Check-in and check-out hours:

Property Policies

  • Pets

    Pets not allowed

  • Accessibility

    No elevators

  • General

    Professional property host/manager

Location

Guest Reviews

6.2
Based on 23 reviews
Cleanliness: 5.16
Service: 8.13
Location: 6.67
Room Quality: 5.62
Amenities: 6.15
Value for Money: 5.61
Food and Beverage: 6.66
Overall Experience: 5.63
D
david
4
Disappointed
Pros:

Budget hotel with Budget facilities. No food, only bar snacks. Sole member of staff on duty was a barmaid. Well presented bedroom in the attic. Only natural light by a Velux window which wouldn't completely shut. The roof leaked because of biblical rain & unable to change rooms as fully booked. Bed had to be moved to avoid the leak. Not ideal!! In fairness the barmaid was as helpful as could be with the offer of a room, if available, at a sister hotel but no guaranteed parking and by then had been drinking. On the plus side, nice well stocked bar with good selection of ales.

2025-09-21 via Nuitee
M
Mandy
6
Very dark and gloomy
Pros:

Nice staff, friendly and helpful. Room was very dark with a very dark ceiling, even with blinds open . Open electrics, covered by a black bag, very dusty, like it hadn’t been used for a while and then not cleaned properly. Bathroom was clean and had a great shower but also very dark . One mirror in bathroom with poor lighting, no mirrors in bedroom to do makeup and hair . Nice little kitchen area with tea and coffee facilities. Bed was comfy enough, just very soft. Good facilities for price

2025-09-12 via Nuitee
C
C
10
Pros:

Great room, friendly staff

2025-08-14 via Nuitee
J
Joanne
10
Pros:

The check in and out was really quick and sammy behind the bar was so helpful regarding taxis etc and a bonus the pub stayed open until we came back from the gig.

2025-07-24 via Nuitee
M
Mark partner
8
Pros:

Bearing in mind the cheap price it was satisfactory. Bed was VERY low and whilst a double it was tight up against a wall on one side and less than a foot on the other, so would not have been at all suitable for anyone with mobility issues. Bathroom small but good. No indication of food available on site but we eat out anyway. Staff friendly, some road noise as needed window open as it was hot. Not sure why there was also a big sink in the room. Overall ok but would not want to pay more.

2025-07-16 via Nuitee
C
Caroline partner
8
Pros:

Great property for short stay over, staff great, very welcoming

2025-07-11 via Nuitee
R
Rachel
2
Start elsewhere
Pros:

Booked a stay with my partner and unfortunately, it didn’t meet expectations. The room was situated in the eaves, which made it hard to stand upright in places—we kept catching our heads when getting in and out of bed. The bed itself was extremely uncomfortable, with springs pushing through the mattress and a broken base that offered no support. It must have been the cheapest bed they could find. We ended up cutting our stay short and leaving early just to get some rest at home. Which was disappointing when we had booked a day of work and could have finally had a lie in.

The bathroom was very compact to say the least, the sink was tiny and positioned awkwardly over the toilet, making it difficult to use. Only one small towel was provided between the two of us, and there was no staff on site in the morning, that we could find, to ask for more.

Overall, the room was very poor and not well thought out. It was unclear how fire safety standards were being met, as we were at the very top of the building with one staircase down and the bedroom door didn’t look reassuring in that regard. So if there was a fire outside our door I don’t know how we would get out or if the bedroom door would hold long enough. Disappointing experience and not somewhere we’d choose to stay again. Having to get up early because we couldn’t lie in the bed any longer was not what we were looking for and having to leave to come home and have a shower and get back in bed for some actual sleep is not good.

2025-07-08 via Nuitee
P
peter
6
Pros:

Nice welcome great pub but the room was in the eaves and for a 6ft man it was small and cramped

2025-06-28 via Nuitee
S
simon
10
Pros:

Nice place, really clean and comfortable and hosts were brilliant

2025-06-17 via Nuitee
N
Nigel family
10
Pros:

Newly renovated, to a high standard, accommodation above this local pub.

Manager and staff very welcoming and happy to answer any questions raised.

A large breakfast is also offered, and at £9.95 per person was excellent value.

2025-06-08 via Nuitee
G
Garry
10
Great Place to stay
Pros:

Amazing place plus the food was fantastic

2025-06-08 via Nuitee
J
Jeff
10
Pros:

Stayed at the Shepherd’s Rest as it is close to our daughter’s new house and there are limited chain-hotel options close by. The establishment is a pub with rooms upstairs. No on-site parking but plenty of available spaces on the street outside. No food when we were there but there are lots of other options within walking distance.

2025-06-02 via Nuitee
V
Verified traveler
10
Pros:

Friendly, helpful staff

2025-05-26 via Nuitee
D
Danny partner
8
Pros:

Good stay above a friendly pub, only downside was the lack of breakfast on site.

2025-05-26 via Nuitee
S
Stephen
6
Pros:

Ok gor an over nigjt business stay.

2025-05-21 via Nuitee
T
Theresa partner
10
Pros:

"I stayed at Shepherd's Rest and was thoroughly impressed—the facilities were excellent and the staff were outstanding."

2025-05-21 via Nuitee
J
Jennifer
2
AVOID
Pros:

Booked a 2 night stay from 9th to 11th December 2024.Shown our room by Sam Room absolutely freezing,no heating on,top of bedding and towels felt damp. Sam put on radiator and gave us a small radiator to help warm the room.Heated towel rail in cold bathroom also not working.After 2 hours still no central heating. Reported to Sam,who said she would report it to maintenance and gave us an extra fan heater. Not able to access normal TV channels on tv.We went out for a meal so couldn't leave the fan heaters for safety reasons.On return put on the 2 fan heaters to warm the room.We had to sit in our coats untill the room warmed up. Could not leave the heaters on all night because of the noise, would not be able to sleep and for fire safety.We had to sleep in clothes to keep warm. Mattress very uncomfortable, duvet thin,had asked for an extra, but did not receive one.Bedding crumpled like someone had slept in it and not changed.This may be,as reading the last review by Nigel,he left the property earlier in the morning as it was so cold,and it was obvious that he had the same problems as us with the lack of heating,so management knew there was no central heating when we booked in Disgusted that they let the room and took our money.We left on the 10th,as could not stand another night in that cold uncomfortable room.As the pub is not staffed until 3pm there is no one to see in the morning.Tried to see Sam on the afternoon of the 10th before we left,but she was not available.NEVER AGAIM

2024-12-11 via Nuitee
N
Nigel
2
No heating on in December !
Pros:

Stayed here mid December. Checked in at 3pm and was shown to the room. I immediately noticed there was no heating on / it was freezing cold and raised this. I was told the radiator valves had been opened and it should come in later, but if not, there’s an additional heater in the cupboard.
On returning to the room around 9pm, there was still no heating on / still very cold. So I dug out the small fan heater and plugged it in and got into a cold bed with a THIN SUMMER duvet ??.
I eventually nodded off, but kept waking up with the cold, as the fan heater was insufficient. Left the room at 4.30am.

2024-12-09 via Nuitee
S
Steph
4
Pros:

The room itself was clean but the hallway and rest of building accessible to guests was filthy. The room was also freezing so did not provide a good night's rest. I only met one member of staff and she was lovely.

2024-12-01 via Nuitee
J
JOHN partner
10
Pros:

Arrived quite late around 9pm but this was no problem. The room we were given was quite simply stunning. A beautiful rustic attic room with wooden floors and huge beams spanning the ceiling. There was a 60 inch TV and Netflix was provided free of charge which was a nice surprise. All in all I couldn't recommend this place enough. Staff are friendly and helpful, nothing is too much to ask for. A thoroughly enjoyable stay.

2024-11-10 via Nuitee