York has some of the finest historic pub gardens in England — medieval courtyards, riverside terraces, and sun-catching walled gardens. We're mapping every one with a compass and a pint.
Get notified when we launchReal-time solar calculations for every York beer garden — updated every minute, based on actual sun position data.
Every pub visited, garden orientation measured, features confirmed on the ground. No shortcuts, no guesswork.
Friday emails when York's forecast looks good — with our pick of the best gardens for the weekend.
York is one of England's most visited cities — and it has a pub scene to match. The historic core is ringed by the medieval city walls, and the pubs inside them include some genuinely remarkable outdoor spaces: walled medieval courtyards, riverside terraces along the Ouse, and sun-catching gardens tucked behind centuries-old buildings on the Shambles and surrounding streets.
The challenge in York is the same as any historic city: "south-facing garden" tells you very little about whether the sun actually reaches it, or when. A courtyard tucked between tall medieval buildings might get two hours of direct sun on a summer afternoon, while a riverside terrace facing roughly the same direction gets six. You need real data — compass bearings, opening angles, and actual solar calculations — to know the difference.
That's exactly what Golden Pints provides. We launched in Lancaster with 33 verified pubs, and York is one of our highest-priority expansion cities. We're targeting a Q1 2027 launch — every pub visited in person before a single sun score goes live. If you run a pub in York with a beer garden and want to be included from day one, get in touch via our partner page.
Already tracking Lancaster. 59 beer gardens across Lancaster, Morecambe, Heysham and surrounding areas — live right now.
See Lancaster beer gardens now