The Rookery
Greg Silverwood has been in hospitality man and boy – quite literally. This stalwart of the Otley nightlife scene started his career at the tender age of 13, working as a potwash at Chevin Lodge.
Since then his career’s taken him to the Black Horse where he worked under Chris White for a while, before taking over the pub himself for a three-year stint.
Meanwhile, he was also subtly creating a more style bar-meets-music-venue vibe at the much lamented Rocca in Orchard Gate, before opening The Rookery on Kirkgate on Victorian Fayre Day in 2018.
And all the while he still managed to get married, have a family — and be a regular on Emmerdale too.
Now The Rookery is making waves as one of the town’s leading independent bars, quietly carving out a reputation as one of Otley’s most music-focused venues, thanks in part to Greg’s friendships with artists including The Bluetones’ Mark Morriss, former Inspiral Carpets frontman Tom Hingley and Pudsey favourites The Dunwells.
With an interior that provides a real contrast to many of the town’s more traditional pubs, a drinks menu packed with cocktails, premium spirits and craft beers — including Jeremy Clarkson’s Hawkstone Session — and The Nest, a separate events space used for gigs, private functions and smaller gatherings, The Rookery has become a firm fixture of Otley’s nightlife scene. Did we mention the secret garden out the back? Follow the signs for Abbey Road and you’ll find a quiet little space that may only a few feet from Kirkgate, but feels about a million miles from the bustle.
In a town famous for its pubs, Greg has managed to create something slightly different — part bar, part music venue, part community hub — and all unmistakably Otley.
- Listing ID: 1006