The Axe and Pick is the sole public house in the coppicing village of Grimblethorpe, a place where stoneworkers and woodsfolk drink elbow to elbow after long days of labour. Named for the two tools that shape the land above and below, the pub is plain-fronted and soot-warmed, its beams carved with initials, tally marks, and the occasional bird.
The ale is strong, the cider better, and the fire always fed with offcuts and green wood that crackles loud enough to drown quiet conversation—useful when one doesn’t want to be overheard.
Inside, deals are struck without handshakes, and favours earned without speech. It’s not a place for travellers to linger, but those who work with wood or stone find the benches worn to the right height, and the silences comfortable.