A couple who married at Britain’s highest pub after spotting it in a magazine have returned to the Yorkshire Dales landmark 30 years later to celebrate their pearl wedding anniversary with their family.
Sarah Baulch, 59, and John Dalton, 63, from Essex, tied the knot at the Tan Hill Inn in Swaledale on August 6, 1996, after reading about the remote Yorkshire Dales pub in a farming magazine.
They had never visited before but were drawn to its location on the Pennine Way, deciding to combine their love of walking with their wedding day.
Sarah Baulch and John Dalton on their wedding day at Tan Hill Inn
(Image: Hellier Mason Country Walking Magazine)
Sarah said: "And, although the facilities have been upgraded, the pub itself is still just as welcoming and friendly as it was then.
"The improvements really are wonderful, but the best thing is they haven’t changed the pub itself and all the character and history are still there.
"It was lovely to come back."
Their return visit, this time with their grown-up children Max, 29, and Millie, 25, marked three decades since their unconventional wedding at the 17th-century inn, which sits 1,732 feet above sea level.
John, a retired IT account manager, and Sarah, a retired primary school teacher, learned that the inn had recently become the first pub in the country licensed to hold weddings following a change in the law in 1995.
Sarah said: "We’re keen walkers and once we realised it was on the Pennine Way we thought we could combine the walk with a wedding."
The couple travelled north with only their walking gear, rucksacks, and tents, leaving it to family members to bring the wedding essentials.
Around 60 friends and relatives joined them at the pub.
John's parents transported Sarah's wedding dress, while her sister brought the flowers.
Sarah said: "We even brought a band up from Colchester and we just took over the whole pub.
"A registrar came from nearby Richmond and we danced and partied long into the night."
To mark their 30th anniversary, the couple planned to walk the Pennine Way again, stopping overnight at Tan Hill Inn.
Though ill health meant they couldn’t complete the walk, they were determined to return to the place where they said their vows.
Weddings are now held in a purpose-built barn next to the pub, and its nine bedrooms have been fully refurbished since their big day.
Read more
Britain's highest pub brings taste of Yorkshire to North East food venue
Landlord repossesses popular village pub near Darlington as notice appears in window
Stockton woman treasuring family memories with dream business in Northallerton
Andrew Hields, owner of the Tan Hill Inn, said: "To the best of my knowledge Sarah and John are the only couple who have stopped off en route to get married here.
"It just shows how versatile Tan Hill is – you can pop in for a pint and a pub lunch or listen to some live music and stay overnight.
"And, since John and Sarah tied the knot here, we’re welcoming more bridal couples than ever."
The Tan Hill Inn is a popular destination for hikers completing the Pennine Way.