Home > Yorkshire > Keighley > Grinning Rat Grinning Rat

Picture source: Peter Clarke

The Grinning Rat was situated at 2 Church Street. This Tetleys pub opened in the 19th century as The Devonshire Arms and was renamed The Grinning Rat in the 1990s, and became a free house. Closed in the early 2000s it was originally used as The Corner Bar, and now K2 Nightclub. The building is c1788. For a period in the 1980s it could not open from Friday evenings to Sunday lunchtime due to police objections.

Now used as Jack & Dannys Sports Bar.

Denny Cornell-Howarth (April 2016)

This was a drinkers pub, par excellence. They had many strong Belgian brews in bottle available, these were up to 9.5% abv soaks Brugse Tripel which was my favourite. When I used to go in there, there was a lady of indeterminate age known as ‘Slack Annie’ who always had a roll-up between her lips. A great shame that it closed. Incidentally the name of this pub was also the name of a drinking hovel near the mouth of Foulridge canal tunnel. This closed many years ago well before my time.

Neil Clifton (March 2018)

In it's time as The Grinning Rat the premises extended upstairs into an infamous night club named The Rat Trap. You could go directly into the "Trap" if you were already in the "Rat". Other punters would have to queue at the club entrance in High Street. Now used as the After Dark club.

John Auld (November 2023)

Do you have any anecdotes, historical information, updates or photos of this pub? Become a contributor by submitting them here. Like this site? Follow us on Make email contact with other ex-customers and landlords of this pub by adding your details to this page.