[Closed] Best real ale pub in the Lakes?

Kirkstyle inn, bitter end in cockermouth and 1761 there too.

Most unconventional is the brewery at Staveley.

I personally quite like Tweedies Bar in Grasmere. Doesn't really sound like the right answer to your question but parking's easy, bikes are 'safe', beer and snacks are good, the place is warm and if its sunny you can sit outside.

Many years ago Mrs and I spent our honeymoon in the summerhouse of Wray Castle and had a good few nights at the Drunken Duck which was within easy walking distance - food and beer were great, fond memories of that pub.

Drunken Duck is Mrs Surfers favourite, bit pricey though

Dog & Gun in Keswick

Watermill in Ings (between Staveley and Windermere) is good, has their own microbrewery with 4 or 5 of their ales on draught plus a similar number of guest beers.

Drunken Duck and old fan but too pricey now IMO. Outgate close with good ale and sensibly priced food. Golden Rule in A'side, ODG in Langdale and Masons Arms on Cartmell Fell

[url= http://www.middle-ruddings.co.uk/ ]Middle-Ruddings in Braithwaite[/url].

Just down the road from Whinlatter. 🙂

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Always a great selection of good beer.

Nice place to stay, lovely people, decent rooms and the food is excellent.

The Black Dog near Dalton used to be very good. The fella running it now runs a place in Ulverston, The Mill I think.
Another vote for ODG and the Masons Arms, though I haven't been to either in a few years!

what ever that pub is by the bridge in coniston..

It's far from the most salubrious pub in the area but there is a very special place in my heart for The Old Dungeon Ghyll at the top end of the Langdale Valley. Apart from serving Jennings and Theakstons, it is a place I spent some very happy times with my Dad and brother as kids while camping walking and climbing there.

My friend's folks run the Golden Rule in Ambleside (as mentioned by THM) - seem to have a decent selection of well-kept ales - hasn't been all upper middle-class gastropubified like most places in the Lakes.

http://goldenrule-ambleside.co.uk

+1 for the ODG

bitter end in cockermouth

Is the pub still alright since the bottling brewery bit of it went kaput at the start of the year? Was gutted I hadn't stocked up on their Lakeland IPA, was lovely stuff.

Personally a big fan of the Brittania Inn in Elterwater - Great surroundings, ace location for riding, slightly limited selection of ales but usually all good and well kept, cosy inside, good beergarden and good food. Also a fan of the Golden Rule in Ambleside, and as a bit of an out of the way one the Newfield Inn in Seathwaite (Duddon) is also good.

Not a big fan of the Old Dungeon Ghyll in Langdale, over-priced and the beer isn't normally kept well, Can't fault it for surroundings on a nice day mind.

Brotherswater Inn at the foot of the Kirkstone Pass. Fabulous pint(s) of Jennings and awesome food, cheaply priced.

what ever that pub is by the bridge in coniston.

The yewdale?

Hawkshead Brewery - in erm Stavely.

The Watermill Inn - Ings

The Drunken Duck used to be a great pub years ago, then it went bistro and expensive

wors - Member

what ever that pub is by the bridge in coniston.

The yewdale?

Ha!

The Black Bull

The beer in the Hawkshead brewery in Staveley is great but the atmosphere inside is not that great. I'd much prefer a pint at the Watermill at Ings.

the pub in stavely village is good - meals are only a fiver which sadly beats Wilfs cafe into second place now. Real fires too.

The Crown, in Hesket Newmarket. Bit off the beaten track (unless your riding around Back O' Skiddaw) but they brew their own beer...

Yep Old Dungeon Ghyll ideal spot after a Hike or Bike ride, or like I did a few weeks ago got the bus from Ambleside and had a few beers while waiting for the bus back.

+1 for Britt Inn at Elterwater, really friendly, good food too, and good local riding. I've stayed there and at the youth hostel which is a couple hundred yards up the road and a lot cheaper!

really sorry, but can I quickly hijack this thread?

whats the name of the big hotel on the road between keswick and honister pass, and is it any good?

thanks 🙂

LODORE SWISS?

On the traditional Iron Keld round - the wainwright is not a bad place to stop. Not that traditional but perfect spot. If you take a LH fork just after the gate and the woods as you descend to E'water, there is a nice techie section down to quarry and afterwards that brings you out right opposite the pub. Quick pint, then climb up red bank and the terrace to finish!

hotel on the road between keswick and honister pass,

Could be [url= http://www.lakedistricthotels.net/lodorefalls/index.php ]The Lodore[/url] or the [url= http://www.lakedistricthotels.net/borrowdalehotel/index.php ]Borrowdale Hotel[/url]. I've only ever eaten at them, never stayed - sorry.

The Crown, in Hesket Newmarket.

The hole in’t wall in Bowness is a good pub. Cant remember if it was real ale but I am sure it was.

the pub in stavely village is good

The Eagle and Child - really nice pub, good beer and huge portions of grub.

I definitely need to do more research on this subject though.

I hate the stuff but apparently both excellent and within a couple of miles of each other, The Manor Arms , Broughton-in-Furness and The Prince of Wales in Foxfield. Both had best part of 10 different ales on last time I was in , the Prince had no "normal" lager on at all not even bottles!!!

Hawkshead Brewery in Staveley,good beer but pants atmosphere the Eagle and Child sells the beer and as above good food and fires!
The Watermill has very sullen staff and pricey IMHO
Majority of Kendals pubs are very poor but enjoying the Ring of Bells for cheap beer and Darts.
Pub in Near Sawery is pretty good forget its name something Arms!
Rich

Tower Bank Arms

The Queens head in Troutbeck is nice, in a nice location and with one of my favourite views over Yolk, Ill Bell and Froswick, serve some nice beers but sometimes the atmosphere is a bit sterile.

Seconded the Prince of Wales at Foxfield its ace, good beers and the food is home made and great. Really friendly people there too!.

Prince of Wales at Foxfield

Is that the one opposite the train station and sells the enormous pasties?

Looked like you could spend several happy days there!

Prince of Wales at Foxfield
Is that the one opposite the train station and sells the enormous pasties?

Looked like you could spend several happy days there!

Prince of Wales in Foxfield was amazing when we went there - great beer and it's got a very unique feel about it. Old bar billiards table etc.

Seconded the Prince of Wales at Foxfield its ace, good beers and the food is home made and great. Really friendly people there too!.

You're not supposed to talk about the food! Seriously, we had great food (enormous pasties indeed) in there, but when we asked what times they normally serve the landlady wouldn't tell us - she said they don't like to advertise that they do food because they want people to come for the beer. 🙂

The Wheatsheaf at Lorton. Cracking pub, with good food and a camp site. Well tucked away. Church House Inn (I think at Torver) and of Course the Watermill at Ings.

The lodore, that's it, cheers!

True that.

We stayed at the old Vicarage in Lorton a lifetime ago and the people who ran the Wheatsheaf were ace.

As stated by other Golden Rule in Ambleside, and the pork pies nom nom nom nom nom

I wonder how long it is since some folk have been to some of the places they mention?
The Bitter End in Cockermouth (my home town) did away with the stools at the bar to discourage drinkers and tried to sell more expensive food.
The 1761 is nice, but can be hit-or-miss depending on what guest ales they have on. The Castle Bar over the road sells all real ales for £2 a pint on sunday afternoons (12-6). 😀
I think the food at the Prince of Wales (Foxfield) is possibly the worst I've ever had. I was gagging whilst eating it, but tried to force it down as I'd had nothing else to eat all day! I would and have gone back for the beer though.

A lot depends on where you are riding as its more of a question of what is the best pub at the end of my ride in Elterwater, Kentmere, Grizedale, Borrowdale etc.

Pedantry aside I would concur with many who have recommended pubs with breweries - Watermill at Ings, Hawkshead Brewery at Stavely, Drunken Duck at Barngates all mentioned but the [b]Ship Inn in Greenod[/b] is a cracking pub and the young brewer is often serving and happy to chat about his beer and seems really pleased with any feedback. The Ship has also been modernised recently and is a bit less old granny.

I was in the Britannia Inn at Elterwater last night and the beer was excellent and there were 5 or 6 decent beers on. Food is quite good too.

The Mill at Ulverston is quite good and serves Lancaster Breweries beers and plenty of others.

Wasdale Head Inn ? proper walkers pub and some great beers
only place I have seen Loweswater gold - my favorite beer out there.

Its also a cracking stop to fuel up on the 4 passes (best day out in the Lakes IMO) before the hideous climb up to Styhead...

What you need is one of these here maps....

[img] [/img]
Available from here[url= http://beerinnprint.co.uk/description.php?prodid=2154# ] beer map of lakes[/url]

Church house inn, torver. Proper old pub with good beer, and a busty wench of a barmaid who slides off her seat upon hearing a scots accent..... 😀

Yes the Church Inn is very nice and also serves Loweswater Gold almost always

I thought the wasdale inn had fallen from grace when I last went (this summer), seem to remember it having more if their own beer on tap.

The Boot Inn, Boot, Eskdale. Actually if you go during the Boot Beer Festival (which i do) then you've got two very good pubs and one ok-ish pub all within staggering distance of each other.

Word of warning though, don't take in the ride over to Burnmoor Tarn via Mitedale then drink the strongest cider you can buy at the Woolpack Inn - not unless you want to fall off your bike on the way back to the campsite 😳

Oi Nobeer! I think you'll find she slid off her seat at the sound of an Irish accent! However I will second your recommendation and raise you Tweedies in Grasmere.

d45yth - Member
I wonder how long it is since some folk have been to some of the places they mention?

Bitter End was still doing good food then and good beer. Used to mainly go week nights for a bite to eat and few beers.
1761 always seemed good when I was in there.
Castle was OK but seemed more into their larger 🙁

Anyway by the sound of most of the replies the lakes still ends just past Bassenthwaite so will still be quiet in Cockermouth.

Oh yeah, the Prince of Wales is supposed to be good though i've never been myself. Luckily, i'm moving back to Cumbria soon so should get the chance to find out. Awesome.

http://www.towerbankarms.co.uk/ OR http://drunkenduckinn.co.uk/

Frequented both, a lot, during a 2 week holiday this July

Happy days 🙂

ETA: Lake district maps of the fells or pubs in a tube map format - NO, just NO!

I was about to ask if you were around these parts Tommy!

The Mill in Ulverston is, indeed, where the bloke from the Black Dog has wound up. Great pub, and about 200m from my front door 😉 Also The Swan in Ulverston is superb.

Eagle and Child in Stavely used to be a favourite haunt. Not made it to The Watermill as yet, superb place though I have heard. There are so many great pubs in the Lakes though - just avoid anything saying "Robinsons" on the sign 😉

Not made it to The Watermill as yet,

Yeah, brilliant, many many ales on tap, beautifully kept and totally family friendly. Food was great too.

🙂

Need to find my accommodation for next years visit now ....

i can vaguely remember the masons arms cartmere fell being a cracker

Why not stay at The Watermill... they have rooms afterall 😉

I was meaning to do it for my birthday, but alas a baby came along! It is on "the list" though. Fancy doing laps of the taps 😉

Oh excellent question Ton. Am on a bit of a mission to drink my way around all Lake pubs with micro-breweries and any decent looking real ale establishment.

Favourite pub/micro brewery beer so far is the Black Bull in Coniston. However, it is an idiosyncratic type of place (I love it, the OH walked in and straight out). Favourite pub Eagle and Child in Stavely. If you run out of beer you can always head up to the Hawkshead brewery (good beer, corporate ambience) in the station yard (next to Wilfs Cafe).

Overrated pub/micro-brewer/beer is the Barngate Brewery.

Underrated beer Stringers XB (also love Ulverston Brewing cos Laughing Gravy).

However, favourite Lakeland pub has got to be the Tower Bank arms in near Sawrey. Excellent well kept beer, good food, lovely location and a landlord that isn't overly friendly but takes very good care of his customers. (Also the last place I ever shared a pint with my dad).

Been to all of these in the last 18 months.

As others have said, Prince of Wales in Foxfield, Eagle and Child in Staveley, The Masons Arms at Strawberry Bank, the Watermill at Ings. Another good one was in Gosford I think near Wasdale - very very good and a microbrewery too I think.

To be fair, it's not a difficult question to answer - there are lots of good pubs with decent beer. If the one you're in is crap, the next one probably won't be!

That's pretty handy Capt.K! Yeah, I grew up in Grange - moved away about 15 years ago to go to university, but just landed a job in Barrow so will be moving back up in a few months time. Lots of pubs for me to check out looking at this thread!