The Albion, Carnforth

Official site of The Albion - albionarnside.co.uk

Official site of The Albion - albionarnside.co.uk

service is actually pretty good during Covid times - orders at the bar, drinks then brought to your table. Few ales on including a special Arnside beer which I assume is brewed for them by Thwaites. I swerved them in favour of a lager after a long walk in 20 degrees. Nice pub but still can’t warm to it, just not entirely sure why?

despite the wondrous location I cannot really warm to this pub at all despite several attempts over the years. Most of it tends to be overrun with day tripping diners whilst the locals bar is a fairly bleak and boring place to drink. It lacks character and charm without really being bad, as such.

This is the only pub for me now in Arnside (see my review of the Fighting Cocks for the reason why). It can get very busy with tourists, especially at weekends, but at quieter times there's a public bar or vaults to the right of the entrance which I find very pleasant. The beams are undoubtedly fake, but there's some wood panelling with a look of authenticity or taste, or possibly both. There are five hand pumps on the bar, repeated in the larger dining room to the left, with beers mostly from the Marstons stable, such as Thwaites Original, Jennings Cumberland, Wainwright and something rebadged as The Bore (not someone who bends your ear while you're trying to do the crossword, but the inrushing tide in an estuary such as the Kent outside). When I was here in July the guest beer was from Inveralmond brewery in Scotland. I've always found the beer here to be in good condition, if a little underwhelming, and the atmosphere and service friendly. Date of visit: 17th July 2018

Large multi-roomed Thwaites house with what appear to be fake beams. Five hand pumps serving Bomber, Original, Nutty Black, Wainwright and Crowned Touch (which was not available). I had the mild, which was OK. It was very busy - a Saturday evening - and there seemed to be several reunions and birthdays going on. The pub was very hot and airless, so I took my beer out onto the terrace, where there's a great view of the Lake District fells across the Kent estuary. As it was dark, all I got to see instead were the lights of Grange-over-Sands and one of the last trains to run across the Kent Viaduct before it was closed for repairs.