The Bridge Inn, Holmrook

To those who like the western Lake District, and Wasdale in particular, this is a landmark pub, marking the point at which the road from Eskdale turns off. It's always been a Jennings pub, in my experience, and the original old pub has been expanded over the years so that it's now a substantial conglomeration of buildings. Internally, there's some effort to retain a bit of old pub atmosphere, though inevitably it's now food led. I stayed at the camp site over the bridge for two nights, so got to know the pub quite well. There are seven hand pumps, which might seem a little over the top for a dining establishment, but to be fair all the beers I had were in good condition. There was a tendency for the staff to try to push certain beers; at one point a group of lads came in, asking about local ales: they were steered away from the Jennings Bitter and Sneck Lifter, brewed in Cumbria, and were sold Adnams Mosaic, a beer that is not only brewed hundreds of miles away in Suffolk, but uses a hop grown the other side of the world! Having said that, service was generally friendly and well organised and the Jennings Bitter was in excellent condition. I found the pricing scheme a little irksome, all beers being priced at £3.60 a pint but £1.90 for a half, so the pub scores a five rather than six. Date of visit: 16th July 2016