Wainwrights' Inn, Ambleside

All of seven hand pumps now adorn the bar here - on my visit they had Derwent Carlisle State Bitter, Yates Landlord's Choice, Dent Aviator, Cartmel Hurdler, Jennings Cumberland and Sneck Lifter, plus Banks's Original (or mild): that's five different Cumbrian breweries and only one outsider. This looks like a fairly modern building, and the low beams are certainly not very old. The bar is based around barrels that support each corner. There are framed extracts from a hotel register on the walls, detailing climbers' routes, presumably written for the benefit of mountain rescue teams. There was music playing but it was drowned out by an extractor fan (I'm not sure that the other way round would have been an improvement). If you're staying in the village, there's no need to go either up or down the valley in search of a decent pint, and if you're following my "Central Lake District by bus" pub crawl, you should definitely plan to include this one in your schedule.