Brotherswater Inn, Penrith

Spotted on the approach to Hartsop for a slow day on the mountains.... there will come a time when my Lake District visits are purely for the pubs and the hills are to be looked at. This pub has some fine views, with wall to ceiling windows looking out towards Fairfield. Tied in with the campsite below, so lots of reserved tables - even though the place was near empty. Barman confirmed we were only stopping for drinks..... and a decent Tirrell's IPA it was.

I can remember coming here in the 1970s when it was a very small and basic pub at the side of the road. In the 1980s it had been extended down and back, with the new bar having an ambience that was a combination of chicken-in-the-basket and Torremolinos. This main room has been reinvented and now features a huge picture window, which is entirely justified by the superb view up Dovedale to the crags, though when it is full of diners the room now has the ambience of a school canteen. At quieter times it feels more like a proper pub, and there are some interesting local pictures on the walls, and corners and out of the way places where it is possible to make oneself comfortable. On a recent stay at a nearby cottage we were here on most nights, and when the weather had driven most of the campers away we were able to prevail on the barman to turn the ghastly music off for a couple of hours. Outside there is a terrace with benches, and a couple of smokers shelters, but unless it's very windy this is a favourite feeding ground for midges, so indoors is preferable. Four hand pumps are in regular use, serving mostly local ales from the likes of Tirril and Barngates breweries, plus Hobgoblin and Jennings Cumberland Ale. At weekends there is another bar available, which is attached to the campsite facilities, and this appears to also serve Jennings Cumberland Ale, though we didn't try it.

Official pages of the Brotherswater Inn - www.sykeside.co.uk

Official pages of the Brotherswater Inn - www.sykeside.co.uk