The Milecastle Inn, Hadrians Wall, Haltwhistle

An unprepossessing building not far from the Roman remains that give it its name. Inside there are fake walls and a chimney breast made of stone, with wood panelling. It's all mostly aimed at tourists who are likely to want to eat, rather than passing cyclists like me, who just want a half of beer before moving on, so there's only a small area that is not evidently for diners. I shared this with three Dutch women, sisters of a similar age to me, who called in in hope of finding cake and coffee but settled for desserts in lieu. The owner kindly and not too xenophobically pointed out that it's a pub rather than a cafe! There are three hand pumps (see photo), with beers all from Big Lamp brewery, the longest established brewery in Tyne and Wear and Northumberland. Perhaps surprisingly, given its location and emphasis on food, the pub is in the Good Beer Guide. Date of visit: 3rd May 2017