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Pubs Galore Crawl Autumn/Winter 2024 with Tris39
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Detail Pages
Oddfellows Arms, Keswick
Keswick
CA12 5BL
Pub Type
Leased (Marstons)Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Will Larter left this review about Oddfellows Arms
I called in last week to see what was on the bar. Cumberland Ale, Wainwright and Brains Rev James. I went for the last named as less likely to be disappointing, but in fact it was slightly off. The lass behind the bar tried her best, pulling some more through to see if not enough had already been done, but it was still slightly cloudy. She tried getting hold of the manager but he was not available. I asked for my money back. This was the quietest of the Keswick pubs visited. A quiet time of the day in a quiet month and the weather was pretty poor, but this was quieter than that.
On 25th January 2024
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 4005 recommendations about 3711 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
John Bonser left this review about Oddfellows Arms
In the centre of Keswick, virtually opposite the Moot Hall in the town square, is The Oddfellows Arms, a traditional pub housed in a Grade 2 listed building.
Larger inside than perhaps one might expect from the outside, it’s a long single room, the space being very narrow in the middle opposite the bar counter on the right hand side, but which is wider at both the front and rear of the pub. It’s a fine traditional carpeted, wood panelled interior featuring a padded banquette running down the left hand side parallel to the bar counter and traditional chairs and tables throughout. The narrowness in the centre is such that customers are asked to refrain from positioning chairs opposite the long banquette as this would hinder movement. There’s an extensive collection of horse racing photos, jockeys silks and plates throughout and we learn that the pub landlord has been a racehorse owner. There’s various photos of him being presented with cups and we see that a horse called Hugs Dancer won the Gold Cup at Goodwood in 2002. Staff wear black T shirts bearing the inscription “The home of Hugs Dancer”.
Outside at the back, down a flight of steps is a very large paved seating area with the usual picnic tables arranged in rows in a rather regimented fashion. This seating area is situated as part of a large wide public footway that leads from a large car park through to the town square.
Inevitably, food plays a major part in proceedings and there’s a reasonably varied good value menu with large 8 inch Yorkshire puddings with various fillings seemingly a house speciality. ( eg – filled with beef and ale stew - £ 5.95 ). Food generally is excellent value ( eg – battered haddock, chips and mushy peas at £ 4.95p, which the pub proudly announces is cheaper than the local chippies)
There’s an upstairs restaurant ( not visited ), but on my visit, most customers were preferring to eat in the downstairs bar area, despite the fact that the floor area is a bit cramped with the tables as close together as is reasonably possible. The kitchen is located upstairs and there’s a bit of a conveyor belt feel to the pub with bar staff phoning customer orders through to the kitchen upstairs and then subsequently disappearing upstairs to collect the food and bring it to table.
The Oddfellows Arms is yet another Jennings pub which, on my visits, was serving the full range. Unlike The George Hotel nearby, I don’t recall seeing any non Jennings beers.
Unusually, live music features every evening from 9.30 pm, obviously to try to retain custom once the kitchen has closed.
I found this to be a likeable pub, retaining some character, albeit rather cramped and, perhaps inevitably, rather impersonal. Food is good value and the beer was in decent nick. On my late September visit, amid much local disquiet, a Wetherspoons was shortly ( end of September ) to open nearby and one wonders what impact on trade, if any, this is now having.
I’d be happy to return here when next in Keswick
On 24th October 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
peter ashworth left this review about Oddfellows Arms
The Oddfellows is a long thin Jennings pub that had 4 cask beers on when i made a Thursday lunchtime visit,with the Sneck Lifter being in particular good nick.The pub is wood panelled throughout, with a large selection of racing memorabillia which includes a few racing silks on show.
You can rent the bench seats in the outside extra long drinking area for a fiver to consume your own food,although i did think the food was reasonably priced and good value for money.
On 7th June 2013
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2364 recommendations about 2319 pubs]