Not already a member?
Join our community and
- Rate & review pubs
- Upload pictures
- Add events
JOIN for free NOW
Chat about:
Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
on the Pub Forum
Image posted by Will Larter
Submitted on Friday, 9th June 2017
With picture contributions to 12229 other pubs
View all this pub's pictures (27 more images)
Detail Pages
King George IV, Holmrook
Postal town: Holmrook
CA19 1TS
Served areas
Reviews of King George IV (Average Rating: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Will Larter left this review about King George IV
This is still a "sister pub" of the nearby Bower House, but the beer policy seems completely independent, with two from HB Clark's imaginary breweries (Westgate and Crippled Saint) and two from breweries that actually exist as far as I know: Anarchy and Black Hole. Unfortunately the latter's IPA was a little hazy and actually pretty underwhelming (NBSS 2.5) while the St Laurence Gold was OK but nothing to write home about (NBSS 3). They need to get in better beer and/or look after it better. I still like the pub for where it is and how it feels, but it could do much better beer with very little effort, it seems to me. Charging close to £5 a pint to once a year punters might seem like a good business plan but it'll come back to bite you in the end.
On 26th June 2024
- rating: 6
[User has posted 4274 recommendations about 3935 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about King George IV
The King George IV has changed hands and is now in the ownership of the nearby Bower House Inn. This happened before the first lockdown in 2020 and although the pub has been open when allowed, the work to smarten up the interior was all new to me when I visited in June. There were plenty of beers on, but this was because they had over-ordered for the Eskdale beer festival (it was the first time they had participated, and relied on a bit of advice and a bit of guesswork, seemingly). The two young people in charge, one male, one female, were pleasant and helpful, and my half of Hawkshead Bitter was spot on.
I was back a couple of weeks later, this time on my bike and very thirsty after cycling from Whitehaven when my train to Ravenglass was cancelled. Just three beers on the main bar this time, plus the same stout from Bradfield that I had seen two weeks before - I hope not the same barrel! - but it was a Monday, so maybe there'd been more on at the weekend. The two young people in charge, one male, one female, but younger than the previously encountered pair, I think, were bored and uninterested. I went for a beer from local Handsome Brewery, called Stranger, and thought about making a joke about it, but I could see that it was likely to fall flat. The beer was not flat, it was very good, though a little pricey at £4.20. (The Woolpack up the valley now charges £4.40, and the Brook House in Boot £3.80.) I would be happy to call in again, as it's still a lovely pub, and hope that the youngsters working here grow into the job a little.
On 16th July 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 4274 recommendations about 3935 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The King George IV Inn
I called in here as part of a mini-pub-crawl-by-bike (starting with Ritsons at Wadale Head, then Bower House, here, Woolpack, here again) as an interlude in my circuit of Cumbria this summer. The second visit was a bit of an accident: on first entering the pub I chose a beer from the hand pumps on the bar, not realising that there were others listed on a blackboard and available around the corner in the other part of the bar. Having made my selection from Yates Golden Ale, Coniston Bluebird, Moorhouses Pendle Witches Brew and Coniston Asrai, I then had a choice on my return from Great Heck Voodoo Mild, Healeys "The Welly" Stout and Brown Cow Thriller in Vanilla Porter. Only the thought of cycling back over the hill to Santon Bridge deterred me from drinking all three.
There's a rough-and-ready casualness about this pub that I like, the sort of pub where you can feel instantly at home. All beers are priced at £3.10 a pint, which would be another reason to keep on coming back.
Date of visit: 17th July 2016
On 15th September 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 4274 recommendations about 3935 pubs]
Pubs Galore is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
- Official site of King George IV - kinggeorge-eskdale.com
- Facebook page of King George IV - www.facebook.com
- CAMRA WhatPub :: King George IV - whatpub.com
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : Yes last updated 09 May 2019 by Will Larter
- Beer Festivals : Yes last updated 09 June 2017 by Will Larter
- Beer Garden : Yes last updated 09 May 2019 by Will Larter
- Child Friendly : Yes last updated 09 May 2019 by Will Larter
- Darts : Yes last updated 16 July 2022 by Will Larter
- Dog Friendly : Yes last updated 09 May 2019 by Will Larter
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 30 July 2013 by Will Larter
- Live Music : Yes - See website or Facebook - last updated 16 July 2022 by Will Larter
- Live TV Sports : Yes last updated 16 July 2022 by Will Larter
- Micropub : No last updated 09 May 2019 by Will Larter
- Pool Table : Yes last updated 16 July 2022 by Will Larter
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 30 July 2013 by Will Larter
- Wheelchair Access : Yes - Bar is up steps, but dining & WC ok - last updated 26 June 2024 by Will Larter
- WiFi : Yes last updated 09 May 2019 by Will Larter
