Swan Hotel, Ambleside

Facebook page of Swan Hotel - www.facebook.com

Official site of Swan Hotel - www.inncollectiongroup.com

Facebook page of Swan Hotel - www.facebook.com

Official site of Swan Hotel - www.inncollectiongroup.com

Stayed here once before. Very expensive, as I remember. For today, it has the honour of being the first pub on the Inn Way to Lake District - a 90 mile, 44 pub crawl over 7 days. Cask Marque Accredited - I took a perfect Wainwright out in the sunshine and drank in the shadow of some Wainwrights. £3.60. Inn Way and Visit blogged at http://bit.ly/2rdXR9E

A quote from Wordsworth's poem, The Waggoner, appears on the inn sign: "Who does not know the famous Swan?", but anyone reading it today would be mighty puzzled as to the origin of its fame. Perhaps like modern "celebs" it's just famous for being famous? This is a roadside inn, just on the edge of the village, the public bar to the right having its own entrance. (The remainder of the Swan is in the posh hotel league.) It's quite a small bar, with a dining room behind. There are two dining tables in front of the bar, and to the left by the brick fire place are two nooks with smaller chairs and tables for drinkers. Three hand pumps on the bar, two with ales on when I was there: Jennings Cumberland Ale and Marstons EPA. As these are probably the two blandest beers in the Marstons stable, I don't expect many real ale aficionados will be beating a path to the door of the "famous Swan" any time soon.