Sun Inn, Penrith

Three pubs in Pooley Bridge - all in very close proximity. Makes a fine place to stop for the evening. This is collection of terraced cottages knocked together. provides for a slightly bewildering internal experience - with many rooms. Front bar, rear bar, side restaurant. Large external garden with bench seating and kids play area. Accommodation - but run separately to the pub. This means you cannot but food drinks on your room. Not much of an issue in this day of card payment. Drinks - Courage Directors sampled for a first time (incredibly) and in fine condition. Food - home cooked. Good portions. Staff - friendly. Like the others in the village, they close when they want. So a bit surprised to find myself having to let my self in at 9pm on a Saturday night - with a few of the staff having a last drink.

Marston's (formerly Jenning's) pub in the village of Pooley Bridge. You enter into a hotel reception area, where there is a door to the left into one room, or a door directly in front of you which leads to the public bar with a TV screen for live sports. I arrived at opening time on a Friday, where the landlord was busy trying to open the pub and train a new barmaid, apparently having been up most of the night fighting a fire in an outbuilding! Luckily, I was the only customer and eventually departed the pub leaving it void of customers. Jenning's Cumberland Ale is the regular beer here. In addition, they had Jenning's Night Vision, Thwaite's Wainwright & Courage Directors. Nothing really appealed to me. So I ordered a soft drink, as I was driving anyway. Nice location, but unlike the last review, the pub was suffering from a lack of atmosphere (and customers).

Third and last of the Pooley Bridge pubs. Of the three, it's probably the one I would be prepared to visit again, but I'd have to ask them to turn the music down. What is it about three-pub villages? They always seem to strive to attract customers with their ridiculously loud music - what about the art of conversation, or even just quiet contemplation? As with the other two, I was able to escape into the garden, but here there was a group of manic holidaymakers from Blackburn or some such who were competing to see who could behave the loudest. The beer was OK though - Jennings beers are usually pretty good, and I had a glass of Snecklifter to round off the evening.