Ring O' Bells, Kendal

Pub SignMan left this review about Ring O' Bells

This is a cosy locals' pub on the south side of the town centre. Entering through the left-hand entrance, you find yourself in a small lobby with a door to the right for a tiny snug with a couple of tables and a small hatch through to the bar. The door straight ahead of you takes you into what felt like a public bar, with comfy banquettes around two sides of the stone tile floored room and plenty of low stools in support. The servery is to the right and has a white, wood panelled counter front, nice mirrored back and an attractive stained glass gantry. On a bracing afternoon, a lit fireplace on the back wall was a welcome sight, and easily spotted thanks to the large and rather striking painting of highland cattle above it, whilst some shelves stacked with board games stand to one side. There are potted plants in the window sills and various signs have been dotted around the room, all bearing unbearably dumb slogans such as "Nobody Gets Out Sober". I spent much of my visit wondering if there was a second bar in an adjoining room, but never managed to figure this out, as everyone seemed happy to pile into the compact front bar.
On the bar, a decent selection of cask ales comprised Crafty Brewing Hop Tipple £1.95 a half) Lancaster Blonde and Handsome Mr Cat and Stranger. A board outside said to expect six cask ales, which adds weight to the 'second bar' theory, as there weren't enough handpulls on this side. The landlord was a real character, endlessly cracking jokes and bringing an infectious energy which other punters joined in with.
I'm fairly sure I only really saw a small part of this pub, but with no corridor connecting the front bar to any of the other rooms, I wasn't about to take my pint outside to check out a possible second bar. What I did see was a pretty impressive pub that does a lot of the basics well and benefits from a good bunch of staff led by an affable landlord. I enjoyed my time here and imagine it would be a great place to have as your local.

Date of visit - 14th January 2024

On 25^th March 2024 - rating: 7
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