Category Archives: Cumbria

The Graham Arms Inn

Longtown, Cumbria:

Our hotel for an overnight stop on our journey north, but clearly a local pub too, the other being The Tavern.

This is the plusher pub, and it’s clearly had a bit of money spent. Great staff, decent enough food, cask ale. TVs were showing MournHub, but not at high volume. Slight downer from local gammons with a show of ignorant racism *and* sexism, but at least they were non-violent.

The Tavern

Longtown, Cumbria:

We were traveling north to Scotland, and Longtown was our overnight stop just about south of the border.

We’d checked in at our hotel, and wandered to the only other still open pub in town. The entrance turned out to be down an alley, off a yard at the back, and we found a single-room pub that looked like it could be, as we like to say, “vibrant”.

As it was? Friendly locals, friendly barman, decent enough lager. Suspect it may have been a bit more vibrant later, but Friday early doors was pleasant.

The Black Swan Inn

Culgarth, Penrith, Cumbria:

An overnight stop. This is a family-run inn in the old sense of the word: a pub you can stay in., and it’s doing a great job. It’s the village pub, and a decent hotel as well. Great food, 2 excellent cask ales on, brilliant staff, and a comfortable place to stay, having got our kicks on the nearby A66.

Best of all the bar is still a bar, and there’s two eating areas (one next to the bar, and a restaurant), and proper demarcation between them, meaning it becomes a “destination pub” for diners and hotel guests, but still does a good job of village pub.

The Royal Station Hotel

Carnforth:

Large Victorian hotel near the station. Slightly reduced in size with some bits rented out, and a bit faded grandeur (but evidently under refurbishment). The bar was pub-like, and pleasant enough, full of locals on a Friday evening, we came for a drink, then returned for food as the nearby Chinese restaurant was shut. Food and beer both fine, though only 1 ale available, but decent lager as well. Could be absolutely magnificent with investment, and the current people seem to be doing a good job.

The Commodore Inn

Grange-over-Sands:

This didn’t give a good impression from one side- looking a bit tatty as we walked through town, but later, approaching from the prom it looked better, and in the event was pretty good, with friendly staff, great beer, and decent sandwiches. The place isn’t plush or fancy, but not tatty either, inside.

Ye Olde Fighting Cocks

Arnside:

We wanted a few days away, so we stopped here: it’s a pub with rooms, not a hotel- but it’s both a comfortable place to stay, and a nice pub. Friendly landlord and staff, excellent Thwaites beer, wine, and food, and a great location just minutes from the station and with stunning views over the bay. Our room was pretty good too.

The pub was featured on Four in a Bed a few years ago.