Brian G8ADD wrote: "How about a list of SOTA-convenient real ale watering holes "
Let it not be said that I could not rise to a challenge; here are my favourite real ale vendors close to my stamping ground:
Allargue Arms (Briggies) NJ257092 - Real Ale (usually Cairngorm Brewery) and good pub food
Croft Inn NJ215295 - Usually two ales, one Cairngorm one guest, excellent food
Old Bridge Inn, Aviemore NH895117 - usually 2 or more ales, good food, bit of a poseurs location (i.e skiers!)
Glenmore Lodge NH987095 - usually some real ale but also the first civilisation after Ryvoan
Moulin Brew Pub NN944593 - falling-over meths, say no more!
I also had a pleasant night, as far as I can remember, in Muker SD910979 but cannot remember the name of the hostelry but the food was great.
The pubs in our village seem to have lost the skills of looking after real ale so I am afraid I cannot recommend them (unless you like chemical fizz, Guinness, or alcopops)
I had a washout of a weekend in LD but had some excellent real ale (Jennings “Sneck Lifter”) at the Travellers Rest on the A591 just north of Grassmere. The food looked good, too, but the club had a communal French meal at Dunmail Raise!
An old favourite always worth mentioning to those unfamiliar with the Lakes is the Old Dungeon Gill (“ODG”) in Great Langdale a short stagger from the NT campsite, several real ales and good inexpensive food (the chili con carne sells out very quickly!) Another one with fond but blurred memories is the Wasdale Head Hotel, at the end of the road in Wasdale (of course), the food isn’t quite so cheap but the ale is excellent, featuring a selection of Coniston brews amongst others.
Hows about the Lade Inn at Kilmahog nr Callander? At the junction of tha A84/A821. It has 3 house beers plus next to it is the Scottish Real Ale shop!! food is good and close enough to plenty of summits/ en route to/from others in the West highlands.
I believe that the “Grog & Gruel” in Fort William is well worth a mention for it’s real Ales and Hot n Spicy menu.
If visiting the Horshoe pass pair, NW-042/043 try The Sun Inn at Rhewl for good quality home made food and a pint of welsh made bitter called Felin Foel. The locals call it Feeling Fowl, hi.
Sadly, I cannot recommend any watering holes close to any of the SB summits for outstanding ales - there are some good ones but not outstanding. However if you are heading south from Northumberland, a short detour off the A1 to Newburn will bring you to the Keelman and the Big Lamp Brewery. Excellent ales brewed on site - take care with the Blackout if it is available- they would only sell it in ½ pints last time I was there - around 11% alcohol. http://www.petersen-stainless.co.uk/blb/brewery.html
for the ales see http://www.cannybevvy.co.uk/Breweries/Big_Lamp/big_lamp.html
73 jim
Here are my favourites enjoyed on SOTA days - fine food and ale in all:
Scafell Hotel, Borrowdale
Langdon Beck Hotel
Red Lion, Earby
Border Hotel, Kirk Yetholm
Wheatsheaf Inn, Ingleton
Crown Hotel, Horton-in-Ribblesdale
Four in Hand, Keswick
Nags Head, Edale
George & Dragon, Garrigill
The Horseshoe Inn, Bridges
The Bell, Talgarth
Spice of Llanberis
Bengal Palace, Colwyn Bay
Weston Balti Raj, Macclesfield
A591 north bound near Kendal
A65 on the site of the old fuel stn just outside Clapham
EAT INS
Barley Car Park cafe if you are doing Pendle from that side
The Old Tea Room in Kettlewell - hidden up a street not far from the YH
Farm Cafe in Craco - great pork pie and mushy peas
The Crown in Arncliffe - a proper hostelry. Amos and Mr Wilkes’ pub (Roger any help on this please)
Honister Slate Mines
I like the Trig Stops or summit sit downs,on the top of hills with trigs. Problem is you have to carry your own scran.
Brian, remember the days in the Old DG with the great old butchers type of tables. To claim your table, in winter, you rammed your ice-axe into the table top. You could also do the route round the wall If you wanted a pint you just simply put your brass in your jug and passed it forward through the throngs of climbers. It came back full of ale. Not been in for years wonder if it has changed ? Cobdens Climbers Bar in Capel used to be fun.
Amos and Mr Wilkes’ pub
(Roger any help on this please)
Not into Soaps Myke but If remember correctly it was the ‘Station’ in Esholt SE182403, on days they were filming they put a ‘Woolpack’ Sign up. Apparently it’s all done in the Studio and on the Harewood Estate (Near the Village of Weardly) now.
“Brian, remember the days in the Old DG with the great old butchers type of tables. To claim your table, in winter, you rammed your ice-axe into the table top. You could also do the route round the wall If you wanted a pint you just simply put your brass in your jug and passed it forward through the throngs of climbers. It came back full of ale. Not been in for years wonder if it has changed ? Cobdens Climbers Bar in Capel used to be fun.”
I went into the ODG for the first time in 20-odd years last year, and it has changed a lot, still rather spartan but a bit more up market. Still, a long row of beer engines with ales from all over helped me get over the shock! I even crossed my fingers and tried a pint of Schiehallion lager from a hand pump. It was interesting but I won’t be doing it on a regular basis.
The heaving crowds of thirsty climbers are a thing of the past, I’m afraid; such places fill up but not to bursting. The same goes for the actual climbing; there are not so many queues for routes, and worst of all even the medium grade routes get top-roped rather than led, a generation has been seduced by climbing walls and don’t handle real rock too well. A couple of years ago my brother had to help a climber on a severe on the Roaches by dropping a top rope to him. This cragfast climber had won a climbing competition the week before!
OK, a couple more classic climbers pubs:
The Cobdens in Capel Curig, as mentioned above, the climbers bar with a rock face exuding water round the back, and just down the road the Tyn-y-Coed with a stagecoach outside.
Just up the road to Llanberis, the Vaynol Arms in Nant Peris. I used to watch Don Whillans and his mates play darts (tactics, not 301!) there. Not been in for ages but I’m told it is still the same with good beer and food.
Anybody here succeeded in finishing a “Big Jim” at Pete’s Eats in Llanberis? - a real he-man’s meal!
The Angler’s Arms at Weldon Bridge just off the Morpeth - Coldstream road would make a decent food stop for anyone activating the summits from the south. Probably need to book at a weekend as it is very popular. Excellent food there and tasty ales.
The Newcastle Arms at Rothbury always seems to be popular. I’ve seen some recommendations in the guest book at the cottage we usually rent when we are up in Northumberland, but haven’t been in there myself. No need when there’s a load of bottles waiting at the cottage!
You didn’t mention the Wooler Fish and Chips special after The Cheviot. I didn’t manage to try it myself last year, but could be a possibility this year as I’m likely to be burning the RF from a few SS’s having activated all the SB’s.
Ah Don, the chap who loved to upset the boys in blue. Had many a pint with Don when he used to be our Fell Rescue Team (as it was in those days) President in the Woolpack at Haslingden.
A great character and he lived just down the road from ourselves on the Goodshaw estate in Crawshawbooth / Loveclough. Myth has it that Audrey used to lock him out but he still, in a drunken state managed, to climb up the stone of the house to gain entry. The local police house (now long gone as is the Peeler) was only a few yards away and they soon became used to his antics. Must read “The Villan” again. Still have the orginal biography and that of Cloughy somewhere.
I also forgot to mention the little cafe in Chipping; two in Coniston just opposite the Info Office; Devils Bridge at Kirkby Lonsdale and the one opposite the SYHA in Glen More.
In reply to M1EYP:
Sounds like the Scafell Hotel has improved, it used to only do Sam Smiths and gassy stuff! We used to walk from the Seathwaite campsite over to Wasdale for a decent pint rather than drink there, coming back in the dark was hilarious!
