The Ale Trail

Summer is a very special time of year in the Lake District. The fells and lakes are alight with colour as the fair weather walkers arrive to tackle their latest challenge. And after a long hard day exploring the fells and tarns, what’s the first thing that pops into your mind? Hot shower? Getting those dirty boots off? Or like many ramblers, find a great pub to enjoy a well deserved pint to relive the day’s tales.

There’s no better place to relax after a day exploring than one of the Lake District’s numerous pubs and inns. Many of these inns have a history stretching back centuries and are bursting with character, flagstone floors and cracking log fires. There’s a growing focus on food and drink and especially craft ales, which have enjoyed a boom in recent times.

So the next time you have tackled a mountain or explored a tarn and are looking for the perfect place to settle down for that well deserved pint – we have just the answers with two of the best pubs in the Lakes.

1. The Lamb Inn, Grasmere. The busy boozer gets the stamp of approval from locals and visitors alike and is the only pub in Grasmere Village. The emphasis is ‘local’ from locally sourced food to the finest ales the Lake District has to offer. So next time you've tackled Helm Crag or Loughrigg make sure you finish it off with a celebratory pint of Hawkshead Bitter (a personal favourite).
2. Alexanders part of Castle Green Hotel, BW Premier Collection. Kendal has everything you want from a local Inn. It serves some of the finest pub food in the Lakes and is passionate about real ales (perfect!) The ales are sourced from predominantly Cumbrian breweries giving you a flavour of the Lake District, alongside more recognisable ales for the less adventurous.