PUB and BEER TRAILS.....

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Keswick is a small market town of about 5,000 in the Lake district. It is the most popular destination for tourists in the North lakes and has many hotels, pubs, restaurants and shops. The shops are not just lake district equipment shops, although there are plenty of these. There are plenty of speciality shops, including a Harry Potter one, for browsing in. The particular lake associated is Derwentwater . There is also The Theatre by the Lake here with a resident company putting on 9-10 shows a year. The Pencil Museum is well worth a look, being more interesting than it sounds.

Pub info

Keswick has a lot of nice pubs, many of which are associated with hotels, and several Bar/Bistros/ Cafes. Most of the places do food all day and loots allow dogs in.
Service everywhere is always welcoming and polite.
There are several Jenning’s pubs and Robinson’s pubs.
Price per pint is getting close to £4 (3.40+) in most places, however, the hotels and Cafe/Bistros do not seem more expensive than the pubs.

PUB QUIZ
What communication aid was invented by an undertaker called Almon Strowger in 1905?

ANSWER

Sailor -A Glass of Champagne

There are two trails (1) is the lower town (green icons) and the other (2) is higher (red icons) up. These are purely arbitrary designations for the purpose of the trails and not a local designationof areas.
You can come by bus or car and follow the signs to the town centre, a mere minute away from anywhere, and find your self in the pedestrianised area where a casual glance around will allow you to see a pub and allow you to orientate you to a trail.
TRAIL 1
The easiest to spot is The Skiddaw Hotel and next door to it is The King's Arms. Walking further up is Oddfellows Arms. Cross over and look for an alley to Pack Horse Court and The Pack Horse Inn is just inside it. Come back to the street and walk down to The Inn on the Square and down a bit further The Golden Lion.
Now turn and go down the alley beside the Golden Lion which will lead you to a large car park. Over to your right will be The Back Bar. Walk out of the car park main entrance and the road opposite should be Brewery lane which leads to The Flying Fox in The Keswick Brewery. Leave here and walk back to the car park and turn right along the road. Following the curve round brings you to The Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. Continue down the road and turn left back into the main street and The Bank Tavern is opposite you. If you have the correct timing you could walk away from the pedestrian area and then turn left at the mini roundabout. Cross over and walk past Booth’s supermarket and follow the road round to reach Keswick Rugby Club.

TRAIL 2

Have a drink,
I'll look better.

Click picture to enlarge....

Sherlock's favourite pubs for dogs

An excellent town for dog friendliness - lots of pubs let me in. People stop me in the street to admire me! Almost everywhere is welcoming. The Lake Road Inn is great for cuddles while The Pack Horse Inn and The Royal Oak welcomed me at mean times. The King’s Arms is also good for food. The Wainwright and The Dog and Gun (as you would hope) were fine places to visit for water and treats.
Nobody turned me away

Skiddaw Hotel has a large conservatory on the front of the building overlooking the main pedestrian area. This has dining style tables and basket seats either side of the main door. Through into the main hotel and the servery is on the back wall. The bar counter takes up most of the wall with doors at either end and bar stools along the counter. The main room has well padded red banquette seating with tables and comfy chairs, with a fire at one end. Pictures of Keswick adorn the walls Food all day and dogs allowed in the conservatory.
Have a pint here
Real ale: Old Thumper (Ringwood)
Bitter: Jenning’s Bitter smooth; Shipyard
Lager: Stella 4; Fosters; Warsteiner
Cider: Kingston Press Pearl Jet Stout

Down the alley running between The King's Arms and The Skiddaw Hotel is Casa (Casablanca).
Only seemed open when football was being shown so did not manage to visit it

ANSWER

Queen Victoria

King’s Arms Hotel has an entrance door in the middle of the hotel front. Reception is round to the left and opposite this a a raised area with some small tables and stools. TO the right of entrance is three small tables. The serevery is along the far wall. The room makes the most of a small area with small tables either side and some in small alcove. White ceiling with low dark beams in subdued lightingDogs welcome and food served all day with a larger restaurant down some stairs. Servery has bar stools at brown wood counter with brass rails.
Have a pint here
Real ale: Sneck Lifter (£395); Sunbeam; Hobgoblin; Old Thumper (Ringwood); Lancaster Bomber
Lager: Peroni; Fosters; stella 4; Carling; 1664
Cider: Old rosie; Strongbow

Oddfellow’s Arms is a long thin pub with low ceilings. The servery starts about half way along the right hand wall and then stops. This means that the room is wide at the entrance and wide at the rear. It so narrow at the servery that the tables there only have seating along the wall. The servery space is reduced by quarter of it being for return of glasses. Both front and rear have dining style tables and seating. The walls are wooden panels with photos of horseracing. At the rear right, a door takes you down stairs to a large outside seating area. Food served all day.
Have a pint here
Real ale: Sneck Lifter (£3.80) ; Cocker Hoop; Cumberland; Jenning's Bitter
Lager: Carling; Stella; Fosters
Cider: Strongbow; Thatcher’s Gold Guinness

ANSWER
emerald

Pack Horse Inn is through an alleyway leading to shopping area. It has two entrances to what would have been two different rooms at one time. The right hand one takes you to the start of the opened out room. There is an alcove style space to the left with a fire in it. The servery is against the far wall and is the usual brown wood and brass rails. The servery continues along with Small round or rectangular dining height tables with chairs opposite it. The ceiling is white with some large dark beams. The carpet and walls are mainly red. At the end of the servery the second door is to the left and staright ahead are stairs. The stairs go up to a mezzanine level landing with more seating and tables then further up stairs to a top floor which has more seating and overlooks the stairwell.
Have a pint here
Real ale: Dizzy Blonde; Double Hop; Trooper; Wizard; Cumbria Way; Kettle Head Stout
Bitter: Robinson’s Smooth;
Lager: Fosters; Stella; Budweiser
Cider: Stowford Press; Strongbow Guinness

The Inn on the Square is a large hotel which has had its public areas tastefully modernised in a Scandanavian style. To the left of the entrance is a large seating area with a mixture of low, dining height and tall tables with padded banquette seating and comfy chairs in front of a fire. The furnishings are very colourful. Light comes in the front window and the tall steel topped servery is at the far end. The room is light (with a modern take on chandeliers) and airy. More couch seating is round from the servery.
Have a pint in different surroundings
Real ale: Waiwright Golden; EPA (Marstons)
Bitter: Jenning’s Bitter Smooth; Shipyard
Lager: Stella 4; Estrella;
Cider: Kingston Press Guinness