AMBLESIDE
Ambleside is a small town situated on the banks of Lake Windemere.
It is easily reached by car from the M6. A train would take you to Windermere then a short walk to the pier at Bowness on Windermere and a cruise to Ambleside.
Pub info
All pubs sell real ale, even the fancy hotels feel obliged to have one while most other pubs have a least four
All pubs claim to welcome well behaved dogs with owner on lead. The Royal Oak, The White Lion, The Unicorn and Queen's Hotel also offer evening meals and dog can stay with you.
Other Lake District pubtrails
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Windermere
A small down with the railway station for Lake Windermere. A compact town centre and lots of hotels and B & Bs.
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Bowness on Windermere
Windermere seamlessly joins Bowness on Windermere, which as the name suggests, is actually on the lake. Lots of shops, bars and restaurants.
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Keswick
Keswick is a market town in the northwest of the Lake District close to Derwent water.
Ambleside is a small town situated on the banks of Lake Windemere. It is also a centre for tourism in The Lake District. Ambleside is not as busy with tourists as Bowness on Windermere, however, it is a centre for hill walking and outdoor pursuits and about a third of the shops are dedicated to selling materials to help with this.
Let us assume that you have come the most attractive way arrive in Ambleside which would be by sailing into Waterhead the lakeside pier 1 mile from the centre of Ambleside. Boats sail regularly from Bowness on Windermere. From the pier you can get a strange little bus to carry you to the centre of town or walk the mile to the centre. Before walking you could have a drink at the Waterhead Hotel and then walk up to the left.
Bus, or walk or starting from the centre of Ambleside The White Lion is the starting point (the bus drops you off here). If walking up from the lake then keep on the right-hand side and you will not miss it as you enter the shopping area.
Leaving The White Lion continue up the hill to find The Salutation Spa hotel. Keeping on the right-hand pavement walk up the narrow hill, North Road, away from the main road. This leads to The Unicorn and round the next corner The Golden Rule. Walking down the hill from here turn left at the bottom to walk back into town. Once at the lights cross over and go down the right-hand side to The Ambleside Tavern.
From here continue downhill and cross over turning first left to go up The Slack, a hill, at the top of which, to the left, is The Queen's (opposite The White Lion). Continuing on, walk down hill on the right again, and just passed The White Lion and the drop of point, is The Royal Oak. Keep moving down towards the lake and quickly find Churchill Inn. From here continue downhill and cross over before the junction to see the large windows of The Lily.
After this it is either walk down to the lakeside or back to the White Lion for the bus.
When you reach the lake walk past Waterhead and just beyond it on the lakeside is The Wateredge Inn and opposite it The Regent Hotel.
The Waterhead Hotel
Waterhead Hotel is right next to and overlooking Lake Windermere. Inside there is a small servery on the left with dining style tables and chairs beyond.
Large beer garden though the usual hotel size beer choice and price. There is a Pizza oven within the garden. Lunch and evining meals. Dogs welcome.
Half pint if you must
Real Ale: Mad Pig Ale (Wild Boar)
Bitter : Cumberland Cream
Lager : Peroni; Stella 4
Cider : Guinness
The White Lion ★
The White Lion (an Ember Inn) is a large pub/hotel on a junction which gives it a large triangular outside seating area. The servery is to the right hand wall of the inside taking up most of it but for seating around the window. There are two large rooms that have been joined to make it open plan. However, the far left side has more of a dining area feel with appropriate tables and chairs, while between it and the servery is more a pub area with different styles of tables and chairs. There are alcoves at the window areas although neither are designated as such. An upmarket order food at bar joint. Lunch and evining meals.
Dog friendly in and out. Cheaper real ale on Mondays.
Have a pint here
Real Ale: Ember Pale Ale (Black Sheep) Cumberland (Jennings); Five Points Pale (Five Points); Mr Jones Brixton Bitter (Rudgate); Dave Stouty
Bitter : Tetley’s Smooth
Lager : Stella, carling, Hop House Lager, Estrella, Peroni, Coors
Cider : Aspall; Stowford press Guinness
Pub Jukebox:
Alcohol themed music to listen to while you browse.
Sunday Morning Coming Down - Kris Kristopherson
Salutation Hotel
The Salutation Hotel is a Spa hotel offering all that that entails. The reception lobby has comfortable seating and low tables and hosts the small servery. There is an opulence about the main seating area all soft seating and thick carpet. There are dining tables along the far wall with well priced meals. The restaurant is further into the building. There is another seating space through an archway. Lunch and evining meals. Dogs welcome.
Have a half pint
Real Ale : Gold Wing (Strands)
Bitter : John Smith
Lager : Stella; Fosters
Cider : Strongbow Guinness
The Unicorn ★
The Unicorn, a Robinson’s pub, is on a narrow steep pavement less road and claims to be Ambleside’s oldest pub. It is a traditional pub also doing meals. The door opens into the centre of the pub with low white ceiling and white walls, dark beams, horse brasses and red patterned carpet. Red is also the colour of the seats and stools. There is a fireplace to the left and the servery in the right-hand corner. Opposite the servery and either side of the door along the window side is banquette seating and standard tables. Main are of bar is dotted with small round tables and stools. Stairs to right of fireplace take you down to a small seating/dining area. Lunch and evening meals. Dogs welcome.
Have a pint here
Real Ale: Dizzy Blond; Trooper; Cumbria Way; Unicorn; Double Hop IPA
Lager : Carling; Hawkshead Lager;
Cider : Stowford Press Guinness
PLACES TO VISIT WITH PUBTRAILS
The towns and villages highlighted on this web site have a wide variety of pubs and beers in them. All of the places are great to visit, whether for a day or longer, and most have tourist attractions for all of the family.
There is a large variety of pubs throughout the different towns shown below. Some you may wish never to visit again but even discovering these can be interesting. There are pubs that you would not take your wife into. While some you could not take your girlfriend into. A few you would not take either into. However, most of the pubs are very pleasant.
HOME MAP of places visited
Alnwick Ambleside Anstruther Bakewell Bamburgh Barnard Castle Bath Berwick upon Tweed Birnam & Dunkeld Bourton on the Water Bowness on Windermere Bridge of Allan Chester Chichester Dunblane Dunoon Edinburgh Ely Fort William Glasgow Gourock Greenock Helensburgh Inverness Kelso Keswick Knaresbourgh Largs Linlithgow Lyme Regis Melrose Montrose Newton Stewart North Berwick Norwich Oban Pebbles Penzance Portree Pitlochry Quorn Richmond Rothesay St Andrews Seahouses Seend Shrewsbury Skipton Stirling Stratford-upon-Avon Stockton Heath Whitby Windemere Whitstable York
The Golden Rule ★
The Golden Rule, Ambleside - outside rear
The Golden Rule, Ambleside - servery
The Golden Rule, Ambleside - outside front
The Golden Rule, Ambleside - path to outside rear
The Golden Rule is another white Robinson’s pub decked in flowers and has been a countryside inn since 1723 (according to the £10 t-shirts). The entrance takes you into the main room with the servery on the wall ahead. There are also several other rooms including, one off to either side. There is a low white ceiling with thin dark beams with horse brasses. The white walls are decorated with brass objects and old pictures.
Carpet and furnishing coverings are in red. Banquette seating around sides with traditional brown tables. The rooms on either side are similar with red banquette seating round three sides, brown tables and couple of stools at each table. The right-hand room also has a small snug. Finally, there is a board games and TV room. background music, large TV and meals there are not.
A narrow corridor to left of bar takes you to toilets and outdoor seating. This has some large picnic tables close to the door with some under cover and further out in the yard small round tables with seating. Dogs welcome
CAMRA Good Beer Guide …… 2024, 2025
Have a pint here
Real Ale : Cumbria Way; Double Hop; Bridge House Bitter; Dizzy blonde; Hoppy Ben Kanobi; Trooper Light Brigade
Lager : Hawkshead Lager; Carling; Budweisser; Veltins
Cider : Stowford press Guinness
PUB QUIZ
What gas is the main constituent of air?
Answer at foot of page
The Ambleside Tavern
The Ambleside Tavern is a traditional bar. There is a bay window to the left of the door which has some small outside seating either side of it by the pavement. Inside the bar is long and thin. The servery is in the middle of the left-hand side wall with a sizeable area of seating to either side of it. There is a little bit of seating along the right-hand wall which leaving a fair bit of standing round around the counter. At the end of the bar there is some seating and a pool table up a few steps.
Have a pint here
Real Ale : Cumberland; Nutty Black; Lancaster Bomber; Hobgoblin; Wainwright Golden Ale
Lager : San Miguel; Peroni; Carling
Cider : Kingston press Guinness
The Queen’s Hotel (now The Ambleside Inn)
The Queen's Head, Ambleside - servery
The Queen's Head, Ambleside - rear seating
The Queen's Head, Ambleside - front
The Queen’s Hotel, now The Ambleside Inn, is an old hotel in centre of town. Offering food deals and lots of seating. Through main door and passed reception is the door through to the bar and restaurant. Servery and seating is to the left while going straight on takes you outside seating and tables. Bar seating and eating is between the servery and the bay window at front of hotel overlooking main street. Restaurant is beyond the bar counter. Outside seating is small unattractive area with entrance to downstairs evening venue Cellar Bar. Dogs welcome.
Real Ale : Jennings Bitter; Wainwright Golden ale; Windermere Pale Ale (Hawkshead); Bluebird Bitter (Coniston);
Loweswater Gold; Black Dog Freddy (Beckstones)
Bitter : Cumberland Cream; Shipyard
Lager : Estrella; Peroni; Fosters; Stella
Cider : Old Rosie (real) ; Strongbow; Kingston Press Guinness
The Royal Oak ★ ❤
The Royal oak, Ambleside - servery to left
The Royal oak, Ambleside - lounge to right
The Royal oak, Ambleside - lounge to right
The Royal Oak, Ambleside - front
The Royal Oak, Ambleside - front
The Royal Oak has a small pleasant outside seating area with three tall tables and stools. Inside there is a room to the right, the main servery area to the left and a further room beyond this. the pub has been here since 1600s and has low ceilings and beams as expected. The middle room has the bar counter on the long wall and opposite it by the window are four 4 tables with chairs on wooden floor. The room through has a final curve of the counter for service. It has a TV and a surprising amount of uncluttered seating for a small room. The right hand room is long and this with tables and chairs down both sides of the carpeted room. There is a fireplace at the far end and a TV in the corner. Lunch and evening food. Dogs welcome.
Regular in Good Beer Guide (CAMRA) …………..2023, 2024
The whole pub is decorated with old pictures and large pieces of sport equipment – skis, fishing rods, oars etc.
Have a pint here
Real Ale : Abott; Green King IPA; Old man Ale (Coniston) ; Royal oak bitter (Greene King); Single Track; Monumental; Radical; Stanley; (all Kirkby Lonsdale)
Bitter : Punk; East Coast IPA;
Lager : Blue Moon; Coors; Stella; Amstel;
Cider : Strongbow; Strongbow Dark fruit
Sherlock’s best pubs
Practically all the pubs allow me in and make a fuss of me.
The Royal Oak and The White Lion allow me in when people are eating.
Best scratches are at The Royal Oak
Churchill Inn (now The Temperance Inn)
Churchill Inn , now The Temperance Inn, is a large unpretentious pub with a dining area to the rear. Once inside the servery, which curves round at each end, stretches down to the left against the far wall. Opposite the servery down the window side are a couple of tall tables and a small one. In the corner is a raised area for performance or soft seating. Down the left wall is banquette seating and tables. This leads to gaming machines and an outside smoking area. There is plenty of standing area around the counter. To the right of the entrance are tables and seating along the side and the passage leads onto pool area and then around to a dining room.
Have a pint here.
Real Ale: Cumberland (Jennings); Wainwright Golden beer; Keswick Bitter (Keswick)
Bitter : Thwaites Smooth; Shipyard
Lager : Fosters; Carlsberg Export; Peroni; Carling
Cider : Stowford Press; Strongbow Cloudy Apple; Strongbow dark fruit Guinness
The Lily
The Lily is a modern bar/restaurant. It has large shop front windows so is very light inside. There are doors either side of the large windows. the centre room has a stone floor and hosts the servery with some round tables opposite it and a larger table by the window. The rooms on either side (very small one to the right) have wooden flooring and a mixture of tables and chairs. It serves cocktails and hosts music nights. Dogs welcome.
Have a pint here
Real Ale: Loweswater Gold; Bloody Crown (Cumbrian Legendary Ales); Top Knot; Eden Fuggle
Lager : Barngates Vienna lager; Asali; Kosel; Peroni;
Cider : Aspall Guinness
Wateredge Inn ★
The Wateredge Inn, Ambleside - garden leading to lakeside
The Wateredge Inn, Ambleside - main entrance
The Wateredge Inn, Ambleside - rear exit to garden leading to lakeside
The Wateredge Inn is a large bar/restaurant with extensive (about 30 tables) outside seating, on grass beside the lake and gravel closer to the building. Finding the bar is easier by turning left at the building to enter the beer garden and finding the entrance to the bar off the patio on the right. An attractive pub in outstanding setting.
Have a pint here
Real Ale: Bombardier; Pedigree; Keswick Gold (Keswick); Hobgoblin; Hobgoblin Gold; 61 Deep PA
Bitter : Cumberland Cream; Shipyard
Lager : Stella 4; Estrella; San Miguel
Cider : Kingston press Guinness
The Regent Hotel
pages to visit
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Book on pubs
A selection of recommended books on pubs and their history. There are books on the social history of pubs and the design of pubs through the ages.
There are also books on visiting pubs and ones recommending pubs to visit.
eg
CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide
Death of the English Pub by Christopher Hutt
Brewers, Brands and the Pubs in their Hands by Tony Thornton
Licensed to Sell by Brandwood, Davidson & Slaughter
And many more
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Books on Beer
A selection of recommended books covering all aspects of beer and brewing. There are books on the history of beer and others on different styles of beer.
For example
An Inebriated History of Britain by Peter Haydon
Amber, Gold & Black by Martyn Cornell
Brew Britannia by Jessica Boak & Ray Bailey
The Story of the Pint by Martyn Cornell
Miracle Brew by Pete Brown
Built to Brew by Lynn Pearson
And many more
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CAMRA
The website of the Campaign for Real Ale
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Places visited by pubtrails
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business.
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Westmorland CAMRA
Description goes here
“Have a drink, I'll look better .”
Answer: NITROGEN - approximately 80% of the air
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Who owns your pubs?
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Interesting articles to read
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Who owns your beer?
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Comparing pubs in Scotland with England
