T
here are countless pubs in the Lake District that are perfectly … fine. Flagstone floors; lucky coins wedged into stone walls; locally brewed cask ales; food in massive portions to suit walkers and climbers. Everything is pretty. Even the Premier Inns are built from attractive locally mined slate.
But it can start to feel bland and generic. OK, you don’t come to the Lake District for the best pubs in Britain — you come for the best scenery. But you want more than a decent pint when you’re there, don’t you? That’s why my wife kindly drove me 260 miles around the Lakes, visiting 40 pubs and sampling 50 beers in four days, to bring you the eight best proper pubs in the region. Some are a bit of a trek but you’ll enjoy every second of the journey, and each destination is a delight.
1. Black Bull, Coniston
It’s probably no coincidence that many of the pubs in this list have their own brewery. But only the people at Coniston Brewing Co, here at the Black Bull, can say they’ve won Camra’s Supreme Champion Beer of Britain award with two different ales (No 9 Barley Wine and Bluebird Bitter). As well as the excellent beers lining the bar in both cask and keg, the pies on the menu are made in-house too. Coniston is quite the bustling metropolis in Lake District terms — it has at least ten streets — but even though the Black Bull is in the heart of the village, it doesn’t feel especially tourist-focused. The low, beamed ceilings are strung with fairy lights as well as hops. The carpets are red and swirly. This is a place where you peer out of the window, decide the weather’s too bad for a walk and settle in for the afternoon.
