A welcoming bolthole in the Lakes: The Brown Horse Inn, Cumbria
WORDS: REBECCA ALMOND
GREAT ESCAPES
The inn serves produce from the owners’ kitchen garden in its cosy rustic restaurant
The 1850’s coachinginn exterior is little changed
Sink into a comfy bed after a strenuous day spent walking
WHY IT’S GREAT A 10-minute drive from touristy Windermere takes you down into Winster Valley – or the ‘proper’ Lake District, as those in the know would have it. There are no souvenir shops or chichi bars here – just a few scattered pubs, none within competitive distance of each other. Traffic is as intermittent as the mobile signal in these parts, and you can easily walk for an hour without coming across another living soul. Even regular visitors to Cumbria are nonplussed when you mention the Winster Valley to them. Yet for those in the know The Brown Horse Inn tells a different story. It holds prime position as the foremost pub in the valley and enjoys a thronging clientele. The bar and restaurant, with exposed beams and rustic furniture, is packed with drinkers and diners. Whether it’s the food, the well stocked bar or the friendly staff that’s the biggest draw is hard to say, but there’s certainly something special about this place. For ale fans, many of those on tap are local and hand-pulled, and there’s even a microbrewery on site; G&T aficionados needn’t feel left out as the gin menu features over 100.