Country pubs · Cumberland
Kirkstile Inn
A 16th-century inn beneath Melbreak in the Lakes' quietest valley — birthplace of Loweswater Gold and still the brewery's spiritual tap.
★★★★★Gem 6/10Cumberland
About
The story
Tucked between Loweswater and Crummock Water in the north-western Lakes — the corner coach tours never reach — the Kirkstile has been an inn for some four hundred years, sitting in the lee of Melbreak with fells on every side. It is the home of Cumbrian Legendary Ales: brewing began in an outbuilding behind the pub in 2003, and though the brewery has since moved to Hawkshead, its champion golden ale Loweswater Gold still tastes best a few hundred yards from where it was invented. Low beams, open fires, honest Cumbrian food and bedrooms for those wise enough to stay — a fell-walker's pub of the old school.
Our word
Why Hunters selected it
An independent 16th-century inn that founded its own champion-ale brewery on site, in the least-visited and arguably loveliest valley in the Lake District.
Perfect for
- Walkers
- Food Lovers
- Dog Friendly
- Peace & Quiet
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