Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Tag: Keswick

Keswick – Golden Lion

[I originally posted this in September 2018, but I’ve reposted it to fix the broken image links]

It took a few attempts to find somewhere to eat tonight, but we ended up at the Golden Lion which was our on initial short-list (the short-lists are drawn up by the same committee that decide who wins the bravest person of the day award….). Most people in Norfolk know this pub as the scene of Richard’s Ploughmansgate debacle.

To my horror they’ve taken off the Ploughman’s. Perhaps it’s because the chef can’t cut cheese at night 🙂 (long story)

I had Cumberland sausage, because we’re in the Lake District. The sausage was meaty and the chips were excellent, all with a rather lovely gravy. At this point I must mention that Gordon bought this meal for me, and, by an amazing coincidence, he won “person of the week” at exactly the same time. So lucky.

Looking forwards to Hellvellyn tomorrow!

Some of us thought shots were a good idea.

How lovely.

Delicious! The service at the bar was excellent, which is really part of the reasons why we kept going. Although Dave and I are rather easily led…

Dave and I kept going, we needed shots as an energy burst. They were vodka infused with various sweets, and although they were near the end, the Werther’s Original one was delicious.

September 17, 2025
Keswick – Pack Horse

[I originally posted this in September 2018, but have reposted it to fix the broken image links]

The Pack Horse in Keswick, where we decided to celebrate our brave day of walking to the top of Scafell Pike.

Despite this pledge the welcome offered was perhaps just a little unfriendly, but the server who served us for the evening rescued the situation.

The pub was bigger internally than we had expected when we entered, and the cheerful server found us a table on the top floor.

The pub is a Robinsons pub and it was serving their Wizard real ale. It was well kept and at the appropriate temperature, although the beer itself was a little lacking in depth of flavour.

The decorative glass roof in the pub.

Dave and Steve with their meals.

This bottled beer was a little expensive, but it had a subtle taste of ginger which wasn’t too overpowering. It’s strong at 6%, but it had a refreshing taste.

The chicken and ham hock pie in a light pastry, and which was in a red wine gravy. I couldn’t actually taste the flavours of the red wine, but the gravy was still rich and added positively to the pie experience. The chips were fluffy inside and the vegetables retained some bite, but the star of the show was the pie. Filling, tasty and rather lovely 🙂

Steve went off to have a private conversation with what he said was the love of his life. I assume he meant the Greggs in Keswick.

This was an enjoyable experience, with friendly service from the server and food which was reasonably priced and which had a depth of taste to it. The server was engaging and we didn’t experience any delays with food or drink service. And that pie filled me up nicely.

Incidentally, the conversation ended up talking about Gordon and Maggie’s shoes. It’s not repeatable.

September 17, 2025
Keswick – George Hotel

[I originally posted this in September 2018, but have reposted it to fix some broken image links. I can’t remember why I didn’t take a photo of the food….]

The location for this evening’s meal was the George Hotel in Keswick.

The pub’s menu was quite large, indeed probably too large for them to cope with, but the idea of the George Gigantic Pies was a rather good one. Unfortunately none of our group went for this option to take a photo of it, but looking at pictures on-line, it looks pretty impressive.

Getting ready for the meal. One of the highlights of the evening, other than the rather unusually intellectual chat, was how Dave managed to introduce himself to nearly everyone in the pub. All that sociability would give me a headache, but Dave absolutely loves it.

The pub is one of the most historic in the town.

The inside of the pub was atmospheric and just a little dark, which suited the building’s historic nature.

The Sneck Lifter, from the local Jenning’s Brewery (who also operate the pub) tasted well-kept and was of a good quality. It has a slight chocolately taste and it’s got a strong taste, although it does have an ABV of just over 5%.

I had the fish and chips, which was reasonably priced given the location and the popularity of the pub. It was well presented, but the batter lacked any depth of taste, the mushy peas were generic and the chips were average. And there was no tartare sauce, or indeed black pepper, to try and add some flavour to the meal. But, I spend enough time writing about food, so I won’t drone on further. And I sound like Bev if I keep on with this criticising 🙂

The pub environment was though really pleasant and the 1665 building has numerous little interesting areas. There was rooms to let, although I wonder if they’re haunted…

September 16, 2025
Lake District Week – Keswick Greggs

[I originally posted this in September 2018, but I’ve reposted it to fix some broken image links]

We’re climbing (well, walking up) Scafell Pike today, so I had a long think about where I could get the healthy and nutritious food I’d need to support such a walk. And then I thought of the place.

Greggs. I haven’t been for ages (since Saturday) so this will be a little treat.

They have a limited selection of baked goods in the morning, but they had a chicken bake, so all is well with the world (unfortunately that isn’t really true, but all is well with the geo-political situation in Keswick today).

Cakes galore. The service was friendly, as I’d expect from Greggs, and it was surprisingly busy at before 08:00 in the morning (they’d opened at 06:30).

A chicken pasta salad and a chicken bake for later, I’m now looking forwards to walking up this big hill.

September 16, 2025
Lake District Week – Keswick Market Square

[I originally posted this in September 2018, but I’ve reposted it to fix the broken image link]

This is at the entrance to Keswick Market Square, how lovely.

September 15, 2025
Lake District Week – The Chief Justice of the Common Pleas (Keswick Wetherspoons)

[I originally posted this in September 2018, but have reposted it to fix the broken image links]

Last time I was in Keswick, this Wetherspoons was just about to open. Indeed it opened the day after we left, which wasn’t the greatest timing…. But the building is of historic interest itself, a primarily Victorian court-room (well, 1901, but near enough) and police station, with attached cells. The judicial complex of buildings was built on the site of the town’s former workhouse, so it’s had a rather miserable existence in many ways. It’s now a substantial pub and it presented an ideal place for us to visit on our first night in Keswick.

Initially it was just Steve and I at the pub. There’s a back story to that, but it involves Gordon and Maggie saying they were in Wetherspoons and then not actually being in Wetherspoons, they were standing outside Steve’s accommodation. So, since it was just Steve and I, I thought I’d buy a round. But just in time, and much to my irritation, Gordon and Maggie turn up at the bar, hence making my round more expensive. But I didn’t complain. Well, not audibly. Anyway, I digress….

Steve and Gordon doing some head shots in one of the former cells.

The former cell, and we had someone turn up later on who said that he spent a night in the cell in the early 1980s. I’m not sure that he was joking….

This reminded us of someone….

Now, this was good, a nice rich flavour.

Sarah, Steve M and Dave were arriving a bit later on, and I absolutely insisted that we wait until they got there until we ordered food. But Dave said we should order. So I did. But I only had a little starter, as I’m not greedy.

The former court room.

How lovely.

Gordon ordered the most expensive thing on the menu….

The door to our little cell….

The group altogether! And there was a wave of gossip when Steve M, Dave and Sarah arrived. I must admit, their car journey sounds extreme, they were talking about all manner of subjects that I can’t possibly repeat on this blog…..

I was keen to visit this pub given the building’s history, and the potential to take photos of the cell, but I think we’ll try the other local pubs and restaurants for the rest of the week.

September 15, 2025
Keswick – Castlerigg Stone Circle

Before we drove back to Norfolk, we went to visit Castlerigg Stone Circle, which is one of the most important prehistoric sites in the country. It was built in around the third century BC and is around a thirty-minute walk from Keswick.

The information board at the entrance to the site.

A plan of where the stones are located at the site. There have been some incursions onto the site over the decades, but one in the 1990s was prevented when the local paper reported that “the hippies were defeated by farmyard slurry placed by local farmers and the police”.

Photos of the stones. There has been no detailed archaeological investigation to have taken place here, with the English Heritage being told that they couldn’t dig here in the 1980s. They did though do a geological survey of the site and a dig is now unlikely as there is no pressing need to disrupt the archaeology which is thought likely to still remain in situ.

This was the time when the awards were announced for the week, with Sarah winning the coveted ‘bravest person of the week’ award. What an honour”

September 15, 2018
Keswick – The Wainwright

We thought that we’d start our hunt for food in the Wainwright, a CAMRA award winning pub.

There were seven of us….. Although the pub was pretty full anyway, although the atmosphere was friendly. There were plenty of dogs in the pub, one of which decided to lick Steve.

Rather a nice stout, although it’s nitro, although served colder than I’d like. Although I think it’s meant to be served at that temperature, it seemed to lose some depth of taste.

How lovely. There were also numerous real ales, I think seven, although it was hard to get to the bar area to see them.

September 12, 2018