These cosy, characterful places have stayed true to their roots as restful inns and are just the tonic after a long hike in the hills
Helen Pickles Destination Expert
Helen began her career in radio journalism for the BBC (mainly Radio 4) before moving into feature writing. Having contributed to most UK national titles, from YOU Magazine to the FT, she unintentionally became a travel writer and hotel reviewer, primarily for the Telegraph, Times and Independent. She has also contributed to travel guides and platforms such as DK Eyewitness, Sawday’s, Time Out and i-escape.com.
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Picture arriving at what you imagined to be a cosy pub only to find it’s gone all chic with tasting menus and DJ booths and peculiar sounding cocktails at the bar. That’s precisely what you don’t want after a day on the Lakeland fells, or a spot of wild swimming or a romantic lakeside stroll. You need a proper inn where they know how to serve a good pint (preferably locally brewed), provide a lip-smacking menu (quality but crucially not too fancy) and rooms with comfort in all the right places: bags of hot water, a bed with a view and maybe a characterful beam or window-seat.
Fortunately, there’s a good range of Lake District pubs that tick these boxes, and have been quietly doing so for years. They’re far from the cookie-cutter chains, and have a real sense of history in their ancient beams and wonky floors. And – always a good sign – they’re a happy mix of guests and locals. These are the best pubs with rooms in the Lake District.
How we review
All our reviewers are either resident destination experts or travel writers that specialise in hotels. Often they will have stayed at a hotel many times and so can see how it has changed for better or worse over the years. They know what makes a great hotel in that particular destination and will compare it contextually against local competition. When our reviewers first visit a hotel, they stay for at least one night, eat one meal in addition to breakfast and will experience all of the facilities on offer. Whichever category of room they stay in, they will see the entry-level rooms in order to assess them.
After their stay, our reviewers then give the hotel six scores out of 10, rating its location, style and character, service and facilities, rooms, food and drink, and value for money. The average of these scores then determines the overall score. Our experts then select reviews for curated lists like this – the best hotels in a particular destination for families, for instance – together with the Telegraph Hotels team.
This much-loved Lake District inn – at an isolated crossroads yet close to Ambleside – has a quirky, country style that feels both relaxed and deliciously surprising. Food is bold and imaginative but never pretentious, and the bar is still a locals' favourite. Each of the 11 bedrooms – eight in the pub, three across the courtyard – has a carefully assembled look that’s a little bit retro, a little bit country, and rather playful. The big semi-open kitchen, with its four-strong team, are clues that food here is not your standard pub grub. These are smart and skilful dishes (predominantly game or plant-based) with bold – sometimes, playful – combinations that have you scraping the plate.
From £ 205
per night
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The best hotels in the Lake District
A typical Lakeland coaching inn, all whitewashed walls and black window mouldings. It dates back to the 1600s and is deceptively large, stretching back from the road along on a grassy river bank. Inside, beamed ceilings, exposed-stone or creamy plaster walls, solid wood tables and red-cushioned settles feature throughout. There's a series of cosy bar areas, a decent fire, a smart dining room and plenty of horse brasses, copper kettles and sepia photographs of countryside activities. Outdoorsy types are well catered for with cycle storage, a drying room, and maps and guides to borrow. Staff are hard-working and efficient with a friendly, down-to-earth approach.
From £ 156
per night
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How to have the perfect holiday in the Lake District
The Punch Bowl Inn is situated on the back road between Kendal and Windermere, in the Lyth valley. It's well off-the-beaten-tourist-track in an area of soft green valleys and damson orchards which is beautifully peaceful. With its slate and cream render, covered in climbing roses, it mixes a cottagey feel with contemporary freshness. Floors are flagged or stripped wood and scattered with faded rugs; ceilings are low and beamed, and draped with dried hops; walls are sludgy Farrow and Ball and hung with hunting scenes; thick curtains spill onto the floor and cushions crowd window seats.
From £ 135
per night
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The best b&bs in the Lake District
This 17th-century former coaching inn is set in the quiet southeast of the National Park. Following a subtle refresh, the Lakeland property serves up a blend of traditional elements and a low-key modern country feel. Expect a seductively laidback atmosphere, vast bathrooms, valley views and a menu of pub classics. The four bedrooms have a relaxed country house style that complements strong wall colours and blanket throws in mustard, dusky pink or bottle green, as well as vintage floral fabrics and well-worn finds. Piles of books sit invitingly beneath pretty bedside lamps, fresh garden flowers decorate old bureaux and a backgammon set is perched on the windowsill, while the television remote is hidden in a drawer (you're not here to watch Netflix).
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The best hotels with hot tubs in the Lake District
This gastropub on the northern edge of the Lake District has a well-deserved reputation for its excellent, locally sourced food. Much of the produce coming from the owners' family farms (rare-breed pigs, shorthorn cattle) and the kitchen garden at nearby Askham Hall. It’s stylish and skilful; perhaps twice-baked cheese soufflé to start followed by local lamb with wild garlic gnocchi. It's also perfect for an active getaway: packed lunches, walking packs, bicycle storage and dog welcome packs, including treats and recommended walks. The 11 rooms are decorated in a fresh country style with cream or eau-de-nil walls, crewel-work headboards and faux-fur throws.
From £ 210
per night
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The best restaurants in the Lake District
Centrally placed within Keswick – on the corner between the Market Square and one of the town’s principal shopping streets, Station Street – the Royal Oak is handy for exploring all the town’s attractions, cafes, shops and twice-weekly market. As a market-town hostelry it's very much about providing a comfy bed, hot shower and fuelling food to hungry walkers. Starters might include pork and black pudding Scotch egg or tempura king prawns followed by beer-battered fish and chips, vegetable tagine or one of the pub’s favourites of steak pie, fish pie and slow-cooked lamb shank (mains average £18). Be warned, dishes are filling, so pace yourself if you want pudding.
From £ 170
per night
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The best budget hotels in the Lake District
Although only three miles from the southern end of Lake Windermere, this is a little-visited area of the Lakes, on the back road to Kendal and with sweeping views over the gentle Winster Valley. Inside, it’s all a pub should be with low-beamed ceilings, flagged or wooden floors, open fires and a series of small snugs furnished with mis-matched chairs, wooden settles and scrubbed tables, and creamy walls crammed with mirrors and hunting prints. All rooms have a simple, contemporary-rustic style of stripped-wood floors, chunky wooden furniture, tartan throws and curtains, and battered leather chairs.
From £ 107
per night
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The best luxury hotels in the Lake District
This listed 17th-century coaching inn is a classic Lakeland building of slate, white-washed walls and black window mouldings. A landmark in the area, it suffered a disastrous fire in 2014 but reopened three years later after a meticulous restoration. It's classy, yet still retains its pubby credentials: light-oak flooring and furnishings, exposed beams and stone walls, a jolly mix of plaids and fun touches such as wallpaper depicting flying ducks, stuffed fish and OS-maps. The attention to detail and meticulous workmanship in the 10 rooms, together with a real sense of place in the décor, outshines many a smart four-star hotel. Floors and furniture are bespoke light oak, walls are dove-grey; open beams and exposed-stone walls remind of the building's age.
From £ 142
per night
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The most amazing walks in the Lake District
Half-way up Troutbeck Valley, in the one-road village of the same name, this pub benefits from glorious views down to Lake Windermere and the soft fells. It feels remote, yet is still close to many of the central Lakes hotspots. The hotel is geared to lovers of the outdoors; there are maps to borrow, walking routes from the pub, a drying room and dogs are welcomed for £10 per night. There’s no sitting room but, as the bar is a series of little snugs – each with an open fire – there's usually a quiet corner. The star feature is the huge, grass-terraced beer garden with dreamy views.
From £ 121
per night
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The best spa hotels in the Lake District
The whitewashed, 16th-century, former coaching inn was bought from a large pub chain by energetic couple Ash and Becky Dewar who previously managed bars and restaurants in London. They’ve kept a balance between the pub’s traditional charm and a brighter casual, contemporary style. The four rooms, spread over the first and second floors, together with the barn annexe (the latter can be self-catering), have a fresh, modern cottage style with solid oak furniture, wool-upholstered armchairs, splashy feature wallpapers and contemporary shades of pale grey and powder-blue. On the menu is comfort food that knows its audience: hand-made pizzas and burgers, and beer-battered fish and chips for all-round popularity, and smarter dishes – such as baked cod.
From £ 140
per night
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The most romantic hotels in the lake district
This solid cream-and-black building has been a landmark at the head of Wasdale since the early 18th century, first as a farm and then as an inn welcoming weary walkers. It's resolutely traditional, slightly shabby, with patterned carpets, a scattering of heavy oak antique furniture and a wood-panelled dining room. Outdoorsy types are well catered for with a drying room, packed lunches, maps to borrow and a shop in the barn opposite with clothing and gear for every eventuality. The main public bar is popular but you can retreat to a small, cosy residents’ bar (with piano if you feel inspired). There's also a riverside terrace, ideal for ice-cold beers after a long walk.
From £ 358
per night
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