What Ales? Free Magazine. West Cumbria CAMRA Branch. Autumn 2017

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1 What Ales? Autumn 2017 West Cumbria CAMRA Branch Free Magazine

2 Gosforth Hall Inn CAMRA members Real Ale 3 a pint

3 Branch Contacts: Chair Chris Hale Branch Contact: Stephen Walker - contact@westcumbriacamra.org.uk Treasurer: Brian Maudling - treasurer@westcumbriacamra.org.uk What Ales Team: contact.whatales@gmail.com Bar and Equipment Officer: Bob Groat - equipment@westcumbriacamra.org.uk Pubs Officer: Andy Roberts - whatpub@westcumbriacamra.org.uk Branch website: Social Sectretary & Transport - Eileen Lithgow at eileenlithgow@hotmail.com. Welcome to our Autumn edition, we hope you enjoy reading this one as much as we believe our readers have enjoyed the last few. As usual there are a selection of articles, hopefully interesting and informative, and perhaps humorous too. We include the tale of a visit to the Isle of Man, and get feedback from the GBBF at Olympia. You can also find out about the history of pub names, and catch up with festival news. Observant readers may have noticed that there is no longer an editor for WhatAles, but an editorial team, this comprises seven local CAMRA members. Six of these work closely together to compile the magazine, whilst the seventh member co-ordinates the delivery of 3000 copies to pubs and clubs across West Cumbria, aided by a network of willing volunteers. However, although the team works very effectively, we also rely on you the reader to keep us informed on any real ale matters in your area, so please feel free to contact us. The Editorial Team (Garry Connor; Eileen & Geoff Lithgow; Brian Maudling; Len Wainwright; Ian & Pat Williamson). Pub Craic Sadly there are some pubs that have stopped selling real ale and they have been excluded from our listing, however we have added the Glaramara at Seatoller. In the Guide Egremont Royal British Legion are advertising real ale at 2.75, all are welcome during the Crab Fair, after the Crab Fair you would have to check. Members have reported that the Brown Cow at Waberthwaite has been revitalised, also The Whittington Cat, Whitehaven is under new stewardship. Ennerdale Brewery Cider is now on handpull at the Wasdale Head Hotel and we are pleased to report that the Brewery has been able to donate 1500 to Hospice at Home from sales of its specially brewed Marathon Man ale. Forthcoming Events and branch meetings Wednesday September 6th - Kellbank, Gosforth, Branch Meeting at 8pm Saturday October 7th - Bower House Inn, Eskdale Green. This Is The Branch s Autumn Pub Of The Season Presentation To Be Made At 1pm Followed By Branch Meeting Wednesday November 1st - The Pheasant Inn, Bassenthwaite, Branch Meeting at 8pm Wednesday December 6th - The Galloping Horse, Harrington, Branch Meeting at 8pm Contact Eileen Lithgow for transport at eileenlithgow@hotmail.com. 3

4 Good Beer Guide Mobile The July issue of the CAMRA newspaper What s Brewing included a push for the Good Beer Guide (GBG) mobile. The app has been around for a while but has recently had a facelift and upgrade. This is the story of how I checked it out, follow the steps and hopefully you will decide to join the mobile GBG community. The first step is to download the app, I went to Google Play. The trial version is free but has limited access, the full version is 4.99 for the year. The Home screen when opening GBG mobile On selecting the option pubs near you The site to download the App 4

5 If you are just using the free application the only option open is the pubs near you and even then only the one nearest pub and the one nearest brewery are available to view, all the rest have a padlock symbol beside the entry, any attempt further results in fig 4. If you have a mind to invest 4.99 for a whole year s subscription all the locks are taken off and all the options become available to you. Examples of the various sections and screens that are currently available are set out in these screenshots. The Info Tab for The Stanley Arms The Info Tab for The Stanley Arms The Map Tab for The Stanley Arms The Review Tab for The Tractor Shed Brewery On the negative side the GBG Mobile only contains details of those pubs chosen for the printed version, Whatpub is a more comprehensive guide although not a mobile App. I also noted that while there, the only pub listed for Penrith was the Moo Bar which is now closed, which begs the question how often this app is updated. Branches must also keep Camra informed of changes. 5

6 IT S ALL IN THE NAME THE STAG AT CROSBY IS NAMED OUR WINNER Roger Brown, landlord of The Stag Inn at Crosby, took over the running of this inn in 2001, finding one real ale being served, a Jennings Bitter. Deciding immediately to increase this choice to three; the 60s, it was one of three pubs in the village, but was one of the few pubs in the area that offered bar meals. When I was courting my wife to be, I thought nothing of whisking her from her home in Allonby, to the bright lights of Crosby, to be seduced, not by my clumsy romantic efforts, but, the prospect of chicken, sausage or scampi in a basket! the West Cumbria branch of CAMRA is proud to acknowledge his contribution to keeping real ale a priority in this popular inn, by awarding him a coveted award for their Summer 2017 Pub of the Season. Roger told the assembled crowd of CAMRA members that he understood the inn to date from the late Victorian era; saying that, to his knowledge, it has always been named The Stag, and, in the beginning, was a stopping off hostelry with facilities for coach & horses. Lively debate followed, whilst we were sampling the three real ales, as to why the pub held the name Stag (probably connected with hunting, landowners or royalty, as so often is the case with pub names). Any ideas or information please let What Ales know. On behalf of the West Cumbria branch of CAMRA, Geoff Wilkinson, who lives nearby in Maryport, was delighted to make the presentation to Roger. He said, It s a great pleasure for me because The Stag holds some pleasant personal memories. In my early drinking years in He continued to add, Fast forward to the 21st Century and the landlords and owners, like Roger, are faced with lots of issues which makes them have to think outside the box to be able to run a successful pub. Over the years, drink driving laws, high rates of duty on alcohol, cheap supermarket booze resulting in changes in drinking patterns and some very confusing advice about recommended alcohol drinking levels, have thrown up many challenges for publicans. Roger s formula for success may seem simple in its conception, but it is by no means obvious to all involved in the pub trade. His bar staff are friendly and well informed and he keeps his beers in good condition, not afraid to try something new amongst the three cask ales he has on offer. His kitchen staff prepare good food for an imaginative menu catering for all tastes and most allergies. The layout of the pub means that a quiet corner is never far away and this encourages conversation. Roger himself is usually on hand keeping an eye on things and engaging in chat and banter, offering a warm welcome to everyone, be they locals or visitors. Geoff concluded by saying, The British pub has a long and fascinating heritage and CAMRA will continue to do what we can through awards like this, to support pubs and publicans serving real ale. So, congratulations to Roger and his staff for the hard work and dedication that has won them the award of the 6

7 West Cumbria branch of CAMRA s Pub of the Summer Season The Stag Inn opens all day (closed Tuesday lunchtime only). Food is served at lunchtimes and every evening; with a good sized function room, often used for Christenings, Weddings, Birthdays and Anniversaries. The dictionary definition of STAG is: 1. The adult male of a deer, esp. a red deer 2. A man unaccompanied by a woman at a social gathering 3. Stock Exchange. Brit. A speculator who applies for shares in a new issue in anticipation of a rise in price when trading commences in order to make a quick profit on resale ROGER S CHOICE OF BEERS Roger has 2 cask ales on permanently. a. Jennings Bitter - (a dark amber 3.5% bitter) b. Bombadier Burning Gold (a 4.1% blend of finest malts, hops & natural mineral water; zesty, with a dry, crisp flavour & hint of citrus) c. A guest ale, which he changes every month Salopian Lemon Dream today (a 4.5% zesty, pale, delicate, lemony taste, with a refreshingly clean finish) a. Jennings Bitter is the original beer to come from the Cockermouth brewery & has been brewed for over a hundred years. The Jennings Brewery was established as a family concern in 1828 in the village of Lorton. When the business outgrew its homebrewed origins it moved to Cockermouth between 1874 & 1881, where Castle Brewery site had an abundant supply of pure well water. Jennings was acquired by Marstons PLC in 2005 but, the traditional values which the Jennings family instilled are still respected. All 4 of Jennings Brewery permanent beers 7 have continually won prestigious awards since 2009 when Jennings Bitter won the Champion Beer of Britain North West. Awards for 2015 being a silver in the Champion beer of Britain North West for Snecklifter and a bronze for Cocker Hoop. b. Bombadier Burning Gold is brewed by the Charles Wells Brewing family which has been brewing beer since Based in the heart of Bedfordshire, using its own certified natural mineral water well for all beers produced since Burning Gold is one of two beers where the name has been inspired by the words of William Blake s Jerusalem. c. Salopian Lemon Dream now brewed in Shrewsbury. Brewery founded as Snowdonia Brewery in 1994 by brewer Martin Barry at his pub in North Wales. In 1995 relocated to Shrewsbury & renamed Salopian (meaning of Shrewsbury). Beers include: Shropshire Gold, Oracle, Darwin s Origin, Hop Twister, Lemon Dream & Golden Thread. Shropshire Gold won CAMRA Champion Bitter of Britain 2011, Darwin s Origin CAMRA Champion Best Bitter of Britain 2014, Golden Thread CAMRA Champion Strong Beer of Britain Silver Eileen Lithgow

8 A Community Pub Two real ales from Cumbrian Breweries Wide choice of premium gins and whiskies. Dog friendly pub. Real Fire The Punch Bowl Inn Great Broughton. CA13 0YJ The Smallest, Longest Beer Festival in Cumbria. Th: 8pm-11pm, Fr: 6pm-11pm, Sa: 5pm-11pm, Su 12-3pm & 6-11pm See our Facebook page for BH opening times, & details of special events 8

9 West Cumbria Real Ale Guides Update The first Guide, the Cockermouth Real Ale Guide was placed onto the website in September last year. Copies were also printed, at the Branches expense, for distribution at the Taste Cumbria event in the town the same month. This guide was later updated and copies were printed, courtesy of Jennings, for availability in their Brewery Shop and at the Cockermouth Tourist Information Centre. Since then we have produced another nine Guides to complete coverage of the West Cumbria Branch area Real Ale serving premises. In July we had copies of the Whitehaven Real Ale Guide printed, the cost kindly sponsored by Foresight Solutions, and distributed by branch members at the Whitehaven Taste Cumbria event. The project has been a great success with many of our members contributing time and effort to travelling around West Cumbria surveying and promoting the Guides, and participating in their updating and editing. The results being a credit to the branch memberships collective efforts. The ability to access and print out the Guides from the website has proved very popular further afield, and been of interest to a number of other CAMRA branches who are looking into introducing a similar service for their branch areas. Of particular interest is the facility to update the website versions as and when changes take place, thereby ensuring currency, in a printable version. The Branch is now engaged in extending the scope of the Guides to include themed subjects. The first of these is the West Cumbria Brewery Guide which showcases the seven Real Ale Breweries in the Branch area. This guide is now available on the website. There are also plans to consider production of guides related to specific bus routes, rail travel and tourist attractions such as one covering Real Ale serving premises on the West Cumbria section of the Coast to Coast walk. Watch this space! Guides currently available at for viewing and downloading are : Real Ale Premises Guides Cockermouth Bordering Cockermouth Keswick Outer Keswick Whitehaven Workington Area Maryport, Aspatria and the Solway Coast A595 Hensingham to Gosforth A595 Holmrook to Waberthwaite A5086 Rowrah to Egremont Brewery Guide West Cumbria Branch Brewery Guide Jim Chapple. 9

10 JUNE JULY AUGUST BEER FESTIVALS IN OUR BRANCH AREA The West Cumbria branch of CAMRA held their August branch meeting at The Swinside Inn. Stunning backdrop in the Newland Valley, with a good selection of real ales. They will hold a Beer and Music Festival on the 8th and 9th September. Free entry, live music from local bands. 28 beers and ciders listed on their facebook page. Octoberfest The Workington Beer and Cider Festival, on Friday 13th & Saturday 14th October 2017 marks the 8th Festival, run by the Rotary Club of Workington. Principal event sponsors are Derwent Recycling with barrels sponsored by wide range of West Cumbrian businesses to whom we are very grateful. For the aficionados, we will have 20 real ales and 30 real ciders and for those who prefer there will also be wine and prosecco. Entry is 5 and tickets are available from the Carnegie box office at or by calling (01900) Beer tokens can also be bought online in advance at the special price of 7 for 10 - on the night they will be 6 for 10. Entertainment will be by provided by The Misfitz supported by Steve Spencer on Friday night and on Saturday the ever popular Hoochie Coochie Moonshine Band supported by Andrew Spud Spencer currently a member of the Steeleye Span line-up. Money raised will go to West Cumbrian good causes including Hospice at Home to whom we donate 1,000 each year from this event. 2nd - 4th November Carlisle, The Venue, Portland Place, Carlisle. (SOLWAY CAMRA) Kirkgate, Cockermouth The Round Table once again host this festival on November 30th to December 2nd at The Kirkgate always eagerly anticipated by all real ale enthusiasts. 10 DISCOUNTS FOR CAMRA MEMBERS Hopefully CAMRA members across the UK are using their Wetherspoon vouchers to reduce the price of a pint but did you know that here in West Cumbria you can also get a CAMRA discount in Keswick at Wainwrights, and at the Dog & Gun. You can also get a discount at the Gosforth Hall. If you know of any other pubs that do this can you please let us know so that we can pass on the information to our readers.

11 King George IV Eskdale, Holmrook, Cumbria CA19 1TT Tel: Website: 10 Hand Pulls serving an ever changing range of real ales from a wide range of breweries. Bed and Breakfast & self-catering accomodation available. Open Sunday to Thursday 12:00-00:00 Friday and Saturday 12:00-01:00 with Food served 12-8:45pm, full menu and pub grub The Manor St Bees manorhouse2011@gmail.com different real ales on tap every month including 3 each week from local breweries: Bowness Bay, Cumbria Legendary Ales, Ennerdale, Hawkshead, Westmorland open daily from 10am for coffee great locally sourced food served 12-2 and O

12 Twelve Comeovers go on an Adventure This is the story of 12 CAMRA members and partners who jumped on a ferry to sample the real ale delights of the Isle of Man. This trip is an annual event and has been honed to near perfection over a period of many years. I was a new boy on this expedition and looked forward to checking out a few hostelries across the water. Thursday A travelling day; whether it s Dundee, Dubai or Douglas, it always seems to take a day to get there. Rendezvous at the Duke of Rothesay at Heysham for a first pint to get us underway. The boat was delayed with engine trouble but we arrived in time for a delicious Italian meal at the Isola restaurant, followed by a night cap at The British, a busy town centre tavern with a well kept selection of ales on handpull, including the locally brewed Okell s Bitter (ABV 3.7%). down to a couple of metres. There is a photo to prove that I made it to the concrete trig point on the summit but I was lucky to find the train again for the descent! Returning to Laxey we joined others in the party who had more sense than to ascend the mountain in zero visibility and visited The Mines Tavern for refreshment. En mass we caught the bus to Ramsey. (Hot Tip - a 3 day travel pass covers all modes of transport on the island and is good value). The Trafalgar Hotel in Ramsey refreshed our dry throats and dispensed Okell s Bitter and Moorhouse s Black Cat (ABV 3.4%) both of which were enjoyed and complented crab butties brought in from the café next door. Next stop was Peel on the west coast of the island, with an impressively large castle ruin, spectacular cathedral grounds and an enviable selection of pubs. We enjoyed a good meal at The Creek, a busy harbourside inn, washed down with Okells bitter and tasty offers from The Hooded Ram Brewery in Douglas. No time to relax as it was on to The White House Hotel to witness the presentation of the well deserved Pub of the Year 2017 award. Sadly a traffic accident blocked the road and neither the certificate nor the presenter arrived. Not to miss out we enjoyed the ales on offer including Bushy s Castletown Bitter (ABV 3.5%), and Old Bushy Tail (4.5%) plus Moorhouses Pride of Pendle (ABV 4.1%). It was good to meet up with members of the local CAMRA branch (especially the bloke who offered a lift to 2 of our members Friday Up early and off for a day out. The Electric Railway is a wonder of Victorian engineering and took us effortlessly to Laxey, the home of the largest water wheel in the world. Still sober, we boarded the Snaefell rack and pinion mountain railway and proceeded to the summit. A mountain mist meant that visibilty on the top was 12

13 who, inexpicably, left after us and beat the bus back to Douglas!) On returning to Douglas an excellent curry at the Tandoor restaurant was preceded by another trip to The British, a popular modern bar. This was followed by liquid refreshment at The Prospect Hotel in Douglas, a fine city centre bar with 14 handpulls catering for all tastes. With bookshelves and a snooker table it felt like a cross between a gentlemans club and a real local. Definitely my favourite bar of the weekend, I particularly enjoyed the Okell s Steam (ABV 5%). Other members of the party sampled the Albert Hotel and the Rovers Return (is Ena Sharples still supping Milk Stout in the Snug?). No shortage of places to quench ones thirst in Douglas. Saturday A bus to Castletown was followed by a 5 mile walk in the sunshine along the attractive coastline to The Shore Hotel at Gansey. Those in the party who did not walk arrived by bus and lunch was very welcome, helped down with The Reverend James (from Brains Brewery in Cardiff. ABV 4.5). This pub is memorable for the handpulls over the half-barrel urinals and the wall mural in the gents loo. I thought I had seen it all but this was a novelty; full marks for imagination! Some of the party then exercised the travel pass again and returned to Castletown for another, more intact castle. If you are not keen on stone, spiral staircases, best to give this one a miss. The Castle Arms serves Okell s Bitter and Manx Pale Ale (ABV3.6%) plus guest beers and, apparently, this establishment is known as The Gluepot once in it is difficult to get out! A Scooter rally in the main square accompanied by a Rock Band added atmosphere and interest. 13 Sunday Many of the Comeovers boarded the steam train to Port Erin for another stroll and lunch in The Bay Hotel which serves the full range of Bushy s ales together with 2 changing guests. I had learned of a classic Motor Museum at Jurby in the north of the island and 3 of us set off early to explore. We were doing well, arriving at Ramsey in plenty of time to change buses but the bus arrived and, seconds later, departed without us! With no taxis available we waited 2 hours for the next bus and made sure we were ready for a rapid embarkation. The museum did not disappoint with hundreds of cars and motorcycles on show. An excellent display with a number of iconic American limousines and classics such as a Bond Bug, a Delorean Gull Wing (Back to the Future at 88mph) and an Indian Motorcycle. The journey home was less eventful, punctuated by a couple of glasses of ale in The Swan while waiting for the bus in Ramsey. Our final evening was spent at the hotel bar where the Okell s Bitter and whisky chasers made an excellent finish to a great few days. Monday Back on the boat and to the Duke of Rothesay for lunch. A memorable few days indeed; there is plenty to keep the real ale enthusiast amused on the Isle of Man. Many thanks are due to the organisers and I am well prepared for the 2018 trip.... if I am invited back. Andy Huckson

14 A R-aley Great Day Out! I ve always enjoyed planning excursions and events of various kinds and although one of 5 siblings spread throughout the country I m usually the go-to brother when it comes to organising something for family. Easy peasy then, one might think, to organise a local pub trip for my mate and I, taking in some of the less visited (by CAMRA members at least) hostelries on our patch. Unfortunately the now you see them, now you don t nature of rural bus services meant that, having planned to incorporate the Commercial at Dearham and the Greyhound at Bothel, last minute timetable changes made visits impossible. Both pubs had made a favourable impression on previous visits, but I had to content myself with a much changed itinerary. Taking the Maryport Workington Cockermouth route, our first port of call was the Kingfisher at Cockermouth which offered Robinson s Dizzy Blond and Trooper. In any that lovely sunny day all was well with the world. Definitely one of the best beer gardens I ve been in anywhere! I reflected on my last visit to the pub about 15 years ago (too long!) when I was one of the judges at an inter pub singing competition. The visiting team, from Aspatria, being a member short, asked if they could use a substitute, who turned out to be, not a singer but a toothless harmonica player who seemed to almost swallow her instrument when playing! After a short linger, we boarded the Keswick bus and alighted at our next pub, the Wheatsheaf at Embleton other less real ale pub-rich town, this hostelry might attract more CAMRA attention, with its welcoming feel, cosy bar and extendable dining area. Tony, whose sister runs the pub, recommended the beer garden, which is two tier and overlooks the River Derwent, and on Another pleasant welcome and a choice of Wainwright and Jennings Bitter and more musings about past times. When kids, being driven around the Lakes in my dad s Sunbeam Talbot, 1930 s vintage, we would occasionally pull up at the Wheatsheaf where grandad would be despatched to buy a couple of pint dashes (shandies) which we might be allowed to sample if we were lucky. There s a lovely view of Sale and Ling Fells from the seats at the front of the pub, so we drank in both view and pints, whilst waiting for the bus, which literally stops on the pub doorstep. Next port of call was the Castle Inn Tavern which had strong representation from Hesket Newmarket beers, namely Peakbagger and Skiddaw, plus Theakston s bitter. The Castle Inn was, in my younger days, the venue 14

15 for exclusive dinners and functions (much too posh for a humble Dearham family like ourselves). Whilst still a very desirable destination, there are many more hotels to compete with on the wedding and function front these days. We then walked the mile into Bassenthwaite village, where fate smiled upon us. Our arrival coincided with the 4pm Saturday opening of the Sun Inn (I d thought it was open all afternoon) and Lisa the landlady s welcoming smile was as pleasant as the sunshine outside. Three gleaming handpumps selling Jennings Cumberland, Ringwood Razor Back and Banks s Bassenthwaite Beauty were also an irresistible temptation. A further 20 minute walk took us to the main road at Chapel, where we boarded yet another bus to take us to Keswick. My chosen Keswick hostelry was the Pheasant with Jennings Bitter, Cumberland, Cocker Hoop and Redskin plus Marston s Pheasant, dispensed by friendly staff. Definitely worth a visit. Back on Shanks s pony for a walk to the Farmer s at Portinscale and more Jennings favourites plus Banks s Park Life and Shipyard (American Pale). My Park Life was drunk whilst cracking with a former Cumbrian lady now living in Canada, with a Swedish husband. With the bright sun now beginning to dip a little, we walked the mile or so to Braithwaite s Coledale Inn, always a welcome destination, particularly after a day on the fells, and finished the day off excellently by sampling Strands Gold Wing and Tirrill s Kirkstone Gold at the expense of the Yates bitter which was the third cask ale on offer and an old friend. These were quaffed partly in the characterful 18th century bar with Cumberland Wrestling mural and partly in the beer garden, soaking in the dying rays of the setting sun. Menus in all the pubs we visited offered a good choice and were not overpriced, but if you visit the Coledale, try the chicken and haggis pie which was one of the best pies I ve ever eaten. They also have a pensioner s special menu (one of the few benefits of the aging process). What better way to round off an excellent day (if you like haggis!) 15 Geoff Wilkinson

16 The Swan Cockermouth s Oldest Pub? IIf you want to find a CAMRA member in Cockermouth your best bet is to head down to the Swan on Kirkgate. Since Joe Fagan took over as Landlord in 2014 it has cemented its reputation as being one of the friendliest community orientated pubs in Cumbria, with some of the best kept beer. A fact which has resulted in it being voted West Cumbria CAMRA Pub of the year in 2015, followed by the recognition of it as an asset of community value (ACV) in 2016, effectively meaning it cannot be sold by the brewers without a period on time during which community groups have the opportunity to develop a proposal and raise the required capital to bid for it. It was not always so. There was a point just before Joe took it over when Marston s wanted to sell the pub. And if you look at its location at the top of Kirkgate, well away from the town centre, you wonder why it has managed to survive when all the other Cockermouth pubs outside the town centre have gone? But before we look at why it s so popular, a little bit of history. Is it Cockermouth s oldest pub? It s certainly a listed building. A reference in the All Saints Church warden s records from 1668 refers to a Terrywastell of Kirkgate whose father was John Piele De Swan. However, Bradbury in his history of Cockermouth says that the buildings in Kirkgate were rebuilt in the early 1700s. What we know for certain is that the building existed in 1743 as it was purchased by a Mr Whitely from William and Elizabeth Blencow. In January 1889 the then directors of Jennings Brewery, Isaac Mitchell and John Fuller, purchased it from a William Mc Duhae for 580, and installed a Jane Brydon as tenant. In 1964 the pub was extended to include the adjourning cottage, which was endowed in 1760 as a hospice for six poor widows or other unmarried women above sixty years of age. If you go into this part of the pub you will see on one of the beams some strange marks. 16 These are believed to be witch marks, which appear to have been a general protection against ill-fortune, or were deemed a good luck symbol. Another fascinating part of the building is the cellar area. If you go through the arch into the cellar originally belonging to the hospice you will find a well preserved cobbled floor dating from the building s construction. Joe intends to clean up and renovate these cellars, which may in time uncover more secrets. The witch marks certainly appear to be working, as on most nights the Swan is busy and exudes an atmosphere of goodwill and cheer, but it wasn t always so. As noted above, it was threatened with closure in 2014 as trade was slow. Much credit must go to the present landlord for turning the business around. Joe is a Cockermouth lad who had got the hospitality bug

17 whilst running a hotel in Portinscale. He had always wanted to run the Swan, which he saw as my type of pub - a traditional community pub, where everyone could feel welcome, free of noisy piped music and fruit machines. However, at the time he was ready to enter the pub trade the Swan was not available, so he took over the tenancy of the Bush on Main Street. However, in 2014 the previous tenant of The Swan retired and he finally had his opportunity to run the pub, but Marston s would only let it to Joe on a seven-day lease. This fragile situation lasted for a year until a permanent lease was granted in Since then the Swan has gone from strength to strength. It has two quiz teams, hosts a variety of community groups, is the headquarters of the Cockermouth Mechanics band, has folk music sessions twice a month, and is the meeting place for the Cockermouth contingent of West Cumbria CAMRA. So why not see for yourselves. Visit it on any night and you will breathe in the atmosphere of a genuine community pub, where good beer and conversation are the two most important things, as the sign above the arch next to the Bar says Come in for a Crack. Len Wainwright SWAN INN 56 Kirkgate, Cockermouth, CA13 9PH Tel: Opening hours Monday - Thursday 5.30pm pm Friday 5.30pm -12am Saturday 12 noon -12am Sunday 12 noon -11pm Sky Sports and BT Sport Informal Traditional Tunes Session Every Second Wednesday of the month 8pm 17

18 Allonby Baywatch Hotel Ship Hotel Arlecdon Hound Aspatria Letters Inn Red Lion Baggrow Old Goat Inn Bassenthwaite Castle Inn Hotel Sun Inn Bassenthwaite Lake Pheasant Beckermet Blackbeck Bridge Inn Royal Oak White Mare Bigrigg Old Captains House Boot Boot Inn Brook House Inn Hardknott Bar & the Woolpack Inn Borrowdale Borrowdale Hotel Lodore Falls Hotel Mary Mount Hotel YHA Borrowdale Bothel Greyhound Inn Braithwaite Coledale Inn Middle Ruddings Country Inn Royal Oak Branthwaite Wild Duck Inn the real ale pubs of west cumbria Bridgefoot Duke of Cumberland Broughton Moor Miners Arms?? Buttermere Bridge Hotel Fish Hotel Calderbridge Stanley Arms Hotel Cleator Brook Ennerdale Country House Hotel Cleator Moor Crown Parkside Hotel Wath Brow Hornets RL Club Cockermouth Allerdale Court Hotel Bitter End Brewers Fayre New In Brown Cow Bush Castle Bar Conservative Club Fletcher Christian Tavern Hunters Kingfisher Inn New Cock & Bull Seth s Bar Swan Inn Crosby Stag Inn Dean Royal Yew Inn Deanscales Old Posting House Dearham Commercial Inn 18 Dovenby Ship Drigg Victoria Hotel Egremont Egremont Rugby Club Wheatsheaf Embleton Embleton Spa Wheatsheaf Inn Ennerdale Bridge Fox & Hounds Inn Shepherds Arms Hotel Eskdale Green Bower House Inn George IV Inn Gilcrux Barn Bistro Masons Arms Gosforth Globe Gosforth Hall Inn Kellbank Lion and Lamb Great Broughton Broughton Craggs Hotel Punch Bowl Inn Great Clifton Market Cross Old Ginn House Harrington **Brewery House Galloping Horse Hensingham Distressed Sailor Globe Inn Lowther (Arms) Richmond (Temp closed) Sun Inn

19 branch & the cumbrian breweries Holmrook Lutwidge Arms Irton Irton Hall Keekle Keekle Inn Keswick Cellar Bar & Dining Bank Tavern Bar ES Casas Sports Bar (Part Of Kings Arms) Chief Justice of the Common Pleas Dog & Gun George Hotel Golden Lion Heights Hotel Inn on the Square Keswick Brewery (Flying- Fox) Kings Arms Hotel Lake Road Inn Lakes Bar and Bistro Legends Sports Bar Magnolia Cafe Bar Oddfellows Arms Pack Horse Inn Pheasant Inn Royal Oak Keswick Rugby Club Skiddaw Hotel Square Orange Theatre By The Lake Twa Dogs Inn Wainwright Lorton Vale Hundith Hill Hotel Low Lorton Wheatsheaf Inn Loweswater Kirkstile Inn Maryport Captain Nelson Tavern Golden Lion Hotel Lifeboat Middle Tap (Temp closed) Mawbray The Lowther Nether Wasdale Low Wood Hall Hotel Screes Inn Strands Inn Newlands Swinside Inn Papcastle Spotted Pig (Belle Vue) Portinscale Farmers Arms Plumbland ***Last Man Inn Ravenglass Inn at Ravenglass Pennington Hotel Ratty Arms Rosthwaite Scafell Hotel Rowrah Ennerdale Brewery Tap Stork Hotel Santon Bridge Bridge Inn Scales White Horse Inn Seascale Calder House Hotel Seatoller Glaramara House Hotel Seaton Pack Horse 19 Royal Oak St Bees Albert Hotel Manor Oddfellows Arms Queens Hotel Seacote Hotel Stonethwaite Langstrath Country Inn Tallentire Bush Inn Thirlspot Kings Head Threlkeld Horse & Farrier Salutation (The Sally) Waberthwaite Brown Cow Inn Wasdale Head Wasdale Head Inn Whitehaven Anchor Vaults ***Barra Jacks Bransty Arch Candlestick Chase Hotel ***Glass House Howgate ***John Paul Jones Lowther Club Puncheon Shakers Cocktail & Cafe Bar Shipwrights Arms Sneck Lifter Sunny Hill Hotel Tavern Three Tuns Vagabond Waverley Hotel

20 Whittington Cat Workington Blue Bell ***Bounty Commercial Inn Conservative Club Grapes Green Dragon Henry Bessemer ***Henry s Bar and Grill Miners Arms ***Travellers Rest Well ***Yankees Bar Pubs marked *** may not have real ale on at all times and may only be able to serve Real Ale at busier periods. the breweries Ambleside Barngates Tarn Hows Appleby Appleby Helm Bar Biggar - Biggar Blackbeck, Egremont Blackbeck Bowness-on-Windermere Bowness Bay Wild Boar Brampton Karrock Brougham, Penrith Eden Carlisle - Carlisle Cartmel Unsworth s Yard Cockermouth Jennings Coniston - Coniston Dent, Sedbergh Dent Embleton Independent Lakeland Flookburgh Fell Foxfield - Foxfield Great Corby, Carlisle Cumberland The Green Nr Millom Beckstones Greenodd - Greenodd Hawkshead Cumbrian Legendary Ales Hesket Newmarket Hesket Newmarket Ings Watermill Kendal Brewshine Chadwick s Handsome New In Kendal Westmorland Keswick Keswick Brewery Kirkby Lonsdale Kirkby Lonsdale Long Marton Tirril Millom Hardknott Nether Wasdale Strands Pennington Healey s Rowrah Ennerdale Silloth Derwent Staveley Hawkshead Ulverston Stringers South Lakes Ulverston Westnewton Yates Winster Valley Winster, Windermere Ulleswater Brack N Brew at Brackenrigg Workington Tractor Shed List compiled from Camra s Whatpubs.com database Any changes please inform the pubs officer at whatales@westcumbriacamra.org.uk 20

21 the Castle Bar 14, Market Place, Cockermouth, CA13 9NQ. Reservations Real Ales & a Stout always on tap 2.20 A PINT MONDAY TO FRIDAY 3pm - 7pm ALL DAY SUNDAY 16th Century Bar and Restaurant. Dog friendly. Large beer garden 3 floors of bars, restaurants, lounges and snugs, wood burning stove. Opening hours Monday -Thursday 11am - 11am Friday - Saturday. 11am - 12am Sunday. 12 noon pm Food served Mon-Friday 11.30am - 2pm 5.30pm pm Saturday am pm 5.30pm pm Sunday - 12 noon pm 5.30pm pm 21

22 swinside inn Six Cask Ales - Live Sports - 6 En Suite Rooms Swinside Inn, Newlands Valley, Keswick, CA12 5UE info@swinsideinn.com Hal and Andy welcome you to the Barn Bistro at Gilcrux. Come and enjoy a delicious meal and try our local real ales in a welcoming atmosphere. We cater for all sorts of functions, serve bistro-style pub food using great local produce. Why not try our steak night (every Wednesday) or our scrumptious unday lunches! Open Times: Tues 5-11pm; Weds -Sun 12-11pm Food: Tues-Sat pm; Sun 6-8pm Lunches Fri - Sun 12-2pm Gilcrux, Cumbria, CA72QX Tel: Three handpumps serving Cumbrian real ales including Jennings Bitter Lovely real fire! Well-behaved dogs welcome until 6pm 22

23 To the Editor(s): AN ANGRY LETTER! Dear Sir/Madam, The Summer 2017 Edition of What Ales?, while generally enjoyable, was besmirched by an article purporting to be about Some Historic Pubs and Inns of Cumbria. Initially, I scanned this item with a sense of growing unease. Now, after fortifying myself with seven pints of McGillycuddie's 'Dementia XXX', I feel ready to put my pen to paper. Primarily this article was riddled with at least four inaccuracies as follows- Lord Biro could not have been a nineteenth century writer, because the Biro was not invented until 1938 and Laszlo Biro lived in Budapest ie. nowhere near Grizemere... Boudicea's name does not appear in the Admiralty's recorded lists of all the seamen aboard any of the naval vessels which took part in the Battle of Jutland. So -he wasn't there! 'Neopolitan inmates' of a p.o.w camp is nonsense. None of those who participated in World War Two (on either side) was/were striped vertically pink, white and chocolate. This is not biologically possible! The story about the non-battle fought outside Penrith in (supposedly) 1745 is not plausible: the Scots would never have allowed their precious porridge to be sacrificed to a Sassernach army! What Ales? may have the excuse that it is a free magazine, but I have to say that my Daily Mail would never contain inaccuracies and distortions like this! Mrs Hairy Whitemouse must be turning in her grave! I hope that other readers will join my campaign to ban future articles like this by writing to What Ales? to support this champagne. Whoever this 'Chris Hale' is, he is certainly no historian! My own view is that he doesn't actually exist, but is just a pigment of someone's imagination! Please seek to elevate the tone and probiity of your magazine in future. Name and contact supplied 23

24 ...yes, it really is all in the name Following on from the lively debate about The Stag, and the recent What Ale tongue in cheek rhetoric referring to historic pubs and inns of Cumbria, we thought you might wish to hear a bit about pub names; we start to chronicle these in this issue, tickling your interest, we hope, and continue in the winter edition. It was in 1393, during the reign of King Richard II, that pubs were first ordered to hang a sign outside to make them easily visible. Many pubs adopted a white hart, the personal badge of Richard II. It made sense to indicate your loyalty to the local lord by adopting their chosen symbol. Most people were illiterate, even the aristocracy, so they developed a sign language of their own. This heraldic language gave rise to names like The King s Arms. Aristocratic families frequently owned the taverns, or the lands on which they were built. Crown continues to be the most common pub name in Britain at 704, followed by Red Lion at 668 and Royal Oak at 541, four of which are in our branch at Beckermet, Braithwaite, Keswick and Seaton. It is interesting to note that the Holly Bush pub name goes back 2,000 years. Roman landlords (traditionally in Italy used vine leaves) but improvised here in Britain with our evergreen plant. Pub names are key words and phrases that unlock doors to our social and military history, our folklore, our national heroes and heroines, our natural history, dialects, trades, industries and professions, and our sporting interests. They reveal the history of transport in Britain, popular literary tastes, and remind us of the British sense of humour. The Penny Black may be a reminder of how the postal services developed, but the pub of that name at Whiston, Merseyside, also happens to be in Lickers Lane. Three Tuns Whitehaven - a tun is a large cask containing wine or other liquid used for wholesale distribution. Three tuns appear in the arms of the Worshipful Company of Vintners (1437) hence the widespread use of this sign. Drunken Duck Hawkshead popular story that it was named after ducks, found under the influence, after having eaten grain that had been soaked in ale from a leaking barrel. Historical figures feature in our branch with Captain Nelson Tavern Maryport, John Paul Jones Whitehaven, Stanley Arms Calderbridge, Fletcher Christian Tavern Cockermouth, Lutwidge Arms Holmrook and even Henry Bessemer at Workington. And more recently, we have seen an introduction of some interesting names such as Square Orange Wainwright and Spotted Pig. Whatever the reasoning behind these charming and quintessential feature of British life, pub names and signs are there to attract us in through the door. Our branch of West Cumbria CAMRA urge you to visit and enjoy your real ales in the pubs listed in this copy, names being food for thought? The number of pubs fell by 1,444 in the UK in There were 52,750 pubs at the end of 2015 with 27 pubs closing their doors every week. Help us to support pubs by using our free downloadable Real Ale Guides (details of which are printed in this copy of What Ales). Eileen Lithgow 24

25 Where do you find a good pearl fisherman when you need one. As far as water as a libation goes, I find myself firmly entrenched in the W.C. Fields camp. (If you don t know the quote Google it, they won t let me print it). However it is an inescapable part of beer making. Look up beer ingedients and you will be told malted barley, hops and water. They never mention yeast by the way, don t know why. I ve had a very pleasant symbiotic relationship with my current brewing yeast culture for about eight years. However, I digress, this is about water and United Utilities and brewers. For those living outside the Copeland area you may be unaware of the fact that the domestic water makeup in the area has been altered by the blending of borehole water with Ennerdale (pictured) water, where before purely Ennerdale lake water was used for consumption. Borehole water is hard and contains disolved solids, primarily calcium (alkaline), Ennerdale lake water is soft (acidic) This has been done to ensure an adequate flow of water over fresh water mussel beds in the river Ehen eminating from the lake, and to a lesser extent for the salmon. Mussels have an interesting relationship with fish. When reproducing the male mussel ejects sperm into the water which is sucked in by the female via their filter feed system. The females produce a worm like creature called a giochidia which sinks to the river bottom and is taken up by foraging salmon where it settles itself on the gills and continues to develop until it falls to the river bed and grows to adulthood. 25 But of course you all knew that. Wouldn t want to be the male mussel furthest down stream would you. Ejecting away to no avail, may as well be married. So I thought, changing water quality without informing customers, outrageous, what about our micro brewers who rely on tap water? I ll take up the cudgel on their behalf. I managed to speak to two of the three I could think of who would be affected. Tractor Shed at Workington don t get their water from the reservoir where the water is blended, and so are unaffected, and Ennerdale Brewery have found no difference in their finished product. Turns this into more of an article than a rant. Cudgel back in cudgel holding thing. I guess as CAMRA members we are kind of associated with beardy tree huggers, the men are even more idiosyncratic, and so should empathise with the poor old freshwater mussel. I just have one question for United Utilities. Why didn t you just pump the borehole water into the river Ehen above the mussel beds in times of need instead of messing with our domestic. There are already boreholes set up to pump water into the river Ehen further downstream if the need arises, and boreholes which can pump water into the river Calder, another salmon river. Don t know if there are still mussels in the river Calder, but there were when I was a pearl fisherman. N.B. Ennerdale is Water not Lake but try saying Ennerdale Water water. Dipso.

26 LocAle BECOMES TRULY LOCAL Back in 2007 CAMRA introduced the LocAle Scheme. This was an attempt to persuade premises to purchase their cask ales from local breweries. The term local was very much aligned to the CAMRA supported Sustainable Communities Act and was intended to benefit local businesses and reduce the environmental impact of transportation (beer miles, green footprint etc.). The Act indicated that local should be up to 30 miles from producer to user, by the shortest road route. West Cumbria branch introduced the scheme in 2010 and successfully operated it for a number of years using a criterion of 25 miles radius. However with the advent of many new breweries in the county, now totalling an astounding 43, this criterion drifted out to countywide. More recently the CAMRA bible, the Good Beer Guide, has specified the LocAle criterion in the publication as being a local brewery no further than 20 miles away. In the spirit of bringing the criterion back to its original intention, West Cumbria Branch has voted to re-introduce the LocAle Scheme from January 2018 using a 20 mile radius for qualification. This scheme is not meant to constrain publicans in any way. CAMRA West Cumbria will always encourage publicans to offer their customary wide range of excellent cask ales from across the county and country. We are committed to continue promoting all our real ale serving premises. Under the LocAle scheme publicans can offer their clientele at least one regular brew or brews that are truly local, and receive formal CAMRA recognition for this commitment. We do appreciate that regrettably many premises may not be able to consider the scheme, due to their particular ties. LocAle L logo (pictured) will also be used in any facilities listings for the premises in CAMRA produced guides. We will formally launch the scheme towards the end of this year, and we plan to involve the media and get as much coverage for the participants as we can. Over the next months our members will be contacting premises to establish who may wish to be considered for joining our LocAle scheme. We will be able to inform each of the interested premises the names and locations of the breweries that qualify to supply them under the 20 mile radius criterion. Due to the defined criterion, this will not be negotiable. If you would like any earlier details or wish to register your interest in advance, please contact me. Jim Chapple Branch LocAle Officer jimchapple@msn.com Kirkstile Inn LOWESWATER info@kirkstile.com Tel Those premises that are willing to commit to this Scheme will receive an annual registration window plaque and posters, plus crowners for all the hand pumps offering a LocAle beer. The latter will enable customers to see what is truly local from the selection that is on offer. Additionally there is the opportunity to use the official CAMRA LocAle symbol on their own publicity, websites, posters etc. The 26 The Full range of Cumbrian Legendary Ales including Loweswater Gold

27 A Truly Great British Beer Festival CAMRA is justly notable for its campaigning work in both promoting real ale, fighting for the preservation of pubs and pub-going, and for protecting the consumer rights of the British beer drinker. It is also responsible for the production of the annual Good Beer Guide, and also awarding the titles of national Pub of the Year and Champion Beer of Britain. But CAMRA is perhaps most widely known nationally for holding high quality real ale and cider festivals and none come bigger or better than the Great British Beer Festival. Held annually in August, the GBBF this year celebrated its 40th anniversary, being staged at Olympia in London since 1992, with the odd exception such as the London Olympics in It takes a venue such as this to stage the event as it is truly massive in scale - with over 900 real ales, ciders, perries and Continental beers on sale, and staffed and stewarded by over 1,000 CAMRA volunteers over the weekend. The festival ran from August 8th to 12th this year, and I visited on the morning of Friday 11th, after making my first ever attendance at the 2016 event. I was initially dismayed at the lengthy queues outside Olympia, but these were well managed by the CAMRA volunteers and I was in the hall 27

28 a lot quicker than I feared. Though this was partly due to my ability to pre-order, last minute, tickets to the festival online an option not available to all CAMRA persons or members of the public, I note. Though I will certainly pre-order well ahead of time next time I look to attend, and would recommend this to others. Once inside I collected my commemorative glass, for a 3.00 deposit, though not being able to take it with me this was returned later in the day, and also purchased a programme guide to the event, at the Members discount cost of So now.. to the beers! Being a relative purist I was not sufficiently tempted by the extensive range of beers from around the world on keg, nor am I am a particular fan of real ciders and perries, therefore it was straight to the real ales for me. As detailed in the programme, the real ales were available on more than 20 bars inside the hall - mixed and matched with various geographical regions of the UK. This year, the bars were named after various items of beer and brewing equipment, though in 2016 it was famed pubs across the UK; The Prince of Wales, Foxfield near Millom was honoured in this way. As in the programme, there were details of the beer style and colour at the bar, as well as of course a full detailing of the relevant brewery and its location. Cumbrian real ales were found on bar B17 ( The Racking Room ) and were accompanied by beers from Derbyshire and Dorset, so the range and quality of this bar was exceptional, it needs to be said. Yates Brewery, from Westnewton near Aspatria, and their Golden Ale (3.9%) represented West Cumbria branch of CAMRA very well indeed. As helpful as the programme is, there is no replacement for slowly wandering round the hall, taking in the most attractive or exciting pump-clips or beer names and absorbing whereabouts the must-have beers are in Brook House Inn in the heart of Eskdale Hawkshead, Yates and Cumbrian Legendary Ales available plus great guests from local breweries. Up to 7 real ales and quiz nights fortnightly on a Sunday evening. Tel

29 relation to ones chosen seating area. Beers that have won awards at the Champion Beer of Britain competition held at the start of the week have pump-clip crowners to mark them out accordingly, and these are often amongst the first beers to entirely sell out, a few of which having done so by early Friday afternoon when I was there. Beers are recommended for the GBBF by CAMRA branches and members, though the request to supply is also dependant on the brewery being able to make batches of the beer in sufficient quantities. Other than the standard bars, some breweries had concessions at the event to sell a larger range of their beers. These included Harvey s of Lewes, Wadworth of Devizes and Titanic Brewery from the Potteries so devotees of their beers would not have been disappointed! Similarly, the hall was populated by a multitude of independent, varied and high-quality food stalls. Obviously, some food is very much recommended if attending a beer festival for any length of time and, indeed some fine fayre can complement the beer and the day as a whole. I was only there for an hour or so and so managed to resist the full range of burgers, pasties, sausages, hog-roast, biltong.. Being such a cavernous venue, Olympia is also able to accommodate other attractions, such as CAMRA s own shop, Viking drinking horns for sale, pub-games such as bar-skittles, tombola and even a stage area which played host to live music over the event. I noted that a pub quiz was held on the Saturday afternoon so this is something I would definitely prioritise should I be lucky enough to be able to attend Great British Beer Festival Brian Maudling Tel: Gosforth, Seascale, Cumbria CA20 1JA The Kellbank is an old coaching inn situated in the charming village of Gosforth Loweswater Gold is our regular beer along with our guest ales Bar Opening times: Monday to Saturday 11.00am to 11.00pm Sunday 12.30pm to 10.30pm Food served Monday to Saturday from 12.00noon to 9.00pm and Sunday pm 29

30 Spile - keep in touch with your pub One of the key tasks required of CAMRA volunteers is to keep up to date the state of their local pubs and whether there is real ale available there. Locally the West Cumbria Branch uses a system called SPILE which is linked to the national WhatPub database. Anyone can use SPILE to check their local area by visiting the West Cumbria Branch website westcumbriacamra.org.uk and click the link to Real ale pubs. There are no logins or passwords required to use the database but if you are a member of CAMRA and log in you get a better viewing experience. The job of keeping the information in SPILE can be difficult in the rapidly changing pub environment and we do our best to make sure that is correct and up to date. However any change or corrections you can send us is gratefully received. The contact is our Pubs Officer: Andy Roberts - whatpub@westcumbriacamra.org.uk or telephone You can also see the same information in whatpub.com where you can tick boxes and add text to send any updates to the branch directly This section of the database on the following pages covers Holmrook to Newlands. Symbols Key Holmrook Irton 30

31 Keekle Lorton Vale Low Lorton Loweswater Keswick has a guide of it s own see page 9 31

32 Maryport Mawbray 32

33 Nether Wasdale Newlands 33

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35 LANDLORDS PUT your PUB on the MAP Did you know that What Ales Has a circulation of over 3000 copies Goes to over 200 Pubs/Clubs/Restaurants/BBs and Hotels in Cumbria All local Tourist Information offices Local breweries We even distribute copies nationally What Ales is regarded as an invaluable guide for visitors to West Cumbria looking not only for Good Beer but also quality food and accommodation So why not put your pub on the map and advertise in what Ales We will even design the Advert for you to your specifications, plus you will then own the artwork and can subsequently use it as you wish perhaps like that below Placing an Ad is easy and even offset against your tax bill Half page, single issue 75; four issues prepaid 270 Quarter page, single issue 40; four issues prepaid 145 Inside cover, single issue 150; four issues prepaid 540 Outside back cover, single issue 175; four issues prepaid 630 Full page, single issue 120; four issues prepaid 430 contact the pat.whatales@gmail.com 35

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