Places to gather and share the craic are a quintessential part of any journey. Fortunately the Lake District is well provided for in this respect. Here are seven special places on the Pilgrimage route to eat, drink, recover and share stories.
Royal Hotel, Dockray
It has been said and written that Mary Queen of Scots
stopped at the Cross Keys (as the Royal Hotel was known then) on 13th July 1568. The Cross Keys was originally a farmhouse and there was a
forge to the side of the old bar where the present sitting area is, and on the
other side of the old bar there was a barn and then the stables and carriage
houses. The practice of changing names to some variation of Royal
Hotel was prevalent from 1850 onwards, sometimes for the flimsiest of reasons,
and in the case of the Cross Keys it was the presumed visit by Mary Queen of
Scots in 1568. It was a form of advertisement, directed at the middle classes,
and especially the women, who would prefer to stay at a hotel than an inn and
would like to mix with the higher echelons of society. The 'Cross Keys' became
the 'Royal Hotel' sometime between 1861 and 1871.
White Horse Inn, Scales
The name Scales comes from the Old Norse skali, with an Old English plural *Scalas, meaning huts. The village has a long history, proven when mesolithic human remains were discovered in a cave in a limestone
outcrop known as Scales Haggs to the east of the village. The pub
hasn't been around quite that long but offers a real fire and bunkhouse
accommodation.
Black Sail Hostel, Ennerdale
This former shepherd's hut has been a youth hostel for more than 80 years and is one of the very few that still requires visitors to arrive on foot or by bicycle. It is the Lake District's only real mountain hut. Given its singularity, booking is very important if you want to stay overnight. World famlous mountaineer, Sir Chris Bonington, is a fan: “YHA Black Sail is my favourite youth hostel -
its position with its unspoilt environment, sense of being in the wild
and its incredible view, combined with warm and friendly wardens who
cook you a superb simple meal backed by an amazingly good small wine
cellar, make it unique."
Wasdale Head Inn, Wasdale
Another longstanding hotel which has been used by travellers for 200
years or more. Most of the early passers by were farmers, miners,
merchants, smugglers and others travelling over the mountain passes to ply their trade in adjacent valleys; but over
the years Wasdale has also played host to many great men of literature
including Wordsworth, Coleridge and Dickens. Will
Ritson (b 1808) was the first and is still the most famous landlord of the
hotel, renowned as "The World's Biggest Liar", as well as being a huntsman, wrestler, farmer, fellsman, guide and general raconteur.
Newfield Inn, Seathwaite
Today this is a welcoming hostelry set in the charming Duddon valley, but in 1904 it was the scene of a public works riot. Three men were ordered out of the pub at noon, having begun drinking at 9am. This incited the men to smash anything they could before hurling half a ton of rocks at the church and school and returning to stone the pub. The barman, publican and an engineer shot all three men, one of whom died. It is a rather more serene spot today with camping and a camping barn nearby.
Three Shires Inn, Little Langdale
The Three Shires dates back to 1872 and was named after the stone of the same name that marks the boundary of Lancashire, Westmorland and Cumberland. The pub has long been a stopping of place for travellers, being at the intersection of several packhorse routes. It would also have been a watering hole for the miners in the nearby Greenburn mines.
Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, Langdale
The Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel was originally a farm and known as the Middlefell Inn. The stables at the Northeast end were made
into a dining room, whilst the shippon, on the other end, was made into what is now the Climbers Bar
and you can still see the cow stalls intact. These were the days of the horse-drawn ‘charas’ bringing visitors
from Little Langdale over Blea Tarn Pass; they would stop at the top and
blow their horn, a signal to get lunch or tea ready – the number of
blasts informed the staff of the number of passengers requiring the
meal! It has long been a climbers pub, being a venue for club dinners and talks, which meant that many of the best British
climbers from the 1950s and 60s stayed at the hotel, including those involved in the first ascent of Everest.
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