West Cumbria CAMRA

Welcome to the CAMRA website for the glorious, but almost forgotten, far side of the Lake District!

Please contact the This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it if you find errors or omissions, or to pass on news.

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West Cumbria CAMRA news and notices - newest and most urgent at top!

Photos of Cumbrian pubs needed for this website - see bottom link on the left for details. Please help if you can.

May is Milds month

and well done to the Globe at Hensingham for having Derwent Whitwell Marks mild, 3.7% on! This is an historic recipe from an old Kendal brewery, and is very tasty, and makes a good bar partner fore Yates 25th Anniversary ale. Any other milds on in your local? Let the webmistress know so she can put it on here!!

Kirkstile Inn has CLA's new mild ­ Old Hall Dark Fruit Mild (3.2%) ­
delicious and malty, and with a hint of blackcurrant?

http://www.cumbrianlegendaryales.com/Our_Ales/Old_Hall_Mild.html?q=us

Ravenglass

Gordon Wilson, after many years of topclass work, is no longer running the Ratty Arms and looking after its beers. Apparently, Holly House is bursting at the seams since he left, as his regulars have decided to support John instead.

Shepherds Arms, Ennerdale Bridge

The Shepherds Arms is now open again, run by Keith (of Kirkstile Inn fame!) and serving well kept real ales. At the moment beers are Dent Aviator & Ramsbottom, plus Loweswater Gold and Ennerdale Blonde. Keith may be stocking Cumbria Legendary Ales new Mild when available.

Already getting very positive reviews: eg " Wow what a difference...The food is delightful and the choice on the menu is fab; also noticed a good selection of vegetarian dishes for once! Anyone who likes real ale is in for a treat too as there are 5 different ales.."

Two great pubs in a village makes it worth a night out!

The Miners Arms, Silecroft

has recently changed hands and Ryan Sim is currently running the bar.  They are currently trying to improve the standards of all aspects of the pub including general presentation, food, and of course our cask ales.  Currently sourcing ale from many local microbreweries including Hardknott and Stringers as well as the likes of Theakstons and Jennings.As always, please support!

coming up ....

Strands Beer Festival

May 11th, 12th, 13th May 2012  Strands, Nether Wasdale Festival of Ales. All 22 beers featured, at same time, mostly in marquee in garden. Free entry.

No branch transport planned but anyone the Wasdale Minibus (16 seats) goes there from Seascale Station on the Saturday. Info (pdf) here. To reserve a seat call Sims Travel on 01946 723227. If enough people prebook they might be prepared to put on another one there, later in the day than the published arrival time of 10.25am.

Then .....

Gosforth Beer Festival (new!)

Gosforth is holding its very own first beer festival on 26th and 27th May. The Gosforth Hall Inn, The Lion and Lamb, and the Horse and Groom Inn  are joining forces to host this two day event.
Beer +BBQ+ Entertainment. Vintage beers  and new beers, great entertainment at the venues,
Rod's famous BBQ  at the Hall and sausages made with beer at the Horse and Groom. Check the hotels for overnight stays.

Forthcoming branch events

26th May -  (Pub of the Year award)  The Brook, Cleator. Also the Manor, St Bees
on the same day for Pub of the Season presentation

6th June -  Branch Meeting  Middle Ruddings, Braithwaite near Keswick. Runner up award for Pub of the Year

23rd June - The Brown Cow Beer Festival followed by visit to The Strands, Netherwasdale for runner up POTY

Your help needed ...

All branch positions are up for election at the next meeting, on 2^nd May 2012 at The Calder House Hotel, Seascale. Have a look at the contacts page to see what roles there are, and consider offering yourself! Contact the current branch chair for further info or to register an interest. Working with CAMRA is not arduous and can be a lot of fun. Even if you have never been to a meeting, you are still welcome to take a role!

THIS IS Community Pubs month!!!!

See here for all the CAMRA Branch Pubs of the Year throughout the whole country! (Scroll right down for ours!)

Listen here for AO interview on BBC Radio Cumbria

Look here for the Community Pubs Month website and find out what is on in a community pub near you!

And make a POINT of supporting your local as much as you can this month!!!

New Brewery (31 now)

Eden Brewery, in the Old Brewery at Brougham Hall. For fuller details, follow the link above to Cumbrian Breweries.

First beers: Eden Gold 4.2%, Eden Best 3.8%

Reducing handpumps ....

The Bransty Arch has taken out three of its 15 handpumps and replaced them with fonts dispensing keg

John Smiths, Carlsberg and Fosters. This  does not reduce choice of real ales, however, as these were all duplicates anyway.

Have you signed the e-petition against the escalating bewer duty yet? If not, please do - it doesn't take a moment!

We pay more duty on beer than any country in the EU other than Sweden. Britain has one of the smallest gaps between beer duty and Spirit duty in the world!

Beer duty is increased in each budget by more than the rate of inflation.

£1.30 of your typical pint goes to the government  .... before the pub owner, the brewer,  brewery staff, the delivery, bar staff, dish-washers, pub cleaners etc, get a penny!

Whitehaven Beer Festival - a fantastic success - probably the best ever?

Well done to all those who worked, both at the festival and beforehand, and many thanks to all those who came, tried the beers and created such a great atmosphere!

Harknott news

Beers to be exported to Italy!

Clever name and subtle description has led to complaints to industry watchdog the Portman Group

Great Gable

has a new beer out called "Merry Port Ale" (4.2%) It has a port nose and silky finish and is dark red in colour.

Unsworths Yard Brewery,

is a new brewery in Cartmel. A cask of Cartmel Peninsula, a 3.8% bitter, will be on at The Allerdale Court in Cockermouth.

Solway CAMRA Pub of the Year

is the king's Head in Carlisle

Whitehaven Beer Festival - see link above for details

download poster ..... download flyer

Do you fancy running a free house in one of the most desirable towns in the Lake District?

Have you got loads of ideas and drive for making this pub stand out from all the other good pubs in the town? A very special tenant is needed to make a super little pub in Cockermouth realise its potential.

The Grey Goat Inn in Cockermouth is a grade 2 listed historic traditional Cumbrian pub, in the St Helen's Conservation area, just off the town centre. The pub has been recently refurbished, has many original features, has good accommodation and looks onto the Bitter Beck, just behind it. It is a free house in a town heavily dominated by Jennings pubs and where nearly all pubs sell real ale.

It has had several tenants over the last few years but needs somebody special to make it work , as it is off on a limb up St. Helen's Street. Rent and rates have always been very low by commercial standards, but it would take a very good operator to make the place pay, as there are so many pubs in the town.

download information

New Beer for Geltsdale - to launch the new radion series It's Grim Oop North

Fiona Deal, Brewster, says: “Drizzlewort is named after the Milecastle featured in the show. It is a Blonde coloured beer at 4% ABV and will be available in 500ml bottles and on draft." ...  read more about it

Brook Cleator

Landlord temporarily off the bar until a problem with it is resolved. York Guzzler and Harviestoun Ptarmigan  on ATM! Back on now!!!

Ewe & Lamb Padstow

(just round the corner from Keekle on the Whitehaven to Cleator Moor Road!) Excellent Black Sheep Bitter and changing Guest beer - Worthington Light Shield, both only £2.70 per pint. Worth visiting! An impressive array of pumpclips of recent guest beerson display. Curry night and quiz on Thursdays.

These quiet rural community pubs, doing a good job for their locals, need our support just as much as the busy town centre multi-guest beer pubs!!!

Ennerdale Brewery

Phil Callory will be leaving Ennerdale brewery due to ill health and Steven Hebblethwaite will be a temporary replacement.

New Real Ale outlet - Cleator Moor

(From the Community Pubs Month website:)

Robin Hood PH, Cleator
Description: Local Pub,Owned and Run by CAMRA member, free of tie tenancy
Opening hours: 17:00 ~ 23:00 (weekdays), 12:00 ~ 23:00 (weekends)
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Not going to happen now ... shame!!!

Sad news

After a succession of brave but failed attempts to run it as a good real ale pub, the Grey Goat in Cockermouth has closed its doors for the last time. The owner intends it to revert to housing, he having done his best to support all his tenants.

Real Ale now sold at Historic Hall

Irton Hall in Eskdale, now an historic holiday complex, consisting of B&B in the main Irton Hall with a variety of interesting apartments, cottages and houses in the grounds, has a bar opening from 6pm every night, serving several Cumbrian brewed real ales on handpump. There will probably all day opening from Easter, but phone to check.

Strands Brewery - for new updates see Cumbrian Breweries

Bransty Arch, Whitehaven

following extensive surveying of real ale drinkers at the pub, the three most popular beers: Yates Golden Ale, Exmoor Gold and Hawkshead Windermere Pale will always be on the bar, even when there is a beer festival on. Also, following representations to JDW, pubs will no longer be forced to take beer that their drinkers will not drink. Hip!!Hip! Hoorah!

There will still be Abbot, Ruddles and at least one guest at all times, too.

Well done to JDW and Bransty Arch - easily one of the best choices for real ale in the town, now.

Great Gable will be 10 years old next month

and to celebrate, they are brewing a special beer called "TEN". It will have ten ingredients (not counting water and yeast) 6 different malts and 4 different hop varieties and will come out at 5% ABV

Watch out for it!

Yates 25th Anniversary ale

is in the cellar at the Globe Hensingham, to come on next!

Brewing History Day in Cumbria

Cumbria Industrial History Society Spring Conference - Saturday 21st April 2012 at The Shap Wells Hotel, Shap, Penrith

CUMBRIAN CHEER -  historical aspects of the drinks trade in Cumbria: jeffersons, breweries, monastic brewing, bottles etc. Non members welcome. info and booking form here

Change of Name

The Keswick Lodge Hotel is now know as the Inn in Keswick

Kendal Brewery - in Burgundy's Wine Bar

Just one month after opening the brewery, bar and accommodation etc are for sale.

Details here

Only £925,000!

Good Beer Guide 2013 - final shortlist

Please visit as many  as you can and email feedback to the chair as soon as possible.

Hound, Arlecdon
Sun Inn, Bassenthwaite
Brook House, Boot
The Woolpack, Boot
Middle Ruddings, Braithwaite
The Fish, Buttermere
The Brook, Cleator
1761, Cockermouth
Castle Bar, Cockermouth
The Grey Goat, Cockermouth
The Bush, Cockermouth
Horse & Groom, Gosforth
Gosforth Hall, Gosforth
Punch Bowl, Great Broughton
The Dog and Gun, Keswick
The George Hotel, Keswick
Wheatsheaf, Lorton
Kirkstile Inn, Loweswater
The Lifeboat, Maryport
The Strands, Nether Wasdale
Last Man Inn, Plumbland
Ratty Arms, Ravenglass
Holly House, Ravenglass
Bridge Inn, Santon Bridge
Calder House Hotel, Seascale
The Manor House, St Bees
The Bush, Tallentire
Brown Cow, Waberthwaite
Wasdale Head Inn, Wasdale
The Tavern, Whitehaven
The Blue Bell, Workington

Ennerdale Bridge - The Fox & Hounds

We are informed that the manager has left .....!!

Ennerdale Brewery

Phil Callery, the brewer who has made such a huge difference to the taste and quality of the beers, is off sick, very ill .... and those left are doing their best but ask that we bear with them if there are minor variations in taste, as in the colour of the last batch of Liquidator! We send our best wishes to Phil.

Whitehaven Beer Festival

time to think about volunteering .... for available to download on the beer festival page

Goodbye to Sean and Caroline ...

who have decided to call it a day at The Boot Inn. Trading has been so poor over the last five years and Robinson's rents etc remain so high that they cannot sustain the losses. Pouring money down the drain .... Such a shame, as they have really been great at this pub. They first branch POTS Award to a  Robinson's pub within memory!!

From the article in What Ales

"Sean and Carolines’ attitude has always been to not only be willing to help make your time in their company a pleasure, but to go out of their way to ensure that it is."

(Read the full article that was in What Ales)

Robinson's are not sympathetic and won't negotiate: they have loads of people wanting to run their pubs .... same as at the Lowther, perhaps ....?

Distressed Sailor, Hensingham

New licensees in and real ale on sale again - the delightful Theakston's Lightfoot and Black Bull on this week. Please try to support them.

Be Aware when buying...

100% of Hobgoblin and EPA is now served in fast cask.

As are 25% of Pedigree, and Marstons special/seasonal beers.(Marstons' brands include Banks, Marstons, Jennings, Ringwood, Wychwood)

Blind tastings have shown that there is a difference and that the traditional cask conditioning was preferred.

Cumbrian Breweries Maps - new edition

£10.00, complete with poster tube, and are available from Brian Maudling,

treasurer (at) westcumbriacamra.org.uk or 07972 050679

Hawkshead

are not currently brewing Organic Stout, It is replaced by a NON Organic version  called Drystone Stout 4.5%. Neither is available in bottle.

Greyhound, Bothel

Closed.....

The new What Ales is out!

The latest issue of What Ales – our branch newsletter-magazine – is out now. We have a feature on our local breweries (seven of them in west Cumbria!) in which the breweries highlight their winter ales (and some of their other excellent beers available near you). Jim Chapple interviews local MP and real ale fan Tony Cunningham and Brian Maudling travels the west coast railway line from Ravenglass to Aspatria, stopping off at many of our branch area’s real ale pubs. Our pub of the season, the Horse and Groom at Gosforth is featured strongly and Hugh Price warns of the dangers of cleaning the lines while the pub is open!

You should be able to find it in your local pub, brewery or tourist information centre. It’s free! The print costs are covered by the generous support of our advertising pubs and breweries and, once again, we thank them for making our publication available to you. You can also download a version to read on screen here (and see all the past issues).

Good Beer Guide 2013 - message from the chair:

"The Good Beer Guide is CAMRA's showcase publication.  To be inclded in the guide a pub must serve real ale that is consistantly well kept.  A pub might have a range of ales on offer, or only one, but as long as the quality is consistantly high it is still eligable for inclusion.  Some beer guides on the market include pubs if they pay for an entry, this is not the case with The Good Beer Guide, only pubs recommended and voted for by mebers are included.

Below are the pubs so far nominated to be considered for inclusion in the 2013 Good Beer Guide.  We would like CAMRA members to visit lots of these pubs over the next month and feedback to me with thier views on the quality of the beer served, or come along to the January meeting at Workington Cons Club on Wednesday January 4th.  If anyone would like to moninate a pub that isn't on the list they have until Tuesday January 3rd to do so.

The pubs are listed in no particular order:
Middle Ruddings - Braithwaite;     Scafell Hotel - Rosthwaite;     Dog and Gun - Keswick;     The George Hotel - Keswick     Sun Inn - Bassenthwaite
The Pheasent - Bassenthwaite;     Punchbowl - Great Broughton;     Kirkstyle Inn - Loweswater;     Fox and Hounds - Ennerdale
1761 - Cockermouth;     Tithe Barn - Cockermouth;     Castle Bar - Cockermouth;     Grey Goat - Cockermouth;     Wheatsheaf - Lorton
Last Man Inn - Plumbland;     Bar 'n' Bistro - Glicrux;     Calder House - Seascale;     Ratty Arms - Ravenglass;     Brown Cow - Waberthwaite
Bridge Inn - Santon Bridge;     Bower House - Eskdale Green;     George IV - Eskdale;     Brook House - Boot;     Woolpack - Boot
Strands - Nether Wasdale;     Wasdale Head Inn - Wasdale;     Horse and Groom - Gosforth;     Manor House - St Bees;     The Brook - Cleator
Parkside - Frizington;     Lion and Lamb - Gosforth;     The Globe - Hennsingham;     The Fish - Buttermere;     The Tavern - Whitehaven;
Henry Bessemer - Workington;     Lifeboat - Maryport;     The Bush - Tallentyre;     The Bush - Cockermouth;     The Vagabond - Whitehaven
Gosforth Hall - Gosforth;     The Swan - Cockermouth;     Bransty Arch - Whitehaven;     The Stork - Rowrah;     The Hound - Arlecdon;
Horse and Farrier - Threkland;     The Albert - St Bees;     Bluebell - Workington"

CLA

Dickie Doodle 3.8% has been rebranded as Esthwaite Bitter

Great Gable Social Club

"For the presentation for pub of the season, I am happy to put on some food and also to do a "Christmas Gift"special so if any CAMRA member wants to buy a mini keg or bottles of our ale then they will also
get a free bottle or more depending on how much they buy! Giles will also be in the bar and some vintage bottles of ILLGILL and YEWBARROW will be available for tasting to see how they mature. A beer quiz
will also be available, with a prize of a mini keg to the winner" (Howard)

Jennings CAMRA Complimentary Club

Jennings has joined  CAMRA's Complimentary Clubs scheme and will offer members a variety of free promotions throughout the year which could include free pints of beer, free bottled beer, free brewery trips, competitions etc.

To join, login to the national CAMRA site and find the Members' Area, then the Complimentary Clubs section, and follow from there.

Winter Beer Festival at the Kirkstile Inn, Loweswater

December 14 - 17 for details see Beer Festivals

YATES Green Hop Bitter 4.3%

- glorious - light, mellow, fruity, gentle hop flavour - totally delicious! Last pin on at the Globe Hensingham. Better get there today (Tuesday) or early tomorrow evening if you want a try. The last three pins each went in a single day!

This beer is made from the hops originally planted at the brewery by Peter Yates, and Graeme was able to produce 13 barrels this year. (The equivalent of one barrel was at the Globe! - who got the rest?)

Middle Ruddings - Afterword

Liz and Andy McMaster would like to thank all the brewers who
provided such
a brilliant selection of ales at the dinner on Friday. Fantastic.

Middle Ruddings Beer Lover's Dinner - this Friday (the original!)

The beers available for the beer lover dinner this Friday are as follows but I hope there will be some left for Saturday so all welcome.
Snow Ho Ho and Orange Blossom from Nether Wasdale Strands Brewery
Kingshorn and Blurred Encounter from Foxfield brewery.
Bewcastle Brown from Geltsdale
Cuboid from Hardknott brewery
Red Bull Terrier from Barngates.
Then Hawkshead Bitter, Loweswater Gold and Old Faithfull on tap.

Pub of the Season presentation to the Horse and Groom.

The date for this has been confirmed as the afternoon of Saturday December 10th at 1.30 for 2.00.  Travel for this is by public transport and the presentation time fits in with the bus timetable.

The  pre-festival t-shirt.

They are available by post by contacting me at a cost of £11 for one, to include P&P or £20 for two, avoiding P&P for "bulk" order.  They make brilliant Christmas presents and are available in all sizes from small to XXL.

Closure and sale of the Bitter End Brewery

The 2.5 barrel plant brewing equipment has been sold to a London pub, Tap East, situated in the brand new Westfield complex at Stratford. They will be launching the inaugural Tap East beer, a 6.5% Extra Stout, on Wednesday November 9

4 new breweries in Cumbria

See Cumbrian Breweries page - on men, left, or click here

Award for Local Brewing Co

Graeme Mitchell, Workington based CAMRA member and owner of Mitchell Krause Brewing, must be delighted that his Bavarian Hefe Weiss beer was voted Beer of the Festival at last weekend's Workington Oktoberfest.

For details of where his beers can be found, follow this link to Cumbrian breweries

His beers are to be brewed by Dave Taylor at Hardknott Brewery in Millom.

New beer from Great Gable - at the Globe Hensingham

- Iron Awe, stunning red in colour with a refreshing complexity. It has been the fastest seller ever at the Horse & Groom. Also on at Wadale Head. Now on at The Globe, Hensingham - very tasty!

Manor St Bees- mini beer festival last weekend was a sellout!!!!

Beer positivley FLEW out! Well don Jon and team!

New brewery in Cumbria

Burgundy's in Kendal

Brewing has begun!!! The brewery will be called Kendal Brewing Co.

Pubs for sale

Both the Wheatsheaf in Egremont and the Middle Tap in Maryport are up for sale by auction via Sidney Phillips. Both are around the £100K mark. Apparently, to bring the Wheatsheaf up to scratch would cost double its asking price of £100K.

Winter beers from Keswick

Thirst Winter 4.4% and Thirst Noel (for Christmas) - 6%. They are also going to produce a new lower strength Christmas ale, around 3.6%,

Price decreases at the Candlestick Whitehaven - not a promotion - just the new regular price

eg HARTLEYS XB £2.20 A PINT

The next Beer Festival meeting

will take place on Wednesday 16th November at Whitehaven Cons Club, Lowther Street, Whitehaven, starting at 7.30pm.  All welcome.

The pre-festival t-shirts are now ready.

They are available in all sizes from Small to XXL, the design is the same as the current What Ales cover.  They cost £10 each and will be for sale in the first instance at Workington Beer Festival on Friday 28th, Saturday 29th, and Sunday 30th of October, then at the next West Cumbria Branch Meeting on Wednesday November 2nd at The Blue Bell in Workington.

CAMRA Quiz Team

The winter league starts again and the team is again playing from the Vagabond in Whitehaven. New members welcome. Team answers ONLY are given - no individual rounds! Don't be afraid - come and give it a try! Just turn up!

For the fixtures see menu left, towards the bottom

Globe Hensingham

Loweswater Gold 4.3% to be regular now, it is so popular. Currently joined by Holt's IPA 3.8% (sweet, mellow and malty)

Billy McGrady's, Whitehaven

Real ale sales going well at Billy McGrady's, and they have now gone up to three handpumps, with two regulars and a guest beer.

The Secret's Out!

Billy McGrady's Best Bitter, 3.6%, sold in Billy McGrady's, Whitehaven has been identified as Thwaites' Original, 3.6%. A good choice for a session beer, but......

"CAMRA deplores the practice of pubs advertising beers as "house brands" when the beers are not produced by or exclusively for the pub."

And

"CAMRA believes that both cask and keg products should indicate the place of brewing of the
product at the point of dispense for draught products and on the label for packaged products."

Three Tuns, Whitehaven

Black Sheep Special - 4.4% and Golden Sheep - 3.9%

'Orrible Murder!!!

"6 bedroom detached house.  Situated on the edge of the picturesque village of Westnewton, overlooking the village green this former public house has been converted into a super spacious family home which lends itself to a business project and has the potential of a bed and breakfast property.
Offers in the region of £375k".

And again?????

The Horse & Jockey, Parsonby, has a "Leasehold For Sale" sign up.

Pub Beer Festival at Manor, St Bees, Fri 4th, Sat 5th and Sun 6th Nov,

for further details and the fantastic beer list, see Beer Festival in the menu left.

The latest What Ales (the branch newsletter) is now available online.

Follow the link in the menu left to download your copy.

The CASK REPORT 2011-2012, produced by Pete Brown - the state of the real ale industry in Britain. Download your copy - an interesting read.

The Downfall of Campaigning - video report - Watch online, clear the advert for the subtitling - DO not MISS!!

Congratulations to Yates Brewery on their 25 years of quality brewing

Yates, started by former Jennings Head Brewer, Peter Yates, was started in 1986, the first independent micro brewery in Cumbria, ably run for the last 13 years by Graeme and Caroline Baxter, who have continued to notch up plenty of top awards for their beers!

Beer Lovers' Dinner

This will be on Friday 11th November in Kendal, Roger Protz (Editor of the Good Beer Guide, amongst other things) will be the guest speaker.

It is again a 6 course meal with beers from the Furness area - Beckstones, Stringers, Ulverston, Foxfield, Barngates, Cumbrian Legendary Ales, Greenodd .....should be good!

It will cost £30 per person. Please book this with Eileen Lithgow (

07814 646245 or email:  socialsecretary (at) westcumbriacamra.org.uk)

Otherwise, book direct with Furness branch, £35 per person, or £33 if CAMRA members.

Great Gable News - from Howard:

"After the success of my Ginger Ale , Giles reluctantly let me have
another go but of course he could not resist tweaking it so look out
for "Howard's Ginger Gold" at Ulverston Beer Feastival and at the
Horse&Groom.
However, success has gone to my head and I have produced "Howard's
Chocolate Orange Mild" which should be on at the Horse&Groom this
weekend. Note the only reason it has my name on it is not through ego
but rather that Giles wants nothing to do with it!
Wry nose has made a welcome summer return."

WHITE HORSE, SCALES

Above old building has reopened as a public house, under the care of the Maudsley family at the Coledale, who are the new owners.
Good to see, as it has not traded well for a considerable time and was perhaps threatened with closure.

We are informed that Parson's Pledge was for sale when it reopened and no doubt other ales.

Sad news:

Jim Fearnley....who founded the Hesket Newmarket Brewery died yesterday (Tuesday) His small enterprise that led to the orginal pub then brewery cooperative buy-outs, being the first, gained a high profile in the national media and with Royalty.

These had a huge impact, leading to many such community buy-outs, both within Cumbria and further afield.

And more sad news ....

Cumbrian pub can be turned into house after long dispute

Plans to turn a pub in Westnewton into a house have been approved after nearly three years of wrangling.

Roger Thorne, publican at the Swan Inn, first submitted plans to turn the 18th-century pub into a house in 2008. Since then there have been many twists and turns to the application.

However, now the plans have finally been approved, subject to conditions. Read more in the Cumberland News

Why not join our brand new email list ...

and keep even more up to date with what's going on? (sorry - members only!)

Get the latest info on arrangements by email!

We can see if there are enough people interested to plan a bus or minibus to a beer festival, go in a group to visit pubs or do the Tyne Valley rail trail together. Discuss CAMRA things, tell others of beery events they might miss, let others know of any good beers they have particularly enjoyed.. .etc

see link bottom menu left for further information and to join.

Cumbrian Legendary Ales Loweswater Gold has, 3rd time lucky, won CAMRA's Champion Beer of Britain in the Golden Ales!!!!!

The Punchbowl at The Green, first festival was very successful! There was a great range of Beckstones and other beers. All Saturday trains were met at Green Rd Stn for those who didn't want to walk (free).
Food - £2 was tasty and plentiful.

CAMRA has announced (link) the winners of the National Pub Design Awards for 2011

Saturday 25th June - trip

Presentations:  Pub of the Year runner up, Brown Cow, Waberthwaite; Beer of the Festival, Beckstones, to be presented at the Punchbowl at The Green near Millom; and then on to the Blacksmith’s Arms.

It is the Brown Cow's beer festival that weekend, too. Names for the bus to Eileen or Geoff ASAP.

Also

Saturday 25th June

St Bees village fete. They are doing a mini real ale festival in the Manor House over the whole weekend, Friday 6pm till last doors Sunday night, using all 5 pumps and with up to 15 different real ales from all over England, as well as Yates's fitting name of Bees Knees.

News from Great Gable

Coming soon at Horse & Groom is a porter from the Brown Cow Brewery in Yorkshire called "Thriller in Vanilla" abv 5.1%.
Giles has finally let Howard (his boss)  do a beer again. It will be "Howard's Ginger Beer" a bit of an experiment, ready July at around 5%ish abv. available at the Horse & Groom only.
They are now brewing so much "Wastwater Gold" that they are having to put on a night shift to brew theirr other brands!

St Bees - Seacote Hotel - three real ale at £3.10 per pint ("No more than at the other pubs here ....") . Reluctant to change pipey and stale beer or to top up, but Betty Stogs got nicer the more we had....

Manor House - Four glorious summer Ales, only one of which we had tasted before, plus St Austell Tribute - all in fantastic condition and all at only £2.70 per pint. Keep an eye on their guest beers list - see link on left.

Wath Brow Hornets doing well with real ales, now. Ennerdale beers generally on the bar at the moment.

Grey Goat, Cockermouth to reopen with party on Thurs 16th June, from 4pm. CAMRA members 50p discount with card. Email Eileen if you want transport to go - not necessarily that early, though!

Brook, Cleator now has a 5th handpump, dedicated to real cider, Weston's at the moment.

Stork, Rowrah is now selling Ennerdale beers

The George IV, Stanley St, Workington,

Is closed and up for sale with Smeatons - details here

May is Milds Month

Please ask your local pubs to stock a mild throughout May, make sure you try any you find and celebrate the style, which is still quite rare, and report here what you find so that others can sample and enjoy!This is one of CAMRA'S KEY CAMPAIGNS, SO PLEASE SUPPORT IT!

Hopefully we will have some Jennings Mild to drink at the AGM in the Tithe Barn. (didn't...)

Remember, milds can be light, as in Yates' Golden Ale, as well as dark ruby coloured, and everything in between. They just have to be NOT bitter!!

Milds around...

Darkest Ennerdale - a 4% mild, is on at the Globe, Hensingham. (26th May)

Banks Mild at the moment followed by Harvestoun Born to be Mild at Brook House, Boot (27th May)

There's currently a different real cider available - Mr Whitehead's (Hants) Cirrus - 5.1%  at the Bransty Arch

Grey Goat, Cockermouth

The Grey Goat is re-opening in June, with cask ales on. See this space for further news

Wath Brow Hornets and Cockermouth Rugby Club are both planning beer festivals. Further news when it reaches here!

ROYAL WEDDING (ignore this, RePublicans!)

Ulverston brewery have produced a special, Seal of Approval, to be in cask and bottles next Friday. 50p from every bottle goes to the hospice. (Don't know if they are RAIBs...) more here...

Saturday 25th June  Presentation :

Pub of the Year runner up, Brown Cow, Waberthwaite, Beer of the Festival, Beckstones, to be presented at the Punchbowl at The Green near Millom

and on to the Blacksmith’s Arms.

Fact of the day No 10

The pub that has the 2nd highest number of entries in the GBG over the years is the Stork at Rowrah, with 26 entries.

Fact of the Day No 9
There are 39 pubs in our branch area that have only ever been in the GBG once

April News

After a long absence, Great Gable has brewed the delicious Golden Gill 5% again, also mini cask and bottle conditioned! Available in the Horse & Groom, together with some beers from Foxfield. Ask your local to get some, too!

Barry Everingham from Tamworth, NSW, Australia found our website this week and sent his interesting reminiscences of a visit to the Black Cock at Eaglesfield, (Annie's) see his report and photos  - the link to it is on the menu, left, at the bottom.

"The Fox and Hounds at Ennerdale Bridge has re-opened on 4th April 2011. A group
of local people have clubbed together to take on the lease and run the pub for
the benefit of the community. The beers will include 2 from Ennerdale brewery
and 2 from Jennings plus 1 pump featuring guest ales."

Fact of the Day No 8

Number of pubs that have had a name change since their GBG entry: 15

Fact of the Day No 7
Number of ex-GBG pubs still open but no longer selling real ale: 21

Fact of the Day No 6

The town with the most pubs that have ever been featured in any of the 39 beer guides is Keswick, with 16, no more than three in any single edition, though!

Fact of the Day No 5

The 1st GBG was 18 pages long and priced 25p, in 1972, and the nearest pubs to West Cumbria was the Criterion in Hexham, selling Camerons beers, and believed to be the only draught beer house in Hexham.

Fact of the Day No 4
Number of ex GBG pubs that are now closed: 26

Fact of the Day No 3
There have been 152 different West Cumbria branch pubs in the Good Beer Guide since the first one ever, which was in 1972.

Fact of the Day No 2

Black Cock Eaglesfield has been in the Good Beer Guide more times than any other pub in our area - 27 times out of a possible 39.

Fact of the Day No 1

The highest number of West Cumbria branch pubs ever included in the Good Beer Guide was 32, in both 1982 and 1983.

More March News

Manor, St Bees is putting in a 5th handpump to keep up with demand. Regular beer, Deuchars IPA, has been replaced by St Austell's Tribute.

Ennerdale Brewery

The new brew is called Liquidator, 3.9% a bitter. Let us know where you find it!

Seacote Hotel at St Bees, smartly refurbished, now has real ale - Black Sheep Bitter, and two guests during the summer season. The Black Sheep handpull is the smart new illuminated style, with the above bar, side dispense pipe, but it is still serving cask ale!

The Cons Club in Whitehaven is thinking about a local Cumbria beer for a second handpump - maybe from Cumbrian Legendary Ales or Great Gable. Go and add your voice!!

They are also currently selling real cider from a small farmhouse cider producer.

Both the Spoons pubs in Whitehaven and Workington are participating in the Wetherspoons Spring Beer Festival. Make the most of some unusual and rare beers available.

Whitehaven Beer Festival has been and gone - report and photos awaited.

Wednesday 16th

was CAMRA's 40th birthday.

(See the About CAMRA menu link to see what we have achieved in all that time!)

CAMRA was formed on 16th March 1971 by four founding members - Michael Hardman, Graham Lees, Jim Makin and Bill Mellor - whilst visiting a pub on holiday in Ireland. They were disillusioned with quality of the beers they were drinking, and began the 'Campaign for the Revitalisation of Ale', to become CAMRA with a small name tweak to  real ale After their rallying call CAMRA, forty years later,  has nearly 120,000 members.

West Cumbria branch of CAMRA celebrated the anniversary on Wednesday 16th March 2011 by meeting in Whitehaven's TAVERN in Tangier Street.

This photo is on the National CAMRA website, too!

March News

The latest issue of our branch newsletter – What Ales? – for Spring, is currently being distributed around all the pubs in the area. You can download a PDF version to read on your screens from here now.

Egremont is fast becoming a destination real ale town!!

The Blue Bell is now giving Great Gable beers a try, and going in today is the wonderful Wastwater Gold 4% which should be ready by Wed or Thurs! Add this to the very recent news that the Central now has the glorious Loweswater Gold, from Cumbrian Legendary Ales, at £2.55 per pint, and with the dark and delicious Blackbeck Belle in the Ship Launch, that is three fabulous Cumbrian micro's beers in the three real ale pubs in the town!! Support them all!! And support public transport, too, by using the number 30 bus. You can  have a good afternoon or evening out here, now!!

February News

The Brewery House in Harrington at last has real ale - as it should, as a former brewery!! Good Jennings Bitter on the bar, and the food is pretty good, too!

The Galloping Horse at High Harrington has reopened, with new and keen licencees, and already put three Jennings beers on, where there was just one before.

The new Cumbrian Legendary Ales beer, American Invasion, (a 5% American Pale Ale) is now available at the Globe Hensingham. Hurry - it won't stay on long!!

CLA's Buttermere Beauty, a gorgeous pilsner style beer, has just been brewed - a welcome reappearance of this wonderful beer!

Delighted landlord of the Boot Inn, Sean King and his partner Caroline Friel, with their Pub of the Season award in pride of place behind them, this acknowledging the quality of their beer, and the fellowship of their pub. Well done both and to all the staff who help to make the Boot Inn what it is!

The Swan at Westnewton - action needed!

This pub, the only pub in the villages, has been closed for many years. The owner, Roger Thorne, applied for planning permission to convert to a private dwelling, and thanks to written objections, this was refused on the grounds that it had not been advertised for sale at a price that refelcted its status as a pub and its trading position and would result in the loss of the one remaining public house where it has not been demonstrated that it has no viable future..

He is now appealing against this refusal and your letters are again required. Please send objections, citing ref  APP/G0908/A/11/2144531/WF, to the Inpector at Allerdale Borough Council, Allerdale House, Workington CA14 3YJ by 3rd March 2011. (3 copies needed)

This village needs a pub!!!

Great Gable beers are back at home in the Wasdale Head Inn

The previous tenants have gone and it is now being run under the direct control of its owners, who are putting in a reliable and known manager, who has worked there before, when it was the Wasdale Head Inn we all knew and loved!

Hawkshead Brewery has a new beer - Triple XBP 8.5% - must be really something!! This is a very strong version of Brodie's Prime.

Changes in committee:

Geoff & Eileen Lithgow joint social secretary,

Tom Hall no longer equipment officer.

Blackbeck has now produced their own cider - Rib tickler at 6.5 %. No tasting notes provided.

January News

The Middle Ruddings Beer Lovers Dinner was well attended and a good
time was had by all. Beers featured were Old School from The Brown
Horse, Fruit de Lune and Barley wine from Nether Wasdale, Winters Tale
from Ings and Continuum from Hardnott Brewery. We thank all the
brewers for their efforts and skill.
This week while stocks last the Ale will be selling at £2.00 per pint.

Kells Legion

has Worthington on draught - not sure if it is real ale though - can someone check?

Three Tuns Whitehaven - real ale back on; pedigree and a real cider now served through handpumps

Candlestick Whitehaven - is going to get a guest beer (non-Robinson's) as well as a cider on handpump.

The Bower House, Eskdale, has applied for planning permission to build a brewery

Radio Cumbria

The licensee of West Cumbria Pub of the Year 2011, Chris Lace, was featured on Radio Cumbria giving his opinion of the proposed schooner-sized beer measure and his own opinion about what makes a good pub, with his rather tongue-in-cheek explanation about how he is able to guarantee that he always serves a great pint of real ale!

Click here to listen to the interview on the Ian Timms show (11.1.11).  Fast forward to 2:36 (a section from the Castle Green in Kendal comes before Chris)

Congratulations to:

West Cumbria Pub of the Year -  The Brook at Cleator

Presentation to be arranged

(and very well done to all the runners-up!)

and

West Cumbria Winter Pub of the Season - The Boot Inn, Boot

(Presented Sat Feb 5th)

The Black Cock in Easglesfield is to reopen and be re-named "Annie's"