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Location: Smithy Brow, Ambleside LA22 9AS
Year of Inscription: 2024
Venue Type: Village Pub / Hikers Pub / Traditional
Map
Description
Gallery
| EBG Rating: | 8.3/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ❤️❤️❤️ Cask ales from Robinson Brewery’s stable, the usual limited allowances for guest ales however. Simple, familiar alternatives. |
| Style/ Décor | ❤️❤️❤️❤️ Centuries old stone cottage up a narrow lane. Inside there are several rooms leading off from the bar area, with simple homely furnishings, warm hues, red upholstery and whitewashed walls decorated with local artwork and photography covering hiking, farming, etc. Bookshelves, games area, fireplaces. Look out for the tables with OS maps on them. |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Pleasingly unspoilt at the time of writing. Robinsons ownership always gives cause for tension given their habit of greywashing characterful pubs, but a long standing tenant has most likely helped avert that. The one true ‘boozer’ in Ambleside which is about socialising in a cosy, casual environment. Great atmosphere doing so in the typically Cumbrian surroundings, particularly when visitors mingle and cross-chat between groups. |
| Amenities/ Events | ❤️❤️❤️❤️ Pies, scotch eggs, snacks, outdoor seating, books, games, real fires |
| Value For Money | ❤️❤️ Typical tourist Lake District prices, but not extortionate. |
| Description | The Golden Rule was created in part from stone scavenged from the nearby Galava Roman Fort in the 16th century. It was originally the brewery house for Ambleside Hall before an 18th century conversion to a pub. The current licensee has run the pub for over 30 years and with their experience comes a commitment to maintaining an unspoilt hiker’s pub with a social focus. The interior is a web of different rooms, all of which are comfortably furnished with natural character from the buildings accented by photographs and artwork of the Lake District, hiking and mountaineering over the decades. There are fireplaces, shelves heaving with books and a few games to keep larger groups occupied. Food is restricted to pub snacks, pies etc rather than full meals, which sets it apart from everywhere else in town. The mixture of people who come to Ambleside always delivers interesting combinations and conversations which this pub at its best stokes and brings to life. Those who have visited The Fat Cat in Sheffield may notice a distinct similarity in atmosphere and format, although the two have no relationship, there are detectably similar attitudes on show. Robinson’s Brewery have a nasty habit of sterilising some of their heritage pubs (though there are noticeable exceptions), so it is nice to see that so far, they have not been tempted to do so here. By far and a way Ambleside’s best pub and one of the pub highlights of Cumbria itself too. (Added August 2024) |
