Kirkstone Pass Inn, Kirkstone Pass

Update February 2026: Kirkby Lonsdale Brewery has signed a lease to operate the bar.

Situated within the Lake District National Park Planning Authority area, the Inn was closed in July 2021, and sold June 2022 to a Manchester-based developer. The building has been pebble-dashed. The large car park outside the inn is part of the property rights; the owner (Supreme Escapes) is believed to intend to close it to the public once the lease to the Lake District National Park Authority ends in the next year or so.

Cumbria's highest pub and currently the second highest in Britain. If you arrive on foot over the hills or by bike (especially via the aptly named Struggle) you'll certainly feel that you've earned a pint. Built from 1496 it has an atmospheric interior including a photo taken in the infamously brutal winter of 1963 showing two men standing next to a snowdrift higher than their heads. The view from the outside tables is one of the best in the Lakes. En-suite rooms in the pub and bunkhouse adjacent.