A babbling brook etches a course past Louise Dinnes’s ‘good-value, thoroughly dependable’ Victorian pub-with-rooms, where visitors find ‘outstanding food’ and ‘welcoming, efficient service’. The maze of cosy tartan-carpeted public rooms has inviting comfy chairs, an open fire and a relaxed, dog-friendly atmosphere. ‘The sort of place one could just sit in, happily tucked away with a newspaper and a pint of cask ale or a Cumbrian micro-distillery spirit.’ Each nook and cranny reveals something new: books, board games, musical instruments. Served in these spaces, chef Scott Fairweather’s ‘seriously good’ modern British menu offers the likes of celeriac rösti, creamed cabbage, poached egg, Stilton; chicken, sauce of black truffle, roasted onions, pearl barley. Afterwards, comfortable nights in a ‘well-maintained’ bedroom come with fresh milk, handmade organic toiletries and fluffy towels; some rooms have their own entrance to keep Fido happy. The popular country inn is surrounded by the fells – convenient for ramblers and climbers, who can head south to the Yorkshire Dales and west to the Lakes. (RG, and others)