The cosiest pubs in the Lake District for a winter afternoon

A Lake District pub on a wet November afternoon is one of the great pleasures of living here. Coats steam by the fire, dogs flop under tables, and someone at the bar is always explaining which way they came down. This is our list of the pubs that do it best, grouped by area so you can match one to a walk. We checked every pub against its own website, or CAMRA where the pub has no site of its own, in October 2026.

One rule before you set off: menus, food times and winter opening change more often than anything else in this guide. Where we give hours, they are what the pub publishes now, and it is always worth a quick call before you drive over a pass for lunch.

Ambleside, Troutbeck and Windermere

The Golden Rule, Ambleside

If you want a pub that is only a pub, this is it. The Golden Rule is a Grade II listed, multi-room Robinsons house just off the main road in Ambleside, with an open fire, no background music, no games machines and no big screens. It serves no meals, so bring an appetite for conversation and a bag of crisps. Dogs are welcome throughout. Robinsons lists it as open daily from 11am to 11pm. See our Golden Rule listing and the Ambleside guide.

The Hole in t' Wall, Bowness

The oldest pub in Bowness, built in 1612 as the New Hall Inn. Its nickname comes from a gap knocked through the wall so a blacksmith next door could be handed a beer while he worked. It pours Robinsons cask ales and serves straightforward pub food, from noon to 8pm Monday to Saturday and noon to 3pm on Sunday at the time of writing. There are no bookings, so arrive early on a winter weekend. Note that the pub has an annual winter closure, published as 19 January to 2 February. See our Hole in t' Wall listing.

The Watermill Inn, Ings

Two miles east of Windermere, just off the A591, the Watermill has brewed its own beer on site since 2006, and you can watch the brewery through a window in the main bar. There are up to 11 real ales on hand pull, real log fires in winter, and bar meals daily from noon to 9pm. Children and dogs are welcome, and every bedroom is dog-friendly. A proper rainy-day pub. See our Watermill listing.

The Mortal Man, Troutbeck

High in the Troutbeck valley, this inn is one of the most pet-friendly in the Lakes, with a secure dog field you can hire, and a beer garden that The Times once placed in the UK's top ten. On a cold day you will want to be inside with the valley out of the window. See our Mortal Man listing, and walk up from Ambleside over Wansfell Pike first if you have the legs.

Grasmere and Langdale

The Old Dungeon Ghyll, Great Langdale

The Climbers Bar at the head of Great Langdale was converted from the inn's old shippon, or cow shed, in 1949, and generations of climbers have drunk in it since, from members of Himalayan expeditions to Chris Bonington. Well-behaved dogs are welcome in the bar (not the hotel dining room), and food is generally served from 1pm, varying with the season. Stone floors, wooden benches and the Langdale Pikes right outside. See our Old Dungeon Ghyll listing and the Stickle Tarn walk.

The Britannia Inn, Elterwater

A small village inn at the mouth of Great Langdale, and our pick for a fireside lunch after the Elterwater and Skelwith Force walk. The inn itself recommends its open fire and cosy nooks for winter evenings. It serves real ale and seasonal pub food, with lunch from noon to 2pm, soup and sandwiches until 4pm and dinner from 5.30pm; bookings are by phone only. Dogs stay free in the rooms. See our Britannia listing and park at Elterwater car park.

The Traveller's Rest, Grasmere

A Grade II listed former coaching inn on the A591 at the foot of Dunmail Raise, a mile or so north of the village. CAMRA describes a roaring fire beside a compact bar and lists Jennings Cumberland Ale as a regular. It is the obvious stop if you come down off the Easedale Tarn walk wanting something more traditional than a café.

Tweedies Bar, Grasmere

Tweedies, on Red Bank Road, is the informal one: a bar with rooms, a strong range of craft beer and ale, seasonal food and sharing platters, a big garden with fell views and live bands most weekends. It is livelier than cosy on a Saturday night, but on a weekday afternoon it is a good place to dry out. See our Tweedies listing, the Grasmere guide, and park at Red Bank Road.

Coniston and Hawkshead

The Black Bull, Coniston

One of the few pubs in this list that genuinely brews its own beer. The Black Bull is a coaching inn about 400 years old, and Coniston Brewery was added behind it in 1995; Bluebird Bitter and Old Man Ale are the beers to try. Well-behaved dogs and children are welcome, and the food is classic pub cooking. It pairs naturally with the Old Man of Coniston. See our Black Bull listing.

The Sun, Coniston

Up the hill from the village centre, the Sun has a Donald Campbell room, a nod to his water speed record attempts on Coniston Water, and keeps a long line of real ales. See our Sun Inn Coniston listing and the Coniston guide.

The Kings Arms, Hawkshead

In the middle of car-free Hawkshead, the Kings Arms has exposed beams, a real fire and a bar post carved into the shape of a king. Regular ales are Hawkshead Bitter and Loweswater Gold, with two changing guests, and food runs at lunch and in the evening. Dogs are welcome in the bar but not the dining room. See the Hawkshead guide.

The Tower Bank Arms, Near Sawrey

A 17th-century inn owned by the National Trust next door to Beatrix Potter's Hill Top, and recognisable from her illustrations for The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck. It has a log fire, local real ales and well-behaved dogs are welcome. In winter (November to early February) it is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, apart from Christmas and New Year. See our Tower Bank Arms listing.

The Drunken Duck, Barngates

On the hillside between Hawkshead and Ambleside, the Duck is more inn-with-serious-food than village local, with 11 rooms and lunch served every day. Book ahead for lunch on a winter weekend. See our Drunken Duck listing.

The north and west

• The Langstrath, Stonethwaite. A family-run inn that calls itself the only true pub in Borrowdale, with a traditional bar and local produce such as Herdwick lamb from Yew Tree Farm in Rosthwaite.
• The King's Head, Thirlspot. A former 17th-century coaching inn at the foot of Helvellyn on the A591, with local real ales in the bar. Dogs are welcome when dining but no longer in the bedrooms. It is a western-side base for Helvellyn; Striding Edge is reached from Glenridding and Patterdale on the other side of the mountain.
• The Dog and Gun, Keswick. A town-centre local on Lake Road known for its Hungarian goulash. Walk-ins only, and dogs are welcome. See Keswick.
• The Kirkstile Inn, Loweswater. At the foot of Mellbreak, and the original home of Cumbrian Legendary Ales, which started here in 2003 before brewing moved to a larger site; Loweswater Gold is the one to order. Pair it with Loweswater and Holme Wood.
• The Wasdale Head Inn. The self-styled birthplace of British climbing, with Ritson's Bar for the end of a long day on Scafell Pike.
• The Old Crown, Hesket Newmarket. England's first registered co-operatively owned pub, owned by around 150 customers and supporters, with ales mostly from Hesket Newmarket Brewery on its doorstep.

Further south

The Masons Arms, Strawberry Bank. A 16th-century inn up a winding lane on Cartmel Fell, proudly dog-friendly, with five suites and two cottages if you would rather not drive home. Food is family-friendly pub cooking using local produce.

A note on older lists

Some guides still recommend the Scafell Hotel in Borrowdale. It has stopped trading, and its company went into liquidation in January 2026, so do not plan a fireside afternoon there. The Wordsworth Hotel in Grasmere, whose bar was once known as the Dove and Olive Branch, has been closed for refurbishment; check its own site before you go.

Before you go

• Book or arrive early. Many of these pubs take no bookings in the bar, and on wet weekends the best tables by the fire go by noon.
• Check winter hours. Rural pubs shorten food service and close on some weekdays between November and February.
• Dogs: most of these pubs welcome dogs in the bar but not in dining rooms. Our dog-friendly guide has more.
• Parking: village car parks in Grasmere, Elterwater and Hawkshead fill quickly. See our parking guide, or leave the car and take the bus; our car-free guide shows how.
• More food and drink: see eat and drink and our rainy-day guide.