The Langdon Beck Hotel, Forest-in-Teesdale

This pub is the Tan Hill Inn of Upper Teesdale - remote, basic and seemingly with fires burning whatever the time of year. Even if you haven't traipsed across the moors in a snowstorm to get to it, it's the sort of place that makes you feel as though you have. There was a good selection of decent ales and a nice atmosphere when we were there. Two minor criticisms though: why does everything on the menu come with chips and peas, even dishes with a pasta or rice element to them? If we'd ordered pudding (which we didn't), we'd have half expected chips and peas with that too. And the bed and breakfast was over-priced for what it was. Otherwise, the Langdon Beck Hotel is authentic and original, and you can't say that about many place in these days of Wetherspoonisation and blandism.

11 Jul 2008 17:55

The Cumberland Inn, Townfoot

This pub more or less rescued us from a dismal evening in Alston. Arriving in Alston rather tired and fed up after failing to find a campsite in Weardale for the night, we foolishly booked in for bed and breakfast at the Victoria pub in the High Street, which is another story. We then did a quick external assessment of all the pubs in the village - as we tend to do - looking for the one most deserving of our custom for food and beer. We looked at seven. One was the Victoria, which was off the short list anyway. Another had aggressive looking locals standing around outside. One was shut for the evening. A nice looking one didn't do food and in any case was about to stage the village quiz. Two others were boarded up. In desperation, we opted for the Cumberland Hotel, a rather unassuming roadside pub at the foot of the town. It would be hard to fault what we found inside. The menu was extensive, innovative and interesting (and good value). There was a fine choice of good beers. The staff were pleasant and friendly. The place was throbbing with activity. There was even a library of second hand books to peruse and make purchases from. Everything a pub should be.

11 Jul 2008 17:32

The Victoria Inn, Alston

This pub has all the atmosphere of a building about to be demolished. When we arrived for bed and breakfast, the place was empty of customers, apart from a table of teenage lads nervously eyeing the door as if expecting the village policeman at any moment. Two very young girls - probably the landlady's children - were also running around. There was no real ale and to order an evening meal would clearly have been foolhardy, so we went to another pub in the village (the Cumberland Hotel) to eat. The following morning, the breakfast confirmed our worst fears about the food. The toast had mould on it, there was no cereal and the fry-up was more of a throw-up. The landlady was nice enough, though.

11 Jul 2008 17:17