Sticklebarn
Great Langdale LA22 9JU
You'll be used to seeing National Trust staff working in historic properties and looking after the land – in Great Langdale they now also run the pub, the only National-Trust-run hostelry in the country. "You'll be drinking for charity" is the enticing line they use, but there's also the huge attraction of the place itself – open fires, real ales and a traditional Lakes stone-and-slate boozer inside, and a wide terrace outside with magnificent fell and valley views. Punters come straight down off the Langdale Pikes for thirst-quenching drinks and served-all-day, locally sourced bar meals – and by local, they mean from the valley itself where possible, like beef from the farm next door, Langdale lamb and a homemade "Stickle" toffee pudding. Hiker-friendly breakfasts and English Lakes ice cream top and tail the menu, with doorstop sarnies or a simple "pint, pie and pickle" catering for the lunch crowd – and the profits from the business, they promise, are all ploughed back into looking after Langdale, which means it would be rude not to order just one more pint.
