Ale Trails and Branch Lines: Five Pubs Worth the Fare from Penrith

Penrith has two talents that rarely get mentioned in the same sentence. It sits on the West Coast Main Line, which means it flings you north, south and into the Lakes with almost indecent ease. And it happens to be surrounded by a brewing scene that has quietly gone from strength to strength over the last decade.

Put the two together and you get a very civilised sort of Saturday: no designated driver, no taxi-rank haggling, no parking app telling you the car park is full by half nine. Just a day return, a bit of planning around timetables, and a walk at each end.

A word before we start. Off-peak returns on these hops are pocket money, a Two Together or a Network Railcard pays for itself quickly, and Northern run most of the local services while Avanti West Coast and TransPennine Express handle the main line. Check the last train back before you order the second pint. That is the whole of the safety briefing.

The Shepherds Inn, Langwathby — the village-green stop

Getting there: Penrith to Carlisle takes about fifteen minutes, then it is a Northern service down the Settle–Carlisle line, southbound, roughly twenty-five minutes to Langwathby. Allow an hour and a quarter with the connection.

The walk: The station sits on the edge of the village, a few minutes from the green. You will hear the pub before you see it.

The pint: A proper village local with a changing board of Cumbrian guests — look for Hesket Newmarket and Great Corby beers when they appear. Food is honest and unfussy, which matters when you have a train to catch.

Why bother: Because the Eden Valley is the most underrated stretch of railway in the north of England, and this is the easiest introduction to it. The train ride alone, curling along the river with the fells stacking up behind, is worth the fare.

The Fox & Pheasant, Armathwaite — the riverside one

Getting there: Same line, one stop short of Lazonby. About twenty minutes from Carlisle, so roughly an hour from Penrith once you have changed.

The walk: The station is at the top of the village. Five minutes downhill and you are at the door — a genuinely rare thing in rural Cumbria.

The pint: Solid cask ale, low beams, and a garden that comes into its own in summer. There is also a second pub, the Duke's Head, if you fancy comparing notes.

Why bother: Armathwaite feels like a place that has been quietly getting on with things since long before anyone invented the phrase 'destination pub'. The river is a two-minute stroll from the bar.

The Factory Tap, Kendal — the brewery town

departure

Getting there: Direct main line train to Oxenholme, around twenty minutes, then a four-minute hop up the Windermere branch to Kendal. The branch platform is a short step from the main line, so the change is painless.

The walk: Kendal station is on the northern edge of town. Fifteen to twenty minutes downhill gets you to the centre, and the tap room is a short walk beyond that.

The pint: Fell Brewery is the local hero here, and the town has enough beer bars now to justify a whole afternoon rather than a single stop.

Why bother: Kendal is a proper working town with a proper beer culture, and it is the easiest of the five to reach from Penrith. Best saved for a day when the weather has other ideas.

The White Cross, Lancaster — the city stop

Getting there: Direct services from Penrith take around forty minutes, and there are several through the day.

The walk: From Lancaster station it is fifteen minutes or so through the shopping streets to the canal, then a short stretch along the towpath.

The pint: A canalside boozer with a serious cask line-up and benches that catch the afternoon sun. In winter, the inside is exactly as snug as you would hope.

Why bother: Lancaster is the closest thing to a big night out on this list, with enough other pubs, cafés and a castle to fill the gap between trains. It is also the stop where the return journey is frequent enough that you can stop worrying about it.

The Crafty Baa, Windermere — the Lakes finisher

Getting there: Main line to Oxenholme, then the Windermere branch to the end of the line. Around fifty minutes in total, allowing for the change.

The walk: The station is in the village, which is handy. Bowness is twenty minutes downhill — remember that the walk back up is steeper than it looks, or there is a bus.

The pint: Quirky, cluttered and unapologetically eclectic, with a fridge full of interesting bottles and a couple of casks on the go. Not a traditional boozer, but a good full stop to a day.

Why bother: It is the Lakes without the car park hunt, and the branch line journey is one of the prettiest short runs in England.

Making a day of it

Two things to know. First, the Settle–Carlisle service through the Eden Valley runs roughly every two hours, so the Langwathby and Armathwaite stops reward a bit of forward planning — pick one rather than trying to tick off both. Second, Sunday services on the rural lines are thin, and a cancelled connection on a Sunday evening is a long way from funny.

My advice: choose one valley stop and one town stop, eat properly at lunchtime, and treat the timetable as part of the day rather than an inconvenience. That is, after all, the point of travelling by train in the first place.