Poets Bar at the Lancrigg
Formally a popular vegetarian restaurant with rooms, the Lancrigg was sold in 2016 and has now been fully refurbished. As part of the refurbishment, a section of the building that was once home to the library of artic explorer Sir John Richardson has been converted into a family friendly bar that serves food and locally brewed ale throughout the day.
The bar is very popular with walkers thanks to its location at the start of popular routes up to the summit of Helm Crag and to Easedale Tarn. The remainder of the building is used as a luxury hotel and restaurant and is set within 30 acres of its own grounds.
Food & Drink
The Lancrigg has a long history of providing excellent freshly prepared food and the new owners are keen to continue this tradition. Whilst the hotel’s restaurant provides a more upmarket experience, the Poet’s Bar offers much more informal and relaxed dining, with a menu that comprises of pub favourites, such as pizzas.
The bar’s primary focus is on capturing the passing trade from walkers in the area, so along with hearty main meals, you will also find a fabulous selection of sandwiches, as well as some delicious homemade cakes for when you need a sugar boost to get you up the fells. Although the Lancrigg is no longer strictly vegetarian, the new owners have been careful to ensure that there is still plenty of choice for non-meat eating customers. There is a children’s menu, and on Sundays a roast dinner is served with all the trimmings.
The bar offers a changing selection of locally brewed real ales, along with premium lagers and ciders. The wine list provides a good number of choices with something to suit most tastes and you will find the usual choice of spirits and soft drinks behind the bar. If you prefer something hot then the bar also serves up barista style coffees.
Other Features
The bar is set in 30 acres of gardens with trails to explore. Just outside the bar, there is a children’s play area with climbing structures and a slide. Dogs are welcome throughout the bar.
History
The Poet’s Bar is housed in what was once the library of Sir John Richardson, a Scottish naval surgeon who, along with John Franklin, mapped out nearly 2,000 miles of artic coast in Canada, gathering many specimens along the way. He retired to the Lake District in 1855, moving into the Lancrigg.
The house, originally a farmhouse, dates back to the 1600s, but in the 1800s, it was purchased by Elizabeth Fletcher, who was a friend of William Wordsworth. Her son was a friend of author Charles Dickens, who visited the family at the property. Her daughter married Sir John Richardson, which is how he came to live at the property. Richardson was a good friend of the poet Robert Burns and the naturalist, Charles Darwin. Robert Southey and Thomas De Quincey were also visitors to the property. The house therefore has many literary connections and it’s thought that Wordsworth composed several poems in the grounds of the estate.
Accommodation
The Poet’s Bar is part of the Lancrigg, a former country residence that now offers ten spacious rooms, all of which have been beautifully refurbished since the change in ownership in 2016. Each room is individually styled with tasteful décor that blends perfectly with the historic nature of the building.
There is a mixture of double, twin, and family accommodation, all benefiting from en-suite bathroom facilities. Some rooms have four poster beds or whirlpool baths. All rooms include complimentary Wi-Fi, televisions, and tea and coffee making facilities.