The Strickland Arms (Penrith)

Claiming to be the friendliest pub in the Eden Valley, the Strickland Arms guarantees its visitors a warm welcome. Located east of Lowther Castle, the pub lies on the C2C cycle route, and furthermore it welcomed Team Sky and Bradley Wiggins in 2012 as part of the Tour of Britain. Inside, the pub is brimming with cycling memorabilia, including Wiggin’s signed yellow jersey.

The pub specialises in providing accommodation for cyclists taking on the challenge, but it also welcomes diners, walkers, and dogs. There’s a delightful beer garden outside, and inside, you will find Cumbrian brewed ale and a large pool table.

Food & Drink

The Strickland Arms is a Jennings pub, so naturally the bar serves Jennings Cumberland Ale on tap, along with two other ales that change regularly and are usually supplied by Jennings or other Marston’s owned breweries. There are several beers available on draught and the pub has a respectable choice of wine. The pub has an interesting selection of whiskies and gins, and books are available with tasting notes to help you decide.

Pub Favourites

On Mondays to Fridays, food is served from 5pm until 9pm, and food is available from noon until 9pm at the weekend. The menu is impressively extensive. You will find all the pub favourites here, along with local classics, such as the Cumberland Tattie Pot, as well as a number of international dishes, including Hungarian Goulash and Moroccan Lamb Tagine. There’s a good choice of fish dishes and vegetarians have their own dedicated menu with ten different dishes to choose from.

Pizza

Pie fans will love the homemade selection of pies that are freshly baked to order with a wide choice of fillings, and there are also curry and noodle dishes, as well as a choice of pizzas. On Sundays, a full roast dinner is available with a choice of chicken, lamb, beef, pork, or vegetarian nut roast, with small portions available. The children’s menu features all of the usual choices, as well as some lighter options that are ideal for toddlers.

Other Features

The Strickland Arms has a pool table housed in a small room that is just off the main bar. There is a television in the bar but the pub does not have a subscription to Sky Sports or BT Sports. At the front of the pub, there are a small number of picnic benches. Further outside seating is available at the rear of the pub, where some seating is covered.

Accommodation

The pub specialises in providing accommodation for cyclists on the C2C route. There are two guest rooms inside the pub that can either be set up as double or twin accommodation. Both rooms have their own bathrooms and are fitted with televisions, free Wi-Fi, and tea and coffee making facilities. To the rear of the pub, there are three log cabins. One is a purpose built yurt whilst the other two have been created from an existing barn.

Each cabin is beautifully presented with a modern style and they all sleep six people with a mixture of double beds and bunk beds. Each cabin benefits from its own bathroom with a fast flow shower. There are no televisions in the cabins, but Wi-Fi is freely available. The pub offers a package for C2C cyclists where they will transfer you and your bike to various points along the route each day, avoiding the need to carry lots of luggage along the route.

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