The Wheatsheaf Inn (Lorton)

A warm and friendly welcome awaits you at the Wheatsheaf Inn in Lorton. This charming inn is situated in the tiny village of Lorton, the original birthplace of the Jennings Brewery. Unsurprisingly then, you will find real ale, including Jennings', in abundance here. The inn has a good reputation locally for serving up hearty portions of good home cooked food.

As a result, it’s very popular and booking a table is highly recommended at weekends and during the peak tourist season. The inn’s location in the heart of the Lorton vale offers delightful views of the western fells, and the proprietors have capitalised on this by creating a campsite behind the inn. Child and dog friendly, the inn has a great number of walking opportunities in the area.

Food & Drink

Lorton and its nearby town are firmly within Jennings’ territory. The brewery was created by John Jennings in the village of Lorton in 1828 before moving to Cockermouth in 1881. The pub celebrates this heritage by offering five cask ales, many of which are supplied by Jennings, with guest ales also available. Along with the real ales there is a reasonable selection of wines that will suit most tastes, and a collection of unusual gins and other spirits from around the world.

The menu at the Wheatsheaf has recently had a revamp, and now offers an extraordinary choice of burgers, including the Ultra Kitchen Dare Burger, a whopping stacked burger that contains beef burgers, chicken, pulled pork, bacon, and much more. Alongside the burger menu, you will find a good selection of main dishes with favourites, such as shepherd’s pie and lasagne, included. There are four choices for vegetarians, and a children’s menu that features all the usual suspects.

Other Features

The Wheatsheaf has a fully enclosed beer garden with a good number of picnic tables. This is therefore ideal for families with children who want to dine in a safe space outside. There is a pub quiz each Wednesday evening with a free curry buffet provided after.

History

When John Jennings created the brewery at Lorton he originally supplied three pubs in the village. The Wheatsheaf was established later in 1847. It was previously the farmstead of Henry Fletcher, who decided to try his hand at serving alcohol instead. It is now the only pub left in the village. No one is really sure why the Wheatsheaf is thus named, given that the area is not known for growing wheat.

However, it is thought that a small part of the nearby land may have been used for wheat farming during the first half the 19th century when there was high demand due to growing populations and shortages caused by the Napoleonic wars.

Accommodation

The Wheatsheaf has a mixture of self-catered accommodation available. There is a spacious campsite for tents and caravans with electric hook up available. The facilities are basic but clean, with toilets, showers, and washing up sinks. There is one camping pod that sleeps up to four people.

There are also a number of static caravans on the site available to let for three, four, or seven night breaks. The pub also has a self-catered holiday apartment available to let above the pub. The flat has two double rooms and one twin room, a cosy lounge, and a fully equipped kitchen. Wi-Fi is available here.

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