The Wasdale Head Inn, one of West Cumbria¹s classic pubs, has been voted Pub of the Season for Autumn 2003 by branch members. The Inn started out as a farm; farmer, hunter, mountain guide and storyteller Will Ritson obtained a licence for it and renamed it the Huntsman Inn. It was rebuilt in the 1880s and became the Wastwater Hotel. Later it was given its present name. Its current owner, climber Howard Christie, came to Cumbria in 1990 after some years in the hotel trade, to manage the Eskdale Outward Bound Centre. In 1995 he took over at Wasdale Head.

The bar was altered in the late 1980s and again in the early 90s, and reached the final round of the national Pub of the Year awards in 1992. The best feature is that there are three separate bar areas: the main bar, which is smoke free; a separate smoking area with real fire in winter; and a snug which leads through to the residents' lounge. Plans to improve the toilets (the pub also provides the outside public toilet for the National Park) were shelved when the Foot and Mouth outbreak took hold; Howard hopes that they will be sorted this winter. Other recent improvements have included the 'brewery café', a conservatory which looks out to the beck. There are also plans to develop a pond and nature trail. Although FMD was a major setback, the pub side of the Inn is doing well, selling around 1000 barrels (that's 36,000 gallons) of beer a year. On Good Friday and Easter Saturday this year, 2000 pints of Great Gable were sold. Look out for new Great Gable badged 1/3 pint glasses later this year.

The hotel has 11 bedrooms and self catering accommodation. A campsite is just a few yards away. Meals are served in the dining room and food is available from the hotplate in the bar. The Inn has been actively involved in setting up a new website, www.wasdaleweb.co.uk, which aims to promote Wasdale as a whole. The Inn has not lost its links with climbing, and mountaineering courses are run from the pub. Howard is determined that the Inn remains just that - an inn where you will be welcome even if you come down from the fells covered in mud, not a posh hotel. Howard attributes the pub's success to the ability to retain local staff, such as Mike Naylor, local farmer and now bar manager. Due to the rising popularity of the Lake District as a year round weekend destination, the Inn stays open throughout the winter.

Since the launch of the Great Gable brewery, it is natural that the majority of beers on sale are now brewed in house. The beer range includes Great Gable (3.7%) a well balanced session beer, reminiscent of an IPA; Wasd'Ale (4.4%), Wry'Nose (4.0%) a summer beer; Scawfell (4.8%); Yewbarrow (5.8%) a porter which was brewed as a Christmas ale but has proved popular. Black Sheep is also a regular on the bar as are beers from other Cumbria breweries. The Inn hosts mini beer festivals at the beginning of June and the end of August. The brewery is working hard to keep up with demand but Giles manages to supply a few pubs in the surrounding area and also swaps brews with Foxfield and Tirril. Now Howard is looking at ways of expanding Great Gable's brewing capacity.

The Wasdale Head Inn is a West Cumbria gem and we are delighted it is our Autumn Pub of the Season.