Jennings Taproom public bar at the historic Castle Brewery in Cockermouth has been awarded the Pub of the Season (Autumn 2025) by the West Cumbria branch of CAMRA. Pictured here from left to right are branch member Stephen Walker, Jennings Taproom manager Gavin Cooper along with staff members Simon Hanley and Cohen Henry.

Since the brewery reopened earlier this year the Taproom has been a big hit with drinkers with its spacious bar area and outside drinking veranda overlooking the River Cocker.

It is generally agreed that the quality of the current range of Jennings real ales is excellent, with what used to be called Jennings Bitter now renamed Castle Bitter.

Jennings Brewery has the unique distinction of being the only brewery in the country located right next to a Medieval castle.

Black Eye Friday in Keswick has traditionally been one of the wildest nights of the year in this market town, this being the last Friday before Christmas when younger local manual workers used to let their hair down. But this year the main pedestrian thoroughfare in the town was noticeably quiet mid-evening , although the pubs looked to be doing good trade.

Walking up through the Market Place, Greene King’s Golden Lion pub had a full house at 8.30pm and with a brass band playing carols.

A crowd of us met up in The George Hotel for a Christmas drink shortly after that and it was great to see that the decor in this old coaching inn, which dates back to the English Civil War, was greatly improved, as a previous tenant had modernised the bar with shades of light pastel. The bar with its snug room on the left was looking so much better than when we were last in.

We had used the George for many years, meeting up after our darts match on a Friday night and often struggling to get a seat, but on arrival last night there was just a solitary customer in the bar and he had his dog next to him on the fabric bench seat. We had stopped drinking there after Marstons Pub Company took over and terminated the long term tenant’s lease, as they managed at a stroke to kill the busy trade in there.

We were tempted back as word was out that Jennings beers were back on the bar.

The Jennings Bitter was excellent and we would have been happy to continue drinking until the usual 11.30pm closing time of yesteryear but they rang the bell at 10 o’clock and then turned quite a few unsuspectiing customers away who drifted in after that time. The barperson told us that they usually shut at 9.30pm. This is a most unusual practice for a residential hotel with 12 bedrooms.

We were also told that tourists regularly ask for Cow Pie, which the pre-Marstons tenant had established as his popular signature dish, but they now have a standard Marston’s menu and they aren’t allowed any variations.

There was no one eating in the George while we were there, it was extremely quiet and their formerly popular hotel/bar restaurant was shut and with the lights turned off.

Also the pub was noticably chilly which it never used to be and for many years this lovely old pub was a firm favourite with locals and tourists alike.

Having been refused service after 10 o’clock we moved on from the George to Robinson’s Packhorse pub, which was doing good trade and has a late night licence.

But at least the Jennings Bitter was well kept in the George, so we were thankful for small mercies.

HGP

Landlord Mark Cockbain of the Bitter End pub on Kirkgate has installed a micro brewery at his pub and the first of his in-house brewed ales will be on offer from Saturday 22nd November 2025.

Although there used to be a brewery in the pub a good few years ago under different owners, Mark’s brewery plant uses powerful 3-phase electricity and it needed considerable expense on Mark’s part to get it wired into the premises.

So that’s two breweries that have opened their doors in Cockermouth this year, as Jennings Castle Brewery is now going strong again.

Mark has the full support of the West Cumbria branch of CAMRA and we wish him every success with this new venture.

On Saturday 11th October our branch Pubs Officer, Andy Roberts presented the Pub of the Season award for Autumn 2025 to the Yew Tree pub in Seatoller, near the Honister Pass at the top of Borrowdale valley.

After being closed for 15 years, Prentice Weir reopened this unspoilt seventeenth century pub in April 2024.

Prentice is the son of the late Mark Weir who redeveloped the old Honister Slate Mine as a popular tourist destination.

Prentice Weir’s partner, Holly McCleary, volunteered to be manager of the pub, which is a big success story.

The pub sells two real ales and trades between Wednesday and Sunday between 12 -10.30pm.

The first beer from the new Bitter End Brewery will be on sale in the Bitter End pub on Kirkgate in Cockermouth within the next week.

Landlord and brewer Mark Cockbain, originally from Keswick, says it will be a full bodied dark bitter.

Some readers will recall that there used to be a brewery in this pub but the previous owner did away with it.

Mark is an experienced landlord and has run The Wheatsheaf at Lorton for years.

But brewing is a new venture and he is to be applauded for investing and setting up this new operation at The Bitter End.

Mark is pictured here shortly after the brewery plant was installed.

Mark is a real Cumbrian, so no surprise looking at the name of his first beer.

The Solway branch of CAMRA are holding their 32nd consecutive annual beer festival this October in Carlisle.

Public transport is not a problem as both rail and bus stations are nearby.

The Solway branch of CAMRA was formed in 1976. Their Chairman, Alan Welsh, is possibly the longest serving branch Chair in CAMRA, having held the post since 1981.

This popular community-run pub in the village of Great Broughton is listed in the 500 Best Pubs in England in The Daily Telegraph.

The pub trades on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

It has 3 handpumps on the bar serving ever-changing beers.

Traditional pub games are available, including darts and dominos.

It also has a quiz team.

So well done The Punch Bowl