This photo of the Lamplugh Tip Inn was taken a few years ago before it closed. It is situated on the A5086 about a mile from the village of Lamplugh.

It’s an unusual village as it has no obvious centre. It features in a couple of Melvyn Bragg novels but under a fictitious name. St Michael’s Church is situated at the highest point of the village, which has a population of about 800. It’s the starting point for some decent Lakeland walks and is on a couple of cycle trails. It lost its passenger railway before the Second World War.

The old pub reopened as The Countryman at 5pm on Friday 28th October 2022 following renovation works and was selling handpumped Loweswater Gold on day one.

It’s brilliant and unusual to see an old rural Cumbrian pub reopen after being closed for a few years, as most get turned into housing. The owners have invested a substantial amount of money into the superb refurbishment of The Countryman. Christmas Day dinner was fully booked shortly after it reopened. So now there are two high class pubs doing food in that neck of the woods, as the popular Royal Yew at Dean is nearby.

Address : The Countryman, Lamplugh, Workington, CA14 4SB TEL 01900 876703

Food was not available at first but is imminent.