Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria - travel review
I am sitting in a courtyard with a glass of wine enjoying a lazy lunch in Cumbria with the sun blazing down like mid-summer in the Med. It's a Saturday afternoon in March and the weather has perked up nicely for our weekend in Kirkby Lonsdale.
This famously picturesque little town sits on the border of the Yorkshire Dales on the edge of the Lake District. It's like being in the Lakes but without the crowds. There are plenty of people about though, bustling in the quaint streets. The scenery is most definitely up there with Lakes.
It's an easy drive from the Midlands up the M6 and even after a delay on the A5 it took us less than three hours on Friday evening to get there. We were staying at The Sun Inn, a boutique 17 Century inn with roaring fires, luxurious hotel-style accommodation and a AA two rosette-rated restaurant named as a 'Local Gem' in the Good Food Guide.
There are 11 bedrooms and ours was spacious and comfortable with a large bed and a spotless en-suite bathroom.
We decide on a bar snack for the first night and ordered salmon and crab cakes which turn out to be two rounds of fishy deliciousness served in an equally tasty Jerusalem artichoke soup.
Next morning we were up bright and early for a stroll before breakfast heading past the lovely Norman church towards the River Lune to view the first of the many exquisite sights – 'Ruskin's View'.
This is the spot where the artist Turner (1775-1851) painted the River Lune. Poet John Ruskin (1819-1900), a lover of Turner's work, described the panorama as "one of the loveliest views in England, therefore in the world".
Fuelled up with the Sun Inn's locally-sourced full English breakfast, we were raring to see the rest of the treats. A quick stroll alongside the River Lune would take us to Devil's Bridge which is perhaps the town's most famous attraction, but we decided on a longer route following a footpath that took us to the 'chocolate box' village of Whittington.
Several miles later and through Whittington, the birthplace of William Sturgeon who invented the electro-magnetic motor, we reached the River Lune and walked towards Devil's Bridge. Dating from around 1370, the magnificent three-arched bridge is a scheduled monument and spans the River Lune to the south and east of Kirkby Lonsdale.
Back in town we were ready for refreshment and popped in for a pint of local ale at Kirkby Lonsdale Brewery Limited, a micro-brewery established in 2009 by four local lads.
At the inn, we had time for a coffee at the bar and a soak in the bath, before heading for dinner at the 'Carter at the Sun Inn' restaurant named after head chef Sam Carter. The meal was exemplary. I chose lamb's liver – served with bacon, onions and pickles followed by Stonebass, a well-seasoned tasty hunk of fish with clams, artichoke and watercress with a side of Spinach and to finish a selection of four cheeses which I had spotted winking at me in the chiller as we walked through the restaurant.
Richard went for the Yellison Farm Goats Cheese and pear to start and Rosemary and Garlic Hogget served with beetroot, tenderstem broccoli and creamed potato.
For dessert he opted for Rhubarb Brulee, a sweet custardy treat that could not be faulted.
Next morning, after another hearty breakfast, we said farewell to Kirkby Lonsdale and drove a few miles down the road to Ingleton to view the famous falls.
Having discovered Kirkby Lonsdale we hope to be back soon.
