On the old Carlisle road into Penrith, The Cross Keys has been a coaching inn since at least 1719. Today it's a low-ceilinged, dark-wood pub with five cask lines, a daily-changing menu chalked above the bar, and Sunday lunches that bring the whole town in.
The story
The Cross Keys has stood at the heart of Carleton — the old village just east of Penrith — since at least 1719, when it served the drovers and coach traffic moving north toward Carlisle.
Inside it's still low-ceilinged, dark-wood and properly lived-in. A long, terraced beer garden steps down behind the building with a covered pavilion at the bottom for when the weather turns.
Five cask lines, a daily-changing menu chalked above the bar, Sunday roasts that bring the whole village in, and a folk session most Thursdays once the kitchen closes.
Best for
- A proper Cumbrian village pub experience
- Sunday lunch with the family
- Walkers off Beacon Hill & the Pennine edge
- Live folk on a Thursday night
The detail
- 5 cask ales
- Sunday roasts
- Live folk Thursdays
- Dog-friendly
