Once a thriving market town, (it was granted a charter to hold a market in 1237 and has a market cross from that period) Ireby in north west Cumbria is today a quiet village well off the beaten track, great for walking in the fell country nearby. And walking in famous footsteps too: the poet Keats visited the village on a walking tour. Although Ireby is over 500 feet above sea-level the hills and mountains to the south are still strikingly dramatic: Knott at 2329 feet; and High Pike 2159 feet. Dwarfing them all in the far distance is Skiddaw – indeed Ireby is in the area known as “the back of Skiddaw”. As with so many Cumbrian villages, Ireby offers a haven for the soul and for the body. A mile and a half north the soul is catered for by Ireby Old Church, actually just the chancel of a 12th century church the nave of which was used as building material for the mid-Victorian St James’ church in the village, which also inherited its font from the older structure. In the village the body is catered for by the Lion Pub, a recent CAMRA award winner and a welcome stop for those who have tramped the fells. Over Water, either a large tarn or small lake depending on your view, is a couple of miles to the south of Ireby and is a local beauty spot worth the trek.
Pub and Bar
Places to Stay near Ireby
Woodlands Country House (0.23 miles)
First rate accommodation in a beautiful Victorian Country House. Superb food and wine, beautiful rural location, away from the crowds. Why not escape from the pressures of life and let ... More
Overwater Hall Hotel (2.50 miles)
Set in 18 acres of gardens and woodland, this elegant Grade II listed hotel in the unspoilt northern Lake District is family run, offering genuine hospitality in a relaxed, friendly ... More
Castle Inn Hotel (4.17 miles)
Set beneath some of England's highest fells and overlooking Bassenthwaite Lake, the Castle Inn Hotel and Spa is ideally located between the beautiful market towns of Keswick and Cockermouth and offers the ideal location from ... More | visit website
Wallace Lane Farm (4.24 miles)
Lakeland Cottages (4.25 miles)
Armathwaite Hall (4.48 miles)
Few hotels are so beautifully situated as Armathwaite Hall - one of the original stately homes of England. Magnificently set in the secluded splendor of 400 acres of deer park and woodland, bordered by the ... More | visit website
Link House (5.40 miles)
Ravenstone Hotel (5.40 miles)
Ravenstone Hotel is a delightful country hotel set in over 2 acres of its own grounds, just 4 miles from Keswick and close to Bassenthwaite in the Lake District. There ... More
Pheasant (5.62 miles)
The Pheasant (5.62 miles)
The Pheasant is a charming old Coaching Inn situated close to Bassenthwaite Lake at the unspoilt, northern end of the Lake District. It is one of the last remaining traditional ... More | visit website
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