The Fat Lamb Country Inn & Restaurant

A seventeenth century former coaching inn set in open countryside midway between the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks.

Excellent base for walking and touring into Englands North Country or as a stopover en-route to and from Scotland.

Friendly, relaxed and informal, we offer an escape from the pressures of modern life in the traditional atmosphere of the country inn. Magnificent uninterrupted views in all directions, and our own eleven acre private nature reserve immediately to the rear.

With a history stretching back some 350 years, the Fat Lamb combines both modern amenities and comfort with good old fashioned hospitality.

The bar is welcoming with its open fire on the old Yorkshire range. The oldest part of the building, once the kitchen and main living area. The bar itself is small but well stocked with hand pulled ale and a wide range of malt whiskies.

This is a favourite place where visitors and locals alike can mix and talk, with no pool table, video games or juke box to intrude upon the conversation.

Snacks and meals can be taken here, or for a more elaborate meal come on through to our restaurant, and sample our highly acclaimed table d'hote menu. The room is elegantly decorated, with various prints and over 100 plates adorning the walls.

The atmosphere is still relaxed and informal, although this doesn't make the food any less memorable. All our dishes are produced by our own chef, on the premises, from the best local ingredients available - we do not buy in any ready made meals at the Fat Lamb.

After dinner, many guests choose to sit and relax in one of our two residents lounges discussing their day and exchanging ideas on where to go and what to see, or simply relaxing with a good book and a nightcap.

Many warm friendships have been struck up here, with guests returning year after year to renew old aquaintances.

At the end of the day retire to your room for a good nights rest.

All rooms are centrally heated with en-suite bathrooms and tea and coffee making facilities. Several rooms are on the ground floor and suitable for the less able and wheelchair bound guests. Indeed there is level access throughout the ground floor, and we have many years of experience in providing for disabled visitors.

Crossbank Nature Reserve
The Nature Reserve is an interesting example of how a simple hobby can sometimes run away with you.

Having always had a keen interest in bird watching and wildlife in general, I found myself, at the end of 1989, with the opportunity of aquiring the wetlands which lay to the rear of our Hotel.

I had enjoyed the site and sounds of the wildlife that already inhabited the area for many years, and was concerned to ensure that it didn't fall into the hands of an interested shooting syndicate. So, casting caution to the wind, I attended the auction, and found myself a little later the owner of an expensive and rather useless and inaccessible piece of land.

Several years and much hard work later we have created - with the aid of the Countryside Commission and many others - a wildlife haven for a great variety of plants and animals.

Over eighty species of bird have been identified so far within or around the nature reserve. Permanent residents include a good variety of waterfowl - mallard, teal, tufted duck, coot and moorhen, plus regular sightings of gadwall, shoveler, widgeon, goosander and even the occasional pintail. Snipe may be heard and, with patience, seen at the reeds edges as can the heron, whilst other more visually obliging waders include lapwing, oystercatcher, common and green sandpiper, curlew and redshank. In the trees and shrubs you will see and hear sedge and willow warbler, reed bunting, redpoll, siskin, spotted flycatchers, redstarts and many more common finches, chats and thrushes.

Land and water based animals have included common frogs and toads, roe deer, stoats, foxes and one (just one) sighting of an otter - probably passing through on its way from one river system to another.

Crossbank Nature Reserve is situated to the rear of the Fat Lamb Hotel and is open to the general public.

There is an area of land with open access giving a good overall view of the site, plus footpaths leading down to viewing points within the reserve itself. All are welcome to come and enjoy a glimpse of nature in this beautiful setting as I have.

There is no charge made nor any obligation to partake of the Hotel facilities - although of course food and drink is available throughout the day should you require refreshment, and we would be very happy to cater for you.

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This page was last updated: 03 May 2008