West Cumbria branch of CAMRA has voted the Holly House Hotel in Ravenglass its Spring Pub of the Season.

The pub has been run for the past two years by John and Rachel Frangleton. They took the pub over from John’s uncle, and John, who previously travelled the world working in casinos, says he had never pulled a pint before that.

However as a real ale fan he has set about providing a tasty range of beers to attract real beer drinkers into the pub. The pub always had Jennings beers on sale, but now in addition to Jennings Cumberland, there is always either Moorhouse’s Blond Witch or Timothy Taylor’s Landlord. In the summer season all three beers will be on sale, plus the award winning Black Cat from Moorhouse’s, and a fifth beer which is likely to come from a local Cumbrian brewery.

Overlooking the Ravenglass estuary, the pub is often described as having the atmosphere of a seaside café; it is a little like stepping back in time. It’s hard to imagine that the village was a busy port in medieval times, but there is plenty of history to see, from the remains of Roman bath house to the cobbled main street. And in keeping with the bygones theme, it is a few minutes’ walk from the start of La’al Ratty, the Ravenglass and Eskdale railway, the oldest narrow gauge line in England.

CAMRA member Chris de Cordova, who nominated the Holly House for the Pub of the Season award, said ‘It’s great to see a landlord who is genuinely keen on his beer, and is expanding the range.’ The pub also provides bed and breakfast accommodation and lunchtime and evening meals.

A formal presentation will be made on Saturday 28th March at 2pm.