The Plough

A country inn that’s a cut above, The Plough at Lupton might look like a straightforward roadside pub – Kirkby Lonsdale is just five miles down the road, Kendal, nine miles away, and it’s just a couple of miles off the M6 (junction 36). But the surprises are all inside.

A really handsome makeover a few years ago turned it into a wonderful, sweeping open-plan bar and restaurant under majestic oak beams. Informality is the key here, from squishy sofas by the log-burner to family-sized dining tables, and the food follows suit – a pick-and-mix menu of ‘sharing boards’, starters and main courses that’s far more restaurant than pub. If the food is locally sourced, the inspiration is largely Mediterranean, hence courgette fritters with Lancashire cheese and honey, or local lamb with Mediterranean vegetables and Feta cheese, and the relaxed style means you’re just as welcome to call in for a glass of prosecco and some salt-and-pepper squid rather than going the whole hog. The wine list is good – there’s lots by the glass, and open-to-view wine cellars are a nice touch – and beers are local and hand-pulled. The kitchen is open all day, too, par for the course at such an on-the-ball establishment, and they serve a simpler brasserie-style menu from noon onwards, which features pub classics like fish and chips, sausage and mash and fish pie, along with burgers and pizzas. Finally there’s a selection of roasts on Sunday, with a choice for kids.

The five boutique rooms upstairs are in the same classy vein as the food. Indeed it isn’t fair to have to choose a room at the Plough – they are all gorgeous, in an earthy, stylish, Farrow & Ball kind of way, with handsome country furniture and big bouncy beds. And when they say ‘fabulously large bathroom’, they mean it; indeed in the rooms named Torsin and Redman in particular, you could pretty much hold a conference while soaking in the lovely roll-top baths, and artfully arranged old-fashioned bottles, high-end toiletries, soft lighting and rainfall showers the size of dinner plates complete the picture. All the rooms have wifi, Illy coffee machines, DAB radios and fluffy towels and dressing gowns.

In the end, however, choice might not come into it, because there are only six rooms at The Plough, and it’s a well-known getaway, so if you want to stay, book ahead is our advice – just remember to bring your SatNav to navigate your way around the bathroom.