The Blue Cow Inn

After walking nearly 16 miles that day, and 58 over three days, we arrived on foot feeling a bit unsure about the place. The rooms turned out clean and more than adequate, and we were welcomed and shown where to go. It's a proper pub, with rooms and a restaurant, which suited us well. We spent the afternoon at the pool table and tried a few local ales before dinner. The food and service were both very good, and there was a lovely buzz in the bar. Our group of two meat eaters and one vegetarian all found something satisfying. We could choose breakfast between 7 and 9:30, which was a relief after the previous place we'd stayed wanted us to wait until 10:30. We had cereal, juice and toast, followed by two full English breakfasts and one vegetarian full English. That set us up nicely for the last 15-mile hike. Great value for money.

We loved the atmosphere here, a good old-fashioned pub. The barman was friendly and told us about its history, including that it was built in the 1200s. We stayed overnight in our motorhome, then had steak and lasagne, both nicely presented and good value. Breakfast the next morning was lovely, with fresh orange juice already on the table and proper cafetiere coffee. A perfect motorhome stopover if you're in the area.

The evening barman was very good, but the rest of the stay was disappointing. I had the curry for dinner and it was bland, with no spice or flavour beyond the meat and vegetables. The rooms were noisy too. We could hear everything from the bar, especially the pool table. In the morning the breakfast cook had overslept, so we had to call the out-of-hours number and got no breakfast. He looked very scruffy, though I suppose that's what happens when he rolls out of bed 20 minutes after we'd booked breakfast.

The chips were the best part of lunch. They were fresh from the freezer, though I saw the cook get them herself. My wife and I had driven four hours and were starving, so we ate the steak and Guinness pie with chips and vegetables without complaining. The pie looked like a quarter of a round one, with dried-out meat inside. They did provide gravy, but the vegetables were badly overcooked and seemed to have been sitting and wilting for a while, perhaps from the carvery. We'd stopped on our way home to Scotland because the pub was close to the motorway or main road. Everyone welcomed us warmly, and when we asked, they said food was still being served and that there was a carvery. What we saw didn't look appetising, so we asked for the menu and the staff were helpful. It wasn't the worst meal I've had, but I probably wouldn't recommend it. Maybe they were just having an off day.