The Queen's Head

Overview

The unassuming Queens Head stands at the heart of pretty Askham on the edge of the Lake District. The Lowther family, owners of 14th-century Askham Hall, a small and stylish country-house hotel and wedding venue with a Michelin restaurant, fabulous café and acres of glorious gardens just down the lane, snapped up the village local and revived its fortunes in 2019.

With the excellent George & Dragon (see entry) in nearby Clifton, it forms part of a trio of unique places to eat, drink and sleep that are deeply rooted in, and connected to, the Askham Estate, with much of the produce reared on the land and grown in the kitchen garden.

Thankfully, and rightly so, it remains the village local and a welcome stop off point for walkers and cyclists, with a traditional feel to the bar and dining rooms, and freshly cooked pub food. Rooms have been spruced up in country-house style and provide extra accommodation when the Hall is busy. Guests at the Hall can also call in for a pint and a hearty lunch following an invigorating walk.

Rooms from

Doubles/twin £130

Good to know

All major credit cards accepted

Disabled access to pub & Room 6

Alfresco dining

Askham Hall - weddings

Parking available

Dog stay: £15

Askham Hall - Weddings

Take a stroll through the beautiful gardens with views of the River Lowther, enjoy something delicious in the Kitchen Garden Café, or splash out with dinner at the Michelin-starred Allium restaurant. This unique venue is perfect for weddings and there's a Health Barn too.

Dog-friendly

Your canine chum is welcome to join you in the bar and they are allowed overnight in all the bedrooms.

Outdoor Adventures

Askham is away from the hub-bub of the Lakes but within easy reach of the fells and lakes for stunning walks and watersports. Great walking and cycling from the pub too.

Rooms

The six rooms have been given a magnificent makeover and, as one would expect, they mirror the quality and style of the rooms at Askham Hall.

Expect statement hand-made wallpapers, bespoke fabrics, bold colours, antique furnishings from the family collection, and huge, luxurious beds. Room 4 has a fabulous wooden four-poster bed and a beamed, vaulted ceiling; Room 6 has antique twins beds and is suitable for the disabled with ramp access and a big wet room; Room 2 has a separate bunk bed annexe and make a great family space.

All have smart bathrooms with impressive tiled floors, walk-in rain showers and Bramley soaps and lotions, and most enjoy village views.

Restaurant & bar

Charlie Lowther's philosophy is that of sustainability, simplicity and taste and whatever they don't grow or rear in the gardens and grounds at Askham Hall, he ensures that the rest of the fresh, seasonal produce used at the Queen's Head is sourced from local suppliers and farmers within about 20 miles of the pub.

Breakfast is served until midday, perhaps smoked salmon and poached eggs on a muffin with hollandaise, then you can discover seasonal 'super-posh' pub food made with produce reared, foraged and grown on the estate farms and the kitchen gardens at the Hall. Think earthy truffle with creamy artichoke; deep-flavoured seasonal game and home-reared saddleback pork; hand-dived scallops and local lobster; brassicas, herby pestos, berries and orchard fruits - all featured on a delicious set dinner menu cooked by head chef Gareth Webster and his team.

Excellent bar snacks are served at lunchtimes Wednesday to Saturday - book early for the excellent Sunday lunches served between 1pm and 3pm.

Things to do

More like a cleverly designed visitor attraction than a vital lifeline serving countless communities in the wilds of Cumbria and North Yorkshire, the Settle to Carlisle Railway offers a constantly shifting backdrop of green fells and rippling moorland. Make a day of it and jump on and off at any number of stops en route.

The Ullswater Steamers have been sailing on 'England's most beautiful lake' since 1859 - take a one or two hour cruise along the lakeside, with the dramatic backdrop of Helvellyn and the stunning fells.

A trip to Lowther Castle, the original home to the Lowther family, makes a fantastic day out with lots to explore for the whole family. You can enjoy 130 acres of gardens old and new, a vivid historical exhibition - The Story of Lowther spanning 850 years - and one of the largest children's adventure playgrounds in the country. There is also a café and shop.