According to Camra, 21 pubs are still shutting down each week. Not all of those are great pubs, it’s true, but, ultimately, the demise of any pub represents the loss of a community hub that, once turned into offices or flats, is gone forever. That is a particular problem in villages where, rather than bad management, it is often high rents and greedy pub companies that force otherwise viable pubs out of existence. All of which makes the renaissance of the Fleece Inn very good news.
Bought by the local Worthington family (which runs a sizable construction company in the north-west of England), this pub in pretty, sleepy Dolphinholme has been revamped with an emphasis on its community role. The Fleece is a living-wage employer and, following its January relaunch, now includes a village shop where visitors can buy handmade pens and walking sticks, and locals can pick up essentials such as tea bags, cornflakes and wine.
No one goes into the pub business to make a fortune but the Fleece in particular (most mains £10-£13, pint from £3.10), feels like a labour of love – and one that Dolphinholme has embraced. On a Thursday night, there is a lively buzz throughout the pub.
As you might expect, given the Worthingtons’ day job, the nine bedrooms have been finished to a high spec while retaining the exposed-beam character of this stone building, originally built as a farmhouse in the late 1600s. The interior decor is a bit staid and middle-aged but the Lakeland slate window sills, thick wool carpets and reassuringly solid bespoke wardrobes all ooze quality. From the firm beds to the slick bathrooms (with walls clad in polished stone), these are the sort of warm, simple, supremely comfortable bedrooms (one-click Wi-Fi, idiot-proof TV) you can just sink into. Although, for those staying at the front of the pub, a dilapidated garage opposite spoils the otherwise bucolic view.
The Fleece is seven miles from Lancaster and a convenient base for walking and cycling in the Trough of Bowland, but the less active may be tempted to simply lounge around the pub. It is a warren of rooms (the main bar is for drinkers only) and the refurb – open fires, ancient flagged floors, antique rugs, wood panelling, leather banquettes – has largely avoided anything too blingy. Glitzy mustard-yellow booths in the breakfast room (where I wolfed a huge fry-up that used top-notch pork products from Cumbria’s famous Woodall’s), are the only really incongruous feature.
In the garden, the smokers’ shed has its own log fire and the climbing frame is handmade in oak.
The main menu focuses on pub classics executed with rigour by chef Ian Manning, formerly of Good Food Guide regular the Cartford Inn, though the specials edge into more sophisticated territory. Portions are on the hearty side, which can be a disadvantage: an “appetiser” of salt-cod fritters needs to be daintier, lighter, crisper. However, a shredded ham hock, spring onion and quinoa salad, with soft-boiled duck egg, is a clever interplay of flavours and textures and, from its bronzed, cheesy crust downwards, the fish pie is spot-on. It is thick with accurately cooked prawns and salmon; the sauce is well-seasoned; the mash smooth but satisfyingly dense. A fish pie shouldn’t be topped with overly finessed purée.
It is a pity the commitment to local sourcing doesn’t preclude Scottish biscuits in the bedrooms nor a generic choice of real ales (one truly local ale, plus the usual Black Sheep, Golden Pippin suspects). But those are minor points. From the well-calibrated service led by manager Maurice Camm to the modest wine mark-ups, there is a lot to like about the Fleece. Clearly, there is life in the British pub yet.
• Accommodation was provided by the Fleece Inn (doubles from £90 B&B, 01524 791233, fleeceinn.co.uk). Travel between Manchester and Lancaster was provided by TransPennine Express (tpexpress.co.uk)
Ask a local
Benjamin Ruth, co-ordinator, Lancaster Music Festival, 13-17 October
• Walking and cycling
Try the charming Nicky Nook walk or a river Wyre route via the Cartford Inn. Cyclists can take off into the fells, taking in several pubs, and end up at the Inn at Whitewell on the other side of the Trough of Bowland.
• Eating
In Lancaster, the canal-side White Cross and Water Witch pubs offer, respectively, delicious pies and superb deli-boards. The Borough has its own brewery and a broad, locally sourced menu.
• Shopping
On Wednesdays and Saturdays, visit Lancaster’s market, which dates back to 1193. The Assembly Rooms Emporium also hosts an eclectic collection of vintage stores.
• Views
The “Taj Mahal of the north”, the Ashton Memorial in Williamson Park is my daily walk. It’s in beautiful Victorian grounds with views over Morecambe Bay and to the Lakes.
