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Ant and Dec, fish and chips, the UK and the pub: some things simply go hand in hand with each other. And whilst the first two are pretty great, there are few things that beat the first sip of a crisp pint on a British summer’s day.
And what makes it even better? A stellar view. Across the UK, there are infinite pubs offering a range of pints, top-knotch food, and views which broadcast all the UK has to offer.
From rivers and lakes to coastal cliffs, rolling green hills and the seaside, these settings are quite special, and it can be hard to choose where to head to next.
As founder of the British Guild of Beer Writers, and judge for the Great British Pub Awards, I am well acquainted with the subject, so here is a guide to Britain’s best pubs with a view.
Carpenters Arms, Westrip, Gloucestershire
The Carps, as it’s known to locals, is probably most celebrated for its huge range of boxed ciders, which has won it the title of regional Cider & Perry Pub of the Year. But if the sun is shining, you should drag yourself away from the bar and into the garden to gulp in an awesome vista that sweeps across the rolling green fields and woodlands of this corner of the Cotswolds. This is a pub at the hub of its community with lots of events alongside the food and drink. Visitors, too, who take the steep climb to the edge of the village can be sure of a warm welcome.
Clachaig Inn, Glencoe, Scotland
Nestled in the heart of Glencoe, Scotland’s winter sports capital, the Clachaig is surrounded by the mountains, lakes and woodlands south of Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest peak. Several of its 23 hotel rooms have spectacular views, but this inn, run by the same family for four decades, doesn’t rest its reputation on geography alone. There are not one but three bars on site, each with its own distinct atmosphere, warmed by wood-burning stoves and well stocked with a range of Scots-brewed cask ales and no fewer than 400 different whiskies to chase them down.
Crown & Anchor, Dell Quay, West Sussex
In the 14th century, Dell Quay was one of the busiest ports in England, serving the city of Chichester, two miles to the north. Today it is a wonderfully placid spot, the broad harbour stretching away from the shore, dotted with bobbing boats. Best of all, you can relax and gaze across the water from the beer garden of the Crown & Anchor, which was built in the 16th Century to satisfy local demand for a pub. Part of Young’s Brewery, it’s a well-run, handsome hostelry specialising in seasonal seafood dishes.
Ferry Inn, St Dogmaels, Pembrokeshire
On the estuary of Afon Teifi, just across the border from Cardigan, at the start if the coastal path, you’ll find the Ferry Inn, painted sky-blue and surrounded by multiple decked terraces, as well as a restaurant with floor-to-ceiling windows, to enable maximum numbers to enjoy breathtaking views across the water to the verdant Welsh countryside beyond. The pub has won many awards for its food since the current owners took over and refurbished the place in 2010, and Brains ales pour on the bar.
Founders Arms, London
London boasts many riverside pubs with great views of the Thames but the Founders Arms on the South Bank stands out because it was purpose-built in 1976 by the local Young’s Brewery to take full advantage of the views. It celebrates its half-century this year. The north-facing side of the pub is completely glazed to offer a clear sight of St Paul’s and the City, and you can watch the trains rumbling across Blackfriars Bridge to your left, but it’s the large terrace that is the star of the show. Just avoid going early evening if you want to miss the after-work office crowds.
Free Trade Inn, Newcastle
Take a walk from the city centre upstream along Newcastle’s splendid modern Quayside and a short climb will bring you to the Free Trade Inn, a pub that’s became well known in recent years for its independent, quirky, inclusive approach and a super choice of beers. And it’s also famous for the view. Sit yourself on a stool by the window, set your glass on the shelf and take in a stretch of the Tyne that includes the Millennium Bridge, the Baltic gallery and the giant bubble of the Glasshouse concert theatre (formerly the Sage) with the Tyne Bridge behind, and watch the scene light up in multicolours as the sun sinks down.
The Garnet, Norwich
Occupying a square in the middle of the city for more than 900 years, Norwich Market is now reckoned to be the largest permanent outdoor market in Europe, and overlooking it is the Garnet, built in the 15th Century and the only surviving market pub where there were once 20. From here, the gaily coloured striped awnings of a multitude of stalls are laid out in front of you, with the ancient Guildhall behind and City Hall to the west. To secure its future, the owners have diversified the business to include a shop, selling local crafts and produce, but they’re still serving Norfolk ales, you will be relieved to know.
George III Hotel, Penmaenpool, Gwynedd
Where the Welsh mountains slope steeply down to the estuary that feeds Barmouth Harbour and the Irish Sea, on the fringe of Snowdonia National Park, the George III makes a great base from which to explore the area – or simply somewhere to sit and look. There are two bars, the more formal Dresser, which offers the best views over the water, and the relaxed Cellar, which is, thankfully, not underground but on the harbour’s edge. Robinson’s ales from Stockport flow free as the river from both.
Golf Tavern, Edinburgh
Probably the world’s oldest “19th hole”, the Golf Tavern opened in 1717 to serve as the clubhouse for the Bruntsfield Links, where they’d already been playing the game for 260 years – so they must have been getting pretty thirsty. The old golf course is still there, adjoining Edinsburgh’s great playground, The Meadows. Bring your clubs and you can play for free before watching from the bar in what is now a public house open to all and offering traditional pub grub along with local craft beers.
Harbour Arms, Margate, Kent
Margate has developed into quite a young and lively destination in recent years, and the Harbour Arms is a brilliant find on the stone pier sheltering the seaside resort as it curls around away from the Turner Contemporary Gallery. It’s a micropub which opened only in 2015 in a fisherman’s net store, and it’s properly quirky, decked out in a nautical theme. Enjoy a cask beer or two while looking back at the full panorama of Margate’s nightlife.
Harbour Inn, Porthleven, Cornwall
This is perhaps the archetypal harbour pub, looking out over an archetypal Cornish harbour with its picturesque stone walls, historic buildings and ranks of colourful boats – the most southerly port in England, if you didn’t know. The pub itself is just as stunning inside, newly renovated by local brewer St Austell without losing the character of the 18th Century building. And if you want to linger beyond your catch of the day washed down with a pint of Hick’s Special Draught, it’s got 15 boutique rooms you can stay in.
Hatton Arms, Hatton, Warwickshire
How do you make water go uphill? Or downhill more slowly? That was the challenge facing early industrialists as they shipped materials and goods along inland waterways, and the solution was locks – in the case of Hatton, a flight of
21 locks climbing through the countryside along the Grand Union Canal. It became known, well before Led Zeppelin’s time, as the Stairway to Heaven. The best view of this engineering spectacle is from the beer garden of the Hatton Arms, an 18th-century coaching inn, ideally while you’re supping on a cask beer – which can only go down, of course.
Horse & Jockey Inn, Manton, Rutland
The Horse & Jockey is a homely stone-built inn in the village of Manton by the shores of Rutland Water. So you can better enjoy the beauty of England’s smallest county, they’ve built a rooftop terrace where you can drink locally-brewed Grainstore beers (including the house Jockey Bitter) and taste some classic pub food. The only pub on the Rutland Water Cycle Path, it also offers puncture repair kits. Or if you prefer not to be over-exercised you can park a motorhome or caravan on its campsite.
Old Forge, Inverie, Highlands
The most remote pub in the United Kingdom is at the end of an 18-mile trek from the nearest road across the mountains of the Knoydart Peninsula. Or, if you’re sensible, a half-hour ferry trip from Mallaig. However you choose to get here, it’s worth it. The Old Forge stands on the harbour at the centre of a wide bay with cliffs either side and views across Loch Nevis to the hills beyond.
Once threatened with closure, it’s now safely in the hands of the regulars, who donate profits from the sale of food and drink to community projects.
Setting Sun, Brighton, East Sussex
You can bet that not many of Brighton’s 11 million visitors a year bother to scale the heights of Hanover to this small pub with a big view – yet look at what they are missing. The aptly named Setting Sun makes the most of its perch in the sky thanks to a comfortable terrace at the back. From here, for the price of a pint, you have a panoramic view of the city-by-the-sea along with the immense offshore wind farm that powers half the homes in Sussex. And yes, you might immerse yourself in a superb sunset, if you’re lucky.
Ship Inn, Piel Island, Cumbria
Barrow-in-Furness. It might be a great shipyard, but why would anyone want to go there? It’s not even on the way to anywhere – except the Ship Inn, the sole inhabited building on Piel Island, which hangs like a comma off the tip of the peninsula. Open only from March to September, the Ship enjoys unique views across Morecambe Bay, and, on the hill above, the dramatic ruins of Piel Castle. The ferry from the mainland runs twice daily, or the daring might take a hike over the sands from Walney Island at low tide.
Station Inn, Ribblehead, North Yorkshire
Built in the 1870s by a workforce of 2,300, more that 100 of them dying in the endeavour, Ribblehead Viaduct completed the Settle to Carlisle railway across Batty Moss, and its 24 arches, each spanning 45 feet and 155 feet high, set against the wild Yorkshire Dales, are a wondrous sight. Even better when viewed from the beer garden of a pub, namely the Station Inn, which opened around the same time as the railway line. Ales are from Lakeland’s Tirril Brewery.
Three Horseshoes, Blackshaw Moor, Staffordshire
On Blackshaw Moor, a couple of miles outside Leek on the edge of the Peak District National Park, the Three Horseshoes is a luxurious retreat in spectacular surroundings, and the expansive beer garden has great views across the moors including the Roaches, an unusual rocky ridge, and the Tittesworth Reservoir. Over the years, the Horseshoes, which has been in the same family for 45 years, has added boutique-style bedrooms and a spa, but it’s still a proper pub, with a good range of cask ales on the bar.
3 Locks Brewery, Camden, London
If you want to avoid the traffic, Regent’s Canal Towpath provides a pleasant stroll through north London, and in 2022 Marinos Alexandrou, inspired by craft beer in Greece, had the genius idea of building a brewery here. Named after the three locks on the Camden Market stretch, 3 Locks Brewing occupies a railway arch fronted by large windows, and the upstairs beer hall is a good vantage point to people-watch as workers and partygoers pass by this attractive part of the city, hidden below the roaring streets.
The Waterfront, Plymouth
The Devon coastline isn’t all pretty bays, beaches and curious rock formations. Plymouth’s historic harbour has been beautifully recreated as a tourist destination. And right in the middle St Austell Brewery’s Waterfront has to be
the best place to enjoy it. This modern, stylish pub has big windows and a fine beer terrace that stretches all the way to the harbour wall from where you can look out towards Drake’s Island and wave farewell to the ferry to St Malo as you sip on your six o’clock cocktail.
