The Queen's Arms in Litton is a fabulous find after a long walk - and does a great pie

A lick of paint has smartened the inside up but they’ve not fooled around too much with tradition; flagged floors, open fire, beams and stone walls remain.

Michelle and Matthew Birtley have been in residence since February 2019 and have carried on the Queens Arms tradition, serving only home cooked locally sourced ingredients; expect the usual pub grub choices (the scotch egg is a cracker) plus the likes of Hesleden Farm sausage with bubble and squeak mash and ‘real gravy’ and slow roast pork belly with sausage meat stuffing.

Also: a word about the pies. Oh my word. It’s worth the drive from, well anywhere in the country for one of Matthew’s Award Winning Littondale Lamb Pie or perhaps the Chicken & Leek or Baked Fish Pie.

They’ve won Silver at the prestigious Melton Mowbray British Pie Awards and that’s no surprise to me. Behind the pub is The Lamb Brewing Company, established in 2019 by local expert brewer Thomas Crapper it produces popular brews including Lamb Pale Ale, IPA and a traditional recipe Dark Mild.

There’s a small but interesting wine list supplied by local Julian of The Wright Wine Company which is available by the glass or bottle and the usual range of malts and cognacs.

Outside are tables with long views across the fields, plus an attractive, large beer garden at the side – and those views, again. Upstairs are four comfy, contemporary en suite bedrooms.

My advice: book in, do the fabulous circular walk to Arncliffe, eat pie, drink a pint or two of Lamb Dark Mild and fall into a deep Dales sleep.

Queens Arms, Litton in Craven, North Yorkshire t: 01756 770096

queensarmslitton.co.uk/