The Black Swan

Holding court in the centre of Ravenstonedale, ’twixt the Lakes and the Dales, The Black Swan has the hallmarks of a much-loved village inn: home-cooked food, cheery atmosphere and comforting bedrooms. The Victorian building, run with warm efficiency by Louise Dinnes for 17 years – ‘staff couldn’t have been more helpful’ – has a reputation for its food. Classic dishes are given a creative twist in delicious dinners such as baked scallops with chorizo followed by lamb saddle with salsa verde. You can eat either in the dining room with sage-green dado panelling and bold bird-and-floral wallpaper, or in the jolly bar with exposed-stone walls, tartan carpet and copper jugs. ‘The chicken schnitzel was very good.’ Comfortable refurbished bedrooms are ‘charming, lovely’ with homely furnishings – including the odd antique – and ‘nice armchairs for reading when the rain kept us in!’ Some are more compact or there are dog-friendly annexe rooms plus glamping tents, the latter in the riverside beer garden. A snug lounge with panelling and fire beckons for a late-night tot, while cooked-to-order breakfasts – ‘scrambled eggs were to die for!’ – set you up for the day. (Bill Wood, CT)