Awards
SOLWAY PUB AWARDS PROCESS
All use NBSS with the top scoring pubs selected on a shortlist except pubs with too few scores &/or scorers, pubs with a recent change of publican and pubs for sale are omitted
For PUB AWARDS, a shortlist is circulated to members using the CAMRA CommsTool. They vote and the pub with the most votes is the winner. The voting system was introduced to involve more members and encourage them to become active members.
For the PUB OF THE SEASON, we exclude pubs that have won the award in the last three years. This is to prevent the same few pubs dominating the award.
For the PUB OF THE YEAR, we include the current winner, provided the NBSS scores are high enough to justify it and there is no known reason why the pub should not be included. We then look at the top pubs in each of our sub areas, i.e. Carlisle, north, south and west. The main reason for this was to spread the candidates around the branch area.
For the GBG, the process is NBSS score, and area based. The major difference is decisions are made at branch meetings.
The biggest award the branch makes is the 'Pub of the Year'
The Branch Pub of the Year 2025 is The Cumberland Inn, Alston. Congratulations to Helen and Guy Harmer for this well deserved award 
The Cumberland Inn is no stranger to our branch awards having already been three times winners of our branch pub of the year award, branch cider pub of the year award and pub of the season award! They also hold the accolade of being in over 20 consecutive Good Beer Guides. The Cumberland Inn has been owned and run by Guy and Helen Harmer for about 21 years. Helen and Guy provide a warm, family welcome based on old-fashioned hospitality, home-made food, comfortable accommodation and superb real ales and ciders. The Real Ale choice is usually one regular beer accompanied by three changing real ales, often from local breweries. They are always kept in excellent condition as can be expected by an award-winning pub. They are listed on the prominent pub notice board that tells customers: the strength of each beer, a brief description of what they taste like and the location of each brewery! Very useful when you encounter a new beer and wonder what it's like. The Cumberland is a well-run, friendly inn serving excellent food and real ale. It is a worthy winner of our award.
The Branch Pub of the Year 2023 and 2024. Congratulation to Tom and Beki at he Drovers Rest Monkhill who received the well deserved award They have followed that success by being voted Cumbria CAMRA Pub of the year 2023 and 2024
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Good Beer Guide Gold Award for 20 continuous entries - Cumberland Inn Alston
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Solway Branch City Pub of the Year 2023 and 2034 - Milbourne Arms
The Branch Pub of the Year 2020, 2021 and 2022 is - The ,Penrith
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City Pub of the Year 2023 -Milbourne Arms
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City Pub of the Year 2022 -The Kings Head
FETHERSTON ARMS KIRKOSWALD 2025 SUMMER PUB OF THE SEASON 
This fine pub stands opposite the old, cobbled square at the centre of Kirkoswald village. The building dates from 1836, when it was built for the Fetherston-Haugh family who still own the building today. As a listed building, renovation has been done carefully. The ground floor has been opened upand sensitively modernised in order retain the original atmosphere. It's about fifteen years since brothers, Alan and Michael Collinson, took over the "Fethers". The pub is a regular in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide and has been branch Pub of the Year. On the bar, Grasmere Gold and Lancaster Blonde are the permanent cask beers together with two, soon to be three, changing guest cask beers from breweries such as Tirril, Hawkeshead and Kirkby Lonsdale. The "Fethers" serves excellent meals and is a very pleasant place to enjoy a few drinks.
WEST WALLS BREWING CARLISLE 2025 SPRING PUB OF THE SEASON 
A hearty congratulations to the West Walls Brewery for winning our Spring Pub of the Season! Our newest real ale outlet, and brewery, the taproom sits snugly at the end of West Walls in Carlisle's historic town edge. Proprietors Fergus and Joe opened the tap last summer,and it has been a welcome addition to Carlisle's growing craft beer and real alescene. Taking over an abandoned nightclub building, famous in Carlisle as the Twisted Wheel but has been through many different names and guises since the 1970s. The building had shut for good in 2008 until West Walls took on the lease in 2024. A huge amount of work has been done to renovate the taproom into the comfortable, modern yet traditional space it is, with exposed brickwork, a roaring fire and brewery equipment right in front of you. The taproom sells a lot of its own beer brewed in house, an ever evolving range of new beers and core ones, as well as beers from other breweries. The beer has been of high quality ever since it opened, and we are happy to see a new venue in the town show a real love and support for traditional and craft beer.
KINGS ARMS BOWNESS ON SOLWAY 2024 WINTER PUB OF THE SEASON 
Congratulations to The Kings Arms, a first time winner of any CAMRA Award this pub is at the western end of the Hadrian’s Wall Path National Trail which is a World Heritage Site and Area of OutstandingNatural Beauty. Situated in the centre of the village it is very close to the start of the roman wall walk and also provides Bed and Breakfast accommodation. The restaurant provides a wide selection of meals all cooked with local ingredients where possible The pub itself is a single room although as it is set out around a central bar area it seems like 3 rooms.
STONE INN HAYTON 2024 AUTUMN PUB OF THE SEASON 
WHEATSHEAF WETHERAL 2024 SUMMER PUB OF THE SEASON
Congratulations to Lynne, Graham and the staff of the Wheatsheaf Inn, Wetheral on their latest award, our Pub of the Season, for summer 2024. Lynne and Graham are entering their sixteenth year in charge of “TheWheaty”, a traditional village local,which has been a pub for over 200 years.
FOX AND HOUNDS ARMATHWAITE 2024 SPRING PUB OF THE SEASON 
Many congratulations to Steve Jackson and his team at the Fox & Pheasant for being voted spring pub of the season by our branch members.
THE BLACKSMITHS, TALKIN 2023-24 WINTER AUTUMN PUB OF THE SEASON
The pub has been with the Jackson family for well over 20 years.
FELL BAR, PENRITH 2023 AUTUMN PUB OF THE SEASON
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Eden Area Pub of the Year 2023 -The Agricultural Hotel, Penrith
CUMBERLAND INN, ALSTON 2023 SUMMER PUB OF THE SEASON