It’s an inn in the old-fashioned sense, sitting on the undulating A68 at the head of the Derwent Reservoir with two-foot thick sandstone walls wrapped around an absolute delight whether it’s a meal, a few drinks, a short break to admire the glorious North Pennines scenery, or a night or two in our homely accommodation.

The public bar’s enormous stone fireplace is an immediate focus but equally alluring is a large window onto the pub cellar where its functional innards are exposed to all and sundry – ale casks, plastic piping, junction boxes, pumpclips, wine bottles and boxes – which is a clever way of introducing a very tidy and well organised operation. If the rest of the pub functions as efficiently as this appears to, chances are it’s a polished operation.