The snow put paid to one trip and nearly diverted another. But in the end JULIAN COLE makes it to a welcoming Dales inn

THERE is a warm welcome at the Charles Bathurst Inn, which is probably just as well. The first time we tried to get to this 18th Century inn in the Dales, snow was lying deep around York.

A last-minute call to the pub revealed that the snow-ploughs had been out in Arkengarthdale, so the trip was postponed.

The new date arrived last Saturday and there was no snow in York. That waited until around Scotch Corner, when a mini-blizzard blew up. The driver of the car, who shall remain nameless, decided that a good approach would be from the A66 opposite Barnard Castle by climbing over the hills locals seem to call the Strang.

Four miles along a narrow country road made narrower still with snow, we encountered an insurmountable hill. The old estate car got halfway up and then slid backwards.

That hill wasn’t going to give in, so we turned round, slipping and sliding as we went, and went back to the main road.

A sensible route via Richmond took us to Reeth, where we stopped briefly to admire a wind that seemed to have arrived armed with every razor-edged chill in the Yorkshire Dales. Safely back in the car, it was onwards to Langthwaite and the pub (where, the following morning, visitors had to be dug out of the car park).

Booted and fully wrapped, we set off on a seven-mile walk in the deep snow. This wasn’t easy as paths disappear under snow, and we wandered lonely as a pair of fools with only an increasingly soggy print-out of the route to hand. But it was lovely and we made it back to the pub. This was where the warm welcome came in, roaring log fire and all.

The CB Inn, as it is mostly known, has long links to Dr John Bathurst, who was Oliver Cromwell’s physician. The Bathurst family did much to develop lead mining in this very pretty dale, and Charles Bathurst, the doctor’s son, was lord of the manor in the 18th century, and gave his name to the lead from the local mines, and to this fine inn.

The pub has been run since 1996 by Charles and Stacy Cody. It is handsomely turned out, with a long main bar offering a range of real ales, which can be drunk in the warmth emanating from that log fire. Other than that, there is a large dining area and 19 en-suite bedrooms.

Our room was of a decent size, certainly large enough to easily accommodate the most enormous bed. The windows looked out across the snowbound car park with a distant view of the valley.

After warming up, we drank tea in the room and ate the homemade shortbread biscuits left in a tin.

Before the evening meal, we went down to the bar and had our drinks in front of the fire.

A feature of the bar is that the menu is written up on two mirrors above the fireplace. One of the drinkers, a naughty uncle by the look of him, asked his young niece to read out an item on the menu.

His reason for doing this lay in an amendment he had made, removing the letter ‘p’ from ‘parsnip puree’. She wouldn’t play ball, not quite understanding what he was asking, but it kept him amused and the atmosphere at the bar was cosy and friendly.

For the meal, I had fishcake with a poached egg to start, followed by venison with homemade venison sausage, while my wife the veggie had a palm hearts salad, which she liked although the ‘hearts’ were too chilly, and mushroom tagliatelle, which she declared very good. My meaty main course was a medium-rare treat.

To finish, we shared one pudding – a hazelnut meringue with ice cream, all generous and pleasing, although the meringue did not appear to be homemade; and a very good plate of cheese and biscuits.

Surprisingly, considering that lot, in the morning one of us managed to eat a full English breakfast, toast and coffee. As with the unwise original choice of route to Arkengarthdale, this person shall remain anonymous.

The CB Inn is a very pleasant place to stay in the loveliest of countryside. Two nights would be better than one, and the great outdoors beckons from all directions, with plenty of walks in the dale or nearby Swaledale. Bowes Museum at Barnard Castle over the Strang is one possibility, although not if it is snowing.

• The CB Inn, Langthwaite, Arkengathdale, Richmond. 01748 884567, info@cbinn.co.uk

Two-night B&B breaks cost £140 per person mid-week and £159 from Friday to Sunday.