The high 10 British beer gardens which provide the proper pint on a summer time’s day

The sun is high, the air is warm and the beer garden calls. Whether it’s in the company of a refreshing glass of ale, lager or cider, there is nothing more relaxing than sitting outside your favourite hostelry and stopping time.

Indeed, arguably nothing sums up British culture in the summertime better than enjoying a nice cold pint in a beer garden while the sun is shining.

Whether you’ve found found a hidden gem in the city or something far out in the countryside with spectacular views, it is as much a UK institution as fish and chips or a cup of tea.

With that in mind, here is a top 10 of beer gardens according to A Pub For All Seasons author and our beer of the week expert Adrian Tierney-Jones.

The Anchor Inn, Walberswick, Suffolk

Sitting right on the Suffolk coast, this village pub has comfortable terraces at the back from which you can look out over the North Sea — perhaps a bracing dip before lunch might be an idea too. The Anchor is also known for its excellent selection of beers and wines, as well as its food, with the garden including a pizza oven and regular BBQs.

Drink: Adnams Broadside, ABV 4.7%

The Bay Horse, Totnes, Devon

Totnes is often nicknamed the Narnia of Devon for various mystical reasons and there’s an equally magical sense about the Bay Horse’s compact beer garden hidden away at the back of this friendly town pub. It’s in two parts, with the first possessing wooden shelters just in case of rain, while the second is grassed over and has a small gazebo. It all gives a real sense of escape as you soak up the sun.

Drink: Pilsner Urquell, ABV 4.4%

The Cambridge Blue, Cambridge

Situated down a side street off busy Mill Road, this is a stunning pub for beer lovers with up to 14 real ales on tap alongside a dozen keg beers. There is also plenty of cider plus one of the most comprehensive whisky collections in the city. The large beer garden is at the back and a real sun trap on sunny days, while over the wall is a more sobering view, the now disused Victorian Mill Road cemetery.

Drink: Nene Valley Bitter, ABV 4.1%

The Castle Inn, Edgehill, Oxfordshire

Built as a folly in the 18th century, this is an imposing turreted, octagonal tower with battlements that overlook the English Civil War battlefield of Edgehill. When the sun is out you can drink and eat in its pleasing garden with views over the battlefield as well as towards the Malvern Hills in the west.

Drink: Hook Norton Hooky Gold, ABV 4.1%

The Drayton Court, Ealing, London

You will find this pub and hotel hidden away amongst the leafy streets of suburban Ealing. From the outside it’s a fantasy of Victorian turrets and towers but at the rear there is what is purported to be the biggest beer garden in London. What is just as important is that it serves peerless pints of Fuller’s ales.

Drink: Fuller’s ESB, ABV 5.5%

Kirkstile Inn, Loweswater, Cumbria

The word ‘wow’ comes to mind when you approach this Lake District gem, which is surrounded by views of wild mountainous scenery. Its beer garden may not be massive and doesn’t have loads of flowers, apple trees or anything that would be at home in the Chelsea Flower Show, but it’s the wow factor of its views that makes it a fantastic place to enjoy a pint.

Drink: Loweswater Gold, ABV 4.3%

Ormidale Hotel, Brodick, Isle of Arran

A solid no nonsense Victorian building that is set in seven acres of wooded grounds with stunning views towards Goatfell, the highest mountain on the Isle of Arran. There are flowerbeds, shrubs and sculptured hedges and there is also a children’s play area where kids can amuse themselves while mum and dad relax with a glass of locally brewed ale. The beach is a short distance away if you fancy a swim.

Drink: Arran Blonde, ABV 5%

Pen-y-Gwryd, Nant Gwynant, North Wales

Standing alone on a road that cuts through the magnificent scenery of Eryri (Snowdonia), this is a 19th century pub and hotel that was a training base for the climbing team which scaled Everest in 1953. Naturally, there’s a climbing theme (old boots, maps, photos) inside, but at the back there is a large beer garden that has the pub’s own private lake, into which hardy visitors often plunge into.

Drink: Purple Moose Glaslyn Bitter, ABV 4.2%

The Salutation, Ham, Gloucestershire

Nicknamed the ‘Sally’, this is a lovely award-winning countryside pub, a mile out of the town of Berkeley (in whose castle Edward II met his inglorious end). Its large and generous beer garden is at the front and from here you can bask in the sun and enjoy gorgeous views towards the Forest of Dean, while enjoying beers that are brewed at the back of the pub.

Drink: Tiley’s Pale Ale, ABV 4.2%

Square & Compass, Worth Maltravers, Dorset

A treasure of an old pub that is in the middle of nowhere but which still inspires pilgrimages from beer-lovers throughout the UK. On sunny days it pays to take your beer or cider outside onto the front lawn, sit on a bench and enjoy the view over fields towards the English Channel in the distance. If it’s raining do have a look at the pub’s own museum of fossils.

Drink: Hop Back Brewery, Summer Lightning, ABV 5%

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