Discover the
Eden Valley ...right on the Shepherds Inn doorstep
To the west
lie the lakes and mountains of the Lake District National Park. To the east are the hills and waterfalls of the North Pennines, an Area of Outstanding National Beauty and
Britain’s first Geopark. Melmerby Village is the perfect place
to stay with its picturesque village green.Melmerby is situated on the road (A686) leading from Penrith over Hartside Pass to Alston, and is one of the most idyllic
villages in the region.
The village only has a population of around 200, and it took its name from a Dane called Melmor
who lived here in the 9th Century.The village is home to the famous Village Bakery, which has been baking award-winning organic bread and cakes since 1976 using traditional methods to retain
the heat of wood-fired ovens, the Village Bakery is situated in a converted stone barn with the Pennine hills in the background.
Nearby is the Church of St John, which was built of red sandstone in the 13th Century. Some of the windows are 600 years old, and Melmerby
Fell can be seen on the North Pennines from the east window of the church. Not much is known about the history of the church
before the 18th Century, but the tower was built in 1848, and major restorations took place in 1895 and 1928.
Melmerby Village Cira 1910 You can see the Village Pub building in the background on the right
Nestling at the foot of the Pennine scar, Melmerby is a picturesque fell
side village, which lies on the eastern edge of the Eden Valley, with a winding stream, which dissects the village green directly
in front of the Shepherds Inn. Once the site of cock fighting and wrestling, the village green is the hub of Melmerby
life and popular with visitors.
From Melmerby, the road climbs the Hartside Pass to a height of 1,904 feet, where visitors can enjoy super views across the Solway Firth to Scotland. The long
and steep climb forms part of the Coast-to-Coast Cycle Route, and the village is only four miles from Langwathby.If you are planning a tour of the Lake District, take in Penrith, Melmerby, and some of the outlying
villages to get a real taste of the region. Most areas of the Lake District are easily accessible by car from the Shepherds
Inn car park in Melmerby.
Things to do - places
to visit (click any picture)
Northern England Wine Tasting in Melmerby
Paintballing in Melmerby
Eden
Ostrich World 4.2 miles
Annual Scarecrow Festival 4.2 miles
Water
Mill Centre 4.6 miles
Whins Pond Coarse Fishing 6.9 miles
Brougham
Castle - 10.3 miles
Private
Hire Pool, Jacuzzi, Sauna. 12 miles
Watch the descent from the Hartside Cafe to Melmerby on the A686 in Cumbria, and listen to the soothing tones of Matt Monro mixed with the sound of an A-Series engine.
Any similarity to the Italian Job is purely intentional.
Our Pub Sign
Our pub
sign was painted by Joseph Richardson, of Warcop, and the portrait thereon depicts a man who was a resident of the East Fellside
for all of his life. Albert Bousfield Teasdale was born, probably at Ousby, in 1880 and he was the son of
Mary Jane Teasdale. In 1890 his grandfather, Joseph Teasdale, took the tenancy of Colstons, a farm a mile or so south west
of Melmerby; here Albert started his working life.
In 1928 he branched out on his own, renting the farm at Townhead,
Melmerby, and later took the nearby larger holding Gale Hall. Albert and his wife, Sarah Annie, had 11 children, although
not all survived infancy. He died in 1957 and she in 1973, and both are buried in Melmerby churchyard, along with several
of their children.
