Sunday Lunch at The Boat Inn, Kielder Water

Sunday lunch at The Boat Inn, Kielder Water is a great place to enjoy lunch in beautiful surroundings.

A few weeks ago, on a rather wet Summer day, we set of to Kielder Water and Forest Park. We were taking the wildlife and osprey motor boat cruise around the lake. Ospreys are a fish eating bird of prey that have started nesting in Kielder Water in recent years. Currently there are four breeding pairs in the forest.  The cruise did not start till the evening so we stopped to have Sunday lunch at The Boat Inn.

The Boat Inn, Kielder Water is situated in Leaplish Waterside Park. As well as offering panoramic views across Kielder Water, Leaplish is a caravan park and has a range of lodges for rent. It is also one of the points where you can board the osprey ferry, a 60 seat motor cruiser that takes you across the lake. The Lakeside Way walking route around Kielder can also be access from Leaplish, a 27 mile walking route around the shoreline. At the back of The Boat Inn you will find the osprey watch. Here you can borrow binoculars and telescopes to see the osprey’s nesting platform. Inside the hut you can watch a live stream of the ospreys on their nest during nesting season.

The Boat Inn, Kielder Water

The Boat Inn is situated on the edge of the lake and some of the tables give great views over the lake.  The inside is a mix of wooden walls with a range of pictures and knick knacks. There is plenty of seating and the bar is dog friendly. This is great as it means the next time we visit Kielder we can bring our dog, Eddie with us. A nice touch was the dog bowls of water by the front door so your family pet can get refreshment on the way in.

Outside the pub was a menu which showed a selection of different meals, light bites, a children’s menu and pub classics. The meals all contain locally sourced ingredients. When we got inside we were only able to find the Sunday lunch menu which offered a selection of roast pork, beef or turkey. These were all £11.95. Considering that the Boat Inn has a captive audience the prices are very reasonable.

It did not take long for our food to arrive. I chose roast beef while my husband and son went for the pork. All the plates had Yorkshire Puddings, much to my son’s delight.  He loved the fact they were so large. Broccoli and cabbage were bought in a separate dish so we could help ourselves. The broccoli was slightly al dente. The rest of the plate was delicious and full of flavour. The portion was a good size and we did not feel the need to have a pudding, although there was a good selection to choose from.

The Boat Inn is family friendly and welcoming, we did not feel rushed. We had a good view over the lake and were able to watch a family of ducks though the window. They decided to waddle down to the lake just as a very bouncy dog made an appearance. If you are visiting Kielder Water and Forest Park The Boat in is worth popping into. Do check the opening hours as they can vary in the Winter.

Read more: Sunday lunch at the Rose Inn, Wallsend

I also have an overview of places to stay and things to do in Northumberland National Park, which Kielder Water is part of.