Keswick’s grand reopening begins today with pubs and restaurants boasting outside space or beer gardens back in business, along with most self-catering accommodation.
Non-essential shops will also be able to reopen for the first time this year after three-and-a-half months of lockdown closure.
The change is sure to trigger a mass return of visitors to Keswick and the North Lakes, which has been eerily quiet since December.
Town centre and rural publicans have been sprucing up – and stocking up – their beer gardens in preparation.
Keswick Brewery has been busy brewing, delivering and getting ready to open its own beer garden in Brewery Lane from Tuesday to Saturday 2pm to 7pm , weather permitting.
The Oddfellows Arms in Market Square has one of the biggest beer gardens in Keswick and although numbers will be reduced for social distancing, licensees Carl and Kath Maloney hope it will be busy.
Carl said: “We are offering table service only and have employed extra staff but we hope people can bear with us and come with a good positive attitude and treat staff with respect.”
He has been at the pub since 1982 and admits the last year has been the most difficult.
He said: “We are counting the days down to June 21 when hopefully we can open (indoors) as normal.”
James Appleton is part of the team who run The Round in Market Square and Fell Pack in Lake Road.
They have spent lockdown putting in a sun terrace with canopy behind The Round and plan to put tables out at the front for Monday.
James said: “ We are excited to be re-opening and will be offering our full menu – but it must be table service only.”
Klaudyana Fester is manager at The Dog and Gun in Lake Road and hopes to have 12 tables at the side of the pub.
She said: “ We are open for food and drinks and, of course, the craic. Our staff are really looking forward to catching up with our local customers and visitors.”
The Royal Oak at Braithwaite has a large outdoor seating area but owners Fiona and Gordon Law have built a pergola in the garden to provide protection for customers.
Gordon said: “We have been inundated with people who want to come along.”
The Swinside Inn at Newlands Valley also has a large beer garden but, like the Royal Oak, is not taking bookings. It plans to open every day depending on the weather .
Sally Fielding, who owns Sally’s Cottages, said: “We’re very much looking forward to reopening next week and welcoming visitors back.
“We’re looking at a busy week, with about 82 per cent of our cottages booked out.
“As well as the expected visitor bookings, a few will be cottage owners to refresh things and set up for the coming season. We’ve been very busy taking bookings since the lockdown roadmap was first laid out.”
One family only will be allowed to stay in self-catering accommodation under new lockdown restrictions.
