North West

The Crofters at Holbeck

Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria

The garden at the Crofters is the pride and joy of licensees Geoff and Maggie Pattinson. The patios, lawns, rockery and flower beds were all hewn out of the wilderness that the couple inherited when they took over the pub two years ago.

Hard graft

Geoff is not boasting when he says most of the work was done with his own bare hands.

It's his personal efforts that have made the garden what it is today and the reason why visitors are attracted from miles around.

The gardens are a combination of style, colour and imaginative use of the pub's

outdoor buildings, which have been used for a range of different activities.

The Thwaites Brewery-owned pub is a former farmhouse, but many of the Victorian outbuildings had lain disused until Geoff decided to make them central to his plans for the garden.

New use for old buildings

He says: "We decided to incorporate the old buildings and the original features that were still in place including the old pig pens. We now have a barbecue area and a hog-roasting set, which come into their own during fine weather.

"We have patio seating for 300 people and 12 patio heaters are available if we need them. The garden has brought a new dimension to the pub's trade and is one of the big reasons we have so many visitors in the summer," Geoff comments.

Flourishing trade

Similar loving care has been lavished on the interior of the Crofters to attract custom. In two years, trade has shot up from 1.5 barrels a week to more than 10 and the pub's kitchen turns out an average of 600 meals per week.

The pub gardens enjoy spectacular views of the surrounding coastal hills and provide local folk with a peaceful retreat from the bustle of nearby Barrow-in-Furness.

"It's made the pub a major attraction,

especially for families who come to enjoy the facilities we have for children," Geoff says.