News Beat
The Hamsterley village pub with hundreds of top scores
Despite its modest size, the village sits on the doorstep of Hamsterley Forest, a 2,000-hectare woodland managed by Forestry England and one of the largest forests in County Durham.
The forest draws visitors year-round, offering a network of walking routes, picnic areas and wildlife habitats, alongside mountain biking trails and other outdoor activities.
And with many people travelling to visit the walks through the forest and uncover the village’s popular countryside, a place with good food and a warm atmosphere is something that visitors have been able to find in a nearby pub.
The Cross Keys in Hamsterley has hundreds of top scores on the online review site Tripadvisor.
It has garnered a positive reputation on the site with 239 ‘excellent’ reviews – the highest rating that can be given by a reviewer.
With a menu including all the pub classics and favourites like homemade steak pie, cod and chips, hunters chicken and homemade chicken curry, The Cross Keys has also been praised for having a ‘traditional dessert menu’.
One customer on Tripadvisor said: “Booked for Saturday lunch – we were seated in the bar area. Excellent service and dealt very well with some difficult diets. Will definitely be back.”
Another contributor on the review website said: “We visited the Cross Keys as we were staying nearby, such a lovely welcoming place.
“They managed to find us a table even though they were busy.
“Dog friendly, lovely atmosphere and delicious food. ”
“The steak pie was amazing! They offer a traditional dessert menu which is lovely to see. Staff were friendly, attentive and welcoming. Thank you”
