Is there anything better on a hot summer's day than a pint in a beer garden?
Probably not, with online searches for 'pub gardens' increasing over the summer months as Brits look for somewhere to enjoy a cold drink in the sun. And it gets better for those in the North East as two regional establishments have been named among the top 20 beer gardens in the UK.
Eden's Gate has compiled a list by analysing Tripadvisor reviews, placing the Lord Crewe Arms in Blanchland at number seven and the Free Trade Inn in Ouseburn at number sixteen.
Read more: Northumberland hotel named one of the best hillside hideaways in the UK
With 809 reviews, The Lord Crewe Arms in Blanchland dates back as far as the 12th century (though it hasn't been an inn for that long). Here, you can take your drinks from the Crypt Bar out onto manicured gardens and feel the breeze of being almost 300 metres above sea level in the North Pennines.
However, it's more than just a bar and beer garden, as the hotel was named one of the best hillside hideaways in the UK by the Guardian last month, while it has a slew of awards including the best in the country in the Good Pub Guide 2018, and the Sunday Times' Top Ten Ultimate British Pubs guide in 2016.
The second pub on the list is an Ouseburn institution that will need no introduction for many Chronicle readers. One of Newcastle's oldest real and craft ale pubs, the Free Trade Inn is also no stranger to awards, having too many CAMRA prizes to list!
The combination of good beers and ciders with arguably the finest views of the Quayside and city skyline means you'll have to get here early to bag a table. You can pick out the Millennium Bridge, Baltic and many more landmarks either from the beer garden or the enormous windows inside the bar.
Where's your favourite beer garden in the North East? Let us know!
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