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The Cumberland Arms
A World of it's own
The Cumberland Arms is a either a bit mad & left field, or the rest of the world is - you decide. It’s a really, really great bar, the type of which you might not think exists anymore.
They do the real ale thing & have a top take on toasties & nibbly bar food. There's a live venue going on upstairs, with bands & Whose line is it anyway? type comedy capers.
All sorts of weird & wonderful stuff happens here & very often when you walk in through the door, it can feel like a total other world.
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Well worth a visit
It is another good reason to pay a visit to Ouseburn Valley & it is just up the hill from the Cluny.
With a well furnished, outside, sitty down bit, in winter, they’ll hire you hot water bottles & blankets at the bar if you wanna still sit out. It’s a hoot going to their audience participation busker nights – really flippin' far out.
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Hey nonnie vibes
There’s nights devoted to gangs of ukulele playing punters, who look like they just popped in unexpectedly & all started strumming together by coincidence.
They also have a sporadic, bizarre, ongoing thing with Morris type, sword wielding dancers. They just appear out of nowhere, do mad jiggs around the Bar, then skip off like loons down the road...
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Boozer of Thrones
There are 2 rooms downstairs, so you can escape all the folkiness if you wish & as well as the live upstairs venue, they have also added a cosy B&B that gets some rave reviews.
The Cumberland is Old Skool in every sense & has remained virtually unchanged for decades. It honestly wouldn't look out of place as a Game of Thrones Bar set location.
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Alongside all of these unique selling points, there is a proper intimate cosiness to this place & in the winter when the fires are lit, it feels like a completely different country. Goes without saying that the staff are cool, as you can’t have a great bar without great staff.
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Daft people might think it's 'quirky,' but they've missed the point...
The Cumberland is representative of a genuine subculture. It’s a fantastic place, a rare building that simply exudes cross-generational joy. A regional, possibly national treasure & at times, a parallel reality.
Without question, it’s absolutely one of the finest places to drink in Newcastle & you should check it out.
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