The Cumberland Arms

The Cumberland Arms is to me a fine starting off point for the Ouseburn crawl. Good beer, good staff and a clientelle who are there for the beer and likely the sounds of the varied music you can hear there. No problems.

Tucked away up a hill halfway between the ouseburn and byker, it's got to be one of Newcastle's best boozing secrets.

Attracting a similar crowd to the cluny you've got a real traditional building with a wonderful selection of local and international ales, decent food and always friendly staff.

It's beer garden is a must on a hot summer evening, especially if it's a sunday and the practising swordsmen are about! It hosts all kind of crazy events, including comedy and music - often getting the local talent in first, or sometimes they'll comeback for a one-off gig like Maximo Park did.

Check it out if you haven't already basically!

The Cumberland arms is exactly what I was from a pub. It's got two small rooms, one on the left of the door, one on the right. It does a few good real ales, has a great range of crisps, and even does cheap toasted sandwiches. Upstairs is a bigger room, and I've been to many gigs there. I saw Maximo Park for 50p here a few years ago, before they were getting famous.

The pub nearly always has some form of live music happening downstairs. It's rare there's not a collection of bearded and behatted men, with fiddles, or ukulele or bagpipes. I've met a few poetry readings and story telling nights in there too.

On a nice day, sit outside with your pint, and gaze down the Ouseburn valley, or wander down the hill to the Cluny or the Freetrade. You're not far from the The Tyne pub either.

All in all, a great place. They sell damson gin too, which is a fine snifter after a couple of bitters.

Traditional old style boozer...real ale, regular music and sword dancers on a sunday afternoon

Pretty old building (1850's) in need of a bit of repair. Good beer though. And the Newcastle Kingsmen Rapper Dance team practices here upstairs on a Wednesday night.