As British Pie Week (March 1-7) is celebrated all over the country, one Western Lake District village is laying claim to the title of Britain’s Favourite Pie Parish and to the creation of a new tourism niche – Pie Tourism.

The village of Gosforth, near England’s highest mountain (Scafell) and its deepest lake (Wastwater) is enticing holiday makers seeking a pie-fect experience that combines one of the country’s favourite dishes with a unique blend of other attractions.

The Gosforth Hall Inn first put a Supper Pie on its menu in January 2008. The Steak, Bacon and Mushroom pie, filled to the brim with local Lakeland steak slow-cooked for at least four hours, proved a huge hit and added to the village’s existing ‘lunch time pie’ offer from Gill Unsworth’s bakery.

The creator of the Supper Pie, Rod Davies, decided his inn should experiment with other pies. These were seen as perfect food choices into which walkers, cyclists, foodies and other visitors could tuck in after a fabulous day out enjoying ‘Britain’s Favourite View’ – Wastwater, just a few miles from Gosforth -and the stunning scenery all around.

Along with wife Barbara, Rod set about concocting delicious pie varieties for his Inn’s menu and now offers a rotating selection of pies, including Wild Boar with Wholegrain Mustard, Moroccan Lamb, Wild Game and Plum, Pulled Pork and Sweet Chilli, Venison and Haggis and Broccoli and Stilton.

All of these can be washed down with four real ales, at least three of which are always Cumbrian, served by an inn that was the 2008 runner-up in the CAMRA Pub of the Year awards.

Rod has new served up 4630 pies since the Supper Pie concept’s creation and attracts pie lovers from locations worldwide. The legendary pies turned out by the village are promoted by word-of-mouth recommendation, but Rod also operates a quirky Royal Ale Bus. This former Royal Mail vehicle is now sign-painted with the words “Up Hills, Down Dales, Rod’s Pies and Real Ales.”

Operating a mini-bus system to help pie lovers reach the village more easily, Rod is not only putting Pie Tourism on the map, but also keeping a pie-chart of his sales, which are escalating with each passing month.

The village’s success in attracting pie aficionados is assisted by a number of fabulous facts relating to the area. Whilst “Britain’s Favourite View” is a big draw, the village Churchyard also boasts the tallest ancient cross in England. This 14-foot high cross is carved with a mix of Christian and Viking symbols and depicts both the Crucifixion and the pagan God Loki.

This relic of the Viking era is joined in the Churchyard by Europe’s most northerly Cork Tree, planted in 1833, a listed-building tool-shed built of stones from the original Church and two 10th Century Hogback tombstones in St Mary’s Church itself.

Archaeological digs at the Gosforth Hall Inn have so far revealed a sunken Norse Hall (920 AD), and a Victorian path running through the grounds.

The Hall itself was built in 1658. A tight-fisted gentleman called Copley reputedly refused to pay the Royal Herald for his coat of arms, inventing his own instead (now hanging in the bar), and built the upper storeys from the timbers of ships wrecked on the Irish Sea coast.

There is no Room 8 – this being continuously sought by a ghostly monk frequently seen sitting by a Priest’s Hole in Room 11, which leads to the fireplace in the bar – an escape route used by the Catholic Copleys.

Pie lovers hungry for more than just fabulous food, are satisfying their appetites by feeding on the rich history of the Western Lake District. This includes Roman occupations at nearby Ravenglass and Hardknott, as well as Roman activity in the Eskdale Valley. This is explored by the Steam and Romans experiences organised by the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway.

There is also the legend of St Bega and early Christianity within the area, to add to the historical backdrop ,and visitors can also revel in the area’s unique traditions, such as the annual gurning Championships, staged in Egremont.

Others are building up the appetite by following one of the Gosforth Walks described by a book of that name.

Rod Davies says: “We really believe that, as a village, we have invented the concept of Pie Tourism here in Gosforth and are delighted that so many people are making a pie pilgrimage to reach us here.”

Western Lake District Tourism Director, Katie Read, says: “We have pie loving walkers and cyclists staying in Cyclists Welcome and Walkers Welcome accommodation like The Pennington hotel in Ravenglass. These visitors are expending their energy enjoying our rugged gems landscape and cool coast by day and heading to Gosforth to devour their choice of pie come supper time. It’s the perfect combination of food and travel and it’s very much thanks to Rod’s fabulous Supper Pie invention.”

More information about the Western Lake District can be found at www.western-lakedistrict.co.uk The Gosforth Hall Hotel website is at www.gosforthhallhotel.co.uk