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The Old Sawmill Café — Cafes in Lancaster

The Old Sawmill Café

Coffee shopLancaster

4.8 out of 5 stars4.8(505 reviews)

Quick info

+44 15242 37788
The Old Sawmill, Riverside, Clapham, Lancaster LA2 8DS, United Kingdom
£10–20 · Reported by 316 people

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About The Old Sawmill Café

The Old Sawmill Café sits at the start of the Ingleborough Cave and nature trail, in a building that once housed a working sawmill, with the old water turbine and saw still on display alongside mill tools throughout the room. The menu covers breakfast, including a bacon bap and a full English, and lunch options such as a cheese and ham panini and tomato and pepper soup with a side salad, from a 25-item menu. Coffee, including Americanos, is served with homemade cakes and scones. Dogs are welcome, with treats kept by the till for them, and outdoor seating gives walkers a place to sit with their gear. The step-free entrance suits visitors with mobility needs, and free Wi-Fi covers the room for anyone working over a coffee. It opens daily during the day, and reservations are recommended. Free cold water is offered to customers.

Good to know

  • Reservations
    Accepts reservations
  • Parking
    Free of charge street parking
  • Accessibility
    Has wheelchair-accessible car park · Has wheelchair-accessible entrance · Has wheelchair-accessible seating
  • Good for kids
    Good for kids · High chairs available · Has kids' menu
  • Dietary
    Serves vegan dishes · Serves vegetarian dishes

Menu & Prices

25 dishes · mains £3–14
  • Breakfast Baps (V/VG Options)£5.50
  • Ingleborough Breakfast (Until 11:30, V Available)£13.50
  • Farmhouse Breakfast (Until 11:30, V/VG Available)£10.75
  • Egg’s Benedict (Until 11:30)£10.25
  • The Old Sawmill’s Waffles (V)£10.75
  • Cyclist’s Plate (V, Beans Option VG)£6.25
See full menu & prices →

Reviews

4.8/5
505 reviews

What reviewers say

Reviewers most often mention bacon bap, full english breakfast, cheese and ham panini and scones.

5★
439
4★
43
3★
8
2★
6
1★
9

Customer Review Summary

Reviewers consistently return for the breakfast items, especially the Ingleton full English and sausage and egg breakfast butties, alongside the cheese and ham panini served with tomato and pepper soup. Coffee and homemade cakes draw repeated praise, with several noting gluten free and vegan cake options and one calling the coffee simply good. The bacon bap and scone also come up as satisfying post-walk stops for those heading to or from Ingleborough Cave. Staff are described again and again as friendly, helpful and welcoming, and the setting, built around the old mill's turbine and saw equipment, gets called out as a highlight in its own right. Dogs are repeatedly noted as welcome, with treats kept by the till. One visitor mentions the cafe was nearly full and hard to get a table during a half term afternoon, though this is framed as a sign of popularity rather than a complaint. Multiple reviewers mention returning on a second visit and finding it just as good as the first.

Featured reviews

  • Robin Yates
    “Very friendly staff and a good bacon bap after a walk up to the caves and back”
  • Callum
    “Great Breakfast place! Stopped here before going to caves, I had the ingleton full English breakfast which was really good, nice atmosphere and very friendly staff.”
  • Kim Hoadley
    “We visited the ingleborough caves and nature trail. Afterwards we visited the old sawmill cafe. Very friendly staff and a great atmosphere. Dogs are welcome. We had a scone each which was very tasty.”
  • Ian Malcolm
    “What an awesome cafe. Staff are so professional and attentive. Delicious cakes. Lovely coffee. All prices very reasonable. What a lovely setting with loads of very interesting history. Absolutely 100% recommended in every way. I wish all cafes were this good. Free cold water a real bonus. Will definitely be back.”
  • Timothy Donnison
    “We parked in the village and called in at the old sawmill cafe before our walk up to Ingleborough cave and nature Trail , we both had the cheese and ham Panini with a cup of warming tomato and pepper soup with a side salad which warm and well presented, the staff very was friendly and polite , the whole cafe was spotlessly clean, including the toilets ,we can highly recommend The old sawmill for lunch with Quality food at a reasonable price . Also, they are very doggy friendly with treats available by the till . Our second visit was just as good as the first lovely food and friendly staff highly recommended.”

Hours

Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday

Highlights

  • Serves great coffee
  • Serves great dessert
  • Has great tea selection
  • Popular for popular for breakfast
  • Popular for popular for lunch
  • Popular for good for solo dining

Amenities

  • Has Wi-Fi
  • Has wheelchair-accessible car park
  • Free of charge street parking
  • Accepts reservations
  • Has outdoor seating
  • Dogs allowed
Show more amenities
  • Offers takeaway
  • Serves dine-in
  • Family friendly
  • Serves vegan dishes
  • Serves alcohol
  • Casual
Offerings· 7
  • Serves coffee
  • Has free water refills
  • Serves healthy options
  • Sells prepared foods
  • Quick bite
  • Serves small plates
  • Serves vegetarian dishes
Popular for· 3
  • Popular for breakfast
  • Popular for lunch
  • Good for solo dining
Atmosphere· 2
  • Cosy
  • Historic
Dining options· 7
  • Serves breakfast
  • Serves brunch
  • Serves lunch
  • Has catering
  • Serves dessert
  • Has seating
  • Has table service
Accessibility· 3
  • Has wheelchair-accessible entrance
  • Has wheelchair-accessible seating
  • Has wheelchair-accessible toilet
Pet-friendly· 2
  • Dogs allowed inside
  • Dogs allowed outside
Service options· 1
  • On-site services available
Highlights· 3
  • Serves great coffee
  • Serves great dessert
  • Has great tea selection
Facilities· 1
  • Has toilet
Crowd· 4
  • Good for groups
  • LGBTQ+ friendly
  • Popular with tourists
  • Transgender safe space
Family-friendly· 3
  • Good for kids
  • High chairs available
  • Has kids' menu

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