Celebrating Cumbrian tradition: Damson Day 2015
Yesterday morning was one of those fresh breezy April starts to the day, but still lovely and sunny after the recent good weather we’ve been having. What better way to spend the day then, than to go to the annual Damson Day celebrations in the beautiful Lyth Valley? (more…)
No smoke without fire at The Wild Boar
The Wild Boar, situated on the picturesque Crook Road between Kendal and Bowness-on-Windermere, has become increasingly well-known for its smokehouse and microbrewery, the products of which are visible across its extensive restaurant menu. What better opportunity to find out more about it all, than to visit the hotel’s second Festival of Smoke? The festival, which […]
Some tasty discoveries on a day out at Rheged
The Rheged Centre, which can be found just off the A66 outside Penrith, is an impressive and unusual building, designed to blend in with the grass landscape that surrounds it. The main entrance is vast and surrounded by stone – appearing to be set in a hillside, I would describe it as rather ‘castlesque’, with […]
Eight scrumptious things about the Kendal Festival of Food
This weekend was the annual Kendal Festival of Food, a programme of talks and demonstrations given by celebrities and local producers across venues in the town. Unfortunately my work commitments prevented me from going to any of the main events this year, however, I did make time to spend a heavenly couple of hours wandering […]
‘Herdwick: A Portrait of Lakeland’ – a must-see photography exhibition
In my experience, some of the best and most memorable things about a day out are not those originally planned. That was certainly the case when I came across Ian Lawson‘s photographic exhibition at Rheged, Penrith, which has the title Herdwick: A Portrait of Lakeland. I had no expectations at all when I entered the […]
A stunning view without the walk: Hammarbank, Windermere
If you’re in the Windermere area, or just passing by on a day out, you’d be mad not to stop briefly at one of the most beautiful viewpoints in the area. Hammarbank (sometimes spelt Hammerbank depending on where you look) is situated just outside Windermere on the A592 (Rayrigg Road), near Cook’s Corner roundabout. Turn […]
10 things to do on a rainy day in the Lake District and surrounding area
It’s been one of those cold, wet days with sleet and snow today, and so I’ve spent a snug Sunday working away in the office. It’s got me thinking though – where are the best places to go when the sun won’t come out to play? Here are my top 10 suggestions: 1. Lakeland, Windermere […]
Cake anyone? NGS unveils its Cumbrian gardens for 2015
If you’re a keen gardener, you may already have come across the National Garden Scheme’s (NGS) Yellow Book or even visited some of the many gardens that open each year across the UK to raise money for charity. It was great to see the 2015 Cumbria NGS guide appear in leaflet racks across the county […]
Chips in a flowerpot? It must be lunch at Beetham Nurseries
It’s been quite a while since I last went out for lunch, and Sunday presented the perfect opportunity. Because we were already in the area, my lunching ‘partner in crime’ and I decided to treat ourselves to a light bite to eat at Beetham Nurseries, which lies just south of Milnthorpe. The café was a […]
A new blog about the Lake District (and a bit about me)
Hello and welcome to my very first post on my Lake District Gems blog. Thank you for visiting me! Why am I setting up a blog about the Lakes? There are several reasons really. I love writing and I love the Lake District, and to be honest, I spend far too many hours sat behind […]