When travelling as a passenger in a car or on public transport, there are all sorts of unusual landmarks and intriguing features to be spotted around the Lakes. Here are the stories behind them.
Tag: Ambleside
10 short walks in the Lake District with tearooms
After the hustle and bustle of the weeks leading up to Christmas and New Year, it’s lovely to return to the quieter months of January and February, and to return to finding enjoyment in some of life’s simpler pleasures. And what could be simpler but more thoroughly enjoyable than a gentle Lake District walk followed by a leisurely pot of tea in a nice warm tearoom? If this idea appeals to you, here are some popular – and less well known – short walks with tearooms you may like to add to your list in the next few weeks and months. To…
A Victorian waterfall walk in Ambleside
There are many beautiful waterfalls across the Lake District, but few are as easy to reach as Stockghyll Force, which is just a short walk from the heart of Ambleside. Whilst some would regard the walk to Stockghyll Force as too well-known to be regarded a ‘hidden gem’, it would be so easy to miss…
27 things to do on a rainy day in the Lake District
One of the very first posts I wrote for the blog was a list of 10 things to do in the Lake District on a rainy day. We do get quite a few wet days here, but, as they say, the Lake District wouldn’t be the Lake District without them! Since writing that post however,…
Three must-see spring gardens in the Lake District
All the signs of spring are fast appearing: spring bulbs are forming carpets of colour by the roadsides, the daffodils are fast appearing, and BBC2’s Gardeners’ World starts its new series tonight – and there’s no more reliable sign than that! I find springtime one of the most exciting times of the year, not only…
A brief visit to Ambleside Roman Fort
Recently I wrote about historic Ambleside, and how you could get to know this charming little market town by following the Ambleside Heritage Trail. As I mentioned though, the history of Ambleside dates back much further than the buildings you will see in town, and begins with the Romans at a site you can still…
Exploring historic Ambleside: a trail of hidden heritage
If stopping off in Ambleside for only a short space of time, it could be easy to dismiss the town as a rather large collection of outdoor shops, with little else to offer. According to one local shopkeeper I spoke to on a recent wander around town, this is the impression that some visitors to…
15 great places to stop for a brew in the Lake District
When I recently discovered that January is ‘Hot Tea Month’, I thought, now there’s a subject for a blog post! Although I’m not entirely sure how or where Hot Tea Month first came about – online sources seem to suggest it may have been the USA – here are some of my favourite stopping off…
Pictured in bloom: Stagshaw Gardens, Ambleside
In a recent post, I visited the National Trust’s Stagshaw Gardens, near Ambleside, for the first time. Stagshaw Gardens is very much a spring woodland garden, with a host of camellias, azaleas and rhododendrons and other woodland planting, and although it was beautiful, it turned out I had visited a little too early and the…
A secret haven near Ambleside: Stagshaw Gardens and Skelghyll Wood
You can also see more recent images of the beautiful Stagshaw Gardens in a further post, Pictured in Bloom: Stagshaw Gardens, Ambleside. I’ve been looking forward to visiting Stagshaw Gardens near Ambleside for some time now, and it turns out the garden really is a hidden gem. Owned by the National Trust, Stagshaw isn’t particularly…
Spotted ‘ewe’! The Go Herdwick Lake District sheep trail
Anyone spending time in the Lake District over the past few days may have noticed some peculiar goings on, with some very brightly coloured sheep appearing in the most unexpected places, from driveways to B&B gardens. The reason? It’s the start of the Go Herdwick public art trail to raise money for the Lake District…
What exactly is Bridge House in Ambleside?
Bridge House in Ambleside is one of the most iconic – and smallest – buildings in the Lake District. Yet how many of us have actually stopped to take a proper look at this quirky historic landmark, or asked ourselves ‘what exactly is it’? One day back in the summer, I decided to find out….
Autumn in the Lake District
Which is your favourite season? A long time ago I would have said that my preferred time of year is spring, but since taking up photography in recent years, my appreciation for autumn has grown and grown. I don’t know whether this year is exceptional for colour, but it certainly feels like it. The Lake…
What’s the rush? Ambleside Rushbearing
The annual Ambleside Rushbearing procession usually takes place on the first Saturday of July. I hadn’t seen it before, so arrived early (drivers are advised by Ambleside Online to avoid the area on that day between 2.30pm and 3.30pm) to experience this little bit of Lakeland tradition. Clearly, the first a number of visitors knew…