It’s that time of year again when our TV screens fill with reviews of the past year – the political, the surprising, the sad and the amusing. It therefore seemed a rather nice idea to take a look back over the last year of gem hunting, and revisit some of the standout moments from the…
Tag: Windermere
A house for all seasons: Blackwell, The Arts and Crafts House
At the end of the season, a number of the Lake District’s historic houses shut for the winter, however, Blackwell, just outside Bowness-on-Windermere, is an exception that is well worth visiting at any time of year. Blackwell is a famous example of a house from the Arts and Crafts movement, and was built in 1900…
A peek behind locked doors: hard hat tours at Wray Castle
My fascination with Wray Castle started back in September this year when I visited the inside of this enormous mock-gothic Victorian house properly for the first time. It was whilst writing about Wray that I then came across its November ‘hard hat tours’ and thought what a great thing they too would be to share…
Wray Castle: The many lives of a grand Victorian estate
Wray Castle is an unusual National Trust property in that you are told not to expect to find a well-furnished, pristine historic country house on a visit here. Children will love Wray however, and outside of the school holidays, I think there is plenty of intrigue to make it a destination for people of all…
Lake District walks at low level: the best FREE sources of inspiration online
If you’re a regular reader of the blog, you’ll know that I’m not a fell walker, and that exploring the mountains isn’t something I aim to write about, even though they are an important and beautiful part of the Lake District (there are other great bloggers who do that, so I’ll leave it to the…
Windermere Jetty: a new Lake District gem due to open in 2017
If you’ve been visiting the Lake District for some years, you may remember the Windermere Steamboat Museum, which was situated on the eastern shore of Windermere, just outside the centre of Bowness-on-Windermere, on Rayrigg Road. I must have been really young when I last visited, but I do have a vague memory of wandering round…
A Bathymetric Atlas of the Lake District
The Bathymetric Atlas of the English Lake District is a fascinating book representing the contours beneath the surface of the area’s many stretches of water
Exploring the Lake District’s sheepdog trials
One of the great things about the Lake District calendar is that there are still a number of traditional events each year which have been taking place for generations, particularly amongst the farming communities. As well as the bigger agricultural shows, you can also look out for smaller gatherings such as the local sheep dog…
A look through the square window: Claife Viewing Station on the western shore of Windermere
Claife Viewing Station, on the western shore of Windermere, has been on my gem-hunting list for some time now. The remains of this historic viewing station were recently restored by the National Trust, and last weekend I finally got to see it for myself. According to the National Trust, Claife Viewing Station dates back to…
Return of the woodpeckers
I absolutely love wildlife – animals can be such good fun! The garden suddenly seems much quieter now that this year’s baby woodpeckers have grown up and moved out – an event that happened a couple of weeks ago now. Before that, I couldn’t step into the back garden without ‘daddy’ woodpecker scolding me for…
The lambs have arrived! The new Go Herdwick Hide and Seek trails
Back in March, I wrote a blog post about Go Herdwick, a public art trail made up of 60 life-size, colourfully decorated ewes, which have been sponsored by businesses and organisations around the Lake District to raise money for the Lake District Calvert Trust. The trail has really captured people’s imaginations, and has proved very…
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…
Nine beautiful pictures of the Lake District in snow
Regular readers of the blog will know that I’m not that keen on snow – mainly for practical reasons, like staying on my feet! But there’s no denying it does look beautiful. Here are a few snaps I got first thing this morning of Windermere (and so far so good with walking in the snow,…
7 things to love about winter in the Lake District
It has to be said that I’m not a big fan of winter. I really feel the cold, plus I hate the fact it’s always dark before the end of the working day. I’m also not a fan of the ice and snow, as I equate slippery surfaces with imminent pain. Take the time I…
Having a wild time: badgers near Windermere
I had assumed that badgers were shy creatures and that it would be difficult to see them at close range, never mind take photographs. I was completely wrong! These cheeky chappies have made their home in a garden in Troutbeck Bridge, and on the night I photographed, the sun was setting and they were eagerly…
How does your garden grow? Images from Holehird near Windermere
As I’ve mentioned in one of my previous blog posts, probably my favourite garden in the Lake District has to be Holehird Gardens just outside Windermere. There is just so much to see at any time in the season – the gardens are peaceful and welcoming, the views are outstanding, and there are some great…
Small effort, big views: Queen Adelaide’s Hill, Windermere
When driving or walking along the A592 between Bowness-on-Windermere and the roundabout at Cook’s House Corner, it would be easy to think that there’s little to see of the lake (Windermere) that runs alongside it. Stop at the Rayrigg Meadow car park, and there’s just a big green hill in front of you – Queen…
Laura Ashley style in the Lakes
The newly rebranded Laura Ashley The Belsfield Hotel, was first built as a private house for the Baroness von Sternberg in the 19th century. The Belsfield is now operated by Corus Hotels, and is only the second Laura Ashley-branded hotel, the other being The Manor in Elstree. I’ve been meaning to visit for some time…
Linking past and present: Stott Park Bobbin Mill
There is a densely wooded and highly atmospheric area of landscape to the south and west of Windermere which, to me, is quite distinct from other parts of the Lake District. I include in this description places such as Newby Bridge, Backbarrow, Lakeside and Finsthwaite, and I always enjoy spending time there. Stott Park Bobbin…
A garden paradise with a view: Holehird near Windermere
Although the term can be overused, Holehird Gardens, just outside Windermere, are what I would truly describe as a ‘hidden gem’. Whenever I visit, I feel like I’ve been transported to another world of complete peace and tranquility. On a warm day, it is heavenly to relax on one of the garden’s many benches and…