After a quick breakfast of the last of the Yorkshire brack (fruit cake) I had purchased in York and a banana we headed off to Waverly station where we bade farewell to Scotland and got on the train to Oxenholme. Two hours later we changed over to the train to Windermere where we chatted to a fellow who was doing some walking in the Lake District. He lives close enough to go over for the day - lucky! On arrival in Winderemere, we hopped (well dragged ourselves and our luggage) onto the 599 bus to Ambleside. Our bed and breakfast, the Holme Lea guest house was just a few minutes walk from the bus stop. This is where I stayed last year as well.
After dumping our luggage in the room we headed out to have a look around the town. I had to show Joanne the adorable little Bridge House. This beautiful structure was built in the 17th century by the Braithwaite family in order for them to access their land on the opposite side of Stock Beck. At one time a family of eight lived here! By the early 20th century Bridge House was showing its age so the residents of Ambleside pooled their resources and it was restored. It now stands as an iconic landmark of the Lake District.
Then I had to show Joanne a couple of my favourite shops before we had an early supper. We both ordered baked potatoes; they are known in Britain as jacket potatoes and are one of my favourite cheap(ish) meals when I am over there. It hit the spot and we retired to our room as we were both tired from the journey.
The next morning I gobbled down one of our B and B hosts yummy breakfasts. For me it was bacon, sausage, egg, mushrooms, tomatoes and hash browns. YUM! Sorry, no photo! It was my first English breakfast of the trip so I thoroughly enjoyed it.
We then got the 555 bus and disembarked at Rydal Mount where we visited this famous house where the famous poet William Wordsworth lived from 1813 to his death in 1850. The house dates from the 16th century but has been expanded and modernized by subsequent owners including Mr. Wordsworth himself. It was my first time visiting his home and was well worth the admission I thought. The house is still owned by a member of the family.
I guess it stands to reason that a writer would have an impressive library.
Then it was back on the bus for the short ride to Grasmere where we visited William Wordsworth's grave and that of his family in the local churchyard.
We had a snoop in the shops and dare I say it, we had a bit of a light lunch....but first we stood in the rain to buy some famous Grasmere gingerbread.
After lunch we decided to just "go for it" when there was a short break in the rain and after some directions from locals (last year I had walked "into" Grasmere and was so tired I couldn't have told you where I was!) we headed off but I snapped a few photos of the lovely village before we left.
This is a Herdwick sheep which is a breed native to the Lake District. The name Herdwick comes from the Norse word Herdvyck which means sheep pasture. And yes, the babies are black. At around a year old their coats turn dark brown and after the first shearing, it turns grey. They are very hardy sheep and thrive in this area.
This was the view from the Faeryland tea garden just outside of Grasmere...normally I collapse here at the end of the walk with an ice cream but this was the beginning of the walk as we were doing it the opposite way. I walked over to take a photo and was stopped by a fellow I presumed to be the owner who informed me I had to be a customer to take a picture. (there were no fences or anything) So I watched until he drove away and walked over a bit and took one anyway. (so there!)
It seemed like we walked forever on this "long and winding road" to get to the path but then again how could I forget...it's even longer at the end of the walk!
We couldn't figure out how to open this so Joanne to the rescue...the opening was on the other side...and a bit tricky.
And here we are, finally ready to get walk around the lake.
No one around the lake (also named Grasmere) today; on my previous visits there were always lots of dogs splashing around in the lake. William Wordsworth pronounced this "the loveliest spot that man hath ever found". Okay, it's gorgeous on a sunny day but sorry Bill, I've seen better.
And of course, it started raining again!
There were a few spaces where the water was in between and Joanne helped me along those - last time I nearly tipped over sideways into the water! My balance needs some improvement - to put it mildly.
In my element!
As you can see the scenery was spectacular despite the rain.
We were getting pretty tired so the thought of a drink in a nice warm pub appealed a lot more than walking around the other lake so we took the path that led up to the sidewalk along the road.
I took this picture of a Herdie that was across the road from us. She did not take her eyes off me the whole time I framed and took this photo. As we carried on walking along the sidewalk she pulled away from her nursing lamb and actually clambered over the fence and started crossing the road. We were shocked and I was so worried she was going to get hit. And for a minute or two we thought she was going to join us in sort of a "Thelma and Louise plus a sheep" scenario. I guess she was fed up with this thing sucking on her all the time and wanted to run away with us. Where she went we didn't know as we were walking around a bend and she didn't follow us after all. I still wonder what happened to her. Part of me thinks we should have herded her back but it likely would have spooked her and who knows what could have happened then. Perhaps a headline reading "woman from Saskatchewan gets killed by car trying to herd a sheep". I like to think she is a bit of a rebel and likes to do this now and again just for fun - and to teach her lamb that mama is more than a bunch of milk bottles.
Then it was time for the pub and gin and tonic with a couple of bags of crisps. (potato chips to North Americans)
This was called the Badger Bar - guess you can see why. This guy was rather quiet but you can click on a link to see the live ones that gather behind the pub most evenings. I admit this is a pretty bad picture but the lighting was bad - I hadn't even had a drink yet, honest!
Yes, this inn is 400 years old!
Then we went back to Ambleside on the bus and had offerings from the grocery store for our din-dins.
For more detailed information on the walk we did here is a post on a longer walk I did last year in the same area. I highly recommend this walk for the novice to intermediate long distance walker.
After dumping our luggage in the room we headed out to have a look around the town. I had to show Joanne the adorable little Bridge House. This beautiful structure was built in the 17th century by the Braithwaite family in order for them to access their land on the opposite side of Stock Beck. At one time a family of eight lived here! By the early 20th century Bridge House was showing its age so the residents of Ambleside pooled their resources and it was restored. It now stands as an iconic landmark of the Lake District.
Then I had to show Joanne a couple of my favourite shops before we had an early supper. We both ordered baked potatoes; they are known in Britain as jacket potatoes and are one of my favourite cheap(ish) meals when I am over there. It hit the spot and we retired to our room as we were both tired from the journey.
The next morning I gobbled down one of our B and B hosts yummy breakfasts. For me it was bacon, sausage, egg, mushrooms, tomatoes and hash browns. YUM! Sorry, no photo! It was my first English breakfast of the trip so I thoroughly enjoyed it.
We then got the 555 bus and disembarked at Rydal Mount where we visited this famous house where the famous poet William Wordsworth lived from 1813 to his death in 1850. The house dates from the 16th century but has been expanded and modernized by subsequent owners including Mr. Wordsworth himself. It was my first time visiting his home and was well worth the admission I thought. The house is still owned by a member of the family.
I guess it stands to reason that a writer would have an impressive library.
Then it was back on the bus for the short ride to Grasmere where we visited William Wordsworth's grave and that of his family in the local churchyard.
We had a snoop in the shops and dare I say it, we had a bit of a light lunch....but first we stood in the rain to buy some famous Grasmere gingerbread.
After lunch we decided to just "go for it" when there was a short break in the rain and after some directions from locals (last year I had walked "into" Grasmere and was so tired I couldn't have told you where I was!) we headed off but I snapped a few photos of the lovely village before we left.
This is a Herdwick sheep which is a breed native to the Lake District. The name Herdwick comes from the Norse word Herdvyck which means sheep pasture. And yes, the babies are black. At around a year old their coats turn dark brown and after the first shearing, it turns grey. They are very hardy sheep and thrive in this area.
This was the view from the Faeryland tea garden just outside of Grasmere...normally I collapse here at the end of the walk with an ice cream but this was the beginning of the walk as we were doing it the opposite way. I walked over to take a photo and was stopped by a fellow I presumed to be the owner who informed me I had to be a customer to take a picture. (there were no fences or anything) So I watched until he drove away and walked over a bit and took one anyway. (so there!)
It seemed like we walked forever on this "long and winding road" to get to the path but then again how could I forget...it's even longer at the end of the walk!
We couldn't figure out how to open this so Joanne to the rescue...the opening was on the other side...and a bit tricky.
And here we are, finally ready to get walk around the lake.
No one around the lake (also named Grasmere) today; on my previous visits there were always lots of dogs splashing around in the lake. William Wordsworth pronounced this "the loveliest spot that man hath ever found". Okay, it's gorgeous on a sunny day but sorry Bill, I've seen better.
And of course, it started raining again!
There were a few spaces where the water was in between and Joanne helped me along those - last time I nearly tipped over sideways into the water! My balance needs some improvement - to put it mildly.
In my element!
As you can see the scenery was spectacular despite the rain.
We were getting pretty tired so the thought of a drink in a nice warm pub appealed a lot more than walking around the other lake so we took the path that led up to the sidewalk along the road.
I took this picture of a Herdie that was across the road from us. She did not take her eyes off me the whole time I framed and took this photo. As we carried on walking along the sidewalk she pulled away from her nursing lamb and actually clambered over the fence and started crossing the road. We were shocked and I was so worried she was going to get hit. And for a minute or two we thought she was going to join us in sort of a "Thelma and Louise plus a sheep" scenario. I guess she was fed up with this thing sucking on her all the time and wanted to run away with us. Where she went we didn't know as we were walking around a bend and she didn't follow us after all. I still wonder what happened to her. Part of me thinks we should have herded her back but it likely would have spooked her and who knows what could have happened then. Perhaps a headline reading "woman from Saskatchewan gets killed by car trying to herd a sheep". I like to think she is a bit of a rebel and likes to do this now and again just for fun - and to teach her lamb that mama is more than a bunch of milk bottles.
Then it was time for the pub and gin and tonic with a couple of bags of crisps. (potato chips to North Americans)
This was called the Badger Bar - guess you can see why. This guy was rather quiet but you can click on a link to see the live ones that gather behind the pub most evenings. I admit this is a pretty bad picture but the lighting was bad - I hadn't even had a drink yet, honest!
Yes, this inn is 400 years old!
Then we went back to Ambleside on the bus and had offerings from the grocery store for our din-dins.
For more detailed information on the walk we did here is a post on a longer walk I did last year in the same area. I highly recommend this walk for the novice to intermediate long distance walker.
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