Allan Bank

We awoke to a very grey rainy day.

We drove to Allan Bank on the banks of Grassmere. Once home to National Trust founder Canon Rawnsley and only partially decorated, this isn’t a typical National Trust experience. Everything is very informal at Allan Bank. You can help yourself to tea, coffee and biscuits for a small donation and drink them anywhere in the house. You can have a read by th fire or try your hand at painting or drawing. We sat by the widow watching the bird and saw a couple of red squirrels. Secret hideaways, such as the Victorian viewing tunnel, create an air of mystery. Unfortunately it was still rainy quite heavily so we didn’t get to explore the gardens.

We then drove to Townend. The Brownes of Townend in the Troutbeck Valley were just an ordinary farming family: but their home and belongings bring to life more than 400 years of extraordinary stories. Beatrix Potter described Troutbeck Valley as her favourite.

Once inside, you are welcomed into the farmhouse kitchen with a real fire -  burning most afternoons -  and a quirky collection of domestic tools. Throughout the house, intricately carved furniture provides a window into the personality of George Browne. The library contains the family’s well-used collection of books, including 45 that are the only remaining copies in the world. Outside, the colourful cottage-style garden is a lovely place to while away some time among the flowers, but unfortunately it was still raining so we headed for Kendal.

We did a bit of shopping before dropping into Wetherspoons for dinner as it was still raining. The Miles Thompson is set in the old council offices, but the building was originally the towns public baths, complete with chimney. By the time we came out it had finally stopped raining and we had some sunny spells. We headed back to he caravan 

Barrow-in-Furness

We had rain and high winds through most of the night but when we awoke the sun was out again. Still a bit windy but bright and warm.

We headed out to Barrow in Furness, calling in at Dalton Castle on the way. The 14th-century tower was formerly the manorial courthouse of Furness Abbey. Here the abbott exercised his right to hold manorial courts and administer justice within the lordship of Furness, as authorised by the abbey's foundation charter of 1127. The building would have contained not only the courtroom and one or two other rooms in which the business of the lordship was transacted, but also a gaol, guardrooms and stores. After the dissolution of the abbey in 1537, the castle continued as a courthouse for over 300 years, owned at first by the Crown and then by the Dukes of Albermarle, the Dukes of Montagu, and finally the Dukes of Buccleuch. Its interior has seen many alterations, the last and most radical being that of 1856 when three upper floors, accessible from a stone spiral staircase, were superseded by a single upper room and an additional stairway. Dalton Castle was given to the National Trust by the 8th Duke of Buccleuch in 1965. Unfortunately it is only open a few days a year and today was not one of them.

We continued on to Barrow and did a bit of shopping before driving ou to The George Hotel at Rampside for Afternoon Tea. We had a quick ride down to the lifeboat station near Piel Island.

We called in at Old Hall farm for an ice cream on the way back to the caravan and settled down for the evening.

Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway, Windermere cruise, Ambleside

Fairly overcast this morning but quite bright with the sun coming through every now and again.

We drove to Haverthwaite station and caught the steam train up to Lakeside on the banks of Windermere. It was a rather disappointing train journey of only 17 minutes and the train never really got much above 10 mph.

Lakeside Station is right on the pier so we walked through and boarded The Swan for a cruise to Ambleside. The Swan has three decks and at full capacity can hold 533 passengers. It was built in 1938 by Vickers of Barrow. The sections of boat were transported by rail to Lakeside and assembled. The M.V. Swan is 142ft long weighing 251 tonnes. On board it is manned by a crew of seven and can reach a speed of 10 knots with its 2x 6 cylinder Cummins diesel engines and 2 x auxiliary generators. On the way to Ambleside the boat stops at Bowness.

At Ambleside pier it was a 20 minute walk into the town centre. We had a bite to eat at The Apple Pie Cafe, right beside The Bridge House, before walking back to the pier to catch the last boat back that would connect with the last Train back to Haverthwaite. We sailed back on The Tern, a boat with two levels and at full capacity can hold 350 passengers. The M.V Tern was built by Forrest & Son, Wyvenhoe, Essex in 1891, as a steam-powered yacht. This was converted to diesel power In 1956. The Tern is 145ft in length and weighs 121 tonnes. On board, it is manned by a crew of 4 and can reach a speed of 10 knots with its 2 x 6 cylinder Cummins diesel engines, 2 x auxiliary generators and bow thruster.

On arrival back at Lakeside we got straight on the train back to Haverthwaite station and on to the caravan. 

Hill Top and Wray Castle

It rained most of the night and was still raining when we got up.

We drove to Hill Top, the home of Beatrix Potter. She bought Hill Top in 1905, the first of many houses and farms she would buy in th Lake District. On her death she left 15 farms and over 4000 acres of land to the National Trust, which now form part of the Lake District World Heritage Site.

Entrance to the house was by timed ticket so we had time for a sausage roll and coffee whilst we waited. It finally stopped raining about half 2 and turned into quite a pleasant evening.

We then drove to Wray Castle. Built 180 years ago by the Dawson’s, a surgeon and an heiress from Liverpool who began building a castle that would only ever have to defend itself from the Cumbrian weather. With all the furniture and artwork long gone and the last family moving out in the 1920s, the castle has had mixed uses and only opened to visitors in 2011. The castle has church-like interiors and panoramic Lake District views. It is still a work in progress. Inside the are lot of Beatrix Potter themed activity rooms, fantastic for small children.

We had a game of snooker in the billiard room, unfortunately they threw us out before we finished as it was closing time.

On the way back to the caravan we stopped for Fish and chips in Flookburgh.

Sizergh Castle, Foulshaw Nature Reserve and Grange-Over-Sands

Woke up to a nice sunny morning. After full English breakfast we headed off to Sizergh Castle. 

Sizergh Castle has been the home of the Strickland since 1239 and they still do today. It has some of the nicest gardens we have seen for a long time. 

We called in at Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve, a former commercial conifer plantation that has been returned back to a natural acidic peat bog by Cumbria Wildlife Trust. Between April and September a pair of Ospreys return to nest. Although we could see the nest there was no sign of the birds. 

There is an extensive raised boardwalk all around the place and we saw lots of common lizards basking in the sun along its edge. The place is teeming with dragon flies and damsel flies and we could hear crickets as we walked around. One of the most impressive reserves I have ever visited.

On the way back we called in at Grange-Over-Sands and had a nice walk around the ornamental gardens with its ducks which will take food from your hand.

We stopped for dinner at the Lakeside Bay Bar and Restaurant on the park before heading back to the van for the evening.

Haven Lakeland Leisure Park, near Grange-Over-Sands in the Lake District

We left Mirey Lees Farm about 08:40. We drove about 56 miles and called at Wakefield Toby Carvery, about a mile and a half from the M1.

We arrived at Lakeland about Ten to Two. We set the caravan up and had a walk down to the entertainment area for the usual ice cream and cider by the outdoor pool. The sun was out and it was a lovely warm afternoon. 

TV reception is good apart from not having any BBC channels. Toilets are ok, not very luxurious but nice and 
clean and everything you would expect. We were parked literally 50 yards away which was very nice and convenient.

We had tea just after Seven and settled down for the evening.