Haunted Lake District – An Alternative Day Out

May 22nd, 2010

The Lake District, in England’s north-west corner, is a popular tourist attraction, famous for its lakes and fells. However this “paradise on earth” has its darker side as alluded to in the many stories that are told of strange happenings and ghostly appearances. If you do have a spare day or the weather is against you, then why not explore some of the reputedly haunted places. 

A Grey Lady haunts the driveway at Levens Hall near Kendal is haunted. She appears in front of cars and then disappears without a trace. Prior to the motor car, she appeared before coach and horses. Another ghostly woman, wearing a cap and printed dress, is said to appear before children.

Lowther Castle is said to be haunted by Sir James Lowther, also known as ‘wicked Jimmy’. Being greedy and ambitious, he entered into a marriage of convenience, but fell in love with a tenant farmers daughter. The daughter was kept as his mistress, but when she fell ill and died. He is said to have kept his mistress in bed as if sleeping and would not let his servants acknowledge her death. He would dress her for dinner and sit across from her at the dining table. Eventually the stench became too much to bear and he placed her in a glass lidded coffin and kept her in a cupboard. Sir James fell in to a deep depression and eventually broke down. Sir James’ ghost it is said to reappear when the moon is full on the anniversary of his burial as ‘wicked Jimmy’ driving a carriage manically across the Lowther parkland.

You can get closer to ghostly happenings by spending a night at The Rum Story, a museum dedicated to telling the story of rum. Since it opened in 2000, many strange occurrences have been reported and investigated by paranormal experts. The resident ghost, nicknamed ‘Henry’, appears fleetingly before visitors. If you are brave enough, you can spend a night in the haunted vault – certainly an alternative way to spend a holiday in the Lake District. Of course, you needn’t go to these extremes to spend a holiday in a characterful property. At Lakeland Cottages we have a fine selection of characterful cottages and houses. Visit us at www.lakelandcottages.co.uk to find your Lake District holiday cottages – though we can’t promise a ghostly apparition!

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Don’t let volcanic ash and strikes spoil your holiday

May 21st, 2010

Forget the volcanic ash and the prospect of strikes disrupting flights and the poor state of the pound and enjoy a holiday in the UK. Cornwall and The Lake District are Britain’s popular destinations for ‘staycationers’. Cornish beaches are an obvious attraction for those wanting a traditional summer holiday. But why not take a break from tradition with a holiday in The Lake District. Here in the heart of Cumbria we have views and vistas that take your breath away.

The rising popularity of The Lake District as a ‘staycation’ destination means that you need to book your holiday accommodation well in advance. You can take a break with one of the larger, national chains of accommodation providers such as Centre Parcs. The Lake District Centre Parcs at Whinfell Forest is outside of the Lake District National Park, and therefore mean a trek in to the areas you want to visit. It is more convenient and relaxing to put yourself right in the centre of the Lakes by staying in a local guest house, bed and breakfast, or privately owned Lake District hotel. However, with a large family this can prove to be expensive, as well as slightly restrictive in terms of your comings and goings. Camping is clearly a cheaper alternative and with campsites located amongst the fells you can truly experience the fells and lakes of the Lake District. The downside with camping of course is the weather. There has been little rain over the last few months, making for ideal camping weather. One certainty of the Lake District is the uncertainty of the weather and past dry spells are no indication of future good weather – possibly quite the reverse!

By far the best option is a holiday in one of our Lake District cottages – we would say that wouldn’t we! This gives you the freedom of coming and going when you want, along with competitively priced accommodation – and you are not at the whim of the weather. Cottages in the Lake District are varied in their style, size and location. At Lakeland Cottage Holidays we have a varied selection of properties. You can book a traditional, white washed cottage such as Larch Cottage in Rosthwaite (the un-official capital of Borrowdale). A larger family might prefer a larger property such as The Coppice that sleeps nine and is a large detached house situated within its own grounds. A smaller family or group might prefer the convenience of a property in Keswick – here there are a bungalows, town houses and terraced cottages to choose from. Herries and Rivendell are bungalows on the edge of Keswick, just below Latrigg Fell, that accommodate four people. Townhouses, such as Bessy Boot and Underne are close to the town centre and sleep eight and five people respectively. With such a varied selection, there should be something that meets your needs. You can find more information, prices and availability at www.lakelandcottages.co.uk

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Lake District Museums – An Alternative Day Out

May 15th, 2010

A great alternative way to spend a wet Lake District day is visiting one of the many museums. These are often small, locally run operations where you will find a great deal of enthusiasm regarding the nature of the museum. Below I’ve summarised my top ten museums and tried to give a flavour of what you’ll experience when visiting them.

Wordsworth Museum, Grasmere, LA22 9SH
Open:  Monday – Sunday, 9.30am – 5.00pm
Admission: Adult £7.50, Child (6 – 16) £4.50 – includes admission to Dove Cottage
Website: www.wordsworth.org.uk

The Wordsworth Museum (and Dove Cottage) has to be number one on everybody’s list of  Lake District attractions. The museum not only houses an extensive collection related to Dorothy and William Wordsworth, but is also renowned as a well-respected centre for British Romanticism. The collection includes manuscripts and books, paintings, water-colours and portraits. There is a well stocked gift shop, and a number of poetry workshops and recitals are organised throughout the year.

Keswick Museum, Keswick, CA12 4NF
Open: Tuesday – saturday, 10.00am – 4.00pm
Admission: Free
Website: www.allerdale.gov.uk/default.aspx?Page=16

Keswick Museum has been ranked 3rd in a list of the World’s Strangest Museums – something of a strange thing in itself. This may be in large part to its exotic collection that includes a stunning collection of minerals & crystals, a famous 664 year old cat, Napoleon’s teacup, remarkable Musical Stones (played by Royal Command for Queen Victoria), and Flintoft’s 4m scale model of the Lake District. Other collections cover 500 items of Fine Art, Archaeology, Natural History and Geology. In fact, there is so much that the museum can only displays 20% of its collection.

Ruskin Museum, Coniston, LA21 8DU
Open:
Admission: Adult £5.25, Child £2.50
Website: www.ruskinmuseum.com

The museum houses the Ruskin Collection – John Ruskin (1819 – 1900) was a remarkable Victorian scholar with a broad range of interests covering art and its criticism, geology, writing & teaching, philosophy and social criticism.  Also present are exhibits relating to the local coppermines, slate, geology, lace, farming and Donald Campbell – famous for his water speed record attempts in Bluebird during the period 1966/1967. The museum now has on display Bluebirds K7’s Orpheus engine. The museum shop has for sale Ruskin and Donald Campbell memorabilia and gifts, as well as DVD’s on lace-making and the Coniston Copper mines. You can also walk in Ruskin’s footsteps  on a guided walk over the Yewdale Fells, led by the museum custodian and Ruskin scholar Mike Humphreys.

Solway Aviation Museum, Carlisle, CA6 4NW
Open: Every week-end and Bank Holiday April – October inclusive, 10.30am – 5.00pm
Admission: Adults £4.50, Child (6 – 16) £2.5
Website: www.solway-aviation-museum.co.uk

An outdoor museum located on the exposed and windy Solway Coast. The museum has a variety of planes on display at its airfield location, amongst them the Avro Vulcan delta-winged bomber, an English Electric Canberra, Silorsky Helicopter, DeHavilland Vampire. Indoor exhibits include the Blue Streak exhibit where you can discover Britain’s part in the Space Race, the Crosby Room where you can take a journey through the history of local wartime RAF Airfields and the Engine Hall where you can see the evolution of the aero engine.

Cumberland Pencil Museum, Keswick, CA12 5NG
Open: All Year Round 9.30am – 4.00pm
Admission: Adult £3.25, Child (Under 16) £1.75
Website: www.pencilmuseum.co.uk

A visit to Keswick is not complete without at least one trip to the Pencil Museum. The museum hosts an excellent display of the history and the production of pencils. The museum is also home to the longest coloured (Deep Cadmium) pencil in the world – 7.91m. After the museum tour, children can occupy themselves in the Drawing Zone. The museum holds a number of drawing events throughout the year. There is a coffee shop and well stocked gift shop where you can stock up on all your pencil and paper needs.

Kendal Museum, Kendal, LA9 6BT
Open: Thurs, Friday, Saturday, 12.00 – 5.00pm
Admission: Adult £2.80, Child £free
Website: www.kendalmuseum.org.uk

The museum hosts a collections associated with local history and archaeology in the Wainwright Gallery covering Pre-history, Roman, Viking and Medieval periods. There is also an Alfred Wainwright collection. The Natural History Gallery contains a variety of fossils and minerals, together with a section of the gallery devoted to the natural habitats and inhabitants of the lakeland fells. Quizzes and trail sheets are available for children, as well as a slate xylophone that can be played.

Mining Museum, Keswick, CA12 5LE
Open: Tuesday – Sunday, and Bank Holiday Mondays, 10.00am – 5.00pm
Admission: Adult £4.00, Child (6 – 16) £1.50
Website: www.keswickminingmuseum.co.uk

Located in the centre of Keswick, this museum allows you to explore the geological development of the Lake District, and understand how fossils were formed. In the well stocked shop you can buy books, minerals and fossils, and geological tools to undertake your own exploration. You can even try your hand at gold panning, where you can take away the crystals, garnets and Fool’s Gold that you find. The curator of the museum and mines historian, Ian Tyler, leads guided to nearby mines throughout the summer season.

Laurel & Hardy Museum, Ulverston, LA12 7AH
Open: February – December, 10.00am – 5.00pm
Admission: Adult £4, Child (6 – 16) £2
Website: www.laurel-and-hardy.co.uk

The museum houses and extensive collection of memorabilia associated with the comedy duo. Stan Laurel was born in Ulverston as Arthur Stanley Jefferson and later changed his name. The museum charts the rise of the duo, illustrating their rise with pictures and associated memorabilia. The shop carries a wide range of gifts, memorabilia and DVD’s.

The Rum Story, Workington, CA28 7DN
Open: February – December, 10.00am – 4.30pm
Admission: Adult £3.50, Child £2.50
Website: www.rumstory.co.uk

The Rum Story charts the history and production of rum and the role it played in the area, and is based around the Jefferson family who imported rum. The tour begins with sugar cane in a tropical rainforest, through the sugar processing turning the raw cane in to molasses. Distillation follows the fermentation of the molasses, and then shipment to Europe. The building in which the Rum Story is based is reputed to by haunted, with many reports of strange and unexplained happenings – you can even arrange to stay overnight in a haunted vault if you’re brave enough! In the shop you can buy Jefferson’s Rum.

Border Regiment Museum, Carlisle, CA3 8UR
Open: 7-days a week, Apr – Sep 9.30am – 5.00pm, Oct – Mar 10.00am – 4.00pm
Admission: Adult £4.50, Child £2.30
Website: www.kingsownbordermuseum.btik.com

The museum is situated in Carlise Castle making for a full days adventure. The museum records the history of various regiments associated with the Cumberland, Westmorland and Borders, and displays a variety of memorabilia associated with the regiments and the conflicts they have been involved with. The on-site shop has a variety of books and gifts. Carlisle Castle hosts a number of events through the season.

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Cumbria Self Catering

June 11th, 2009

If you are looking to stay in the UK for your short break or holiday then a visit to Cumbria and the Lake District should be high on your list. Up in the north of England, bordering parts of Scotland, Cumbria is perhaps one of the most beautiful places in England – location of the English Lake District, and home to the poet Wordsworth and beloved by Alfred Wainwright (he of the hand annotated guides to the fells and valleys).

This scenic, picturesque county has inspired countless books, paintings and poetry due to its beauty and you really haven’t seen Britain unless you’ve scaled the peaks, rambled the walks or at least picnicked in the marvellous countryside of Cumbria and the Lake District.

Cumbria Self Catering: If you intend to get the full experience when visiting Cumbria, you have to hire a Cumbria self catering cottage. Depending on your party’s size you may be able to get away with just one, or you made need several. This is because some Cumbrian cottages tend to be very small, only accommodating about 3 – 4 people.
Activities: There is no problem with taking long peaceful walks along the country trails or sitting back and relaxing in the summer sun by some beautiful greenery, but Cumbria offers a wealth of other activities that require a little more effort, but are probably just as much fun. Why not go extreme and tackle nature head on by visiting some of the famous grags in the Lake  District. There are many qualified instructors who will take you for a days introductory climb.  Or try cycling and choose from the many off-road tracks – there are many outlets where you can  hire a bike and take to the fells.

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