#LakeDistrictBid Advent Calendar Day 22 - Because of the folklore...

Yesterday it was all about the history so today it's the arch enemy of history - folklore.  When we were researching the book one of the biggest headaches was figuring out where the truth ended and the folklore began.  If you take a story, any story, and only hand down verbal versions of it, pretty soon it's going to get embroidered with things that didn't happen while the things that did happen get lost in the mists of time.  To be fair writing a story down doesn't always do much to preserve it or ensure its accuracy, just take a look at most of the daily newspapers...

As there are, in most cases, small nuggets of truth hiding behind these stories, it's essential that we preserve them and the regions they relate to.

Let's start small with coin logs...  So far as I've been able to work out these are wishing posts - you push your coin in and make a wish.  Other versions suggest that they're for improving bad luck or curing ailments - if you push a coin in it will alleviate whatever has befallen you and, if you were to try stealing a coin, you will be struck down with whatever misfortune affected the person who originally put it there.  Don't say I didn't warn you.

Coin log & friend at Aira Force

Then there's Hugh's Cave in Riggindale where supposedly the first king of Mardale sheltered after fleeing from Kind John.

Riggindale valley - there are worse places to hide...

How about Buttermere and Rannerdale where a fearsome Norseman lead a battle against the Normans with the Rannerdale Bluebells springing from their spilled blood.

"Bloody" lovely.

And perhaps the most famous piece of folklore in the Lake District - Dunmail Raise - where stories abound about vast battles and King Dunmail casting his crown into Grisedale Tarn before his body was buried beneath the pile of stones that mark the summit of Dunmail Raise.  Took a lot of digging to get close to the truth on that one and, if you want to know what we found out you'll just have to buy the book. :-)

Looking along Thirlmere toward Dunmail Raise

To learn more about the Lake District's bid for UNESCO World Heritage Site Status please click here - where you can also register your support for the bid with a couple of clicks of your mouse (or prods of your screen).

And if you've only just found this click here to go back to day 1 and catch up with all the other great reasons.

#LakeDistrictBid Advent Calendar Day 3 - Because of the Lakes

It's not called the Lake District for nothing - oh no - we've got lakes, plenty of 'em, and right now the glorious Cumbrian weather is keeping them well topped up.  A few folks have been asking why we need World Heritage Site Status - well here are the answers direct from the Lake District National Park Authority.

As we researched our book we understood more and more how often this landscape has been, and continues to be, under threat and how spectacularly difficult it is to balance the needs of the farmers, the ecologists, the tourist industry and the local population.

And why do we want to protect it?  Well, here are 15 wonderfully watery reasons.

Wast Water (with hiker!)

Bassenthwaite lake

Buttermere

Coniston Water

Elterwater

Ennerdale Water

Grasmere

Haweswater

Thirlmere

Ullswater

Windermere

Derwentwater

Crummock Water

Loweswater 

Rydal Water

Please click HERE to register your support for the bid.
Click HERE to go back to Day 1.

Take the Time to Love Cumbria

There is no more precious commodity in this world than time. “Time is money” so business experts tell us, but they’re wrong; time is far more important than that. During our hectic day to day lives time slips through our fingers unnoticed and, when we go on holiday, we try to cram in as much as we can to “make up for lost time.” A visit to Cumbria is the perfect antidote to the hustle and bustle of modern living; here are just a few suggestions for places to visit and unwind.

Buttermere

Buttermere: Right in the heart of the Lake District National Park, an easy drive from Keswick and perfect for a family lakeside walk. Buttermere is surrounded by high fells on three sides and has a clearly marked footpath the whole way around. There’s parking in the village and a complete lap of the lake is about 4 miles; perfect for those with younger children.

You could pack a picnic to pause and enjoy on the shore of the lake, or treat yourself to a meal at one of the excellent local hotels? But don’t race around, make a day of it; there are streams to explore, waterfalls to admire and beautiful views to drink in.

Caldbeck: If you want to get away from the main tourist route in Cumbria then Caldbeck is the perfect spot. Just a few miles north of Keswick the route to Calbeck winds through a very different landscape to the rest of the Lake District, with gentle rolling hills and open moorland. As you make your way through the farmland and tiny hamlets keep your eyes peeled for red squirrels; we’ve seen several along this route.

The Howk

From the centre of the Caldbeck there’s a short (2 mile) walk to the Howk; a limestone gorge and series of waterfalls. Along the way is an old bobbin mill which provides an interesting snapshot of local history; Cumbria supplied many of the bobbins to the cotton mills in Lancashire and, as 2 of the main requirements for bobbin making are woodland and water, the old mills are usually found in interesting hidden away places. Pause as you make your way around to listen and watch for birds, the natural woodland attracts a wide variety of native species and interesting visitors.

Ullswater: Often voted as one of the most beautiful of the Lake District lakes and certainly one of the most popular, there are many ways to take the time to enjoy everything Ullswater has to offer. Glenridding is a 15 minute drive from Keswick and from here the famous Ullswater Steamers give you the chance to sit back, relax and take in the views of the surrounding fells, including the dramatic Helvellyn looming large behind the village. If you fancy a bit of a walk then you can hop off the steamer either at Pooley Bridge (if you’re feeling adventurous) or Howtown and wind your way back along the lake shore.

Ullswater from Hallin Fell

As you make your way along the lake take a closer look at the hills around you and they’ll tell you a little about how the lake got there. The bowl like shapes high above Glenridding were the birthplace for the glaciers which first carved the scenery and, since then, wind and water have applied the finishing touches.

Cumbria has something to offer everyone but there’s no need to rush. The landscape of the Lake District took several million years to create; it would be a shame if we didn’t slow down a bit and give it our full attention.

New year, new life, new blog.

Ahhh Haweswater - remember summer?

But no resolutions!  I always think New Years Resolutions should instead be titled "Here's a list of things I want to do but will probably ultimately fail at and will thus beat myself up about at some future point in time."  Not quite so snappy though.  If you've clicked here looking for news of our latest hike then you're fresh out of luck I'm afraid, we were away over the hols and haven't been out yet, but here's a few nice pics of the fells anyway.

So what's the point of the blog if there's no hike?  Well 2nd Jan marked 2 years since we sallied forth into our new life in the north so I thought now was as good a time as any for a recap and an update.  I always promised I'd track out new life warts and all, so here it is.

Beautiful Buttermere.  And breathe...

Workwise I've taken the plunge out of full time permanent work and into full time permanent fear.  The plan was that my training work would support us while we built the writing/ photography side of things and that was working fine right up to the point when my biggest client slashed their training budget by more than half.  Darn.  Still, it's no good moping around, I have other work and can use the additional time to focus on my writing and developing the photography website.  (Ha!  "Developing the photography website" - these blogs aren't just thrown together you know!)

The vegetable plot in the garden is primed and ready for action though I'm still not quite sure what I'll be planting.  We have about 1 foot of lovely composty soil before we hit the old Morecambe Bay silts, so I'm thinking a combo of spuds and seaweed to make the most of the natural habitat.

The writing is also taking off nicely, something I never envisaged two years ago and I now have a weekly hiking column on the Cumbria24 website as well tracking the monthly adventures of the lovely Herdy.  There's a list over on the right of all the other places you can find me too.

Retro is in, right?

On the home improvements side we're still awaiting planning permission for our modest modifications; we're hoping to pop an external staircase in to open up 3 "undercroft" rooms (basement) and allow us a little more space for visitors.  At the moment our second bedroom is only a single room but that doesn't stop us wedging a double bed in on occasions. It works fine so long as the occupants take turns breathing.  But budgets being what they are I may need to live with my 1976 retro kitchen a little while longer, still retro is fashionable again, isn't it?

And that's pretty much it.  I'm not going to tempt fate with some well meaning positive comments; since writing my last blog about the joys of Christmas I've dealt with a sprained foot, Norovirus and a cold, so I've learned my lesson on that front.  Instead I shall leave you with my claim to the "oddest meal of the festive season" crown.  On a family visit to a pub on New Years Day I opted for the salmon as I wanted something light for my tum.  They were out of salmon so I switched to cod instead.  As the plates arrived for the rest of the family choc full of roast dinner I confess I felt a little envious, but I needn't have worried; 2 minutes later my own lunch arrived with a lovely light piece of cod delicately placed atop a pile of roast spuds, carrots & parsnips, all surrounded with a thick meaty gravy.  And you thought sherry trifle for breakfast was odd.  Happy New Year!

Cod & gravy - what's not to love?