Flowers on Friday ... and a Postcard from Muncaster Castle

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I've been wanting to visit Muncaster Castle for ages, but it's quite a distance away, on the western coast of Cumbria. Anyway, last week, I finally managed to get there, because I was doing the driving!

And, my goodness, it is a long. long way but well worth the effort.

It's one of those lovely old English places which is still a home. There are family photographs displayed alongside jumbled ancient treasures and the audio guide was made by the family themselves. It's not slick like some other places you visit from time to time, and it all has a warm fuzzy feel about it. The castle is also reputedly one of the most haunted places in Britain, but we didn't feel any ghostly vibes in the slightest, and the great hall had the most welcome log fire to warm us on another cold day.

Outside, there are acres and acres of beautiful gardens filled with rhododendrons right now. These photographs don't convey the sheer scale of them.

From the terrace there are the most spectacular views of the Esk valley. Just stunning!

Muncaster is also the home of the World Owl Trust bird sanctuary, and we saw some beautiful specimens. They are all too damaged to live out in the wild, and seem to be very happy here.

In the afternoon there was a display of some of the owls, and we got a closer glimpse of a few of them.

Later still, we noticed a strange sight in the nearby trees as many herons were sitting like statues in the branches. I counted fourteen in one tree alone. We found out that they were waiting to be fed.

We watched them for over ten minutes as we waited to see what was going to happen, and they barely moved. They were all facing in the same direction .... then on the dot of four o'clock a keeper came along with a large bucket of fish. The air was filled with a whoosh as the herons swooped down and made short work of the meal.

Sad to say, there were a few squabbles amongst them as they fought over the scraps. Within a few seconds the fish was gone and so were the herons. It was quite a sight!

As we were leaving, an old man wearing a scruffy fleece jacket came up and thanked us for coming. It turns out he was the owner himself, Patrick Gordon Duff Pennington. He had a lovely chat with us. Amongst other things, he told us that before the first world war there were 32 gardeners working in the grounds. Now there are only two .... and himself. He was 83! He was utterly charming and happily agreed to pose for a photograph with my parents. It made their day.

Yet another Postcard from the Lake District ...

I spent last week in the Lake district again, this time with my parents. It was a very different experience from the trips I usually have with my husband and our dog. For a start we stayed in a lovely apartment in Grasmere, instead of our caravan. It overlooked the little river and the church. Just lovely!

With two 80 year olds in tow,  life was much slower, and we stayed on pavements for our little walks, (no walking boots needed). I discovered that mid-week in May was surprisingly empty and we were able to visit places we usually avoid because they're so busy. 

The weather was disappointing - cold and wet- but we managed to get out and about most days.

Here are some things that caught my eye.

Dove Cottage, one time home of William Wordsworth.

Bold swans on the shores of Lake Windermere waiting for food.

The boats on Windermere.

Market day in Keswick.

Music while you shop.

John Ruskin's beautiful, beautiful house at Brantwood overlooking Coniston.

The Coniston steam gondola.

Stained glass at Brantwood.

My lovely daughter who had come to join us for the last two days.

The jetty at Brantwood.

The Old Man of Coniston.

Ann Tyson's house in Hawkshead where William Wordsworth boarded when he was a pupil at the local grammar school.

This sign in Hawkshead raised a smile.

You can't leave Grasmere without a purchase from the Gingerbread shop. That's my mum.

My lovely Dad enjoying a rare moment of sunshine.

We spent hours watching the birds feeding on our little terrace, and checked them out on an RSPB chart. There were a huge variety of visitors every morning, practically queuing up in the trees all around us. More birds in the next post!

A Postcard from Borrowdale

We made the most of the May Day holiday weekend with another  quick trip up to the Lake District  in our caravan.

This time we pitched up on a site tucked away in Low Manesty Woods in the Borrowdale valley.

We had an epic putting up the new porch awning, but were very pleased with it in the end.

There were lots of woodland walks, Herdwick sheep and fantastic views all around.

The walk up Catbells behind the campsite will have to be put on hold for a while. I'm in no condition for a fell walk right now, but I was very pleased that I managed to get to the Osprey Viewing platform above Bassenthwaite. This was the steepest walk I've done since my op, and my breathing coped really well.

We looked through the long lenses trained on the Osprey nest, and I 'think' I saw it, but I'm not entirely sure. I'm not convinced I was looking in the right place!

 I was delighted to catch a photo of this little fellow though.

Later we strolled down to the edge of the lake, where we discovered the most enchanting little church.... St. Bega's of Bassenthwaite.

What was lovely about the churchyard, apart from the views, was the fact that servants from the local big house were buried right alongside their masters, and we found a bishop here too.

Inside, the church was tiny, but with a wonderful sense of peace and calm. It was  also lovingly kept, and there were photographs of the activities that still go on there today.

Each evening our walk with Inca took us to the shores of Derwentwater, which is two minutes from our caravan....

... and a little rest on a bench with the best view ever. It's one of our favourite spots in the Lakes.

 Another day, another lake. This time Crummock Water. Notice the wonderful weather we were having compared to the rest of the UK basking in sunshine! Here, it was blowing a gale and rain was never far away. Let's call it 'bracing'! 

 Undeterred by the cold weather, Inca couldn't resist a sneaky swim. She just can't help herself.

We had a lovely riverside stroll back to the car

Later,we enjoyed a quick drink by the roaring fire in the Kirkstile Inn, which dates back to Tudor times.

This place is a real gem, and we've vowed to go back for a meal one day.

I'm home for four days, and then, travelling back up here to stay for a week, this time with my parents. Be warned, there'll be another postcard from the Lakes very soon.