Cumbria

We've just got back from a weeks holiday in beautiful Cumbria. It was our first try out of the caravan that we bought off Ebay in the summer and it towed well and was good to live in and comfy to sleep in.

We left home at Silly-O'clock!

  We stayed on a small 5 van campsite ( like out own - but not as nice!) in Ulverstone, down on the south of the county and had trips out around the coast as far as Ravenglass and to several places in the South Lakes.
The weather wasn't good, often threatening rain so we didn't get to do much walking. This is our 4th visit to The Lakes and there are still so many other interesting places to visit  that we will go again.

Walked up a hill over-looking Ulverstone. The water is Morecombe Bay

Saw the original  Amazon in The Ruskin Museum in Coniston

And The Steam Gondola On Coniston Water - and below the mist or low cloud rolling over the fells

 The Dock Museum at Barrow-in Furness was brilliant ( and free) Loads of history of shipbuilding but I was more interested in the social history of the dock workers and owners. So no photos of ships just pics of house interiors.

Not a good photo of kite surfers off the coast as I forgot to take my big camera that day

 We had a look at The Ravenglass and Eskdale narrow gauge preserved steam railway

Here's Col having a close look!

 It's almost obligatory when in the lake District to visit Hill Top - The Farm that belonged to Beatrix Potter

We searched for Peter Rabbit and Mrs Tiggywinkle in the garden, but they were hiding!

 My Favourite place was Townend . A farm that had been in the same ownership for 400 years. No photos allowed inside which is full of all the original features from the last owners. The farm never had running water or electricity, and was given to The National Trust in 1948. Amazingly this small farmhouse has the third largest collection of books of any NT property. Pictures from the internet HERE 
I could have spent ages here but they were running 1 hour tours so we  would have had to have waited until after the last tour to have another look round.

 If you've got children then Wray castle on the western shore of Lake Windermere is a wonderful place to visit. As far removed from the usual national Trust property as you could possibly get, it is full of surprises for children of all ages.See more here

Wray Castle- A Victorian house built to look like a medieval castle

That's our holiday in pictures but what I've not got photos of is the lovely colours of the trees up there. Autumn is a beautiful time to visit, although we were surprised how busy it was especially on the narrow winding roads - it must be hell getting about in the middle of the summer season.

  It was a good test for the caravan. We've got a list of things we need to take with us next time and some things that we don't need to take. There are one or two small jobs to do - like adding some hooks and making sure the water pipe to the washbasin doesn't become un-connected again- turning all the towels in the cupboard below into a soggy heap!

The books I read while on holiday have been added to my Books Read 2015 page. I can really recommend  Love and War in the WRNS by Vicki Unwin which is a book full of letters from a young girl who joined up at age 21 to her mother and father.

A warm welcome to Katia and Lee Ann and thank you to everyone for Mango Chutney comments.

Now I had better get some washing and caravan sorting done so that we can go away again later in the month!

Back Soon
Sue