Post Holiday

Last week David and I were on holiday in the Lake District staying at a B&B in Keswick, right by Hope Park, beside Derwentwater. Several years ago we spent time in the south of the Lake District in Grange Over Sands but never explored the north. 

Our first day on Monday was spent in the town where we quickly discovered a Herdwick sheep and lamb trail around the town called Go Herdwick. Pictures of lambs and sheep were taken and some were posted onto my Instagram and Facebook feeds.

This was one of the lambs, called Arthur, in one of the many outdoor clothing shops.

This was one of the sheep outside Keswick Museum.

I also took photos of scenery around the town too

And some more unusual sights 

Dogs are well catered for with this Dog Bar outside a shop for pets (but mainly dogs).

And this gorilla outside a climbing wall centre

The weather soon turned to rain later that day, but a better day was in store the next day for our trip to Carlisle where we visited the castle and Tullie House Museum.

The photo above shows a part of the underpass between the castle and museum. Old street and railway signs inset in the wall.

Not wanting to look at the shops as they are the same in most town, we ventured just north of the city to see part of Hadrians Wall

There was part of a fortification along the wall. Incredible that it remains from Roman times.

David suggested going to Scotland, so we went to Gretna, by which time is was evening and Gretna was shut. We saw the Blacksmiths Cottage, which had a cafe and souvenir shop behind it.

And this metal sculpture of clasped hands, which looked really lovely.

On Wednesday we went of a bus journey to Ambleside and Grasmere. More sheep spotting both model and real ones. It was pretty amazing how a double decker bus manages Lakeland roads and negotiating its way through the villages.  We visited a museum in Ambleside which had an exhibition of Beatrix Potters life and drawings and also the smallest NT site we've been to 

Bridge House which has just two rooms the top one was once used as storage for apples.

Onto Grsmere and after visiting the gingerbread shop and William Wordsworth's grave we visited Allan Bank where the house was destroyed by fire some years back and after renovation the house has been left undecorated and without its original furniture.  People could come in and out of the house, sit and read or draw or paint, or even play the piano.  The steward there also pointed out the picture of the NT card is the view out of the window of one of the rooms.

There was a viewing tunnel though the hill in the gardens 

The was a lovely little scene with some knitted Beatrix Potter characters

Thursday saw us back in Keswick and finding more sheep and lambs. We than had an interesting drive  from there to Cockermouth through the Honister Pass and some interesting scenery.

The photo which I took through the car's windscreen shows the road ahead being very windy travelling through the valley.

And real Herdwicks

Such lovely wild scenery.

I then photographed our last Go Herdwick sheep just down the road from the B&B before departing on Friday

On Friday we stayed overnight in Stoke-on-Trent, which we hoped we could have a look around before  continuing our homeward journey, but the rain was so heavy we just decided to go home. The weather was awful until we got to Birmingham where it was dry and there was even the appearance of sunshine by the time we reached Southampton.

I'll post some more photos soon.