Places to visit, attractions, heritage and things of interest in Cumbria, England.
Kendal, nestling conveniently on the edge of the English Lake District, is a famous town. This, after all, is the place where mint cake was discovered, Katherine Parr had a castle and Alfred Wainwright was Borough Treasurer; but these nuggets of distinction pale into insignificance when you realise that Postman Pat was born there. Indeed,
Postman Pat’s post office Read More »
North West England
Castlerigg Stone Circle is probably the best-known prehistoric stone circle in North West England, perched on the slopes to the east of Keswick inside the Lake District National Park. We will probably never know what our ancestors were doing, building these things. Perhaps if you visit Castlerigg when there are few other people about, the
Castlerigg Stone Circle Read More »
North West England
Sooner or later, if you potter about the elderly houses and castles of old England, particularly in the north, you’ll come across Lady Anne Clifford – though hopefully only by reputation, because she died more than 300 years ago. A couple of miles from the Cumbrian market town of Penrith, on the south side of
The Countess Pillar Read More »
North West England
I’m gazing up through the empty keep, where long-dead feet once paced across floors that have themselves long-since vanished, rotted away. Here’s Brougham Castle, scenically sitting on the south bank of the River Eamont a couple of miles outside Penrith, just off the A66. Someone should write a song about that road… get your kicks,
Two thousand years at Brougham Castle Read More »
North West England
I know I’m not alone in finding something compelling about the places where people are known to have met their ends; and something was compelling me to visit the place where one of England’s most formidable medieval kings, Edward I, snuffed it on 7th July 1307. No doubt a psychologist would be able to offer
Memorial to Edward I Read More »
North West England
My mate Dave said we should go to Fox’s Pulpit. “There’s not a lot to see,” he said. “But we should go.” He was right, of course – on both counts. Fox’s Pulpit is one of those curios of the British historical landscape. It is about 3 miles north-west of Sedbergh in the county of
It all started with my chum, Dave. You remember Dave, don’t you? He’s the one that told me about Swinbrook. Not only is Dave an excellent drinking buddy, but he also used to be a gravedigger, often known in these euphemistic days as a ‘burial ground custodian’. You should see the risk assessment. But he
Trooper Pearson and the Charge of the Light Brigade Read More »
North West England
Here’s one for the petrol-heads. Though, to be fair, you don’t need to know anything about brake horsepower in order to admire this splendid, eclectic, collection of wheeled vehicles and associated bits and bobs. Plus, given that the English Lake District is prone to dampness (well, it would be, wouldn’t it?), the Lakeland Motor Museum
Gleaming bodies at the Lakeland Motor Museum Read More »
North West England
You cannot visit a stone circle, not even a little one, without being impressed. Think about it. Apparently, there are around 1,000 stone circles in Britain. Each one would have taken organisation, willpower and a heck of a lot of muscle to build. Imagine a conversation starting, “Hey, I’ve got this great idea…” Stone circles
Swinside Stone Circle Read More »
North West England
We needed to get out. You know how it is; one of those days when the list of jobs can go hang, because it’s just too good to waste time doing something you should be doing. “Where shall we go, then?” “Somewhere with snow.” “Like…?” “I dunno. Nowhere too strenuous. You choose”. “What do you
The River Eden begins life high on the moors above the valley of Mallerstang. It’s a remote place, harshly beautiful. The water bubbles northward on its journey to the Solway Firth, flanked in these parts by Wild Boar Fell to the west and Mallerstang Edge to the east. Alongside the Eden in the valley bottom
Castle of the Pendragon? Read More »
North West England
You’ll find the small village of Dent, sometimes known locally as Dent Town, on the western edge of the Yorkshire Dales. This was once part of Yorkshire’s West Riding but is now inside the county of Cumbria. The narrow roads through achingly beautiful Dentdale seem never-ending; it’s almost a relief to arrive amongst Dent’s old
The Vampire of Dent (and other stories) Read More »
North West England