A weekend of culture in the Lake District (or what to do if it rains)

As I child I would visit the Lake District in the Easter holidays with my parents, staying in an old stone cottage with a fast flowing stream at the bottom of the garden. This weekend it was time rekindle those memories and head back to the lakes to another old stone cottage with my blogging friends; Zoë Dawes of The Quirky Traveller who lives locally and Kathryn Burrington of Travel with Kat. I had envisaged a weekend of fresh-air country walks, lakeside views and yomping across the fells, breaking only for a nourishing ale and lunch at the local pub.

But that was until we saw the forecast for rain. All weekend. Time to make our Plan B and take the opportunity to discover the surprising amount of culture on offer in the Lake District. With Wordsworth, Beatrix Potter and the decorative arts at Blackwell we had plenty to keep us busy while dodging the raindrops, and we did manage to squeeze in a little walk as well as a several stops in the local pubs.

Blackwell Arts and Crafts House

After Zoë picked us up at the station, we decided to take a look at Blackwell Arts and Crafts House at the head of Lake Windermere. I’m a sucker for the decorative arts and this was a unique showcase for the gorgeous stained glass, oak furniture, textiles and crafts of the Arts and Crafts movement which took its inspiration from local crafts and the natural world.

The house was built in the late 1890s by architect Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott as a holiday home for a wealthy Manchester industrialist Sir Edward Holt and has a prime setting overlooking Lake Windermere, although we could see little of the fine views through the rain. I loved walking around the house admiring the carvings in the oak panelling, motifs of flowers and leaves in the wallpaper and the stylised flowers in the stained glass windows.

Everywhere were small details taken from nature, like the leaf shaped door handles and the rowan tree with leaves and berries that were part of the family’s motif. At the turn of the century, wealthy industrialists like the Holts, who had made their money from brewing, commissioned large houses like Blackwell House for entertaining and to show off their new found wealth and good taste which we can now all enjoy. 

Beatrix Potter at Hilltop Farm

On Sunday we paid a call on Beatrix Potter who is something of a heroine in the Lake District, not just for Peter Rabbit and Mrs Tiggywinkle, but as a benevolent landowner who saved the Herdwick sheep from dying out. Beatrix had holidayed in the Lake District with her parents and having made some money from her children’s books, she decided to buy the farm of Hill Top at Sawrey. Beatrix Potter eventually made her home in the Lake District, buying a number of farms, all of which she left to the National Trust who now manage Hill Top.

This house was her escape from London and she made it her own, furnishing it with her favourite items and collecting plants for the garden. As the rooms are quite small and packed with furniture, pictures and ornaments, you may need to wait a while for timed entry during busy periods.

The house, garden and surrounding area were inspiration for some of the illustrations in Beatrix’s stories. In each room, you’ll find a few of her books, with a bookmark at the picture that you can recognise as being set in that room; Tabitha cat entering the front door with her basket and bonnet and Tom Cat at the kitchen range about to jump up the chimney.

Initially Beatrix used Hilltop as her holiday home, but after her marriage to local solicitor William Heelis, she moved to a new house, Castle Cottage, which you can see across the fields. Hill Top was used as the place that Beatrix came to work, entertain visitors and as accommodation for any guests, since she valued her privacy.

In summer the flower bed that was bare when we visited is overflowing with roses, flowers and shrubs and through the green wrought iron gate you’ll find Mr McGregor’s garden where naughty Peter Rabbit nearly got caught stealing the vegetables. You won’t find any of the charming illustrations that Beatrix made for her books at the house but these are on show in the Beatrix Potter Gallery at Hawkshead. 

If you are looking for a delicious pub lunch after your visit to Hill Top, I highly recommend the Tower Bank Arms which you will have passed when walking up from the car park to the house. I imagine it is packed out in summer as it’s quite small inside, but worth a wait and I really enjoyed my baguette with camembert, smoked chicken and salad, washed down with ginger beer.

Discovering Wordsworth at Grasmere

One of the Lake District’s most famous cultural figures is the poet, William Wordsworth who was a leader of the Romantic movement that drew inspiration from the beauties of nature. Wordsworth spent most of his life in the Lake District, attending the grammar school in Hawkshead then going on to study at Cambridge, before taking up residence in Dove Cottage with his unmarried sister Dorothy when they were both in their late twenties.

The cottage is very small and best visited in a guided tour which takes place hourly in winter, since there is little information in the rooms. Our guide explained how the household lived in the early 19th century, taking local walks, visiting friends and of course writing. William later married and would go for long walks to get inspiration for his poetry while Dorothy and Mary his wife attended to domestic tasks.

Dorothy kept a journal about their everyday lives, writing about the walk that inspired Wordsworth’s famous daffodil poem.

“I never saw daffodils so beautiful they grew among the mossy stones about & about them, some rested their heads upon these stones as on a pillow for weariness & the rest tossed & reeled & danced & seemed as if they verily laughed with the wind that blew upon them over the Lake, they looked so gay ever glancing ever changing.”

The tour of the house gave an interesting insight into the daily life of the Wordsworth household and the many writers such as Coleridge, Walter Scott and Thomas de Quincy who visited them. Behind the cottage is a museum with much more information about the world that Wordsworth lived in and the literature of the day. Website: Wordsworth.org.uk

Where to stay

If you stay in Chapel Stile as we did, you’ll understand why people fall in love with the Lake District and return year after year to enjoy its natural beauty. Set in the heart of the Langdale Valley, the village is surrounded by the fells (that’s hills to us southerners) with a fast flowing river running behind the Wainwrights Inn. We stayed at Daw Bank cottage through the Good Life Cottage Company who manage 34 cottages within the Lake District National Park, many of them in Chapel Stile and nearby Elterwater.

The slate fronted cottage was one of a terrace and surprisingly spacious inside, with three good sized bedrooms and a cosy sitting room with a wood burner in the fireplace. The kitchen included attractive painted wood cupboards, with all the conveniences such as a dishwasher and washing machine and there was a small enclosed garden with views over the fields. The village itself has a shop and small tea room just a few minutes away and two pubs within walking distance, both of which we had to try of course!

We met the friendly manager Natalie at the Good Life Cottage Company offices which is close by in Elterwater, so you benefit from the local knowledge and help of the team on the ground if you have any questions. If you are a keen walker like me, you can’t get a much better situation than Chapel Stile, since you can walk up into the wild Langdale Valley or find much gentler walks by Elterwater which conveniently ends at the Chesters tea shop at Skelwith Bridge. For more information on cottages in the Lake District check out the Good Life Cottage Company website .

Walking by Elterwater

Saturday afternoon we saw a break in the rain and took our chance for a blustery walk by Elterwater. There was an easy tarmac path alongside the river leading from Chapel Stile to Skelwith bridge, but since the fields and path were flooded we could only do part of the walk.

Still it was great to get out in the fresh air and stretch our legs, admiring the snowdrops sheltering under the mossy stone wall and the bare branches of the trees silhouetted against the sky.

The Langdale Valley

The next day, more rain was forecast but undaunted we decided to take a driving tour of the Langdale Valley to see some of the wild countryside on our doorstep.

Because of the rain it was a case of admiring the scenery through the car window and hopping out every so often to take a picture, but I could see that the scenery here is stunning and would love to get back in better weather to get on my hiking boots and do some proper walking on these fells.

Where to eat

The Station Cafe – Lovingly Artisan at Oxenhlme station

Fresh off the train at Oxenholme, Zoë led us to a cute little café in the car park called Lovingly Artisan with a very moreish selection of pastries on display. We discovered that this was an outpost of a local bakery who specialise in artisan bread and ducked inside for a comfy chair out of the rain where I had some home-made courgette soup with fresh crusty bread. I’d definitely recommend popping in here for a coffee or pastry as you pass through Oxenholme Station. 

Recommended pub: Britannia Inn at Elterwater

On our first evening staying at Chapel Stile we had dinner at the Britannia Inn which is just five minutes down the road at Elterwater. In the evening this pub is mostly for food and we were seated by the window with a cosy fire burning in the room to one side.

My fish and chips was perfect with fresh, flaky fish in crisp batter, thick cut chips and mushy peas, all washed down with a glass of the local ale, Britannia Gold. Kathryn ordered the fat coiled Cumberland sausage, Zoë the lamb shank, and we all finished with the sticky toffee pudding which is something of a Lakeland speciality.

The Britannia is great for unpretentious but excellent pub food, served in a homely atmosphere with friendly service. It’s popular with both locals and visitors, who spill out in summer onto the terrace and grassy common at the front of the pub. 

Afternoon tea and cakes – Chester’s by the River

After our windswept walk beside Elterwater we finished up at Chester’s by the river at Skelwith bridge. Sadly the cafe was just about to close so we had to content ourselves with buying some of the cakes to take back to the cottage for later. We also loved looking around the shop which was packed full of tasteful gifts as well as local craft beers and other foodie items. 

Recommended pub: Wainwrights Inn at Chapel Stile

On our second evening we had to try the local pub, Wainwrights Inn which belongs to the Langdale Hotel just up the road. Like the Britannia Inn it is a traditional Lakeland pub with slate floors and a cosy fire burning, serving all the pub favourites.

We discovered that the chef has taken up smoking (food that is) and has a smoke house at the back where he smokes cheese, fish and meat that is served in both the pub and the hotel. Not wanted to miss out I tried the smoked sharing platter (although I didn’t do much sharing) and had a bit of all the specialities which were delicious served with fresh bread and pickles. If you enjoy a pint you’ll find plenty of local ales here and if you can’t decide the bar staff will happily recommend, or try their beer bat with 3 smaller glasses of different ales. 

The edible souvenir – Grasmere Gingerbread

I was given a packet of Grasmere gingerbread and enjoyed it so much that we had to stop at the shop by the Grasmere church to buy some more. It’s a cross between a biscuit and cake which has been baked here for 150 years and seems to have just the right combination of sweetness and spice.

We found the small shop by the churchyard where Wordsworth is buried, full of biscuits and other edible souvenirs like ginger wine and beer, served by a friendly lady dressed in a mob cap and apron. A charming souvenir of our weekend in the Lake District.

Although our plans for bracing walks were scuppered by the rain, we definitely didn’t miss out and found that the Lake District has a whole layer of art and culture that will keep you busy whatever the weather.

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Thanks to Good Life Cottages who hosted our stay at Daws Bank Cottage and the Britannia Inn and Wainwrights for our evening meals.

Photo Credits: All photos by Heather Cowper at Heatheronhertravels.com except Hill Top interior images by National Trust Images/James Dobson

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com

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