North

Westmorland and National Park Expansion

February 22, 2012

Google just now served me a link to an LDNPA document, dated today, discussing alternatives for the Park authority’s position on the extension of national park boundaries, and in particular the proposal from Natural England that substantial parts of Westmorland should be incorporated into the Yorkshire Dales National park. I see that the Park authority [...]

Lake District History & Now: Axe Heads to SatNavs

February 21, 2012

Today’s title reflects just some of the eclectic content below, with ancient axe heads, charcoal burning, water-powered fulling mills, train crashes, a Roman helmet, today’s forests, map reading skills and even an international treaty. Last week I wrote about books on Lake District history and finished up with some thoughts on its future. Today I [...]

Lake District History and the Future

February 14, 2012

I was writing a piece on my “Lake District in Books” site when it occurred to me how much material I’d written there over recent months referring to the history of the region. This post is substantially a survey of things I’ve written there in the past, brought together for readers of the Around-England blog. [...]

Barnard Castle and the Bowes Museum

February 7, 2012

Last weekend we paid an unscheduled visit to Barnard Castle. Our normal pattern when driving over the A66 between Cumbria and County Durham has been to fly past at 60 to 70 miles per hour on the way to or from somewhere or other. This time, however, a glance at the fuel gauge said quite [...]

Cockermouth Woolfest

February 1, 2012

The Cockermouth Woolfest has been held annually since 2005. It takes place on a Friday and Saturday in June, and includes a great range of displays and activities relating to natural fibres, and especially wool. Spinning, dyeing, weaving, knitting and felting are just some of the craft themes covered by well over 100 stallholders. Woolfest [...]

Lake District Self-Catering Holidays

February 1, 2012

Loweswater – One of the less-visited lakes Many people today choose to look after themselves on holiday rather than stay in an hotel. There is an extensive supply of self-catering accommodation in Cumbria. Lake District cottages for rent are to be found throughout the region and provide excellent bases from which to go out and [...]

River Eden near Appleby on a Wintry Afternoon

January 17, 2012

Three more shots of the beautiful Eden Valley. Before reaching the centre of the town the River Eden passes Bongate (the place where in ancient times the ‘bondsmen’ used to live), down below the cliff where Appleby Castle stands proud. Here is a cold January midday shot of the river, reduced in level from what [...]

Protection of the North Pennines

January 4, 2012

The North Pennines, stretching from the Eden Valley up towards the Scottish Border, are characterised by wild moorland with long expanses of silence apart from the wind and the birds. This special landscape needs protection, and it is good that the staff of the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty have it under their [...]

Still More Wordsworth Places in the Lake District

January 3, 2012

Recently I’ve written several times about Lake District places associated with William Wordsworth, the great nineteenth century romantic poet. In addition to describing a visit to Wordsworth House in Cockermouth and seeing the tremendous work that has been done to recover from the devastating floods of November 2009, I posted a further article summarising the [...]

Happy New Year from the Eden Valley

January 2, 2012

I had not expected to be sitting at my keyboard this afternoon. The sun was shining, there was blue in the sky, and it would have been an excellent opportunity to drive to one or two of the places here in the Eden Valley where I’ve been wanting to take photographs but have been waiting [...]

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