I recently went on a camping trip for the weekend to Grizedale Forest in the Lake District. The main reason for the trip was because my friends and I were attending Picnic Cinema and as it was a little bit out of our way we…Read More

I recently went on a camping trip for the weekend to Grizedale Forest in the Lake District. The main reason for the trip was because my friends and I were attending Picnic Cinema and as it was a little bit out of our way we decided to just make a weekend of it.

Picnic Cinema is an initiative run by the Eden Arts Council and part funded by the National Lottery. It aims to raise money to invest in local projects for the rural community and it does this by arranging for special and unique locations around Cumbria to hold outdoor screenings of classic movies in their grounds during July, August and September.
As well as watching a classic movie it also encourages people to bring food and drinks and make a night of it. To make it a bit more special there is a bar serving drinks and food and they have live music before the movie starts.

This year there were four different locations used for the screenings.
• Greystoke Castle: The Greystoke Castle Estate lies five miles west of Penrith and was the location for the screening of the Marilyn Monroe film Some Like it Hot.
• Brockhole: The Brockhole Visitors Centre on the banks of Lake Windermere was the location for the screening of the musicals Greece and Mama Mia.
• Acorn Bank Gardens: Here the film was to be Moulin Rouge.
• Brantwood: The former home of John Ruskin was the location for a screening of Swallows and Amazons.
• Hutton in the Forest: The grand country estate was showing Tosca from the Royal Opera House.
• Sleddale Hall: The actual location used in Withnail and I was the location for a showing of the cult classic.
• Grizedale Forest: The location where I went was showing two films on different dates, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and The Blair Witch Project.

We chose to go to the Grizedale screening of Close Encounters of the Third Kind as we thought the location was one of the more unusual and the film itself appealed more to our tastes. Personally I would have preferred to have went and seen The Blair Witch as I had thought that it would have been quite an experience to see it in the middle of a forest. Unfortunately the dates for that didn’t work out and although I wasn’t overly excited about the movie I was more going for the experience than anything else.
According to our tickets the location was going to be open from 6 with the band playing from 7.15 and the movie starting at dusk.
We set off from our campsite early by car (you will need to drive if you visit next year as the location is out of the way) and arrived at the location of the screening for about 5:45. Apparently the location had changed from its original one the day previously I have no idea why but the new location was well signposted on the road and we had no trouble finding it.

We parked up and made our way to the ticket booth to present our tickets. They checked our tickets and directed us up the road to the screening area. On the way we were met by a couple of people dressed in American army outfits who ‘scanned’ us to make sure that we weren’t possessed by aliens. It was a little cheesy especially their American accents but it was all part of the fun of the night. The whole night had a mashed potato theme which meant absolutely nothing to me until I seen the film but there were a few people who got into the swing of it with some alien masks and some boppers on their heads.
The walk to the screening location took about 10 minutes from where we were parked and it was pretty sedate with no rough terrain. The location was a little less dramatic than I had envisioned in my head and was just a clearing next to the woods and not in it. There were some logs for people to sit on who hadn’t brought their own seats, an area set up for the band and a small bar area selling wine and beers as well as some cakes and snacks. We didn’t buy any drinks because we had brought our own but they were priced at £2 a glass which is really reasonable for events like this. There were also three portaloos two for women and one for men and it doesn’t have anything to do with the film but they were the cleanest portaloos I have ever seen in my life before!

We had brought folding chairs and our own picnic so we found a space in the clearing and set everything up. The clearing wasn’t huge but the screenings are all ticketed so they had calculated how much space would be needed and it was pretty much the perfect size.
For an hour or so we just sat around chatting and enjoying the atmosphere along with all the other people at the screening. Everyone was there for a good time and everyone was mingling and chatting with the other people in their vicinity and it was a really nice ambiance.
The band started playing about an hour before the movie and to be completely honest this confused me a little. Jude Connely was the featured singer along with a couple of local musicians helping him out and although he was really good the music wasn’t really what I was expecting. I just thought that the music would fit the theme of the film and it really didn’t but it was an enjoyable way to spend an hour or so just sitting in the woods with food and drink listening to a folksy musician.

When it started to get dark the movie started and was shown on a large projector screen. We had worried beforehand that the screen for the film would be tiny but it was a decent size and we had no problem seeing it clearly from near the back. The sound system was also excellent and audio was distributed all over the clearing.
Turns out I hadn’t actually seen the film even though before getting there I was convinced that I had and I really enjoyed it.
When the movie ended it was time to pack up and make our way back to the car. This is where a torch came in handy as of course it is in the forest and there were no lights outside of the screening area so it was absolutely pitch black. When we got back to the car we had to wait a while before we could leave as everyone had had to park on the grass verge behind the car in front and as it was a single track road it took quite some time to get out.

The only thing that you would need to worry about would be the cold. Although it was early September and had been a gorgeous day as soon as the sun went down it was freezing cold to the point where I couldn’t feel my fingers and my breath was coming out as steam. I would really recommend that you take some gloves and a blanket just in case the weather is cold.
The other thing is the terrain. It wasn’t difficult and people who have trouble walking should be fine as long as they take it slowly. The only other thing you need to worry about it making sure that you take a torch as it really came in handy for us getting back to the car and also manoeuvring our way to the toilets during the film.

Tickets for the screening were £11 for adults and £6 for children. You can buy your tickets on the night but you then take the risk that you arrive and it has sold out so I would recommend that you buy in advance especially for the more popular locations and films as the screenings can only hold so many people and once it is at capacity they won’t let anyone else in. We bought our tickets from the official website which is www/picniccinema.co.uk and just printed them off at home and presented them on the night. There was a charge for using my credit card buying them online. You can also buy them direct from the venues holding the screenings in advance and also by post if you have enough time.
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Parts of this originally formed an extensive review about Northern Rail (www.northernrail.co.uk) which I wrote for Ciao, but what follows is essentially my "Story" about travel using Northern Rail in Cumbria!---Introduction--- I remember my first time on a Northern rail train. Shattered having come from…Read More

Parts of this originally formed an extensive review about Northern Rail (www.northernrail.co.uk) which I wrote for Ciao, but what follows is essentially my "Story" about travel using Northern Rail in Cumbria!


---Introduction---
I remember my first time on a Northern rail train. Shattered having come from a day in London, I got on the train at Carlisle and drifted in and out of sleep. I awoke to the train stopping. In a panic I rushed to the door only to be told:
"It's Flimby. You really don't want to be getting off at Flimby!"
Thankfully this stopped me from getting off before the next stop, Workington.

It was the railway map which made me pick Workington as a place to live. Located between Sellafield (where hubby works) and Carlisle (where I work) it was within reasonable commuting distance of both, and since I don't really drive, this was important to me!


---A normal day---
It's 6am and I awake to the sound of a moose call. Hubby groans - he doesn't like the moose call. I don't know why, to me the sound is beautiful, it sounds of moose, calling. Initially I put my alarm on Snooze and then wake up 9 minutes later, and repeat. At 6:18am I seriously start to think about whether I am going to be able to make the early train or not and if I can afford another 9 minutes sleep. If it's a day when I am washing my hair I’ll probably sleep for another 9 minutes anyway. If I'm going for the earliest train I’ll usually leave the house just after 6:45am with wet hair (on a hair wash day) and walk (run) quickly to the station. If I’ve decided to go for the ‘normal’ train, I usually get distracted and end up leaving the house just after 7:30am - again with wet hair. Thankfully my hair hasn't ever managed to freeze to my head!

If I'm having a bad day I'll get the 8:20am train. If I'm running late it's only me who misses out as it'll take me longer before I can have a flexi-day. However, this also has the problem that if the train is late, then it's my flexi-time which I lose. I hate to stand and wait and watch my watch as my flexi-time slips away......



---Workington Station---
On arrival at Workington station I pass Dilbert (not his real name, but if you're a regular at the station you'll know who I mean) who winks at me. I don’t buy tickets off Dilbert as it’s a slow process, so I either buy them on the train (which is perfectly acceptable despite signs saying you can’t) or the day before it runs out in Carlisle (a weekly or a monthly).

I stand on the platform at Workington station and wait for the train, or if I'm running late and the train is on time get straight on. Sometimes I exchange a word with a fellow commuter, but it is early in the morning. I was told the other week that Workington station is a lovely station. I'm not sure which Workington they're talking about as lovely isn't the word I'd use. Aside from Dilbert (or whoever is working that day), a waiting room (which is rarely open - you have to request it from Dilbert) and some flower pots and a few seagulls and pigeons, there isn't really anything there. I mean, it's not like there's toilets, a shop or other such luxuries! But I suppose if we're comparing it to others then I suppose at least there is a person there, even if it is Dilbert who doesn't really have a clue what's going on. Staff seem happy to let you know if the train is going to be arriving in 2 minutes, but 5 minutes late or more and staff are nowhere to be seen - it's the same on the trains.

Ah, here is comes. It used to make me laugh. It made my sister-in-law laugh when she saw it. The one-carriage train. Those of you in the south probably won't have seen anything like it - a one-carriage train (sometimes it is two carriages, but generally not if it’s busy!)


---The Sites---
There's lots of things to see on my journey (mainly sheep), although in winter there's nothing there as it's dark. I do sometimes wonder if the sheep actually cease to exist when I can't see them - perhaps they fly south for the winter? Talking of sheep, I once watched a sheep decompose outside Aspatria, it went on for weeks until finally it was removed. I really felt sorry for the other poor sheep in the field who had to watch this happen, it was traumatic enough for me. There's also the sea to see (although the view is best between Whitehaven and Workington) and some beautiful sun rises and sunsets at the right time of year, more sheep, some cows, and well, more sheep really.

Something which I didn't know about before I came to Cumbria was the concept of request stops although it generally stops at all stations on the busy trains. If you're on the platform you need to stick your hand out like hailing a bus - all very strange. If you are ever traveling on this line and need to get off at Flimby there is a BIG gap between the train and the platform - you will need to jump.


---Carlisle Station---
50 minutes later (unless there are problems) I arrive in Carlisle at platform 2. I finish reading my book and make my merry way over the bridge, through Carlisle station and off to work.

There's not a lot to say about Carlisle station really – yes there's toilets, a (very small) WHSmiths, a couple of coffee places and only recently a cash machine. There is some excitement at Carlisle station....if you look above there is a wire mesh under the roof which collects dead pigeons. If you've ever got some time to kill at Carlisle station then have a look up, and try and count the dead birds. Or, you could stand and stare at the trainspotters and get angry - after all they are choosing to stand around at Carlisle station...whereas I am doing it because my train is late.

Actually there was a bit of excitement the other year as scenes from the Bollywood movie "Mr Bhatti on Chutti" (holiday) were filmed at Carlisle station!


---Did I tell you about the time...?---
Of course there was the time that our train was slightly late (nothing new there then) and as a result it was a freight train which hit and killed 6 cows who were stood in the middle of the railway just outside Wigton. If it had been our little one carriage train we might have derailed (in fact a train very recently did derail – luckily no one was hurt). On the way home that night we saw the pile of dead cows, and I for one was most disappointed not to be compensated with a nice juicy steak! Trains are often delayed due to sheep on the line, or even "a suspected sheep" on the line!

Then there was the time the train was just cancelled due to flooding and they claimed that there would be no replacement bus as roads were impassable. Despite this we hedged our bets and walked to Carlisle bus station. That day I'd actually left my purse at home (just had my train ticket in my bag) so literally had no money or way of getting money. Thankfully a fellow commuter kindly paid my bus fare (there are some genuinely nice people out there), otherwise I don’t know what I’d have done! Incidentally the bus ran absolutely fine.

The events all roll into one after a while...the conductors also roll into one although they have their quirks. There's the skinny one who goes on and on apologises if the train is running 5 minutes late (which in my opinion constitutes normal service), but then says nothing on the occasions when it's 30 minutes late. There's the one who announces that we have reached Carlisle - our final destination (always makes me think of the films)!


---Finally---
I’ve complained to Northern Rail on a number of occasions. I write quite a good complaint letter, mind you they never read them and don’t seem to grasp the fact that I’m complaining about the lack of communication rather than the delays! There are many other things I could say about the Northern Rail Experience, from rain coming through the windows, disgusting toilets, dodgy heating system to the irritating passengers such as those who barge onto the train before the others have got off, and the screaming children. But I hope I’ve given you a flavour of my journey from Workington to Carlisle!
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My review today is about a quintessential English town in Cumbria. Not as exotic as some of the towns I have reviewed I know but to me it has a special place in my travel diairies. It is an alternative Cumbrian experience, far from the…Read More

My review today is about a quintessential English town in Cumbria. Not as exotic as some of the towns I have reviewed I know but to me it has a special place in my travel diairies. It is an alternative Cumbrian experience, far from the maddening crowd of Lake Windermere and commercialism.

I have always been enchanted with the town's cobbled streets and winding lanes which lead to quaint, little shops and old pubs and coaching inns dating from the 18th and19 th century, some even older. Some narrow walkways go to small shops selling hand made jewellery and clothes, there are at least a couple of old fashioned bakeries where the bread and cakes are made on the premises. The town has two art shops, two supermarkets, a local market every Wednesday and a farmer's market once a month. Other quaint shops include an antiquated pharmacy with dressed windows that look hundreds of years old. Most of the old houses have been built from the local red sandstone and the town is surrounded by green rolling hills, hegdegrows and pine forests.

I have visited this inconspicuous market town many times and only just recently realised that it conceals a myriad of dark secrets. Read on...............

This pretty market town dates back to the 7th century and consists of one main street and several side streets decorated with historical buildings.

The name Brampton is thought to have originated from the old English name for brambles.

The main street is very wide and undulating and the first market took place in 1252 along with four annual fairs. The main street is dominated by Moot Hall which was built in 1817 by the Earl of Lancaster. Apparantely, it replaced the original building from 1648 which was supposedly to have been used by Oliver Cromwell to imprison men.

It is a strange looking building, octagonal in shape with an external staircase leading to the top floor. It has a square turret and windows which form points rather than arches. The lower part of the building which now houses the local tourist information centre used to be a butter, egg and poultry market and became enclosed in 1896. The area around the Moot Hall is used as a Car Park except for Wednesday's when the travelling market arrives in the town to sell local produce. This day is very busy and if you don't visit early morning you will be hard pushed to find a parking spot although there is parking at the back of the town and at the side of the Doctor's surgery.

In front of the Moot Hall is a bull ring which is a reminder of the cruel blood sport that used to take place there. This sport took place in London and most provincial towns including Brampton. The bull would be placed in a specially constructed ring, and tied to a stake so that it could move around in an area of approximately 30 feet. Before the sport started pepper was blown into the bull's nose.The bull would sometimes be placed in a hole and dogs would be set upon the bull one at a time. Usually old English Bulldogs were used as the attackers and a succcessful attack would be when the dog's teeth were fastened firmly into the bull's snout.

Thank goodness the Cruelty to Animals Act of 1835 put an end to that cruel and barbaric sport by reinforcing a rule forbidding the keeping of any pit or other place for baiting a bull or any other animal. Although it is known that some of these cruel sports with dogs still take place and I think only a couple of years ago a chap was fined for organising dog fights in Carlisle.

Historical Buildings
----------------------------

There are several buildings of historical interest located in the town including three pubs as I know of. The 19th century Howard Arms has just recently been refurbished and is famous because it was one of the inns Charles Dickens stayed at when travelling through. Now it is open as a restaurant, bar, and has bed and breakfast facilities.

The Scotch Arms on Main Street is an 18th century coaching inn and The White Lion Hotel was built in 1790 which is a reasonably priced hotel and restaurant.

In the 1800's there were more than 40 pubs in the town although there were only 3,000 residents . With the road being built from Newcastle to Carlisle in 1758 this became a popular route for traveller's going east or west so perhaps the pubs were a godsend for these weary travellers.

Other interesting attractions are; the old fashioned police station on the corner of the main street leading to Longtown. It was built in 1860 and reminds me of that series Dixon of Dock Green where the friendly bobby stood outside the station bending down as if to ventilate his underpants whilst tipping his hat to say, 'Evening All.'

Oulton House which was built in 1603 became the home of a famous violin maker in the 1800's.

It is known that Bonnie Prince Charlie stayed in a house in the town, dating from 1603, during the 1745 Jacobite Uprising. He stayed for one night only. The house is now a shoe shop but has a plaque on the wall relaying this historical information. Why we are still on the subject of that rogue, Bonnie Prince Charlie, there is a monument just outside the town centre of a Capon Tree. It was built in 1904 and it is to commemorate the hanging of six of his men in 1746 by the Duke of Cumberland. These supporters of Charlie's were left in Carlisle Castle why the man himself scarpered. The word Capon is used frequently in the town as a name of a cafe, veterinary surgery, housing estate and a shop.

Brampton's first railway was called the Dandy. It was laid by the Earl of Carlisle in 1775 to transport coal. Originally, wagons were pulled by horses. In 1836, a new line to Brampton was built along with the Carlisle to Newcastle line. Brampton's first Stationmaster, Thomas Edmondson invented the first railway ticket to be printed by a machine. The coal depot closed in 1923 along with the old line.

You wouldn't think such a small town would have so much history on offer and this is one of the reasons it does attract a lot of visitors in the summer. (See seperate attractions linked to this journal)


Okay so if you are not an history buff what can you do.

Well there is a golf course off the A69 following the road for Castle Carrock. It is on the right side near the railway crossing. It is known to be very popular with golfers and a lot of visitors have given it the title of mini Gleneagles. It has a club house where you can eat and drink and a games room with pool and snooker tables. I haven't actually been on the golf course but it's location is very pretty.

Carlisle is the nearest city if you fancy a day out shopping, a visit to a museum, theatre, or a look inside the cathedral.

The countryside around is suitable for walking, cycling, horse riding and bird watching. Talkin Tarn, a 10,000 year old glacial lake is now a country park for walkers to enjoy the trails. Sailing, canoeing, and windsurfing is allowed on the lake. This 65 acre park is two miles sout east of Brampton. The park is open all year round except Christmas day and Boxing day. Admission is free.
Brampton has a local library with the use of 2 computers and usually they are not working. Alternatively you can use Brampton Busines Centre whee there are a numbers of computers and they are free to use.

Apart from the pubs I have mentioned above there is The Nags Head which is situated in the main market square. From the outside it is very attractive and they offer cheap and generous pub grub. However, they screen live football matches and it can get very rowdy and even a bit yobbish at times. So don't visit when a big match is being shown unless you want a fight!

In the summer months of July and August the town is decorated with flowers and garlands as exhibitions, craft fairs, processions take place but also one of the largest folk/world/roots festivals in the north of England takes place in the William Howard School and it's grounds. It is usually staged for 3 days from July and I believe it has just finished.

How to find Brampton?

Take the exit 44 on M6 following A69

Brampton Railway Station is out of the town about 1 and a half miles away.

Local buses runt to Longtown, Carlisle and Newcastle.

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I stayed at the Stanley Arms only because it was cheap and near my work. I'd not been there before but was pleasantly surprised when I got there. Despite being only a mile as the crow flies from the biggest and most infamous nuclear reprocessing…Read More

I stayed at the Stanley Arms only because it was cheap and near my work. I'd not been there before but was pleasantly surprised when I got there. Despite being only a mile as the crow flies from the biggest and most infamous nuclear reprocessing plant in the UK, it carries itself off as a quiet little village in the middle of nowhere quite well. There's a nice little stream running through the middle of the village, over which is an old stone bridge from which I presume the village takes its name.

Anyway, after I'd finished my first day's work, I checked into the Stanley Arms, got changed, and since it was a nice night, decided to wander off and take some photos. This didn't take long because the village is small. There's the stream and a nice old brownstone church in the centre, flanked by two presumably competing pubs, the Stanley Arms and the Golden Fleece. After 20 minutes, I was back in the Stanley Arms, wondering if it was too early to start drinking - the kitchen wouldn't open for another half-hour, and I feared if the beer was good and the telly wasn't that 5:30pm would be dangerously early to start. That said, I was about to when the landlord asked me if I'd walked along the footpath next to the stream, to the rear of the Stanley Arms. I said I hadn't, so he suggested that I could kill a very pleasant hour that way and take some photos of the ruined Calder Abbey about half a mile along the path. That sounded good, so I located the start of the path round the back of the old church and followed a lovely, quiet, and spooky path along the stream. I didn't see anybody else on this walk.

The walk started gently enough-- stream, trees, birds, etc.--but after about half a mile came the first surprise. I did not see the Abbey, as promised, but instead a dilapidated old mansion house or stately home or something, with an overgrown front garden and dirty, cracked old windows. I took a couple of photos, peeping nervously through the trees, then walked on, looking for the Abbey. The Abbey, as it turned out, was in the back garden of this mansion, but I only found this out after surprise #2--washing on the line round the side of the house! That I did not expect. I took more photos (quietly) of the Abbey to the rear and the odd little chapel thing across the field (obviously something the monks used for something or other once upon a time). I then made a brisk return to the Stanley Arms before it started getting dark.

When I got back, I asked about the people who lived there. Predictably, the story began, "Funny you should ask that. People there keep themselves to themselves. Strange family - don't come down to the village much... "

Then they told me the house was supposed to be haunted--durr.

I found a website that provides a bit of historical background to the abbey here.

The bus ride to Bowness-on-Solway is interesting, but not exciting. We do have to wait for cows and sheep to cross our one-lane road and pull over for cars coming the other way. I'm sure my friends are going to be happy to…Read More

The bus ride to Bowness-on-Solway is interesting, but not exciting. We do have to wait for cows and sheep to cross our one-lane road and pull over for cars coming the other way.

I'm sure my friends are going to be happy to learn they didn't miss much by ending the walk in Carlisle.

Since I must wait for an hour for the bus to start its return journey, I go to the nearest pub for a bite to eat. Since its past 2pm, they have a little trouble coming up with a sandwich, but finally it's served. Chips cost extra.

While I am enjoying my lunch, an older couple who are sitting in the same area and haven't said a word to one another for the first 30 minutes I am there suddenly launch into a spirited conversation that soon turns into an argument. As far as I can tell, it's over whether some distant relative is alive or dead. They never settle the issue, but at some point, just stop arguing, finish their half-pints, say good day to everyone, and leave the building.

When the proprietress discovers I'm part of a group walking the Wall, she gives me an official stamped certificate of completion. I plan to present it to Tommy Terrific tonight at dinner for all the effort he put into this adventure.

I'm glad I took the ride, but I might have done something more interesting if I had known how non-eventful it would be.

West to east or east to west, Hadrian's Wall offers a uniquely high density of artifacts and attractions from Rome's most northern frontier. Stretching more or less across the pennines in a straight line from modern-day Newcastle in the east to Carlisle in the west, Hadrian's…Read More

West to east or east to west, Hadrian's Wall offers a uniquely high density of artifacts and attractions from Rome's most northern frontier.

Stretching more or less across the pennines in a straight line from modern-day Newcastle in the east to Carlisle in the west, Hadrian's Wall needs no introduction. The concept of Roman emperor Hadrian, in answer to the persistent irritation of the small-time raids and pilfering from the tribes to the north the clear solution, was to build a wall to keep them out. Much of that wall still stands today after nearly 2,000 years, but since the invention of "the ladder," it has become less effective at its job.

I won't trawl over the historical facts in this journal - it would be obvious that I'd just plagiarised them from elsewhere anyway, so I've found a couple of links to some reliable background info here and here.

I'll concentrate on offering my opinion on how to get the best out of it and what I think are the best bits.

First thing is orientation. It's possible to take a hike along its length. The undulating terrain and the combination of exposed moorland and generally elevated position of the wall is a clear recipe for a "rosy glow," but I'd say it is probably one of the best, or maybe the best, hikes in Britain. It's likely to test endurance and tolerance to rain rather than athletic ability, and you're never far away from the salvation of the main road for a trip back to civilisation if you decide halfway through that you've had enough.

If, on the other hand, like most visitors, you want to sample the various attractions along the wall in one or two days or hike along just a bit of it, you'll want to pick the best access route. From the west, head for Carlisle, then head east first along the main trans-pennine route, the A69. This road runs parallel to the wall all the way to Newcastle at a distance never more than a mile or so. The road's okay, but gets busy with trans-pennine freight. As the road is only partially dual carriageway, this can lead to an irritating and unspectacular drive, especially since there's a better option. That better option is the "Old Roman Road," lately known as the B6318. The best spot to get onto it from the A69 heading east from Carlisle is at Greenhead. This is a convenient start in many respects, as it's very close to the site of Birdoswald Roman Fort. You can sort of view this from the wall, but to get closer to this attraction, you need to pay a couple of quid - this also gets you access to the compact, little museum of artifacts there. Car parking at this point, I believe, is free.

If you're starting your journey from the east, head for the A1, which passes south and west of Newcastle, and join the A69 just north of the River Tyne. Head along the A69 for 8 miles or so, then head north towards the B6318 at Corbridge.

The B6318 road is one of my favourites. It's only single carriageway, but it's much quicker and nicer than the A69. It doesn't get the freight traffic for one thing, even though it does get some slow moving caravans and tourist traffic. Under normal circumstances, this could prove a major driving irritation, but since these Roman boys knew what they were doing by building their roads straight as a die, you can easily pull out and see what's coming for miles ahead so overtaking is relatively easy. You do need to be careful not to lose oncoming traffic in the frequent dips and undulations in the road - it's a bit like a rollercoaster. There are fewer speed traps on this road, too. The main attraction of the road is that it follows the wall's path at a distance of no more than a few meters, so it's a very scenic drive, and every few miles there's something new to pull over and look at.

Access to the wall itself is largely free, quite rightly making it very accessible to many, but some attractions (like Birdoswald) carry a charge. The best (in my opinion) is Housesteads, which carries both a parking charge and an entry fee. Good job it’s worth it. Housesteads was in its time a major development on the wall, and the layout of its various cahmbers and structures is still there to see. There's also a nice museum and lots of info about the site and its past purpose and uses as a granary, etc. It can be found approximately halfway along the wall between Carlisle and Newcastle.

For me, a major draw of the wall is the terrain through which it travels. I don't get there as often as I'd like, as it is sheep-grazing country and we have dogs, but the barren exposed moorland, the wind, and incessant drizzle always seem to develop your appreciation of what it must have been like as a Roman soldier to get this as an assignment out of all the lovely places throughout the empire you could have been sent. Very...evocative.

If it's a nice walk along the wall you're after, assuming that you don't want to traverse the entire thing, you could do worse than park up at Cawfields, signposted near to Haltwhistle. There is free parking, toilets, and immediate access to a nice walkable stretch of wall, with a milecastle nearby, too.

It's great. I think you should go.

It was recommended to take a trip to Whitehaven and take some pictures of the harbour, but I wasn't in the mood for towns, so I looked at the map to see what was in and around Calderbridge. To be honest, I'd enjoyed Ravenglass and…Read More

It was recommended to take a trip to Whitehaven and take some pictures of the harbour, but I wasn't in the mood for towns, so I looked at the map to see what was in and around Calderbridge. To be honest, I'd enjoyed Ravenglass and Castle Muncaster so much the day before, I was tempted to do the same thing again. However, after studying the map, I noticed a lake just up the road and decided to go there. This lake was Wast Water, which I'd not previously heard of. It’s not one of the better-known or most-visited lakes in the region.

I travelled for a couple of miles south on the A595 from Calderbridge then took a left on to a winding little road at the village of Gosforth. As it happens, there are about three little roads leading east from Gosforth, but it seems they all reach Wast Water eventually.

After a 10-minute winding drive through rugged sheep-grazing territory, you reach Wast Water. There's plenty of space to park and take some photos or start your walk up into the hills. Wasdale Head, at the eastern end of the lake, is the start for most walkers/hikers/climbers or whatever people call themselves when they are about to ascend Scafell Pike, the highest summit in England. This is not a high mountain by any other country's standards, but it’s our biggest.

Oddly, after parking, someone shouted over to me. That someone turned out to be one of my neighbours who was there on holiday. He informed me that Wast Water is the deepest lake in England, which surprised me, because it’s relatively small and narrow. If you're planning to visit with a view to bumping into my neighbour Steve and his family, I should warn you that he moved on shortly after our conversation.

The attraction of Wast Water is its stark bleakness. Its valley is secluded and quiet, the hills that hem it along its southern edge are steep, and the skree plunges right down to the edge of its black waters. On the north side, it’s greener and "sheepier," but as its not one of the "famous" lakes, it’s less busy, so it’s easy to enjoy the remote feeling it gives, even though it’s not really remote.

I found this website that gives a bit more than I was able to glean on my short visit, including some practical help for hiker types.Here it is.

Oh, it’s pronounced Wost Water by the way.

Killing time after work and before bedtime and avoiding extended periods in the hotel bar when you're working away can be a challenge (must learn to read sometime). So I'm always happy to receive suggestions from friendly locals of where's nice to go to within…Read More

Killing time after work and before bedtime and avoiding extended periods in the hotel bar when you're working away can be a challenge (must learn to read sometime). So I'm always happy to receive suggestions from friendly locals of where's nice to go to within a 30-minute drive. Ravenglass was one such suggestion.

I was staying in Calderbridge, which is on the A595, and Ravenglass is just 8 or 10 miles south of there along the same road. I didn't know what to expect, save for being told there was some sort of railway museum there or a miniature railway or something. I'm not a train person, so I was prepared to be non-plussed by it all. Still, it would be better than to start drinking at 6pm on a weekday.

After an easy 15-minute drive along the road, I pulled into Ravenglass village. It was on the coast, and you could see the Sellafield complex in the distance to the north. The tide was out leaving a mini estuary behind it just north of the village. My guess is that this area would be popular with bird-watchers - great wader territory.

As I drove up to the coastal edge of the village, I passed the railway item on my left (there's a website with some details at the foot of this journal). Then I parked up on the sea front and thought, "What a picture." The tide was out, as was the late summer sun, and this combination against the backdrop of the bay, with its dilapidated little boats, had me reaching for my camera right away.

After I'd taken my seaside "boaty" photos, I wandered into the village, which is in effect a single little chocolate-box street of well-kept terraced dwellings facing out onto each other. Some tenants were obviously engaged in a serious war of one-upmanship judging by the spectacular floral arrangements outside the front of some of their cottages.

There's a nice pub at the end of the street that overlooks the harbour. This was at the time getting well used by sensible people taking an early evening drink whilst enjoying the beautiful view over the bay. What more could a man ask for?

Here's an info website about the village. Castle Muncaster, by the way, is a 2-minute drive from Ravenglass. See its own journal. You'd be missing out if you didn't combine the two.

The origins of this quaint little market town are shrouded in mystery, but the shaft of a Saxon Cross discovered in the Parr Chapel dates it back to as early as 850. Kendal is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, but the arrival of the…Read More

The origins of this quaint little market town are shrouded in mystery, but the shaft of a Saxon Cross discovered in the Parr Chapel dates it back to as early as 850.

Kendal is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, but the arrival of the Normans ushered in a new era for the town as the motte-and-bailey Castle Howe was constructed for the first Baron of Kendal on a prominent position overlooking the town. This new lord, Baron Ivo de Tailebois, granted the old parish church and its land, still known as Kirklands, to the newly founded Benedictine Abbey of St. Mary at York. The church was rebuilt in Norman style using the sandstone from the original Saxon church that had been scavenged from the old Roman fort at nearby Watercross when its occupants were recalled to Rome at the end of the 4th century. A magnificent hall was also built for the Abbot, imaginatively named Abbot Hall. This is now home to an excellent art gallery, while the stables house the Museum of Lakeland Life, both of which are well worth a visit.

Kendal quickly reestablished itself as a market town with the Market Square in the centre of town playing host to a twice-weekly market (Wednesdays and Saturdays) since the 12th century. This brought an age of prosperity to the town and the old Castle Howe was abandoned, of which only the earthworks now remain marked by an 18th-century column, as the more prestigious Kendal Castle was built on the other side of town. The unique location and flourishing market lead to Kendal becoming the centre for the country’s burgeoning wool trade, and the prosperity that this brought saw the town’s distinctive limestone buildings start to grow up around the square, not least of which was the magnificent Town Hall that now houses the Tourist Information Centre.

As the wool trade started to die off, Kendal managed to reinvent itself as a major tourist stop-off, somewhat cynically billing itself as "the gateway to the lakes" despite being some 10 miles from Windermere. The gamble paid off, and the town is now home to some fine museums and art galleries showcasing the best of the region, making it an essential stopover on your way into the Lake District National Park.