Tulips at Sizergh Castle

Heading back south from our stay in Carlisle, we stopped first at Rheged centre near Penrith for a print exhibition and lunch, then at Sizergh Castle near Kendal for a walk around the gardens.

It was tulip season, and we encountered them almost everywhere around the garden.

These beds leading up to the castle were probably the most impressive though; each one given over to a different shape or colour.

Elsewhere there were others - in pots, in mixed bedding, or as solitary colours.

As we sat for a while, we got talking to two regular visitors who said we'd caught the best time of year to visit; and I think they were right

 

Sizergh - gardens and a short walk

At last I found the host of golden daffodils that I'd been looking for. 

Well, maybe not quite a host as many weren't quite in flower but enough to imagine this bank covered in bright yellow in a week or so's time.

Te rest of the gardens were pretty quiet with areas roped off while grass recovered from the dreadful wet weather, but here and there were bursts of colour, and the rock garden with its small waterfalls and pools must be lovely at any time of year.

Just outside the formal garden is a small wood with more banks of daffodils by a larger pond, and even some snowdrops.

I've stopped off at Sizergh before but on that occasion didn't have time to explore the paths through the wider estate. This time, despite growing complaints from my legs, I was persuaded to attempt the shortest walk, probably not much more than a mile (if that).

The path led somewhat uphill, not strenuously, through a band of woodland, past mossy walls and pastures where ewes and young lambs were being put out to graze, then gradually back downhill to join a lane which led back to the visitor centre.

 With the sun continuing to break through the clouds, it was a lovely afternoon. Next time, although I always say this, I'll be fit enough to tackle a longer route.

A Wet Weekend in the Lake District

There's always a certain riskiness about the weather when you decide to book a UK break in winter (or maybe tbh any time of year) and we unfortunately picked a wet weekend to head to the Lake District.

We still had a good time, pottering about between the deluges, dodging into cafes as the rain came again, playing board games back at the AirBnB when it didn't stop. There was snow on the mountain tops, and on Sunday the sun came out 

The first day, the wettest and coldest, we didn't do much; a short walk round Ambleside, looking at the (many, many) outdoorsy shops, and a lovely lunch at Dodd's restaurant. I'd hoped to visit Grasmere in the afternoon, but torrential rain put me off the idea. 

The next morning was cold and overcast with snow on the hills and rain threatening again, so we headed to Windermere Jetty Museum - not for the museum itself but for its cafe with huge picture windows and a magnificent view of the lake and boats by. It's definitely worth a stop here;  good food, wonderful views and, that most remarkable of things in the Lake District, free parking. 

After an early lunch the weather stayed dry for a little while as we wandered round the grounds and admired the views - there's smaller scale lake where model boats are sailed.

Onwards then, back through Ambleside and round the northern end of Lake Windermere, to Wray Castle, a fascinating National Trust property built in the mid-1800s as a second home!

Of course, our visit involved a brief stop at the cafe - a rather unusual one by NT standards.

The rain held off for a short walk round the grounds though we were advised that the longer walks were too muddy to attempt. 

Eventually, on Sunday as we headed home, the sun came out.

 Fortunately we had time to visit a couple of places before heading back down the motorway. First, Fell Foot park at the southern tip of Lake Windermere - for a short walk and brunch in a converted boathouse - then Sizergh Castle - to visit the gardens and take a longer walk round the surrounding estate, interrupted by lunch. More about Fell Foot and  Sizergh  . 

Despite the rain we had a really enjoyable time, which goes to prove that weather isn't everything.  

 

Lake District - day 3; heading home Sizergh Castle

Heading away from the Lake District, we still had time for one more stop - Sizergh Castle, not far from Kendall, and almost en-route for the M6. It shouldn't have taken more than 20 minutes to get there - but roadworks held us up, making it nearly lunchtime when we arrived! 

Fortunately, while the car park and cafe were busy, once we'd paid to enter the grounds the crowd thinned noticeably. To be honest I felt the gardens were a bit disorganised, - a rock garden here, a stumpery there, a small vegetable garden, a huge orchard - as if various elements had been added without a thought for the overall design.

The orchard was lovely though and we possibly caught it at its best with all the trees in flower.

On the far side of the castle, looking east, sloping lawns surround the mirror pond and would have been a lovely place to sit in the sunshine ... but... this side faces a busy 'A' road, and the noise from it is dreadful. Not a place to relax at all, sadly.

What certainly appealed to me was its convenient 'just off the M6' situation. It's an ideal alternative to motorway services style breaks in a journey, and if time permits there are short (couple of mile) walks from the cafe, so I might be back.