On The Trail Of The Lonesome Pine

This was a day out with a difference. Both me and Sal were in the Lakes (she was in Coniston) and had agreed to meet up for a day out. Instead of heading for the honeypots, we decided to pop down the road to Ulverston and look up a couple of old buddies. For those not aware, Ulverston was the birthplace of Stan Laural. and didn't they make the most of it! The florists called Floral and Hardy is still fresh in my mind three months later.

It also seemed to be the Street Art capitol of the UK, most of which was very good indeed (see photos). Plus it had the obligatory Mad Hatters Tea Rooms in the main Street and, just to remind us where we were (as if we could forget), there was a miniature Laurel and Hardy sat outside!

Sal's homing instinct then took us to a pub called the Mill Inn which she had visited a few years ago and very nice it was too with a proper waterwheel in the bar and a roof garden where we sat out in the sunshine. There was also some Alice in Wonderland memorabilia in the pub which made us wonder if there was some kind of connection but I haven't been able to find anything about that.

Our last port of call was the statue of Stan, Ollie and their dog Laughing Gravy which is outside the Town hall. By chance there was a little pool of liquid by Ollie's foot which amused us both. Had Laughing Gravy had the last laugh???

Back to Coniston for a meal and a  natter with everyone which ended a very enjoyable day. The only drawback was that we didn't have time to go to the Laurel and Hardy Museum. I suppose that would be a good excuse to go again.

Surprise View and Watendlath

This was a typical early summer's day in the Lakes, foul weather all day and then picking up in the evening. Making most of the breaking clouds, I headed down Borrowdale and up to Surprise View, stopping off at Ashness Bridge for some photos.

It was nice to see a number of young people at Surprise View who were actually taking in the late evening view and having a natter. It's a bad place for midges so I took some photos overlooking the lake and then carried on up to Watendlath.

Watendlath is both a hamlet and tarn and is over 600 ft above sea level. It's at the base of  High Tove and Armboth Fell which form part of The Central Fells. On the opposite side a bridle path goes directly from the tarn over to Rosthwaite in Borrowdale and is one of the most popular in the vicinity. The name Sir Hugh Walpole rings a bell and I think one of the farmhouses was used as a  fictional name in one of his books. The name Judith Parish also rings a bell somewhere along the line as well.

The sun had now dropped below the fells so the light wasn't too good. I just had a quick walk around the village and took a couple of snaps of the rowing boats on the tarn and then headed back down to Surprise view where I caught the last of the sun.

Then it was back to the caravan site and a couple of beers.

Ashness Bridge

Barrow Beck, Ashness.

Low Crag Wood

Low Crag Wood

Low Crag Wood

Low Crag Wood

Surprise View

Surprise View

Surprise View

Watendlath

Watendlath

Roses at Watendlath

Surprise View

Low Crag Woods

Parcavall Hall and Gardens

Parcevall Hall is a hidden gem right in the heart of Wharfedale and is situated only a few miles from Appletreewick.

Me and Sal had a day out there earlier in the year and, as is usual for us, the first port of call was the tearoom. I'm usually a coffee man but surprised her by joining her in a pot of delicious Yorkshire tea which went down a treat.

We then walked up through the woods, where the bluebells were in full bloom, to a delightful waterfall and pond. As usual, Sal kept wandering off with her camera. I've lost count of the number of times she's just disappears and then saunters back about fifteen minutes later. I usually find a bench and just sit and wait for her.

Next was a stroll up the the Hall and gardens. The gardens were laid out in terraces by the late Sir William Milner from 1927 onwards and are planted with specimens from around the world, many collected from Western China and the Himalayas. It is now a RHS garden.

All the springtime flowers were just coming into bloom and as you can tell from the photos that it was a colourful place, especially just in front of the house, where there was a stunning display of Snapdragons. It's a shame the cafe isn't situated up in the main hall itself as it would overlook the gardens.

Lastly it was a walk through the rock garden and the orchard and then up a 109 stepped path in the woods to the highest point of the day. Sal didn't bother with the steps, she used the steep path which bypassed the woods but my hips prefer an easier route.

Looking at a map, I think it is called The Nape. There is a seat perched near the edge which gives a lovely view down to Skyreholme Beck and Trollers Gill and is a photographers dream.

We ended our day out with a visit to The Craven Arms in Appletreewick (surprise surprise) which is one of the nicest pubs in the whole of the Dales and one of our favourites. Low beams, log fires and real ale...you just can't beat it!