A Week In The Lake District

The drive was 170 miles from Caernarfon to Windermere but most of the time on motorways at 70 mph. The English are excellent drivers so no worries on motorways. As we had plenty of time, we took a detour to Blackpool, one of England’s most famous holiday destinations. What a place! Theme parks, amusement halls, fish and chip shops, lights along the esplanade and lots of lolly shops selling Blackpool Rock. (Sticks of hard candy). It even has its own Eiffel Tower but in miniature. Some shopping in Kendal and then on to our cottage in Windermere just on the edge of town.

  • Blackpool by night

Our Cottage…. The cottage is part of a larger estate that is beautifully maintained with manicured gardens, outdoor seating areas and good parking. The cottage is a little smaller than our last three cottages but nicely decorated, well equipped and in a great location in walking distance to Windermere town centre.

  • The Farriers Cottage – Our home for the week

Windermere and the Lake…. Sunday was the end of the midterm schools break so the town was busy. We walked Windermere township, called in to Windermere Golf Club and had a drink, then took a ferry ride to Ambleside and return. This region is very popular with holiday makers and there are many magnificent mansions surrounding the lake. Some are hotels and guest houses; others are privately owned. Old Money!

  • Cafe Italia in Windermere – Our local coffee spot
  • Ambleside Youth Hostel – What a location
  • Bowness on Windermere – Where the ferries depart

A Circular Route…. For our second day in the Lakes District we again took to the roads driving a circular route through the Kirkstone Pass, alongside Ullswater (a lake by any other name) to a lovely little village called Poole Bridge at the North end of Ullswater. We stopped for lunch in a pub by the river and tasted Gin in a store that boasts a selection of 400 varieties of Gin. From Poole Bridge a circular route back to Windermere through a larger town, Kendal.

  • Kirkstone Pass
  • Kirkstone Pass Inn – 1481 ft above sea level
  • Our favourite store in Pooley Bridge – 400 varieties of Gin

A Walk to the top – Orrest Head Viewpoint…. Up early the next morning as wet weather was predicted. We walked to Orrest Head Viewpoint, a 6 km round trip. Starting from our cottage we walked through thick forest, climbing steadily until we exited from the tree line and had 360o views over the Lake District including Lake Windermere. We walked back down into Windermere and had a coffee in Café Italia sitting outside under a nice warm heater. This is summer.

  • Orrest Head Viewpoint – 360 degree views

Bowness-on-Windermere…. Our afternoon was spent walking the township of ‘Bowness-on-Windermere’ which is about 2 km from Windermere township. It is right on the lake and therefore attracts far more tourists than Windermere. It is a very nice village with lots of tourist shops, cafes, restaurants and hotels. Windermere has a much more local feel and is probably a much better place to stay but still has the quaint village feel. We feel at home in Windermere but just a tourist in Bowness.

  • Unique architecture of most buildings in Bowness-on-Windermere

A Day On The Buses…. To take a break from driving we decided a day on the bus would be fun. We purchased an all-day ticket and jumped on the Hop On/Hop Off bus. This took us on a scenic drive through Bowness then turned around and headed north back through Windermere to our first stop, Ambleside.

  • Historic Waterwheel in Ambleside

We walked the town and were amazed at how many outdoor equipment stores there were. Prices on waterproof jackets, shoes and other gear is much cheaper than Australia. Back on the bus and our next stop was Grasmere made famous by the poet William Wordsworth. It was then on to Keswick, a much larger town where we had lunch in a nice hotel right in the pedestrian mall. It was then back on the bus to Windermere. Riding on the top deck of these double decker buses is rather scary. They are just inches from the stone walls and buildings and regularly hit the leaves and branches of trees overhanging the road.

  • Pedestrian Mall in Keswick – Ou lunch spot was on the right

The Highlight of our Lake District Visit…. Up early again this morning for a repeat walk to Orrest Head viewpoint, another 6 km round trip.

  • Lake Windermere taken from Orrest Head

We were then picked up by Christine & Peter, friends of friends in Melbourne for lunch and an afternoon out. We first headed to Skelwith Bridge just out of Ambleside for a nice lunch at “Chesters By The River” before walking 2.5 km alongside the Brathay River to another small town called Elterwater where we had a drink in the local pub.

  • Lunch at “Chester by the Lake” with Christine & Peter

Peter then took us on a drive which turned out to be a highlight of our trip so far. Firstly, through Wrynose Pass. This is a mountain pass between the Duddon Valley and Little Langdale. This is a single-track motor road over the pass and at the bottom is Fell Foot Farm, a 17th century Grade II listed National Trust property.

  • Wrynose Pass

From there you climb the Hard Knott Pass, a steep and twisting track to a historic Roman Fort. This pass is claimed to be the steepest road in all of Britain and sitting in the passenger seat with white knuckles I can say this is absolutely right. We then returned to Windermere, just a great day.

  • Hard Knott Pass

Our Final Day…. For our final day in the Lake District we took the car ferry across Lake Windermere and then drove on to Hawkshead and on to Coniston. Two small villages on the western side of Lake Windermere. We then drove a back road alongside Coniston Water (Lake) and ended up at a small town called Lowick before heading back to Windermere.

  • Coniston Village
  • Steam Powered Gondola on Coniston Water

Our Final Night…. Out for dinner that night to a traditional English pub frequented only by the locals called Hole In T’ Wall. Tucked away in a back street of Bowness-On-Windermere, this pub was packed and had a fantastic atmosphere. We ordered Steak & Ale Pie which was delicious and washed it down with nice cold beer. Just a good finish to a great week in the Lake District.

  • Hole In T’ Wall Pub in Bowness on Widermere
  • Delicious Steak & Ale Pie at the pub

A Week In Caernarfon, Wales

  • Our Brecon Beacons Cottage – Bailea Coach House

With a touch of sadness, we said goodbye to our host, Marjorie, whose company we did enjoy, and our beautiful cottage after a fabulous week in Brecon Beacons. As we were in no rush, we decided to head for the coast road for the 150 mile (240 km) drive to Caernarfon. It was a Bank Holiday weekend so there was a bit of traffic on the roads, but it flowed well so no holdups. We stopped in Porthmadog to top up on food and drinks and proceeded to our accommodation just out of Caernarfon in a little village called Caeathro. We met our host Julie and again we found the cottage to be beautifully decorated even with a chandelier hanging from the ceiling in the bedroom.

  • Our bedroom in Bwthyn Bach Cottage – Note the chandelier

Caernarfon Castle…. On Sunday a visit to Caernarfon Castle was on the agenda and we spent 4 hours in the castle climbing the steep spiral stone staircases to the turrets, exploring the stone walls, going through the museum, watching the archery displays, talking to the Black Knight. He turned out to be a good knight. King Edward I ordered construction of the castle which began in 1283 and took 50 years to complete at a cost of £25,000.

  • Caernarfon Castle

Following our visit to the castle we explored the town of Caernarfon including Palace Street where the council just this week had erected a colourful canopy of umbrellas suspended above the walkway. It was then time for a very late lunch sitting on the foreshore overlooking the Castle in nice sunny weather. We called in to Caernarfon Golf Club and talked with the Professional about golf in Wales. A nice golf course with spectacular views over Snowdonia National Park. Annual Membership fee is £550 (A$1050), and their golfing competition year is between May to September.

  • Umbrella’s above Palace Street

We Venture Further Afield…. Next stop was Llanberis to book tickets for the Snowdonia Mountain Railway. On the internet it showed it was booked out for the whole month of May, so on the off chance we called into the ticket office, told the girl we were all the way from Australia and all of a sudden we had tickets for the next day in the best two seats on the train in the front row. We then drove the Pen-Y-Pass which is the road to Betws-Y-Coed. This road is spectacular with stone fences either side of the road and mountains and slate soaring on either side of the road. This area was full of backpackers who are off for a day of hiking in this beautiful area.

  • The spectacular Pen-Y-Pass

Snowdon Mountain Railway…. We took a walk around the township of Llanberis before walking to the mountain railway station which is just out of town. Front row seats enabled us to see both the track ascending the mountain and out each side window to the spectacular and sometimes scary drops into the valleys below.

  • View out of the front window of the train

This train climbs 1085 meters in 8 kms with gradients in some sections as much as ‘1 in 5’ which is steep for a train. Once at the summit you can see 3600 views over Snowdonia National Park. We were very lucky as there was no cloud when we arrived but within 15 minutes we couldn’t see more than 50 meters. A unique experience.

  • A steam powered train heading for the summit

The trip down was also interesting as this time we were going backwards down the mountain as the train does not turn around. After descending about ½ km we were again out of the cloud and presented with the spectacular Snowdonia Landscape.

  • Hikers walking to the summit alongside the rail line
  • At the summit

Betws-Y-Coed & Conwy Castle…. On Monday we decided on a round trip firstly to Betws-Y-Coed, one of our favourite small towns nestled in the heart of Snowdonia NP.

  • Beautiful Betws-Y-Coed Village

It was then on to Conwy to explore Conwy Castle just up the road. Another of King Edward I impressive castles that has been well maintained and fun to explore. We climbed all of the round turrets for spectacular views over Conwy and the castle. A very good way of getting fit and building up the muscles in the legs. We then walked the town and were able to see the smallest house in Wales.

  • Conwy Castle from the top of one of the turrets

Llandudno, A Holiday Mecca…. Five miles up the road is Llandudno, a bigger town and popular holiday destination. This town has so many hotels, guest houses and B&B accommodation. All along the waterfront is a popular place to be and a walk out on the pier is a “must” for everyone. And so, we walked it on a beautiful sunny day with all the Brits enjoying the sunshine, though a bit nippy with a cool wind blowing. The pier is typical British with lots of amusements for everyone. It is also the longest pier in Wales. After a full day of fun, it was time to go home.

  • Llandudno Hotels and Amusement Pier

Llechwedd Slate Mountain…. Our first rainy day in Caernarfon, but we were off to the Slate Mountain on the off chance we could participate in the Mine Tour. We took one of the B roads through a village called Beddgelert. The scenery was spectacular with open fields and lush forests. It was continual rain all the way and on arrival there were cars everywhere. We managed to get two tickets for the 2pm tour so had lunch in the café with all the wet and cold people warming and drying themselves near the wood fire. These people had ridden the Zip Line which is a flying fox ride across the slate quarry for a distance of 1.5 km. At the end of the ride the participants were drenched but smiling.

  • 500 feet below ground on the slate mine tour

The mine tour, 500 feet below ground via a funicular railway was excellent and our guide provided the history of slate mining and how the slate was extracted and processed. We had to wear hard hats because some sections of the mine were very low and a few times, we hit our heads on the ceiling of the tunnels.

  • One of the small tunnels in the slate mine

Isle of Anglesey…. The next day we decided to slow the pace a little and headed to the Isle of Anglesey. This island joined by two bridges to the mainland has farming villages and seaside town scattered over the island, so we headed for one of the more popular towns, Beaumaris, walked the streets of the town, found one of the oldest houses in Great Britain (circa 1400) and along the pier. There was a crowd on the pier, and we were curious to see what was going on. It turned out the people were crabbing. This consists of throwing a net with bait into the water, waiting patiently and hopefully pulling it back up with a crab on the net. We asked a couple of girls what they did with the crabs. They just throw them back was the answer.

  • The strange pastime of crabbing

The Longest and Smallest…. After a tour of the island and driving past the village with the longest name in Wales, “Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogery-chwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch” we headed back to Caernarfon to the smallest bar in Wales, Bar Bach. We met a couple of very nice locals and spent time talking about Wales, the lifestyle and differences from Australia.

  • Bar Bach – The smallest bar in Wales

Our Final Day…. For our final day in Snowdonia region we decided on taking another rail journey. The Ffestiniog Railway is the world’s oldest narrow-gauge railway with almost 200 years of history which took us on a 13½-mile journey from the harbour in Porthmadog to the slate-quarrying town of Blaenau Ffestiniog.

  • Rhododendrums grow wild alongside the train line

This historic trains climb over 700 feet from sea level into the mountains through tranquil pastures and magnificent forests, past lakes and waterfalls, round tight bends (even a complete spiral) clinging to the side of the mountain or tunnelling through it. It was a very relaxing journey to unwind after our hectic week in the Snowdonia region.

  • The historic Ffestiniog Railway

A Week In Brecon Beacons, Wales

We left Looe on Saturday morning for the 210 mile (336 km) drive to Brecon in Wales. As we had plenty of time we again drove through the Dartmoor National Park. This is an amazing park with wild horses and sheep roaming the moors. A number of times we had to stop for horses and sheep on the road totally unperturbed by the cars and motorcycles.

  • Horses on the road in Dartmoor National Park

Bailea Coach House …. We arrived in Brecon around 3:00 PM after stopping at Raglan on the way for a drink in the local pub. We were met at the door of our cottage for the week by our host Marjorie who showed us around a beautiful and very large cottage which is located on a farm just out of Brecon. It was a 16th century coach house and is traditional and superb.

  • Coach House on a farm out of Brecon Beacon

Brecon Beacons National Park…. The next day we decided a walk in the Brecon Beacons National Park was in order and took off along narrow lanes to reach the start of our walk on the Mynydd Illud Common. The 3 mile walk climbed steadily until we were at one of the highest points with spectacular 360 degree views over the entire Brecon region. The landscape here is just amazing, patchwork coloured fields, farm properties, sheep and towns spread out in front of us.

  • The peak in the Mynydd Liiud Common in Brecon Beacons National Park

Caves & Mountain Passes…. We ventured further afield Monday. Our first stop was The National Showcaves Centre for Wales, or in Welsh, Dan-Yr-Ogof. After paying our entry fee we walked into the centre only to be attacked by huge dinosaurs. We had walked back into the Jurassic period. These creatures were very realistic and beautifully maintained.
You could be standing next to one and all of a sudden it roared and started to move. Liz was petrified (maybe she would call it a “little scared”) but I shielded her and beat them off with my bare hands. She was so proud of me!

  • Jurassic World at the National Show Caves

Into The Caves…. We then ventured into the caves which had displays of times past and floodlit highlights of just the natural beauty of the cave system. In many places there were waterfalls, small ponds and running streams with stalagmites and stalactites. The Cathedral Cave has a small altar deep within the cave for weddings and it is where the Welsh Boys Choir have sung. In all we spent three hours in the cave complexes which we really enjoyed.

  • The Show Caves of Wales

Black Mountain Pass…. After a lunch stop it was on to the Black Mountain Pass. This is described as one of the best driving roads in Wales and was made famous by Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear fame as they tested many supercars along this stretch of road. The landscape is barren with sheep and their lambs scattered high into the mountains as they are free to graze. Apparently, the farmers use sheep dogs to gather them in for sheering or slaughter. At the top of the pass there is the remains of old limestone mines and kilns. We then wandered back through small villages and farms to our cottage.

  • Black Mountain Pass – Amazing scenery

We Hit the Rails and the Booze…. We woke next morning to perfect weather so decided to take the Brecon Mountain Railway tourist train at Merthyr Tydfil. This train takes you into the Brecon Beacons National Park and alongside the Taf Fechan Reservoir. A scenic and relaxing journey with a stop along the way to take morning tea overlooking the reservoir.

  • Brecon Mountain Railway Steam Locomotive

Following the scenic train we were lucky enough to find this remote pub and were served a delightful lunch before heading to the Penderyn Distillery where they produce Welsh whisky, gin, vodka and a cream liqueur. The tour included a tasting of several whiskies which were very smooth and easy to drink straight. It was then a slow and careful drive back to our cottage.

  • Whisky tasting at the Penderyn Distillery

A Day In Brecon…. Brecon is the largest town in the Brecon Beacons National Park so we decided a day exploring the town would be worthwhile. We visited the Brecon Cathedral, wandered the narrow streets of the small town, looked in a few of the shops and then had lunch.

  • Brecon Cathedral

It was then off for a narrowboat cruise on the Dragonfly Cruiseboat along the Brecon Canal. This 2½ hour cruise winds its way through the Brecon countryside and must go through one lock before turning around and returning to Brecon. This was our first experience in a lock which dropped the narrowboat 12 feet. Rob was lucky enough to be standing on the stern with the captain during our passage through the lock.

  • Liz about to lose her head as the boat drops 12 feet in the lock

Hay-On-Wye – Town of Books…. Thursday we hit the road again to Hay-On-Wye, known as the “Town of Books”. There are over 20 bookshops in this small town. We were lucky enough to arrive on market day, so the streets were alive with stalls selling homemade goodies, home grown vegies, the biggest pork sausage rolls etc. and all kinds on memorabilia. In addition, it was the first day of the Hay-On-Wye Book Festival which takes place just outside of the town. A huge marque complex is set up with lecture theatres, book stalls, restaurants and cafes. People from all over UK come to this event which runs for 10 days.

  • Hay-On-Wye Town Clock
  • The Famous Richard Booth’s Bookshop

Gospel Pass…. We left Hay-On-Wye and decided to take on the challenge of the Gospel Pass. At the peak this is the highest road in Wales. It is just a narrow single lane road? which winds through farm properties before rising into the Brecon Beacons National Park in the Black Mountain range. From the edge of the road there are sheer drops down into the valley. At the top of the pass the views over the countryside are spectacular and again sheep and ponies can wander anywhere.

  • Gospel Pass in the Black Mountain Range

National Botanical Gardens of Wales…. On our last day in this beautiful part of Wales, we decided to visit the Botanical Gardens of Wales. It was worth a visit to see so many different plants and flowers from different parts of the world including Western Australia. The butterfly house showcased beautiful butterflies, the double walled garden and The Great Glass House. The Apothecary Hall was interesting showing what plants over the centuries have been used in medicine to treat a variety of ailments.

  • Apothecary Hall
  • The Great Glass House

Home Via the Black Mountain Pass…. It was then home via the Black Mountain Pass at times in drizzling rain which made it so different than our trip a few days earlier in bright sunny weather. The colours changed slightly but the sheep didn’t notice anything different and just kept eating.

  • Black Mountain Pass
  • The Black Sheep of the family

Tomorrow we head north to Caernarfon, a trip of 140 miles.