An English interlude 1: Ullswater

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Brackenrigg Inn, Watermillock, Cumbria

In June / July we took a 12 day trip to England with three nights in each of four places. Our first stop was the Brackenrigg Inn on the shores of Ullswater in the Lake District. We had a great view from our bedroom window.

View from bedroom
Ullswater view

Brackenrigg is part of a larger complex just across the road, Another Place, so after we had settled in to our room we wandered over to explore the grounds. Boys, as you can see, will be boys!

Main building
Grounds
Path to marina
Boys will be boys!
Ullswater view
Jetty
Sunday roast
Appropriate wine!

We returned to the Inn for dinner. As it was Sunday they were serving a variety of roasts – John had beef and I had nut which both featured one of the most enormous Yorkshire puddings I have ever seen! Each night we ate somewhere different: the following two nights we went to the bar and the restaurant of the main hotel. The food in them all was good and I was impressed that over the three menus I could have eaten there for a week without repeating myself – quite unusual for a vegetarian. And one night, we had a very appropriately named bottle of wine!

Ullswater Way

The Inn is on the north side of the lake about a mile from the Ullswater Way walking route. Each day we walked from Watermillock up a minor road to Bennethead then turned right or left along the Way. The first day was left to Aira Force, taking in both loops shown on the map above. On the way out we took the road from Bennethead (upper loop). I loved all the signs.

Red squirrels
Sheep dog demo
Those sheep dogs again
Farmland view
Wildlife crossing – seriously?
We never did see the sheep dogs

After reaching the footpath to Aira Force we soon had a choice – left along the Panorama Path or right to climb the Terrace Path over Gowbarrow Fell. We went left. Stunning views, a series of Herdwick Stones celebrating the long history of shepherding in the Ullswater Valley and an ancient elm were our rewards.

Anabel on Terrace Path
John on Terrace Path

The views included spotting the Ullswater Steamer passing.

Ullswater steamer
Ullswater

The Herdwick sheep is the native breed of the Lake District. The three Herdwick Stones commemorate a traditional shepherds’ counting system of Celtic origin, yan, tyan and tethera being one, two, three.

Yan
Tyan
Tethera

This wych elm is thought to be over 300 years old. It suffered badly in Storm Agnes in 2023 but it is hoped it will become a “phoenix tree” and regrow. Several saplings have already been transplanted. In an additional clever twist, after the storm the broken off pieces of the tree were stood upright to try to convince the rare lichens growing on it that they were still on a living tree.

Wych elm
Wych elm

After arriving at Aira Force we had a quick lunch from the food van then set off to explore the waterfalls.

Aira Force
Aira Force
Aira Force
Aira Force
Aira Force

I had fully intended to return the way we came but was persuaded that by the time we had reached the upper falls we might as well continue climbing to the Panorama Path over Gowbarrow Fell (481m/1578ft). Gowbarrow Fell means Hill of Gusts and the trig point at the top is on Airy Crag. Very well named! I am clinging on to avoid being blown away.

Ullswater view
Ullswater behind us
Clinging on to Airy Crag
John at Airy Crag
Airy Crag behind us
Airy Crag behind us

On our way back, instead of following the road we cut across fields where we met some very friendly and frisky sheep. I think the ones on the left are Herdwicks but I don’t know what breed the ones with the longer, almost spiralling, coats are.

Herdwicks
Unknown breed

On day two, we turned right at Bennethead and followed the Ullswater Way to Pooley Bridge and back. This was a much shorter walk with no climbing fells and proper cafés and pubs! Despite all the warnings to slow down for red squirrels, we only saw the one – he’s in the gallery below with a human faced daffodil. The plaque referring to saving Ullswater relates to an attempt to turn it into a reservoir in the 1960s.

Farmland at Wreay
Start of footpath
The lake in mist
Waterfoot Park
Red squirrel!
Ullswater near Pooley Bridge
Pooley Bridge
St Paul’s Church
Pooley Bridge Inn
Pints to fortify the way home
Fish monument
Birkett Memorial Plaque
Ullswater steamer

From Pooley Bridge we retraced our steps to the Inn and the next day we set off to visit our friends in West Yorkshire.

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77 Comments »

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  6. Hi Anabel – the Lake District area – one of those early memories of regularly visiting for about 9 years … then things change. Thanks for all the pics and notations as to what where and when … and I note the boy is still a boy – in shorts!!! Cheers Hilary

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  17. Can’t beat a proper cafe and pub after a day out in the Yorkshire weather 😉 To be honest, we really enjoyed the Lake District/Yorkshire while housesitting and you’ve showed me there is so much more to see. Lovely.

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  18. Aw love ullswater and it does feel like home as have family not that far from Pooley Bridge in Askham and also our caravan is about 25 minutes away too.
    Brackenrigg looks nice and I have heard good things about their Sunday roasts. Have tried the pizza glasshouse at Another Place but not the actual restaurant. Haven’t even heard of Waterfoot Park ( with the red squirrel & daffodil 🙂 ) or those sheep counting stones. So much more to discover there then!

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    • The roast was very good, it was a nice place to stay. We saw the glasshouse but didn’t try it. Waterfoot Park also looked good – mainly camping but it did have some cottages and apartments which were tempting, but we spotted a barn conversion near the Brackenrigg which looked so nice we have booked it for later in the year!

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  19. Looks like a pastoral wonderland. Loved the waterfalls and the old stone building s and wall in your sign photo gallery. You and John always look so happy in your photos—wind or no!

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  20. Great set of photos. There’s so much variety packed into any Lake District walk that the weather is almost an afterthought and even wet and misty weather, as long as its not too heavy, just adds some extra spice to a day out down there. I didn’t mind clag and rain clouds hanging over the mountain summits as it usually meant doing some lower level walks that I had picked out. Bob. BSS. P.S. glad it was two Yorkshire puddings as I thought at first that was the meat

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    • It’s not an area you go to expecting wall to wall sunshine, is it! Though I do remember one week of completely good weather and a weekend of torrential rain we usually get a mix and I’m happy with that. This time it rained quite heavily overnight and in the morning then cleared up so although we started out in rain jackets they weren’t needed for long.

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  24. You kmow, of all the Lakes trips I’ve had, I don’t think I’ve been to Ullswater, other than going through Pooley Bridge. The light in your photos is brilliant! I I painted them those colours people would think it wrong!

    I think the sheep may be Wensleydales, but they’ve had their heads shorn, so not typical.

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  25. Now that’s what I call a room with a view! The scenery around Ullswater is spectacular, it looks a lovely place for a break. I can’t get over the size of those enormous Yorkshire puddings! You certainly earned them after all that walking.

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  26. A thoroughly enjoyable read bringing back memories of our visits to the Lakes some years ago. We certainly weren’t as energetic as you two! Love the photos of the waterfalls and all your views over the hillsides. I think I’d be relaxing after eating that enormous Yorkshire pudding sitting in one of those chairs enjoying the room and that lovely view. Thank you.

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  29. A road trip spending two or three nights in one place is a great way to explore different locations and from my point of view as the driver, shorter journeys! I must sort out a Yorkshire holiday next year with maybe a nudge into the Lakes. We loved our week there several years ago, but it does depend a lot on the weather.

    (I do hope John doesn’t often come across nude redheads on his cycling trips)

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    • That’s definitely how we plan it – no more than 2 to 3 hours between bases. The Lakes are very accessible to us – straight down the M74/M6 – and they really are beautiful. Best outside school holidays though! Nude redheads have not been mentioned, but you never know, would he tell me 😉?

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  30. those Yorkshire puddings are enormous and would be delicious. I’ve not had one since I left England in 1961. Lake District is such a picturesque place. Loved the virtual visit with you.

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  31. John looks VERY pleased at the size of his Yorkshire pudding! Lovely walks with some stunning views 😀 Friendly sheep too, and thanks for reminding me about that shepherds’ counting system which I once knew (for some reason!) but had long since forgotten.

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  37. Pretty waterfalls. When I was a kid we used to have Yorkshire Pudding as our first course at Sunday dinner. My grandfather was a miner, one of 10 mining sons and daughters, and this was a cheap way to fill them all up.

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  38. Brackenrigg looks a nice place to stay and those Yorkshire puddings are enormous. Some great views even with the grey clouds, and I wouldn’t mind betting you had a go on the swing too 😀

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