Monday, July 6, 2015

England, Day Four






Today we awoke to the most gorgeous sunlight coming in the window of our apartment.  The light of the day on the lake made for a beautiful start to our day!  We ate our usual breakfast of toast and peanut butter and fruit.  After getting dressed we headed out to visit Ambleside.

Ambleside is a town at the head of Lake Windermere.  The town is within the Lake District National Park.  We started our day in Ambleside at the Stagshaw Garden.  The garden is the dream come true of Cubby Acland.  He worked for the National Trust as a land agent in 1957.  It was a beautiful garden to explore early in the morning.


Stagshaw Garden and Lake Windermere


Let's get started and look around this lovely garden.  There are more than 300 large azaleas and rhododendrons.





Don't worry it's a little up hill, but the views are worth it!  The azaleas and rhododendrons are blooming and the bluebells are as well.  Ferns and wildflowers are happy in this lovely spot.




Let's go down the path and return to the car park and go to the very special town of Ambleside to visit the Bridge House!




The Braithwaites built this bridge house to go over Stock Beck and access their land on the other side.  It has stood since the 17th century.  It was used to store apples that were harvested in the Braithwaite's orchards.  We were able to climb the stairs for a visit and tour this quaint little bridge house.




The view from the second floor is lovely, don't you think?  There is a sitting room upstairs and then downstairs there is this great old stove!  The National Trust uses this space as a general information center.  I would like to live here!  Even though it's small, it's adorable.

Just down the street is the Armitt Museum.  Beatrix Potter was a member of the Armitt and left her "little books" and watercolors of fungi to the museum.  Go to their site to read more --http://www.armitt.com/   




Just about all the buildings in Ambleside are made of this beautiful stone.  It is a combination of slate and stone that gives a beautiful appeal.  

We now need to make our way to Grasmere.  It's another quaint little town in the Lake District.  It is in the valley surrounded by tall mountains that have sheep grazing on them.  William Wordsworth described it as the loveliest spot that man had ever found.  He made his home here and is buried here.




In the above photo you see Rydal Mount, home of William Wordsworth.  It was here that he wrote his most famous poem ---Daffodils.  The garden at Rydal Mount was designed by Wordsworth.  The home has the iconic wisteria growing along the front entrance.

As we wondered around the town of Grasmere we were inspired by the beauty of the lovely town.



We're getting hungry.  Let's go into this cute little tearoom/cafe for lunch.  It's darling!!




The soup and sandwich was delicious.  I must tell you that the food in England was really good.  They really know how to make soup!  It was chilly while we were there, so soup was enjoyed often!  I had a leek and potato soup and split a sandwich of bacon and brie with Grayden.   

Grasmere is famous for its gingerbread.  So if you're not too full let's go to Sarah Nelson's and get some of that gingerbread!




The gingerbread is quite tasty, but flat as a pancake!  In 1854 Sarah Nelson made her now famous gingerbread in Grasmere.  Her shop opened and became quite popular.  It is now run by third generation owners.  We had to wait in line to purchase her famous gingerbread.  It's still a popular place to go in Grasmere.  The gingerbread is quite good even if it is flat!











27 comments:

  1. Martha Ellen, I'm enjoying the music along with the wonderful photographs. I will have to go back and enlarge them to get a closer look! Did you also go to Dove Cottage? Don't you just love all those stone walls?! I watch a British show called Escape to the Country on YouTube (like our HGTV shows about buying a house) and they featured Grasmere Gingerbread on one show. They also feature something for which the area is well-known.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cathy, we did see Dove Cottage--it was quite crowded and I was unable to get a suitable photo. The stone walls in England are just breathtakingly beautiful---Most are of the dry stack method, and have stood for centuries! There are miles and miles of them everywhere! I'll have to look up the show you referred to. ♥

      Delete
    2. You might also enjoy this site: http://www.lakelandcam.co.uk This fellow takes pictures DAILY of the Lake District and posts them.

      Delete
  2. This is a place that I've visited so it was fun to go back with you and remember the absolute beauty of it.
    Amalia
    xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Amalia, I didn't realize you had been to the Lake District! How wonderful. ♥

      Delete
  3. Another truly lovely day, Martha Ellen! The stone walls just melt my heart! I dream of visiting all of these beautiful places in the Lake District. You and Grayden are wonderful tour guides. Heartfelt thanks! ♡

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dawn, the stone work in England is just amazingly gorgeous! I get emotional thinking of all the beauty we were able to see! I'm so glad you are planning to visit the Lake District. It was more than I ever expected it to be! Have a wonderful day. ♥

      Delete
  4. Stone masonry is becoming a lost art. I know there are a few up in NE. I like leek and potato soup, with the bacon sandwich it must have been delicious!! If the gingerbread was flat, was it crispy or crunchy?
    I must go to the library and pick up a book of Wordsworth.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Margot, the gingerbread did have a chewy texture since it appeared to have no leavening. The stone buildings and walls were the most amazing sights! They are just timeless. ♥

      Delete
  5. Absolutely enchanting! We were 30 miles from the lake district but never got there. It's hard to remember that all of England would fit inside the state of Wisconsin!! So much to see, never enough time. I'm loving the photos of Grasmere and Ambleside. It's so beautiful I can hardly stand it. Lol

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Judy, it's really hard to pick and choose where to go when we travel. We basically stayed with the countryside, but I'd love to see more. This taste of England has me wanting more! ♥

      Delete
  6. Charming, charming, charming...must be the stone and green. Flat gingerbread? Now that sounds interesting. Will you be trying to make it?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Vee, I guess they make that gingerbread without leavening! It was tasty, but quite different. I don't think I'll try to make any. ♥

      Delete
  7. Stone bridges, stone houses, oh my gosh, I could live in that little house too, no problem. Lovely,charming, quaint and olde, what more can one say? This is how I see England in my imagination, so, it is really true! Was the temperature generally cool?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jeri, if I ever wanted to run away somewhere, it would be the Lake District! Yes, it really is true. It's as charming as one can imagine. The weather was chilly--in the 50's most days. We were comfortable with our sweaters and jackets! ♥

      Delete
  8. Oh- How beautiful your photos are, My mother made gingerbread just about every day of life for my father. He loved it so it was always on our dinner table. xo Diana

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Diana. My Daddy loved gingerbread also. I'm pretty sure he would have loved Sarah Nelson's flat gingerbread. ♥

      Delete
  9. Enjoyed this segment. I love the old stone walls. And pretty quaint villages.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The stone walls were just so magnificent in England, Dotsie. Thank you for your kind words. ♥

      Delete
  10. Beautiful, beautiful...again!! The lake district...home of Beatrix Potter (sigh...), William Wordsworth (sigh...), and another "friend," educational pioneer Charlotte Mason! I'd be starstruck just seeing where they lived. Such a charming, gorgeous area!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Cheryl, I didn't realize your "friend" Charlotte Mason lived in Ambleside. How interesting it would be for you to visit there. Thank you for pointing that out to me. She was a pioneer in education in the UK. I wonder if there is any reference to her home in Ambleside? ♥

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am really not sure...and some perfunctory research did not reveal an answer to that question. I do know that her school was in Ambleside, but whether her home or the school still exists, I do not know.

      Delete
  12. I want to thank you for sharing with us all the beauty you encountered on your trip to England! Following you around vicariously through Lake District is such a treat! I dream of visiting this region one day and your recent posts have only added to my desire!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rosinda, It is my pleasure to share my trip with you. It is so much fun reliving it all over again! Documenting it through my blog is just the right medium to all the kindred spirits that love England. Thank you for coming along on our journey! xo ♥

      Delete
    2. Oh I love the gingerbread, it reminds of a strong ginger shortbread. I have a couple of recipes that are yummy for it although it is to hard for the twins.
      Did you see the funny bag shop there, we always laugh when we pass, you can get a bag with anything written on it.
      Ambleside is beautiful too, years ago it was a real market town with hardy any B & B's & some many old butchers, bakers etc. Nella Last writes about it quite often in her books written in the 40's & 50's.
      I am really enjoying your trip.
      Fondly Michelle

      Delete
    3. Michelle, the gingerbread at Sarah Nelson's was tasty, but quite different from the gingerbread I make. Mine is cake like and much milder.
      I did not see the bag shop in Ambleside. I will have to check out Nella Last books--I have not read any of her writings---they sound interesting. Thank you for your kind words. ♥

      Delete

Your comments will show after moderation. Thank you. ♥