After a lay-day yesterday we set off early with Allan and Dot to drive to the Lake District, which is about an hour’s drive from their home. Allan drove us in his new car, up the motorway and then along the country lanes. The “patchworks” (fields) were surrounded by dry stone walls instead of hedges and the houses were mainly made of slate, built as dry-stone.
Our first stop was Windermere, where Ron and I had our first date in 1964! Although we had been back since then, before emigrating to Australia, it was nice to go back again. As you can imagine, there were lots of shops selling Beatrix Potter things – she and Wordsworth are the Lake District’s most famous former residents. Daffodils and rabbits abound on souvenirs.
After browsing (and eating Kendal Mint Cake), we enjoyed a nice lunch at one of the local inns before driving on to Grasmere and Wordsworth country. There was an excellent Scottish shop there, with very tempting merchandise. We asked at one of the shops where Beatrix Potter’s house (Hill Top) was and they told us it was in Far Sawrey. Ron set up the Tom Tom, which took us through some incredibly narrow, winding roads full of hikers – a very scenic route indeed. We eventually reached the small village where we had stayed in a 15th century inn in 1969 when I was pregnant with Di – more memories. After what seemed ages, we reached Hill Top but unfortunately the house was closed. However, we were able to roam around the garden and the outside of the house and, of course, the gift shop! The garden is exactly how we imagined it would be, from the books – a beautiful English country garden and a well-kept vegetable patch.
We decided not to return the same way we came, so drove to the ferry which took us across the lake back to Windermere, after which we drove home after a great last day out (for the time being) with Allan and Dot.
Tomorrow we get to meet Dot’s son Jeff, and his wife Lyn, who are returning from a holiday in Estonia.
