Still moving South

Saturday, 3 July, 2010

Once Brewed (Hadrian’s Wall) to Ambleside

We set off on what should be an easy drive to the Lakes District but because of the route we had chosen we were soon back on narrow winding lanes, some of the time through woodlands and other times through open fells with hundreds of grazing sheep, after about forty miles we reached a large dual lane road near Penrith but we only had four miles before branching off for the Lakes.

Just before the turn off a large tourist coach cut in front of us and entered the lane first. The lane actually has an “A” classification but it was still a winding narrow country lane. The coach drove at around 20 mph and soon had twenty or more cars strung out behind, it was so wide that cars coming towards it had difficulty passing and at one stage there was a small truck parked on the side of the road and it took the coach five minutes to squeeze past.

After driving in second gear for about eight miles we saw a National Trust sign for Aira Force, a waterfall, and drove into the car park to give the coach time to get out of our way, eight other cars followed us in.

From the car park we walked for about two hours over a gravel and rocky track through woods, actually walking for quite a way past the falls as from the side we were on it didn’t appear very large and there weren’t any signs to indicate its location. A NT officer told us that they had removed the signs as people kept turning them around. Walking back on the opposite side of the stream we came to a small stone bridge from where we could look back up a narrow gorge to the falls and from this position it was far more impressive.

Leaving the falls we had an unimpeded drive for about ten minutes until we caught up with a motor home, so it was back to second gear through the hills with some ascents and descents with up to 20% inclines. At the top of the Kirkstone Pass we branched off on another even narrower lane, totally lined on both side with stone walls, it was called the struggle and the slopes were even steeper than before so I suppose coming up really was a struggle. After three miles we emerged at the town of Ambleside, whose streets were nearly as narrow and winding as the lanes we had been driving along.

Ambleside is at the top of Lake Windermere and being a Saturday there were thousands of tourists about and the traffic was bumper to bumper. The hostel is on the edge of the lake at Waterhead about two miles from Ambleside and about three miles from Windermere and our window looks out over the lake, a lovely view.

After we checked in to the hostel we walked along the road for a mile or so to Stagshaw Gardens, which is just steep woodlands with azaleas and rhododendrons scattered through the trees, unfortunately they had all finished flowering. We walked on for about two miles towards Windermere and then caught the bus back to the hostel and sat on the edge of the lake enjoying the sun until it was time to cook tea.

Sunday, 4 July, 2010

Ambleside to Tideswell (Ravenstor YH)

Looking out the window this morning we were greeted with heavy rain, what happened to yesterday’s sunshine?

The only thing planned for today is to pick a route that will avoid Leeds, Bradford and Manchester, so we spent quite a while picking roads that would keep us in the country and small villages and take us through the Peak District. This involved selecting a route along twelve different roads, though some were the usual narrow, winding lanes but we achieved our objective and only touched the outskirts of a couple of minor towns.

Apart from a lunch stop high in the Peak District National Park we drove straight through to the youth hostel arriving at 2:30 and were delighted to find that it was a 24 hour access hostel so we were able to check in and relax. On entering our room Ann commented, I thought we had booked a private room with en-suite, nor a cupboard with bunks and en-suite, it was that small, but the beds were clean and comfortable and in spite of 30+ young teenage girl students staying at the hostel on a geography study trip, we enjoyed a good night’s sleep.

The next couple of days we will spend with relatives, so we probably won’t have anything interesting to report.

Monday, 5 July, 2010

Tideswell (Ravenstor YH) to Nuneaton

The plan today was to drive straight through to Nuneaton but owing to turning left instead of right we found a NT property, Sudbury Hall a Jacobean residence. The house isn’t open on Monday but the Museum of Childhood which is in part of the house was open.

The museum has many different rooms and the first was devoted to child labour, children working in the mines from the age of 8, boys working as chimney sweeps at the age of 6 and many other examples of children working in factories and farms.

The other rooms in the exhibition had items more for children’s enjoyment than exploitation with display cases of toys, games, dolls and many other items for the amusement of children from the 1700s to modern times. In all the rooms there were games, toys and other items for children to play with while their parents looked at the displays and commented “I used to have one of those”. Another room was set up as a late 1800s, early 1900s class room with many old classroom items, including slates and desks with inkwells (though these could have been 1960s era), old maps, attendance books and discipline items.

A most interesting display overall and one item that caught the eye of a few, if they looked up, was the complete child’s bedroom fixed to the ceiling of one of the rooms, looking up it was as if we were looking at a mirror on the ceiling reflecting the room below, it must have taken a lot of time and patience to fix the bed, computer desk and chair, shoes, games on the carpet and dozens of other items from the child’s bedroom.

Overall a most comprehensive display which combines the collection of a few enthusiastic toy collectors, together with many items from the last ten years or so, these together with all the hands on items for the children makes it an ideal place for a family visit and I’m sure the adults enjoyed it just as much as the children.

Tuesday, 6 July, 2010

Nuneaton

The first day we have been able to sit and relax and apart from going out to lunch with our relative we just sat and read.

Tomorrow back on the road again.

Wednesday, 7 July, 2010

Nuneaton to Cheshunt (Lee Valley YH)

Following the advice of my cousin we headed off in the direction of London on the A5 and after about 20 miles we joined the M1. We usually try to avoid the motorways but at this time of the day the traffic isn’t very heavy so driving wasn’t a white knuckle event. About 50 miles on the M1 we were going to turn off at junction 6a to join the M25 but the sign said to Heathrow which was the opposite direction so we continued on and left at the next junction and eventually picked up the M25 only to find that we were heading to Heathrow, exiting at the first junction and doing a 360 degree lap on the roundabout we finally headed in the correct direction to the youth hostel.

Lee Valley YH is a purpose built hostel with a main building containing conference rooms, and dining facilities and the accommodation is in a series of A Frame lodges. On the ground floor is a little kitchenette and three twin rooms and upstairs two dormitories, the only problem being that the upstairs dorms have a school group in residence, we hope the teachers are in the building.

The hostel is beside the River Lee Country Park which is over 1000 acres in area with around 24 lakes which were once gravel pits and many miles of walks, with woodlands and conservation areas, two of the fields contain native orchids and with good management the numbers of orchids have increased from the six originally discovered to over 200. In the park there is an area of construction which will be the 2012 Olympic Games White Water Canoe Centre when finished.

Due to its location and facilities for the disabled the hostel is very popular for school holiday camps and for other groups and at the moments there are two schools and a group in residence.

Tomorrow, to London and we say goodbye to the car.