Monday 6/5/19

We travelled from Grassmere to Patterdale today. By road it takes more travel as we have to go around the mountains, not over them 😂 and we visited a few places on the way.

We stopped at Ambleside and did some washing while we had breakfast and then we travelled on to Windermere.

Along the way we got sidetracked by a sign for Townend historical house. So lovely to be able to side track on a whim I must say, to have the time to do so is really lovely and we spotted these houses also.

Townend at Troutbeck was built in the 1600 and was in the Browne family for eight generation’s up until the last, George Brown in the early 1900’s. It is now in the care of the national trust and the house is open for tours once a day. The barn is still in use by the resident caretakers.

The garden has a lovely range of plants and flowers used in years gone by and some still in use today no doubt. There were also a few examples of “recipes” from a family cookbook that I just had to snap.

After leaving Troutbeck we travelled on to Windemere, a really lovely destination. Very busy today by the lake for the bank holiday today but still very chilly and rainy too.

The streets of Windemere are very quaint with some lovely examples of cottages. Most towns have a marketplace which the streets stem from – bit like a wheel and then there are random alleys and laneways, some of which have the cutest shops and old pubs.

We then walked down to the lake for a walk and got completely sidetracked by all the birds, swans, ducks, mandarin ducks and more.

So friendly and well fed from hand feeding. Of course we had to join in and had the best time. So beautiful.

Windermere is lovely and on of my favourite places in the lakes district so far.

Driving on we arrived at Patterdale, our next night of pre-booked accommodation, a very small town in a valley.

This is town we would have arrived at if we had continued walking down from Grisedale Tarn from Grassmere from the hills below.

We stayed at the YHA and walked into town for dinner at the White Lion. Had a lovely chat to a local – fun fact, nearly everyone we have spoken to so far, knows someone or has a relative in Perth!

Sunday 5/5/19.

Internet has been very intermittent up til yesterday 9/5.

Our accommodation at the Travellers Rest was very close to the C2C trail so Rob planned a circuit walk called the Great Tongue up to Grisedale Tarn and about 1/2 way to Patterdale.

Travellers Rest Hotel.

Grisedale Tarn is at an elevation of 600metre so it was all up! A lovely walk though, that starts with public footpaths past houses then farms with a stream running on the left. As you head past these you come to a footbridge and the bridle path gives way to a track and as you rise higher the views back towards Grasmere were well worth the effort and it was lovely to see all the baby lambs too.

This Waterfall marks the top of the tongue and a Cairn marks the alternate route which we took on the way back.

Abit further on after quite a few stone stairs and as you reach a stone wall and step through, Grisedale Tarn appears with Helvelyn in the Background.

We stopped for a break at the Tarn and then walked on past Helvelyn towards Patterdale, then doubled back and did a lap around the Tarn before heading home.

This is Rob about a 1/3 of the way round. If you look carefully you can just see a line which marks the path around the tarn.

On the way back we took the alternate route down the stairs and then on the Northern side of the tongue.

Looking back down the Valley towards Grasmere.

Lovely sheep but where is the path? Very different route with no clearly defined path on the way down…

Tadpoles in a puddle!!!

Great walk – about 13km’s 😅

We arrived back at the hotel about 2pm, had a lovely Sunday Roast lunch – Chicken for me and Beef with Yorkeshire pud for Rob and a bottle of Montepulciano.

Tuckered out we relaxed for the rest of the day, I did some writing and planning too 😄.

Awesome day!