Merseyside

Monday morning, we left the bucolic Lake District countryside and headed for Liverpool mainly on the very busy M6 motorway.  Thank heaven for Mindy (aka our Garmin) and my mobile.  Because of them, we located the Europcar drop-off office with no problem and, somewhat amazingly, the car was returned in pristine condition, except for the mud and dirt from the rain and grit on the road.  Whew!  We had driven over 1700 miles; yes, miles not kilometers and survived with very few close calls!

View over the Ambleside rooftops from our B&B

We took a taxi into Liverpool and, while I didn't have any preconceived ideas about this city as I'd never been here before, I wasn't prepared for how fabulous it is. I know that wasn't the case back in the 1970s and 1980s but it has really cleaned up its act.  So much so that it was granted a UNESCO World Heritage distinction a few years ago.  From what I've seen so far, it is well deserved.  Monday, we got here just past noon and we really maximized our time.  After checking into the Ibis hotel on Albert Dock - perfect location, by the way - we went to Tourist Information and bought tickets for the Hop On/Hop Off bus which included a boat ticket.  After an hour on the bus (the time to do the entire circuit), we went to the ferry dock for our boat trip.  Well, I totally lost it as we boarded the ferry -  tears streaming down my face when Ferry 'Cross the Mersey by Gerry and the Pacemakers started playing.  Little did I ever imagine as a 15 year old loving the "Mersey Beat" that I would ever get here and actually be on a ferry crossing that iconic river! 

Kath and I on the "ferry 'cross the Mersey"

View toward the docks from the river

One interesting thing about Liverpool is how many achievements it has claim to and I cannot even begin to list them all here.  It has been a "first" in so many things that, during the commentary on the bus tour, I actually lost count of them.  They include:  first passenger train (running between Manchester and here), first girls' grammar school, first school for the blind.  Other achievements are:  largest Anglican cathedral in the world (and 5th in terms of churches of any denomination), longest running ferry service across a river as it has been running prior to the year 1000), the first Chinese community in the UK, the largest Chinese gate outside of mainland China, the only city in the UK which has a museum solely dedicated to the city, and so on, and so on!  Google it and you will find a lot more that I've missed!

Albert Dock

Gate to the Chinese area

The Metropolitan Cathedral

Tuesday, after walking to and visiting the Metropolitan Cathedral (the big one), we did another circuit on the bus tour.  The weather had improved and we could take better pictures.  Then, we took our 3 hour Fab Four Taxi Tour.  Phil, our driver, had obviously done his research and we learned a lot about the Beatles.  He also put so many of their songs into context.  I did not know, for example, that Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields, written by Paul and John respectively, were meant to reflect their childhoods.  Paul passed Penny Lane on the bus every day on his way to school (there really is a barber shop, a fire hall, a banker on the corner like the song says) and John used to play in the grounds of Strawberry Fields, the orphanage near his home.  After the tour was done, we popped in to see the Cavern Club where the Beatles played so many times and then went across the lane to its sister establishment, a pub called the Cavern Pub, for a drink - less noisy and less crowded.  After that we walked back to the river and stopped in at 30 St. James, the building which once housed the offices of the company that owned the Titanic.  It is now a Titanic-themed hotel.  We went up to the 7th floor and had a drink overlooking the docks.  A perfect way to finish the afternoon.  Will I ever get back to Liverpool?  I have no idea but "listen, . . .  do you want to know a secret?"  . . .  I really hope I do!

The house where Paul lived - acquired by the National Trust
because of all the famous songs that were written there.

Gates to Strawberry Fields, the former orphanage near John's house

The famous Cavern Club

View of the docks from 30 St. James

Evening view of Liverpool's equivalent to the London Eye

Literary Pursuits

As I mentioned on Facebook Saturday, after the somewhat harrowing drive through Honister Pass, we decided to leave the car parked at our Ambleside B&B for a couple of days and make our way around some of the sites by public transportation.  With the Lake District crowded with hikers, walkers and cyclists, the decision was pretty much a 'no brainer'. 

Since the 1700s, the Lake District has been famous for poets and authors: among others the Lake Poets (Robert Southey, William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge) as well as Beatrix Potter over a century later.  So, over the last couple of days, we have visited Dove Cottage where Wordsworth lived for a time and Hilltop in Near Sawrey, Beatrix Potter's holiday cottage. 

Saturday, from Ambleside, it was dead easy - but not inexpensive - to take the double decker open top bus to Grasmere and then walk the relatively short distance to Dove Cottage. Wordsworth lived here during his most productive years before he moved to Rydal just a bit south. Visiting the museum, we learned about Robert Southey, another of the "Lake Poets" who preceded Wordsworth as Britain's designated poet laureate.  As an aside, Wordsworth was the only laureate who wrote no official verses during his appointment.  Upon being given the distinction, he was assured he would receive the stipend without having to write anything.  Back to Southey, he apparently wrote something called "The History of Brazil", despite never having visited that country.  We also learned about the friendship between Wordsworth and Coleridge which soured after Coleridge's overextended visits to the Wordworth, his envy of William's fame, and William's disapproval of Samuel's overuse of opium. While we were in Grasmere, we also visited the St. Oswald Church cemetery where the Wordsworth family is buried under one of the 12 yew trees he had planted in the cemetery. 

Dove Cottage

 

The Wordsworth Family Plot at St, Oswald Church, Grasmere

Sunday, our interest in writers from this area took us in a different direction on two boats and a bus to Near Sawrey, the location of Beatrix Potter's cottage.  From Ambleside, we took a ferry to Bowness and, from there, a smaller ferry to Ferry House.  Then it was a small bus up the road through Low Saurey to Near Saurey where Hilltop is located.  The property is part of the National Trust, a society that Beatrix enthusiastically supported, as was clearly communicated in the movie, Miss Potter, starring Rene Zellewenger.  Although, unlike in Dove Cottage where photo taking was unrestricted providing you didn't use flash, here photography was forbidden.  I cannot show your the love copies of letter she had written with all sorts of drawings that were placed all around the cottage.  Also, many of her books were opened to pages where you could see locations of the drawings she had done where Peter Rabbit stood in front of a mirror or Mrs. (somebody) had dressed her children and then put one of her charges in some uncomfortable clothing.  It was like her characters all came alive.  In the early 80s, I bought a complete collection of her works.  I've promised myself to read it all when I get home.  While the tour of the cottage wasn't "directed" there were docents in each room to answer questions.  When I spotted a lovely collection of metallic painted miniatures of her characters, I had to ask where they had come from.  Apparently, a man in Vienna in the early 1900s had read the stories to his children and decided to make lead figures of the "star" of her stories.  He then asked Miss Potter if he could mass produce them.  She agreed provided she would receive royalties, all of which profits she used to buy more property to increase the area the National Trust would have.  Clever!

Hilltop - Beatrix's Cottage



A pastoral scene beside the cottage

Views from the ferry back to Ambleside

More of the scenery on Windermere

 So, back to our own literary pursuits; me writing my blog and writing in my journal and Kathleen writing in her journal as well.  I somehow sadly but realistically think there are no accolades in our future for our writings!

Very broad landscapes and very narrow roads

Thursday evening, we stayed in a guest house in Greenhead between Hexham and Penrith along Hadrian's Wall.  In fact, the guest house was built on the wall (you'd never know it), out of stone from the wall (well, doesn't all stone look the same so who knows if that is for sure either). Arriving at the B&B was tricky - there was an option of a very narrow bridge or a ford over a stream before proceeding down the single track lane to the house.  We correctly opted for the bridge.  Later, we walked the 3/4 mile into the village for dinner - made interesting because we had to negotiate stepping over two cattle grids - so much easier when you do it by car!



Holmhead Guest House

The Ford - one option

The Narrow Bridge - the other option

The sign - which we saw later but the choice was obvious!

After we checked out of the B&B, we drove to Walltown Crags where we could hike up a hill (okay, not really a hike or a hill) to where there were remains of the ancient wall.  The wall, started in 122 AD, ran east-west across the northern part of England.  It wide enough for two centurions to pass each other shoulder to shoulder and it has a fort about every five miles.  From the English side of the wall, at least here, the wall looks pretty innocuous but, because it was built along the edge of a ridge, from the perspective of the Scots on the north side, it was pretty intimidating.  The following photos will give you some idea of what it looks like for the part we saw.  The photos also show how open and expansive the countryside is here in this area of Northumberland.

Ruins of Hadrian's Wall at Walltown Crags

Views across the Northumberland Countryside

Next, we headed to Cumbria and the Lake District.  Here, I think, my sister was out "to get me"!  Because there was a forecast of rain for the weekend, she was determined to make sure we saw all of the major lakes (at least the famous ones) in one day.  That meant about five hours of driving.  Yikes!  So, we saw Ullswater, Bassenthwaite, Derwent Water, Buttermere, Thirlmere, Crummock Water, and Windermere all in one day. 

Part of yesterday's journey took us through two passes - Hartside Pass over the North Pennines toward Penrith and then Honister Pass in the north Lake District.  The views were spectacular and the driving challenging, particular through the latter.  There were plenty of warning signs about the sheep that were often on the road but there should also have been signs warning about the myriad of hikers and cyclists which you also had to dodge.  They made driving through this pass, which is often a single track, even more challenging after you factor in the oncoming cars, many of which were large Land Rovers.  However, I love a driving challenge and rose to the occasion.  We got safely to Ambleside just after 4 p.m.

Views of north Cumbria from Hartside Pass
(heading to Penrith)

Ullswater from Pooley Bridge

Views across the countryside from near Honister Pass

The road through Honister Pass - narrow and winding!

Buttermere

As it turns out, our plan for yesterday was a good idea because this morning (Saturday) when we woke, there was heavy rain, low cloud and wind - not ideal for sightseeing or picture taking.  So, Kath was right.  We saw the lakes at their best!




Wet view from my bedroom this morning - it is not as bright as it looks!

Chocolate, Derbyshire and East Yorkshire

I forgot to mention previously that, before we left Birmingham, we visited Cadbury World - yes, a themed park dedicated to chocolate!  You actually get three complimentary bars just by buying an entrance ticket which entitles you to a total chocolate experience:  learning about the history of the Cadbury family, about the discovery of chocolate, and about chocolate making.  I didn't know that John Cadbury who founded the company in the late 1700s was a Quaker or that he was ahead of his time in the management of his employees.  He introduced a reduced work week (5 1/2 days), provided housing for his workers and even established a pension fund.  However, he made sure there were no pubs around Bourneville where his factory was because of his Quaker beliefs.  It was all very interesting in spite of the hundreds and hundreds of noisy, hyperactive children wired on all their chocolate bars!  At the end of the visit - which included demonstrations, a diorama on the history of chocolate, a ride (not unlike Disney's "It's a Small World") - you were treated to, yes, more chocolate in liquid form this time with 3 toppings of your choice and then, of course, were spat out into the gift store which only encouraged you to buy more chocolate.  Which we did!

Clair, Gavin, Harriet and Esme in front of Cadbury World

 Okay, now about the last couple of days.  On Tuesday, after popping into Chesterfield to see the famous crooked spire church, we met up with our third cousin and his wife for lunch.  His grandmother, our grandfather's cousin, is our connection to this area which I have visited often.  After lunch, we visited Hardwick Hall and, although the house was closed, we strolled around the grounds.  The house was built in the 1500s by Bess (Elizabeth) of Hardwick, the Countess of Shrewsbury (hence the E and S on the top of the building).  At the time, she was the second richest woman in England; only Queen Elizabeth I was richer.

Kathleen outside St. Mary's Church with its crooked spire

Photo of Chesterfield's old pub - it was morning and thus closed

Hardwick Hall

The 'E' and 'S' for Elizabeth, Countess of Shrewsbury

  Wednesday, we left Chesterfield and headed north into Yorkshire.  We briefly stopped in York to visit the minster and then in a nearby village to have lunch with some friends of Kathleen.  After that, we drove east to the town of Whitby on the coast.  I really like this place and this time the weather cooperated which made our visit even more special.  We sat on a balcony in the sun overlooking the harbour enjoying our drinks.  Kath kept mentioning how lovely it was to hear seagulls again - and there were plenty of them!  We didn't attempt the 119 somewhat steep steps up to the abbey ruins (connected with Dracula as Bram Stoker used Whitby as the setting for some of his gothic novel of the same name) and, instead, drove up there the next morning.

The Minster at York

The Shambles in York

Heather on the Yorkshire Moors

Happy hour on the sunny balcony at
 the Abbey Market bar in Whitby
(you aren't seeing double - the balcony was glassed)

The harbour at Whitby

The abbey ruins at Whitby

Next, it is off to Hexham, Hadrian's Wall, and the Lake District.

To market, to market, to buy . . . .

Since the 1330, when it was decreed by Royal Charter, the town of Bakewell in the Peak District in Derbyshire has been holding a Monday market. It includes livestock sales so farmers eagerly come from far and wide all over the county to participate.  Not wanting to miss seeing the action, we headed there with our friends, Jackie and Gary, Monday morning. First, however, a word about Bakewell. This town was voted the second best town in Britain in 2013 - I don't know which one was given the top honour.  It is located on the Wye River about 13 miles southwest of Sheffield with a population of around 4,000. One of its claims to fame is the Bakewell pudding. 

Window of the Bakewell pudding shop

Our first stop was the livestock market where, when we arrived, they were auctioning dairy cows. The process went very quickly with the farmers gathered around the pen in a small amphitheatre. The animal was brought in, the bidding started and, within less than a minute or so, the cow was sold. I think most of them were going for around £100 to £120. It was noisy and the air was "pungent".
 

Dairy Cow auction - Bakewell

Another cow for sale

From there, we explored the more traditional stalls offering everything from locally made cheeses (we bought some called Calverley Crunch), baked goods, meats and olives to watch straps (apparently Kath needed a new one), clothing and hardware items.  

Stall at the Bakewell Market

Olives, hummus, and pickled miniature pumpkins

Once we were done with that, Gary and Jackie took us on a sightseeing tour of that part of the county with stops at Monsal Dale, the village of Foolow to see a well dressing, and for a pub lunch at The Barrel Inn.  Not far from Eyam in the Hope Valley, this pub dates from 1597. Not to be missed, our last visit was a drive through the grounds of the fabulous Chatsworth House. 

Monsal Dale

Cows by the roadside



Kathleen playing "cow whisperer"



                
 

                     Jackie and Gary at the Barrel Inn

The Well Dressing at Foolow

Chatsworth House - a "gem" in Derbyshire

 Our time here in Derbyshire is limited to only two days so it was wonderful to be able to pack so much into one of them!