We're surrounded by runners

The Keswick to Barrow Road race takes place today. From Keswick , along Thirlmere, over Dunmail Raise, through Grasmere, over Red Bank, to Coniston then home to Barrow.40 miles of walking and running. If you think that sounds fun, here's the link to the Keswick2Barrow website. Time to start planning for 2014?

To the south of us today it's the Fairfield Horseshoe Fell Race . As I type this there are runners pushing themselves around the top of Fairfield. Here's the link to the Fairfield Horseshoe Fell Race.


Me? I might go for an hour's walk along Loughrigg Terrace. It's a bit damp, but nothing to stop me walking. Here is the walk I'll be doing Walk number two on this page of White Moss Walks.. Did you know that Wordsworth walked miles and miles every day? If he had visitors he wanted to get rid of, he would take them on a long, hard, fast walk- the next day they would find a reason why they suddenly had to leave!

Here's just one of the many photos I've taken from Loughrigg Terrace. This is Rydal Water, taken from the little rise at the south end of Loughrigg Terrace.

Windows that lasted over 150 years.

We have a lovely bay window in the Wordsworth lounge that was added over 150 years ago by the Wordsworth family themselves. We've finally had to replace some of it. You can see pictures and read about this in today's "Notes from a Lake District Garden" blog.

The bay window in Room 3, which is above the Wordsworth lounge

The bay window goes all the way up the house, so that room 3 has the same bay window as the Wordsworth Lounge downstairs. Last year we decided to for new glazing to keep the room warmer and quieter. It has been a great success. From the window you can see Loughrigg Fell. To the left you can see Rydal Water- for now. Sadly, when the trees comes out fully our view is rather blocked.

The walk up Loughrigg is one of many that we do from our front door.We went on about The White Moss Walks and how great they were years ago. Now the powers that be have decided they are so good they have put an official brown tourist information sign up. We are just so lucky to be able to pop out on one of these walks nearly every day.

White Moss waterfall- the starting point for one of the best White Moss walks - The Walk Round Rydal Water from White Moss

200 years ago this week Wordsworth moved to Rydal Mount

On  Mayday 2013 Wordsworth moved to Rydal Mount, where he lived until he died, aged 80, in 1850. It's a lovely house, and Wordsworth was happy there. He'd lived at Dove Cottage , Grasmere ( where he wrote his most famous poetry), and also at other places in Grasmere, including Allan Bank and the Rectory, none of which he liked for various reasons.

At last, in 2013 , rich and famous, he rented Rydal Mount, and for the next 30 years he played a big part in the life of Rydal Village.

Wordsworth bought my house, White Moss House, for his son, Willie, around 1830. He was concerned that his son should settle down and raise a family......rather like us today! To find out more about William Wordsworth, Wordsworth Houses and Wordsworth's Lake District click this link.

Photo of Rydal Mount thanks to David Willis and Cumbria Tourism, not for reuse without permission.

I'd forgotten this blog- and how pretty it looked.

I spent quite a long time setting up this blog with the pretty colours and background, then I forgot to write anything for over a year. This will be remedied.... I'll be posting here regularly about the Lake District, old houses, gardens, sheep, deer, daffodils , walks, maybe knitting... all sorts of possibilities.

If you would like to follow this blog, pin pictures or leave messages that would be great.

You can also see my other blogs - links are on below..

Deer in the morning and sunset at night- wonderful

Here is a photo taken this morning. We had about 7 deer in the back garden at White Moss House. I hope they weren't eating the daffodils which are prematurely pushing their way up .

It's been a wonderful day- lots of sun. At the end of the day, we had this lovely sunset, taken from White Moss garden looking towards Silver Howe over Grasmere.

If you feel inspired to come and stay at White Moss House, we have a special offer for early bookings. You'll find out more from the official White Moss House blog.. We're having a long winter break this year, and will reopen mid March, with the daffodils.

The perfect place to spend Christmas

Guests visiting White Moss House during the summer months often say,  "This must be a great place at Christmas". Yes! It is!
We're closed to bed and breakfast guests, but open for the family, who gather here every year in various numbers and combinations.
Right now I'm getting ready. Here's the Christmas tree in our private sitting room, known by the Wordsworths at "the West Library" apparently. The tree is in a lovely bay window from which you can just see Rydal Water. The lights are reflected in the angled windows, and this year I've created a vision of red and gold .I'm pretty pleased with it anyway!

White Moss House Christmas Tree #1

I'll add a picture of the little Christmas Tree in the Wordsworth Lounge later. Why not bookmark and come back?

By the way, over 2,500 have viewed my Traditional Sherry Trifle recipe this week! I'm making it on Friday to serve on Boxing Day.

Getting ready for a Lake District Christmas

It's wet, it's grey, but we're feeling cheerful 'cos we're getting ready for Christmas.
Whilst ordering some Christmas presents from Amazon, I got side tracked, and started ordering CDs for myself. Bad, ...but good..... I'd read a review of the Albion Band's new Christmas CD. Reader, I bought it.
It's playing now, and will be on a loop till after Xmas!

Here's the Albion Christmas Band CD that I'm listening to right now.
Pity there's not picture, but it really is excellent. Music and words for Christmas. Ashley Hutchings and Simon Nicol at their best.