Our Travels

Next morning we drove from Bowness to catch the car ferry across to Sawry which is across Lake Windemere. We had about a wait of 20 mins and we took a few photos while we were waiting.

Taken before we boarded the ferry

We drove then to Hilltop – Beatrix Potter’s house. We purchased our tickets and our scheduled time for the walk-through was 10:40. This gave us plenty of time to walk through the quaint gardens, and take photos. The garden is just like in the scenes in the movie. Beautiful gardens full of flowers and all sorts of rambling plants. I managed to get a few photos without anyone in front of the house.

In front of Hilltop

As we walked into the house each child was given the book “The Tale of Samual Whiskers” as the drawings in the book replicate many features in Beatrix Potter’s house, like the fireplace, the kitchen, the ratty hole upstairs, the furniture, etc. So it was wonderful to see Braedon find them all in the book and match them to the house.

Beatrix Potter was an avid collector of antiques and all sorts of bric, brac which today are antiques. Plenty of lovely engraved, ivory wooden boxes and writing boxes. It was fascinating to see her writing desk where her pet rabbit sat and watched her write her stories.

I didn’t really want to leave and you could walk through the house a few times and pick up something new each time.

Still, we were in there about an hour. Another look in the shop, some purchases of some of Beatrix Potter's books which have a slip of paper saying “Purchased from Hilltop”.

Our next stop was Hawkeshead, a lovely quaint little village, where Williams Wordsworth was born and raised. We walked through the village and visited the old schoolhouse where he went to school. We found out some interesting facts about school life back in the 1800’s. Such as starting time was 6.00am and finish time was 5.00pm.

Only boys were allowed in the school, girls had to stay at home and often had governesses and tutors. Each boy could have 3 pints of beer during the day, as the drinking water was not good. They could smoke four cigarettes (they were neither encouraged nor discouraged from this activity. They could also participte in cock fighting as well.

They were also allowed to gouge their mark in the wooden school furniture, so we also found William Wordsworth's name engraved on one of the desks. The school was very small in size but at one stage had about 150 boys there, once the railway line was established many of the boys were sent to other better schools and the school eventually close down. Braedon had a try at writing on the slates which was quite funny.

Upstairs there were some old bookkeeping documents that Beatrix Potter found in her shed – as her husband was the accountant for the school. All in all very fascinating.

We left Hawkeshead and drove back through Ambleside and then onto Bowness. Time for a bit of shopping again, and then we purchased tickets for a cruise on Lake Windemere. Which basically cut across the lake on one side and then back on the other – we got some lovely pics of the view from the water. It was absolutely freezing upstairs on top of the boat – however, the views made it worth it. On the way back though Braedon and I went downstairs to have a hot chocolate. It was much warmer so eventually, we warmed up.

We arrived back – still daylight of course, and as promised took Braedon to the fair, which was open tonight. Braedon and I had a ride together and then we talked Mum into having a go with us. Well that was a bit of a mistake, mum succumbed to peer pressure and as it was a little fast mum was quite ill after the ride. I must admit even I wasn’t that well as the hot chocolate we had earlier had turned into a thick shake.

Well after this even Mum and I didn’t feel like much dinner, so Ian and Braedon had fish and chips. We got back to our B&B at about 8.00 and I had a cup of tea, which made me feel a bit better.

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Once upon a time, nestled along the rugged coast of Devon, in the quaint village of Clovelly, a unique tradition thrived that harked back to a bygone era. Here, donkeys played a vital role in the daily life of the community, a tradition that had endured for centuries.

Clovelly was a place frozen in time, its steep cobblestone streets winding their way down to the picturesque harbor below. These streets were so steep that using regular vehicles was practically impossible. That's where the donkeys came in.

In Clovelly, donkeys are not just animals; they are cherished members of the village. Each donkey had a name and a distinct personality, known and loved by all the villagers. They were small, sturdy creatures, perfectly adapted to the village's unique terrain.

Their primary purpose was to transport goods up and down the village's narrow lanes. Merchants would load their cargo onto donkey-drawn sledges, and the trusty donkeys would navigate the steep, meandering pathways with incredible skill. The clatter of their hooves on the cobblestones and the jingle of their bells became the heartbeat of Clovelly, a soothing and reassuring rhythm that echoed through the village each day.

One of the most beloved donkeys in Clovelly was Benny, known for his friendly nature and his knack for brightening everyone's day with a bray and a nudge. He was a favorite among the children, who would eagerly line up for donkey rides around the village, guided by their trusty four-legged companions.

As time marched forward and modernisation threatened to change the face of Clovelly, the donkeys remained a steadfast symbol of the village's heritage and resilience. Generations of donkeys had served the community, and it was clear that they would continue to do so for generations to come.

Clovelly and its donkeys stand as a living testament to the beauty of tradition and the enduring spirit of a community that held onto its roots. In this charming coastal village, the clop of hooves and the bray of donkeys remained a reminder that some things were worth preserving, even in a rapidly changing world.

Braedon agreed to make some pottery for us and we went down to the basement of the shop where he demonstrated his potting skills and sat at the wheel and crafted a beautiful bowl for us.

After this short interlude, we continued down the spectacular winding cobble paths through the village of Clovelly down to the ocean breakwater, stopping periodically to look through the gift shops. Braedon found a playful kitten outside one of the houses to keep him amused for 5 minutes while the ladies were shopping.

Charlie, is ever willing to carry luggage up from The New Inn to the Visitor Centre car park. There is a small charge for the service. Mostly, the donkeys are left free simply to provide pleasure and enjoyment for the many visitors.

During the summer, the donkeys carry children around their meadow at the top of the village or can be found in the woods during the winter. This is how it's done now.

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An early night and I felt 100% the next morning, Mum however was still queasy. We still had a cooked breakfast. Today we got up at ready to have breakfast at about 8.30. The usual cooked breakfast is getting a bit much more me and now I am down to a little bacon and beans with toast.

We drove from Bowness to Little Lansdown and took the little road up through all the mountains across what they call the Nutt. It was a narrow, single-lane road, barely wide enough for a single car to pass through. With numerous other vehicles on the road, our journey became quite challenging, involving frequent instances of reversing or pulling over to the side.

We had initially planned to capture the picturesque countryside, characterised by its rugged, rocky terrain, meandering streams, babbling creeks, and the presence of sheep and goats. Upon reaching Boot, we purchased the necessary tickets for our destination, Ravens Glass.

The charming little train we boarded was affectionately known as "The Ratty," resembling a miniature version of Thomas the Tank Engine. Despite its small size, it surprisingly zipped along the narrow track, completing the journey to Ravensglass in approximately half an hour.

We arrived at Ravens Glass and walked down to the beach, no water as the tide was out. Braedon of course was off and took away across the sand.

As I strolled along the seemingly endless shoreline, I couldn't help but notice that Braedon had forged ahead and I new he would be on the hunt for crabs amongst the rocks. Determined to catch up with him, I increased what was my leisurely beach walk. The anchored boats that I passed, sat marooned on the sand, creating a somewhat melancholic scene, like lonely sentinels of the sea.

I caught up to Braedon and could see his excitement had waned as he struggled to find any crabs or seashells, which left him a tad disappointed. Realising that walking all the way to the ocean might be a bit of a stretch, we decided to retrace our steps toward the charming coastal town and its nearby railway station.

Following a pathway that led us past the station, we stumbled upon the fascinating remnants of the old Roman Baths, a mere half-hour's walk away. It was a relatively short journey, though it did take us past a picturesque field inhabited by serene cows, adding a rustic charm to our excursion.

Upon reaching the ruins of the Roman Baths, we couldn't resist the urge to capture the moment with some photographs. Braedon, as always, managed to strike up a friendship, this time with a little boy riding his bike alongside his mother. They became our companions for the return journey, with Braedon leading the way and us trailing behind. Eventually, we found ourselves back at the station, ready for the trip back.

We were just in time to catch the Ratty back to the Boot station. We made our way back to the car and took to the little road again. We had plenty of little places to stop to take photos of the landscape – and even found the Roman Fort – Braedon,myself and mum scrambled to the top which I must admit was the steepest climb, plus it was wet and slippery and places were covered with sheep poop, so it was a bit of watch where your stepping!!

Mum took some photos and we had a bit of a look around and then made our way back down. We couldn’t work out which way we came up and it was difficult trying to find the track back down.

As I descended to the base of the mountain, a realisation hit me like a sudden bolt of lightning! I should have brought the camera. Without much hesitation, I made a snap decision to embark on a swift return journey up the mountain, opting for a slightly different path that happened to be wetter and muddier. I left my mother and Ian at the bottom and set off with Braedon by my side again.

Upon our arrival at the gates this time, we took a moment to explore the surroundings. I must admit, by the time I ascended the mountain for the second time, I was feeling quite exhausted. Nevertheless, I managed to snap some photographs of Braedon, capturing the essence of our adventure. Soon after, we began our descent.

We continued on after this and made our way back to Bowness, a quick rest and freshen up and we headed out to dinner, this time a pizza and Italian place – Braedon is now into eating most of a pizza himself so we ordered three pizza’s between the four of us and nice bottle of red wine. Braedon again got very chummy with the locals and sat up at the little bar and was doing a little supervising. All the children get a lolly pop – so that's what he was really waiting for I think.

We walked back to our B&B and there were still a few shops open so I bought a few more little things here and then we called it a night.