Lake District News

 

July 2010
Our Lake District continues its quest to be short listed as a World Heritage Site and has been confirmed as one of the UK’s 38 applicants. Let’s hope for a successful result which would put us on a status with the Great Wall of China, the Egyptian Pyramids of Giza and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

The Bowness Bay Tourist Information Centre has re-opened after being closed for 8 months of repairs following the flooding of November 2009.

Chicks with Sat Nav
Two Lakeland Osprey chicks have been fitted with satellite transmitters to trace where they go after leaving Bassenthwaite in September.

Wainwright Walks attire comes to London. A marked increase in the sale of Alfred Wainwright style fell walking weather proof jackets has been reported by the London store of Debenhams. They suggest they have been popularised by the recent series of T.V. programmes featuring some of Wainwrights favourite Lake District and Cumbria Walks and are now often seen being worn on the streets of London.

Woodrow Wilson
A library and memorabilia relating to Woodrow Wilson the American President is planned by the Wordsworth Hotel Grasmere. The President stayed at the hotel in 1908.

Ulverston
The Hoad Monument. The monument will officially re-open in August. It has been closed to the public since 2003 and undergone major restoration. Built in 1850 as a memorial to Ulverston born Sir John Barrow, naval administrator and traveller. It has an internal 112 step spiral staircase and a lantern chamber at the top.

March 2010
The Lake District has received a big tourism boost for this year with the publication of the Lonely Planet’s “Best in Travel” 2010. The Guide has named the English Lake District as one of the Top 10 Regions to visit in 2010 and, is the only British holiday destination to be included. The Lake District was chosen ahead of other U.K. regions because, “if anywhere sums up all that is green, great and grand about the English landscape, it’s the Lake District. There’s much more to England’s best loved National Park than just dazzling good looks; think cast iron literary cachet and history in abundance, not to mention gastronomic adventure and enough first class fell-walking to fill a lifetime of visits”. The book lists Scafell Pike, England’s highest mountain as the area’s most “defining experience” followed by some “hearty grub and home brewed beer at the historic Wasdale Head Inn. “Essential Experiences” include tackling Striding Edge on Helvellyn, visiting Dove Cottage and Rydal Mount, cruising on Coniston Water, Osprey spotting at Bassenthwaite Lake, and a stay at the remote Black Sail Youth Hostel at Ennerdale. Included in the final 10 destinations was the French region of Alsace. This is an area we at Wordsworth Country will be featuring in our newly created holiday accommodation website due to be launched in early summer.

February 2010
The Lake District has been listed in the top five locations for a romantic weekend away in figures released by Virgin Rail. Browse the wide choice of destinations on our comprehensive Accommodation Pages.

September 2009
Does Lake Windermere have a “Bownessie”? There have been rumours over the past few months of a creature similar to “Nessie” of Loch Ness lurking beneath the waters of England's largest lake. Sonar equipped vessels have been called in to carry out an “in depth” search and psychic-to-the-stars, Dean “Midas” Maynard ,together with Thomas Noblett, Managing Director of the Langdale Chase Hotel and other sighters will join the hunt at 10.30am on Saturday 18th September. Mr Noblett was almost swamped by a large wave which appeared from nowhere whilst training earlier this year for a forthcoming channel swim. He is reported as saying that he expects to see something although it may not be the main event. Keep your eyes open and report any sightings to info@wordsworthcountry.com and we will forward them to Mr Noblett.

July 2009
Fell Walkers can help to save eroded footpaths through a new text initiative. The Tourism and Conservation Partnership has launched a text donation service for Fix the Fells so that people can donate via their mobile phones. Texting FIX to 81400 will send almost £1 to supporting the scheme and the Heritage Lottery Fund will treble any text donation.

June 2009
One of the first Ospreys to be raised in Cumbria has been seen at Leighton Moss RSPB Nture Reserve. It is a 2 year old bird born at Bassenthwaite and is one of 16 chicks raised in the area to have returned to Britain.

A 30 tonne steel houseboat built as a tribute to the one featured in the book “Swallows and Amazons” by Arthur Ransome is now sailing on Lake Windermere. The boat is now named “M/V Frivolity” and is very similar to the Victorian steamer “Esperance” which sailed the Windermere waters in the 19th C. It sank in the 1940's. The White Cross Bay Holiday Park has provided a permanent mooring.

May 2009
The Windermere car ferry service is withdrawn for maintenance until May 23rd. During this time, a passenger launch carrying bicycles will be in operation daily between Bowness Pier 3 and the Ferry House landing from 8am and 5.40pm.

April 2009
Ospreys return to Bassenthwaite Lake.
Visitors are able to see the nesting birds from a viewpoint set up in Dodd Wood which is open from 10am.-5pm. each day. Staff are on hand to provide telescopes. A team of volunteers will guard the nest day and night.

October 2008
Children and volunteers in Cockermouth are planting around 5000 extra daffodil bulbs at Wordsworth House in preparation for the early opening on February 28th, 2009. Plantings will also be made in The Glade at Aira Force, Ullswater. Expect a wonderful display next Spring.

(September 2008) ‘Wainwright would approve' of Keswick Car Share
Television star Julia Bradbury has given Keswick Car Share the thumbs up – saying that even Wainwright would approve.
Julia, the presenter of the hit BBC series Wainwright Walks, endorsed the unique Lake District car share scheme and thinks it’s a great way for people who love walking in the national park to get around.
“Keswick Car Share is a great way to explore Wainwright’s Walks. It’s important that we all try to minimise our impact on the environment. Sharing cars to and from walks is a simple effective idea. Anyone can sign up and even get dropped off in a valley and connect for a lift home at another. I am sure Wainwright would approve!”
The scheme, the first in a national park, was launched in April and already has a number of members.
It’s not just Wainwright walkers who can benefit from the car sharing scheme, the website can be used to find people all across Cumbria to share a lift to work.
The organisation behind the scheme is Keswick Business Improvement District, its project manager Becx Carter is encouraging people to sign up to www.keswickcarshare.com whether they are a car owner looking for passengers to share the fuel costs or for non-drivers to look for a lift.
Becx Carter said: “It doesn’t matter where you live, all you need is the desire to want to share a car journey. So far we are matching about one in four people who register. The more members we have, the more journeys we can share.”
By registering on the website to share journeys, members can save money, reduce the number of cars on the road and help protect the environment.
It’s free to join and the idea is simple – members travelling in the same direction at the same time can share a lift.
By sharing a daily journey to work an individual can typically save £1,000 and reduce their carbon footprint by as much as ten per cent.
Press release issued by Tara Vallente, telephone 07917 202 999.
The Keswick scheme is linked to the national Liftshare website: www.liftshare.com. Nationally, Liftshare works with more than 1,000 communities and businesses to help encourage and enable more efficient use of transport. By sharing their journeys, Liftshare members save more than 52 million miles and 16,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. (You’d need to plant 5,335,000 trees to save the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide).
Keswick Business Improvement District’s vision is: “To provide a clean, safe and attractive environment that meets the demands of business, the local community and visitors, ensuring Keswick remains a vibrant recreational and economic destination.”
For further information about Keswick Business Improvement District, contact the co-ordinator, Becx Carter on: 07786 678 283.

(January 08) Beatrix Potter woos visitors to the Lake District.
The increase in the 2007 visitor numbers to Bowness’s World of Beatrix Potter has been attributed to the release of the film, “Miss Potter” starring Renee Zelwegger. Additionally, the popular tour Company, Mountain Goat, and the Lindeth Howe Country House Hotel, once owned by Beatrix Potter, also report a marked burst of interest in the children’s author. The film was released in Japan during the Autumn of last year and it is expected to generate further numbers visiting the area in search of Miss Potter.

(January 08) Honister Slate Mine features in an episode of British televisions long-running “soap”, Coronation Street, on the 4th and 6th of January. Scenes were filmed around the spectacular Fleetwith Pike as two of the cast got into difficulties whilst attempting to rescue their pet dog. This exciting and dramatic story line could go some way toward promoting mountain safety.

(November 07) Filmed in Cumbria
The Bollywood film Industry’s recent production of "Mr. Bhatti on Holiday", due for release in early 2008, has been filmed almost entirely in our region. This film is expected to attract an audience of 30 million who will be eager to see the comedy adventures of a group of Indian tourists who unwillingly become entangled in the events of a missing woman. No doubt many who see the film, will be eager to visit the films locations which include the shores of Lake Windermere, and Carlisle Railway Station thus boosting the number of Asian tourists.