Monday 16 August 2010

VIDEO Laal Ratty : R&ER : Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway

Ravenglass Hotels By Vishnu Kumar

Ravenglass lies between Barrow-in-Furness and Whitehaven. In the 2nd century Ravenglass was an important Roman naval base. Little remains of the Roman port, known as 'Glannaventa', apart from a remarkable bath house, known as 'Walls Castle'. Ravenglass's main street is paved with sea cobbles from its shingle beach. Set on the estuary of the Rivers Esk, Mite and Irt, it is the only coastal village in the Lake District.

The popular Ravenglass & Eskdale Narrow Gauge Steam Railway, known as 'L'aal Ratty', terminates at Ravenglass. England's oldest steam narrow gauge railway, this was built in 1875 to transport iron ore from Eskdale. The station boasts a museum, workshops and the Ratty Arms pub (the old Furness Railway station). A trip along the 7 mile line takes visitors through one of the most beautiful valleys in the Lake District, passing Scafell Pike the highest peak in England.

When thinking of the Cumbria coast line, rarely do we think of Ravenglass.

Ravenglass holds many a hidden treasure and the most impressive being the famous Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway. For the train enthusiast this really is the place to be.

If considering visiting Ravenglass accommodation is available in the form of hotels Ravenglass and cottages Ravenglass.

On May 24th 1875 the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway opened (known locally as "L'aal Ratty"). Its sole purpose at this time was to ferry iron ore from workings near Boot to the coast at Ravenglass. The first passengers were carried on November 20th 1876. The line was declared bankrupt in 1877 as problems arose relating to the iron ore and the line finally closed in 1913.

In total the railway runs for seven miles (11.3 kilometres) from the Lake District National Park's only coastal village of Ravenglass in the Western Lake District, through hidden Miterdale, to the grandeur of the Eskdale valley. The terminus at Dalegarth for Boot nestles at the foot of England's highest mountains A trip along the 7 mile line takes visitors through one of the most beautiful valleys in the Lake District, passing Scafell Pike the highest peak in England.

Just south of Ravenglass stands Munster Castle, Gardens and Owl Centre. Muncaster Castle dating from the 13th century is situated one mile south of Ravenglass. Set in beautiful wooded grounds it is home to the World Owl Trust, the finest Owl Centre in the world - housing over 180 birds of around 50 species. Visit Muncaster Water Mill, or the Railway Museum. Muncaster Castle, beloved family home of the Pennington's since the beginning of the 13th Century, displays treasures collected over 800 years.

Ravenglass has many things to see or do so for a family day out its ideal.

Author is an SEO copy writer and a marketing expert.To know more about hotels Ravenglass and cottages Ravenglass visit penningtonhotels.com

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Holker Hall - A Gem in the Lake District By Rod Booth Platinum Quality Author

Holker Hall is the home of Lord and Lady Cavendish and it's open to visitors of all ages: the home has proved very popular as a destination for a day out in the Southern Lake District over the years, for it offers many different activities and attractions - there is something for everyone at Holker, not to mention its proximity to the fantastic scenery and attractions of the English Lake District.

Holker's popularity might also have something to do with the fact that the Hall is located only a short distance from Grange-over-Sands and the beautiful expanse of Morecambe Bay. Indeed, this area of the Lakes is made up of exceptionally beautiful countryside, and the gardens of the Hall merge into parkland framed by the Lakeland Hills.

Holker is a Norse word, meaning a hilly area in marshy land. This quality must have made the site a popular choice for habitation for centuries: and indeed, the records show there was a house here by the start of the 16th century. From then, the Estate has never been sold; it has passed, by inheritance, through the family line right up till the present day.

Holker is on a grand scale. But it is a family home, and the comfort of the Hall is obvious the moment you step inside. Superficially, it now could be described as a neo-Elizabethan mansion, with extensive landscaped gardens. These gardens offer a relaxed counterpoint to the rugged fells in the Lakeland countryside to the north.

There is much to see in the house. To take one example, the long gallery (very much a feature of great Elizabethan houses) was adapted by the Victorian architects and craftsmen who worked on the house in this period. Amongst the furniture in the gallery you'll find some high quality pieces: a Regency mahogany and satinwood desk; an octagonal Derbyshire inlaid black polished table made of limestone; a display table containing a purse belonging to Georgiana, wife of the 5th Duke of Devonshire (whose life was recently the subject of a feature film); and a nineteenth-century English table with an Italian top made up from over 100 different squares of marble; and a walnut cabinet with marquetry from early in the nineteenth century.

This area is also a haven for wildlife. The parkland offers homes for red squirrels, endangered in much of England, and the bird life will provide even the most avid bird-watcher with an exciting day's spotting.

Nearby you can find the attractions of the Holker Festival, Cartmel Racecourse, and some of the most beautiful walking in the Southern Lakes. In addition, you're only a stone's throw away from the attractions based at Lakeside on Windermere: the old "steamers", elegant motor yachts in which you can cruise the Lake, the Lakeside and Haverthwaite railway, on which you can enjoy a trip by steam train, and the Aquarium of the Lakes, featuring marine life from around the world.

So, whether you want to visit historic Holker Hall, its famous and fascinating gardens, or you fancy a flutter at Cartmel races, or you'd like to try some other entertainment a little further afield, this area of the Lakes offers many opportunities for an entertainment-packed day out which will amuse all the family.

The Lake District Guide contains hundreds of pages of information on Lakes hotels and other accommodation, as well as restaurants, walks, places to go and things to do. In fact, we have all the information you'll need for a great holiday in the Lakes. Find us at The Lake District Guide

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Grange-Over-Sands - Cumbria - The Town by the Sea By Simon Haughtone Platinum Quality Author

We are sure you would enjoy a town by the sea, correct? We cannot see who would not want to go to a beautiful seaside town such as Grange-over-Sands, which is a part of Cumbria. When we first visited this town, we could not believe our eyes as the scenery was absolutely stunning. We would like to take a moment to tell you a bit about the wonderful features that we came across in this area.

First of all, this town was first developed as a tiny fishing village during the Victorian era. When the railway arrived, this town became a very popular seaside resort. Above the town, you are going to find Hampsfield Fell, which is a limestone tower monument that is sturdy and offers shelter for those walkers that are rain-drenched. In our opinion, we believe it is the best viewpoint out of all the foothill in the southern Lakeland fells.

Around Grange, you are going to find Lindale, which is sitting to the north east and Cartmel, which is sitting to the north west.

As you are in the area, you should visit the country house known as Holker Hall, which was constructed on land that Cartmel Priory once owned. The stables of the Holker Hall is where you will find the Lakeland Motor Museum, which is a must see.

Serving the town, you will find Grange-Over-Sands railway station that is very reliable and has connections to Barrow-in-Furness and Ulverston as well as Lancaster, Manchester and Preston. During the year 2003, a public swimming pool, known as the Berners Pool, opened up. It received the RIBA Design award during the year 2004. However, after it went through financial and structural problems, it closed down during the year 2006. It is still awaiting demolition and a new pool is planned in the future.

For a wide selection of Grange-over-Sands hotels just click here

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What To Do When You Stay In Kendal By Simon Haughtone Platinum Quality Author

There are many Kendal attractions, which will help to keep all, entertained when they are visit this town situated in the southern part of the Lake District. Because of its location, the town of Kendal is in fact ideally situated to meet everybody's requirements when visiting the Lake District.

The town of Kendal is situated around 9 miles for Windermere and only around 30 miles from Keswick. Both which have beautiful lakes which one can not only wander around, but also offer you the chance to do some water sports as well.

However, as you walk through the streets of this town you will be astounded by the diversity of the architecture. There are buildings in this town that were designed and built by well-known local architects that date as far back as the 14th Century.

As well as buildings like these, one can enjoy the camp at Watercrook, which was built by the Roman's during their time in occupation of the city. Also, you can visit a number of castles and churches that were built during Norman times. One such Castle that you should consider visiting whilst in Kendal is Sizergh Castle. This is where the Strickland family still reside and whose ancestors originally built the property.

The castle is located close to the town and the original part of the building is medieval but it was then further extended in Elizabethan times. Along with spending time wandering through the building and enjoying the oak panelled rooms and furniture that is on display. You can also spend some time just wandering around the castles gardens, which has two lakes and also a magnificent rock garden as well.

However, for a little bit more fun and excitement and a place that the kids are sure to enjoy is Lakeland Maize Maze. This is to be found at Raines Hall Farm in Sedgwick, which is a short drive from Kendal. Along with the main maze, there are plenty of other mini ones available that will keep the whole family amused. Along with the maze's you will also find that, the farm offers go-karting (indoor track) as well as tractor and trailer rides, plus much more.

If you are looking to try some of the local food and fare that the area produces then a visit to Kendal Market during your time in the town is a must. The main markets are held here every Wednesday and Saturday, but on the last Friday of each month, a farmer's market takes place here. Also during the spring bank holiday, you will find that they arrange a medieval market also. Here you will be offered the chance to try some medieval fare along with watch the jugglers and jesters.

So as you can see from above there are plenty of Kendal attractions that one can enjoy when you stay in the town. But you will also find that because of its location, there are plenty of others you can enjoy further a field, but this will depend on just how long you are staying in Kendal for.

Find a place to stay in Kendal and choose your Kendal hotel or guest house here.

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Water Sports in Lake District By Vineeta M Greenwood

Cumbria is one of the largest county in England and yet least populated. The unsurpassed natural beauty of this wonderful gifted land has made it a constant attraction for serenity seekers. Every year, thousands of visitors make their way to Lake District in search of peace in its tranquillity. The amazing Lake district, Cumbria has so much more to offer than just a sight seeing. The Lake District has a versatile landscape with numerous valleys, mountains and lakes.

The Lakes are obviously the reason this district gets it name from.

These lakes not only ad to the picture perfect charm of this district, they also provide excellent sport activity opportunities to the visitors who want leisure with an added sense of adventure. The major lakes include the Lake Windermere, Lake Derwent water, Bassenthwaite Lake and the Ullswater.

The waters of the Lake District offer a great location for many water sports like Waterskiing, Watersurfing, sailing, Kayaking, Canoeing and you can even hire a boat for fishing. The hot spots for water activities are majorly near the town of Ambleside, Windermere and Keswick.

Low Wood Sports and Activity centre

Low Wood Water sports Centre is situated by Lake Windermere, the largest lake of the Lake District. This water sports centre offers multiple water sports activities including Waterskiing, surfing, Sailing, and Canoeing. You can even hire yourself a self-drive motorboat or a traditional row boat, ideal for fishing or just a trip around the Lake Windermere. Many Windermere hotels are located near this wonderful facility. Some of these Windermere hotels are the Denehouse hotel, the Sawrey house country hotel and B&B.

Derwent Water Marina

The Derwent water Marina is situated near Keswick in Cumbria, an ideal location for all of the water sports and mountain activities. You can get canoes, kayaks, sailing dinghies, windsurfers and rowing boats for hire, an excellent way to explore the wonderful Derwent water. Other facilities include car parking, showers, toilets and changing rooms. Few nearby Keswick hotels include the Linnet hill hotel and the Lynwood hotel in Keswick.

Glenridding Sailing Centre

Glennridding is a beautiful small village only miles away from Ambleside. Glennridding sailing centre is an excellent place for the visitors to experience and learn sailing. Both leisure sailors and the sporty ones can sail across the spacious lake with a variety of boats to choose from. The staff is really helpful one and assures your safety and assistance throughout your stay.The place keeps updating itself with latest and up to date facilities.

If this is the place you are going to sail around in the Lake District then you can book any of the Ambleside hotels only a short distance away.

Vineeta Greenwood is the co-editor of Keswick Hotels Fairy, a part of Hotels Fairy, an independent hotel price comparison website dedicated to Keswick. Hotels-Fairy.com has one of the world's largest hotel databases and compares prices from all the major online booking sites, making it easy to find the best deals on hotels in a matter of seconds.

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History of Lake District Tourism By Rod Booth Platinum Quality Author

The English Lake District is an area of great natural beauty located in the north of England. The area is famous for its amazing beauty and peaceful landscapes. Its popularity has always been partly due to its rich cultural past involving three famous Lakes poets - of whom more in a moment!

The Lake District is also home to England's highest mountain, Scafell Pike, and deepest lake at Wasdale. All of these qualities have made the Lake District one of the most popular tourist destinations in the UK.

Back in the late 17th century, walking and hiking breaks in the Lake Districts were mostly enjoyed by people who lived near or in the local area, since they could easily reach the beautiful valleys and mountains the area has to offer.

But things had to change - and they did, when, in 1778, Thomas West wrote his pioneering guidebook about the Lake District, a new development which promoted visitors and brought hundreds of travellers to the area. The popularity of the region grew so much that in the late 18th century the local authority responded by erecting viewpoints and "station houses", which allowed visitors to see and experience some of the Lake District's most stunning views and landscapes.

William Wordsworth wrote his first guide to the Lakes in 1810, a guide that eventually expanded into five volumes and gave people both insight into the area and a valuable tool to travel with. Of course Wordsworth also drew poetical inspiration from the Lake District - more on this in a moment!

In the early 19th century, tourism in the Lake District started booming thanks to the establishment of railway links in areas such as Kendal and Windermere. These railway links made the Lake District much more accessible to working people. To accommodate the huge numbers of visitors, new attractions and facilities were introduced; for example, the steamer boats which allowed people to experience the various lakes by boat made the Lake District an exciting and interesting place for holidays and brought economic growth to the local area.

In the early 1950s the Lake District got national park status so as to help preserve its natural beauty from unhealthy commercial and industrial influences. The M6 built along the east side of the Lakes opened up the area further and brought many more visitors by car; perhaps a mixed blessing, now that around 14 million people visit the Lake District every year!

Interestingly, the Lake District is Britain's second largest tourist attraction, with people coming from all over the world. Even to this day, the steamer boats on Windermere are one of the most successful visitor attractions in the UK!

Tourism adds tens of millions of pounds to the local economy every year. And even though many people now enjoy going abroad on their holidays, the enduring appeal of the Lakes will ensure millions of people continue to visit in the years ahead.

As we mentioned, the Lake Poets - especially Wordsworth - were instrumental in promoting Lake District tourism through their depiction of the glorious scenery. The "Lake Poets" is the collective name for a group of iconic poets who all lived in the Lake District during the late 18th and the early 19th century: William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Robert Southey.

All three poets drew inspiration from the spectacular landscapes in the Lake District to create some of their most famous works. And all three men were major influences in establishing the Romantic Movement.

Wordsworth was born in Cockermouth, in the Lake District, in April 1770. The place of his birth has now been renamed Wordsworth House. From 1779 until 1787 he attended Hawkshead Grammar School; there he had his first experience of writing and reading poetry which he practiced extensively thanks to encouragement from his teachers. He often walked into the countryside and got his inspiration from the Lakes scenery which surrounded him. After his years at the small village grammar school in Hawkshead, one can only imagine how he felt when he departed for Cambridge university.

In 1795 while Wordsworth was staying in Dorset, he met Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Robert Southey. This was the beginning of a stimulating and creative relationship. Wordsworth travelled extensively throughout his life, especially in Europe and the Alps, but always returned to the Lake District; indeed, he passed away at Grasmere in 1850.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge was born in Devonshire in October, 1772, and Robert Southey in Bristol in 1774. They became great friends at Cambridge, and in 1795 they met Wordsworth, who joined them as the third member of the group known as the Lake Poets - the poetical pioneers of the Romantic Movement.

Between the three of them, they helped revolutionize this period in English poetry, and the Lake District was the perfect backdrop for their inspiration - as it has continued to be to this day, for artists as diverse as William Heaton-Cooper and Beatrix Potter.

Your indispensable guide to The Lake District is the English Lake District

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