THE Lake District truly is a beautiful place - a green and pleasant land - and that is mainly because it does get quite a lot of rainfall.
We found this out during a recent weekend break when the heavens opened as a former tropical storm hit Cumbria hard.
But, as they say, every cloud (no matter how big) has a silver lining and the inclement weather meant we had to find more indoors activities than the usual fell walking and other outdoor pursuits.
We were the guests of Coppermine Cottages at their mid-range Bee Bole House accommodation at the foot of Coniston Water. A comfortable former farmhouse that sleeps six and has many charming period features like open fires and cosy bedrooms.
We have stayed with Coppermines before, so knew in advance that everything would be spot on. The company began more than 30 years ago and now has over 80 self-catering Lake District cottages on its books. These can accommodate from two to 22 people so there really is something for everyone, from secluded mountain locations to snug village venues - and many are pet friendly too!
Also, with the Lakes being constantly voted the UK’s number one holiday destination with superb views, loads of activities and historic attractions it is not hard to see why Coppermines has been such a success story.
It was to those historic attractions that we turned to keep out of the torrential downpours with first on the list the home of Victorian artist and all-round man of influence John Ruskin. Brantwood House, on the shores of Coniston, was his home for 28 years.
It has been preserved pretty much as it was during his lifetime and all areas are now open to the public. After a very informative film on the great man’s life we were free to wander around the house, even into Ruskin’s study and bedroom.
Also on offer is the Blue Gallery showing historic and contemporary art, the Severn Studio - which stages a varied programme of exhibitions during the year - and various walks around the considerable grounds, although it was the Terrace Coffee House and Restaurant that drew the most attention due to the weather conditions.
From there we made the short hop to the Beatrix Potter Gallery in the centre of nearby Hawkshead. This charming if somewhat compact (anyone six-foot and over will have to do a lot of stooping) exhibition in a 17th-Century tiny stone cottage was fascinating.
As well as items from the great author’s life the National Trust attraction is dedicated to preserving and presenting original drawings and book illustrations by Beatrix Potter.
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The building - which was once the office of her husband, local solicitor William Heelis - has remained largely unaltered since his day. The Gallery houses an annually changing exhibition of of Beatrix Potter’s artworks.
She was, however, much more than a gifted artist and author. A determined preserver of her beloved Lake District and a great believer in the aims of the fledgling National Trust, she bequeathed her numerous farms and land to the Trust in 1943 along with the gallery cottage.
We saw the latest exhibition titled The Right Sort of Woman, celebrating Potter’s position as a strong and influential person in the Cumbrian community. The original letters, artworks and possessions on view include the original Peter Rabbit letter and interactive touch-screens bring to life her childhood collections cabinet.
With the rain still lashing down we retired to the comfort and coziness of Bee Bole House before venturing out again to find some food.
Here our luck was in because we happened across The Wilsons Arms Free House just a mile or two down the (flooded) road in Torver. What a friendly and welcoming place - and the food was great and very reasonably priced too, definitely somewhere I would recommend.
After a cosy fireside board game session we all retired hoping for better weather the next day… and hey-presto the skies cleared, the sun came out and we could look around and fully appreciate the great location of Bee Bole House with views out over the lake and to the hills beyond.
It was just as well the weather had changed because later that day we were booked into one of the Lake District’s most popular outdoor activities - Treetop Trek.
This is based at Brockhole between Ambleside and Windermere and is an amazing aerial adventure wonderland up to 30 metres up in the sky. As well as challenging treetop pathways and obstacles it has three zip wire slides with the final one being several hundred yards long - a real experience.
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And don’t worry if you are a bit unfit and middle-aged because me and my wife managed to keep up with the much younger members of our party and even gave the zip wires a go… great fun. Also you don’t need to go all the way to the Lakes to have a go as the company have an even bigger aerial adventure playground in our very own Heaton Park.
So thanks to the weather we managed to see two sides to the world-famous attraction that is the Lake District - which indoors or out is great fun for all!
Prices for Bee Bole House (which sleeps up to six) in the Crake Valley range from £447 up to £767 for a three-night break depending on the time of year. Full week breaks are from £639 up to £1,145. Coppermines have properties starting from £249 for a short break for two up to £2,556 for a week at the superb eight-person Gate House in Coniston at the height of the season. More information at www.coppermines.co.uk.
For more about Brantwood house see www.brantwood.org.uk. For more about The Beatrix Potter Gallery see www.nationaltrust.org.uk/beatrix-potter-gallery-and-hawkshead. For more about Wilsons Free House go to www.thewilsonsarms.co.uk and for Treetop Trek visit www.treetoptrek.co.uk
