Monday 9 July 2012

The Journey North



 You can read about some of our exciting adventures as GB and I headed North from Devon to the Outer Hebrides on GB’s blog, here. 

These are some other aspects of the 855 mile journey from Exeter to Eagleton. 

A lot of blue signs.


Knowing that we avoided the toll on the older Severn bridge crossing into England from Wales I assumed we would do the same if we used the newer, second Severn Bridge going the other way.  No.  Apparently the toll of £6 applies Westward on both bridges so you are charged to go into Wales but not to come out of it!  Once I realised that I recalled that we got caught doing the same thing last year.


I love inn signs and because of traffic lights in Shrewsbury I was able to capture this one from the car.  


We stopped near Nantwich for a bite to eat and I was watching through the window and pouring rain as an adult House Martin fed its young on a nearby fence.  The camera kept focussing on the rain it was that heavy!


The Lakes Lodge – our fine accommodation on Friday night and an excellent breakfast. 


On Friday night we had a meal at Ambles Brasserie and at its conclusion GB had some cheese and biscuits.  The cheese was Garstang Blue, a Lancashire cheese from Dewlay Cheesemakers of Garstang.  I was tempted to have a little but and then even more temoted to have some more.  It has a smooth, creamy texture and a rich,ellow , mild flavour which even those who don't normally like blue cheese would surelly appreciate.Í want more!


One of the splendid Westfields parked at the Lakes Lodge.


Early morning mist, Ambleside.


St Mary’s, Ambleside.


The Bridge House.


The Old Mill.


And a mill wheel on the other side of the Stock Ghyll which I hadn't seen before.



While the sun shone in Ambleside on Saturday morning GB took us down to the Ambleside Waterhead Ferry Landing. 



This launch, The Queen of the Lake, is on the National Register of Historic Vessels and was built in 1949 by Watercraft of Molesey in Surrey. 


A somewhat more modern vessel that tours the islands on the lake.


 Ambleside Pierhead.


 These two seem content to stay at the ferry jetty and enjoy the scraps the visitors throw at them.


Then it was off to Grasmere for us, about which I shall tell you more at a future date…

12 comments:

  1. Beautiful photos, all of them. I love the photo of the Old Mill and the one of the martin feeding its young, taken from your car, you say, lucky dog!

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    1. Sorry Kay. Poor explaining on my part - it was through the window of the cafe we stopped at.

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  2. So, if you work in England but live in Wales does that mean that you can go to work for free but then have to pay to go home - or do residents in Wales have a special pass? Sounds a bit unfair to me but then as Graham would say "It's a funny old world".

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    1. I don't think Welsh residents have a special pass. I think it's a plot by the English to de-populate Wales!

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  3. That Garstang Blue is strangely decorative, although I am not really recommending it as an ornament! :)

    It's a pity that the old tradition of painting pub signs is dying out a bit.

    I always adore those old wooden boats. Even though I get rather seasick I like to go on them. They have something rather similar, if a bit larger, on Lake Lucerne. So picturesque, wherever they are.

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  4. I love cheese, birds and boats, so your blog hit the spot today. The Queen of the Lake looks so beautiful. Wooden boats are always so majestic. Have a great trip -- and better weather than I am hearing about that has been hitting England this past week.

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    1. Yes Chris, some parts have had really bad flooding and whilst GB had to drive through some awful rain on part of the journey we had it OK by comparison.

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  5. A lovely tour. The cheese you described sounds divine! And I loved the launch on the lake -- looks like a movie prop from one of the Poirot movies. Enjoy your trip, xoxox

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  6. Thank you for this illustrated update! To look at the picture of the cheese before my own breakfast was a bad idea :-) Now I want something like that, too, but all I've got at the moment is my usual muesli.
    Does anyone live in the bridge house? Love the early morning mist picture and the house martins.

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    1. Hello Meike. No, the Bridge House is a National Trust Information Centre. GB compared his old photos of it with some new ones, here and mentioned its origins as an apple store or the like.

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  7. I'm glad you got a little bit of a break from the rain at Ambleside. Beautiful views from the lake! And I love that inn sign. Thanks for letting us come along on the journey.

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  8. Great pictures, my husband was drooling over the cheese.

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