On Monday the 27th July 2026 I managed to get up out of my armchair and twist my ankle ending up on the floor. Now I had a five and a half hour drive up to Haven Lakeland site in Grange-over-Sands Cumbria. We arrived and spent the rest of the day on site.
Bowness-on-Windermere - Tuesday 28th July 2026
The next day we drove to Bowness-On-Windermere and parked up at the Glebe Road Car Park. It's been eleven years since my last visit here, time goes so fast!
Windermere is the largest lake in the Lake District. It is 7 miles (11 km) west of Kendal and had a population of 3,814 in the 2011 Census.
The town's economy has long been tied to the lake. It was a small fishing village until the growth of tourism during the 19th century, aided by the arrival of the railway. Its tourist attractions today, other than the lake, include the World of Beatrix Potter, dedicated to the life of the children's author.
'Bowness' (originally 'Bulnes') means " 'the headland where the bull grazes', from Old English 'bula', 'bull' and OE 'næss', 'headland', perhaps referring to the keeping of the parish bull." The 'on-Windermere' part was added later (found on the Ordnance Survey map of 1899).
We did the cruise across Windermere when we visited last and didn't see the justification in spending a fortune to do so again.
We had a walk around town, well I hobbled with my ankle injury. I bought a walking pole to help take some of the weight of that ankle. Visited the Christmas shop, I know weird in the height of Summer!
A grammar school was founded in about 1600. A new building was opened in 1836, funded by local landowner John Bolton of Storrs Hall. The foundation stone was laid by William Wordsworth.
During the 19th century, Bowness grew from a small fishing village to a town living almost entirely off tourism and holiday homes. It was the centre of the boat-building industry that provided the sailing yachts, rowing boats and steam launches used on the lake. A large number of hotels and boarding houses gave employment to the permanent population of the town. Queen Adelaide visited Bowness in 1840, staying at the Royal Hotel. The arrival of the railway in 1847 in Windermere (the residents of Bowness had opposed a station in their own town) provided much of the momentum for the growth.
Bowness-on-Windermere became a civil parish in 1894 and an urban district council was formed for the town at the same time. In 1905, the council merged with that of Windermere, and the two civil parishes merged on 1 April 1974 under the name of Windermere. At the 1951 census (one of the last before the abolition of the parish), Bowness on Windermere had a population of 3345. The civil parish of Windermere and Bowness is governed by a town council, Windermere and Bowness Town Council.
We stopped at The Bluebird Café on the Bay, Mel and I had a cream tea and George opted for a Sausage butty.
Readers of Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series of books will recognise Bowness as the lakeside town of 'Rio'. The collection at the Windermere Steamboat Museum on Rayrigg Road includes TSSY Esperance, 1869; one of the iron steamboats on which Ransome modelled Captain Flint's houseboat. Bowness-on-Windermere is also home to The World of Beatrix Potter attraction, opened in July 1991 by Victoria Wood.
We walked on back towards the car and stopped briefly at the Amusement arcade here.
We sat by the Lake for a while, watching the water fowl and paddleboarders before walking back to the car.
We drove back to the Site but decided to stop off enroute to see Grange-Over-Sands.
We parked up in Main Street Car Park and walked out onto the Promenade with views across to Morecambe Bay.
Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, the town became administered as an urban district in 1894. Though the town remains part of the Duchy of Lancaster, since 2023 it has been administered as part of the Westmorland and Furness Council area.
We walked through town to visit the small supermarkets to get some supplies.
The town developed in the Victorian era from a small fishing village and the arrival of the railway in 1857 made it a popular seaside resort on the north side of Morecambe Bay, across the sands from Morecambe. The "over-Sands" suffix was added in the late 19th or early 20th century by the local vicar, who was fed up with his post going to Grange in Borrowdale near Keswick.
The River Kent used to flow past the town's mile-long promenade but its course migrated south, away from Grange. The sands or mudflats with dangerous quicksand became a grass meadow now grazed by small flocks of sheep. Following sustained easterly winds in the early part of 2007, the river began to switch its course back across the bay.
The clean, sea air and local spring water were believed to be of benefit to tuberculosis sufferers, and in 1891 one of the first sanatoriums in the country was established at Meathop.
We drove back to the site stopping off at the Fell Brewery that is just outside to grab some beers!
Wednesday 29th July 26 - Wasdale Head and Ritson's Force Lake District.
Today we drove about an hour and a half along some beautiful but interesting windy, bendy lanes to reach Wasdale. We parked in the Wasdale Lake Head Car park and walked off towards Wasdale Head Inn direction. I was last here years and years ago with my friend Steve to climb Scafell Pike.
We pass the Ritson's Bar next to the Wasdale Head Inn.
The Wasdale Head Inn is in a spectacular setting at the head of remote Wastwater, the deepest lake in the Lake District. The peaks behind the inn are the Pillar and Kirk Fell and nearby is Scafell Pike, the highest mountain in England. This famous climber’s pub has slate floored bars, one basic for muddy boots and another with wood panelled walls. The pub is known as the birthplace of climbing and the photos of early climbers are remarkable.
A previous landlord, the climber Will Ritson, now has a bar named after him. He was known for his tall tales and inspired the annual World’s Biggest Liar competition, now held at the Bridge Inn further down the valley.
The accommodation includes bedrooms, self catering apartments and the pub’s own campsite. Food is available until 8pm and six changing beers are served.
We take a path behind Ritson's Bar to walk up and see Ritson's Force.
We pass a beautiful packhorse bridge that spans the Mosedale Beck. The bridge is made from local stone and is covered in moss and ferns.
We follow the Mosedale Beck as it bubbles along, such a tranquil sound.
Mosedale Beck is a stream in Cumbria which runs into Wast Water, which is the deepest lake in England.
Mosedale Beck rises in Little Scoat Fell, it then flows south west until it reaches Ritson's Force waterfall. It then turns to the south and flows through the hamlet of Wasdale Head. It then flows through Down-in-the-Dale before it empties into Wast Water near the parallel Lingmell Beck.
We continue to walk up and it is now rising up above the beck. We can hear Ritson's Force nearby, I am beginning to think that this path isn't going to lead us to the waterfall as it is heading away from the beck.
We ask a walker coming from the opposite direction and he confirms we should have taken the path on the other side of the packhorse bridge. It isn't obvious on the map, so we track back.
The mile and a half each way easy walk as my ankle is still in pain is now much longer, and isnt tough going downhill on it.
We are back at the Inn, we stop to use the toilet before we take the correct path.
One of Ritson's most famous fibs was that turnips grew so large in the Lake District that people carved them out to make cow sheds.
In 2003, Abrie Krueger of South Africa was named the world's biggest liar after telling a story about how he was crowned King of the Wasdale Valley. This marked the first time that a foreigner had won the competition, which was marked with allegations of Krueger having cheated. A Bishop of Carlisle was supposed to have once won the competition with the shortest-ever speech; he simply said, "I have never told a lie in my life."
Comedian Sue Perkins won the competition in 2006, marking the first time in the event's history that a woman won the competition. Her winning tall tale was about how the ozone layer became damaged, ice caps melted and people had to be taken to work on camels.
In 2008, John "Johnny Liar" Graham won the competition for the seventh time after telling the judges a story of a magical ride to Scotland in a wheelie bin that went under the sea. The previous year Graham's winning lie was that a World War II German submarine had invaded Britain to capture digital television decoders.
Paul Burrows from Essex won the competition in 2010. He told a story of how the lakes and mountains of the Cumbrian countryside had been stolen from the county of Essex, leaving it as flat as it is today.
The 2011 winner was Glen Boylan. His story involved betting on a snail race with Prince Charles (who advised him to remove the shell to make it more aerodynamic) and losing because his opponents cheated with battery-operated snails.
2013 saw Mike Naylor win for the third time of his Lying career. Naylor, a 57-year-old man from Wasdale told a story about Wassie, the monster that lives in Wastwater, the local lake. He is the nephew of Joss Naylor, better known as a fell runner, but himself also a former winner of the competition.
In 2019, Phillip Gate from Workington won with a story about how Cumbria is rich not only in coal deposits but also sugar, which is the reason for the county's large jam production.
We walk on along the correct path after crossing the bridge and it is an easy enough walk.
After a short while we reach Ritson's Force down in amongst a woodland area.
We climb down to see it in all its glory.
Ritson's Force is a set of waterfalls in the valley of Mosedale, in the English Lake District.
It is also the river that leads past the Wasdale Head Inn and the Great Gable Brewing Company. The hills nearby include Sca Fell and Scafell Pike, England's two highest mountains, and Great Gable, home to British climbing.
Named after the storyteller Will Ritson who was the first landlord of The Wasdale Head Inn. Will Ritson was a well known local character famous for his tall tales who was born in 1808 on a farm in Wasdale Head. He was known for playing all sorts of tricks on people and telling convincing stories to locals and ‘off comers’ (visitors). Some Tales of his were of turnips that were mined and were so big that they were scoured out and used as sheep pens. Foxhounds were crossed with eagles, and could fly over the higher Lakeland walls.
I found and tried out the Long Exposure mode on my Pixel 9 phone, happy with the results giving the waterfall a soft and silky white blur.
These clear bubbling falls are a peaceful retreat just 5 minutes from the pub. At the back of the pub there is a small stone bridge over the beck and a path, follow this up the slope and you will see some trees on your right and a kissing gate, go through here and you will see the small force.
The water was a little chilly but you quickly got used to it
Not much more to say, so sorry but its just a phot dump of this beautiful fall for a bit.
I walk up a bit and there is another section of falls lower down.
We walk back the way we came up.
It really is stunning scenery here.
Back at the Inn again, we stop at the small café here for hot chocolate and a snack.
We then decide to visit the St Olaf's Church before heading back to the car.
St Olaf's Church in Wasdale Head, Cumbria, is England's smallest parish church. The earliest record of a church on this site is from 1550, though it is likely that there was an earlier church on this site.
The church was dedicated to St Olaf in 1977, before which it had no name. The rector at that time, the Reverend Raymond Bowers, had friends in Norway, and it was he who suggested the name. A guide to the church and the Wasdale valley, The Vikings: Wasdale Head and Their Church, is available in the Barn Door Shop at Wasdale Head.
The church has long been associated with British climbers. The south window has a small pane within it with an etching of Napes Needle on Great Gable. A well-attended silence is kept every year on Remembrance Sunday at 11 am.
The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building. The parish of Wasdale Head is within the Calder deanery of the Diocese of Carlisle.
The church is one of three in the Parish of Gosforth & Wasdale, the other two being St Mary's Church, Gosforth and St Michael & All Angels, Nether Wasdale. The Rector is John Riley, assisted by his ordained wife, Lesley, and curate Alison. The churchwardens in 2020 are Andrew Lopez and Hugh Foulerton.
The church is usually open to visitors each day, and attracts many thousands of visitors each year from around the globe: in 2019 12,500 visitors from 43 countries and 7 of the 8 continents (the eighth continent being Antarctica). As well as a Visitors Book at the back of the church, a Prayer Book is kept near the front where Prayer Requests may be written. The Book is read regularly and acknowledged by ministers, people and situations are then prayed for. These are usually also included at the next Service. Services are usually held at 11.30am on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month, feathering in with services at Nether Wasdale Church (at the other end of the Lake) on the 1st and 3rd Sundays.
We leave St Olaf's and walk back to the car, we drive along and stop by Wast Water, Engalnds deepest lake to take some photos.
Wast Water in the Lake District, featuring Scafell Pike and the dramatic Wast Water Screes. It is England's deepest lake at 258 feet (79 metres).
We take the long drive back and I relax with a beer from the Local Fell Brewery.
Thursday 30th July 26 - Lancaster, Lancashire
We decided to make a visit to Lancaster and drove just under an hour to reach there.
We parked up at the Dallas Road Car Park and walked up the road to the Lancaster Castle.
I was surprised to see HMP Lancaster Castle, I had no idea it was a prison! We book tickets for a tour at £9 each!
Lancaster Castle is a medieval castle and former prison in Lancaster in the English county of Lancashire. Its early history is unclear, but it is most likely to have been founded in 1092-4 on the site of a Roman fort overlooking a crossing of the River Lune. In 1164 the Honour of Lancaster, including the castle, came under royal control. In 1322 and 1389 the Scots invaded England, progressing as far as Lancaster and damaging the castle. It was not to see military action again until the English Civil War. The castle was first used as a prison in 1196 although this aspect became more important during the English Civil War. The castle buildings are owned by the British sovereign as Duke of Lancaster; part of the structure is used to host sittings of the Crown Court.
Until 2011 the majority of the buildings were leased to the Ministry of Justice as HM Prison Lancaster, after which the castle was returned to the Duchy's management. The castle is now open to the public seven days a week and is undergoing a large-scale refurbishment. There is a large sweeping public piazza, allowing access to the cloistered area, renovated in 2019. A new section of the café has been built, against the old outer curtain wall, which was reduced in height to afford views of the neighbouring Lancaster Priory. This is the first 21st-century addition to the castle. Another renovated building adjoining the café is leased to Lancaster University as a campus in the city with small conference facilities.
Between 60 and 73 AD, a Roman fort was built at Lancaster on a hill commanding a crossing over the River Lune. Little is known about Lancaster between the end of the Roman occupation of England in the early 5th century and the Norman Conquest in the late 11th century. The layout of the town was influenced by the Roman fort and the associated civilian settlement; the main road through the town was the route that led east from the fort. After the Norman conquest of England in the second half of the 11th century, Lancaster was part of the Earldom of Northumbria; it was claimed by the kings of England and Scotland. In 1092, William II established a permanent border with Scotland further to the north by capturing Carlisle. It is generally thought that Lancaster Castle was founded in the 1090s on the site of the Roman fort in a strategic location. The castle is the oldest standing building in Lancaster and one of the most important. The history of the structure is uncertain. This is partly due to its former use as a prison, which has prevented extensive archaeological investigation.
On the death of Henry II, the Honour passed to his son, Richard the Lionheart, who gave it to his brother, Prince John, in the hope of securing his loyalty. One of the functions castles served was as a prison; the first record of the castle being used in this way was in 1196, although the role became much more important after the English Civil War. Since the 12th century, the monarch appointed a sheriff to maintain the peace in Lancashire, a role usually filled by the duke and based at the castle. In the late 12th and early 13th century, many timber castles founded during the Norman Conquest were rebuilt in stone. Lancaster was one such castle. Building in stone was expensive and time-consuming. For example, the late 12th-century stone keep at Peveril Castle in Derbyshire cost around £200, although something on a much larger scale, such as the vast Château Gaillard cost an estimated £15,000 to £20,000 and took several years to complete. For many castles, the expenditure is unknown. However, work on royal castles was often documented in Pipe Rolls, which began in 1155. The Rolls show that John spent over £630 on digging a ditch outside Lancaster's south and west walls, and for the construction of "the King's lodgings". This probably referred to what is now known as Adrian's Tower. His successor, Henry III also spent large sums on Lancaster: £200 in 1243 and £250 in 1254 for work on the gatehouse and creating a stone curtain wall.
For the next 150 years, there is no record of building work, although accounts are incomplete. The Well Tower is thought to date from the early 14th century. If there was no work on the castle, this may indicate that it was not important enough to warrant expenditure beyond upkeep, as Lancaster was not near a border. Though the region was generally peaceful, the Scots invaded in 1322 and 1389, reaching Lancaster and damaging the castle. The holdings of the Duchy of Lancaster extended beyond the county, and Lancaster was not especially important. However, when Henry Duke of Lancaster ascended the throne as King Henry IV in 1399, he almost immediately began adding the monumental gatehouse. A further devastation of the town, as had been inflicted in 1389, would have been an embarrassment for the new king; his expensive programme of building at the castle helped protect against this. The gatehouse Henry replaced was probably a simple structure, no more than a passage between two towers, but the rebuilt structure rivalled the keep as the strongest part of the castle. Records show that between 1402 and 1422, the year Henry V died, over £2,500 was spent on building work. While most of this sum would have been spent on the gatehouse, some may have been used to make alterations to the top storey of the keep. Since then, the castle has remained in the ownership of the Crown.
After the Scottish invasion of 1389, Lancaster saw no further military action until the English Civil War. A survey in 1578 led to repairs to the keep costing £235. With the threat of a Spanish invasion, the castle was strengthened in 1585. After Elizabeth I was excommunicated in 1570, she retaliated by declaring Roman Catholic priests guilty of high treason. Any discovered in Lancashire were taken to Lancaster Castle for trial. During the period 1584-1646 fifteen Catholics were executed in Lancaster for their faith. The notorious Pendle witches trial took place at Lancaster Castle in 1612.
At the outbreak of the Civil War Lancaster was lightly garrisoned. A small Parliamentarian force captured the castle in February 1643, established a garrison and set about building earthworks around the approaches to the town. In response, the Royalists dispatched an army to retake Lancaster. The outer defences fell in March; a siege of the castle lasted just two days as Parliamentarian reinforcements were heading to Lancaster from Preston. The Royalists unsuccessfully tried to recapture Lancaster in April and again in June; the town and castle remained under Parliament's control until the end of the war. Orders were given that "all the walls about [Lancaster Castle] should be thrown down". The instruction was not followed, and in August 1648 the town withstood a siege from the Royalist Duke of Hamilton who led an army south from Scotland. King Charles was executed in January 1649 and shortly after Parliament again ordered the slighting of the castle, apart from buildings necessary for administration and use as a county gaol. The monarchy was restored in 1660, and Charles II visited Lancaster on 12 August and released all the prisoners held in the castle. Lancashire's High Sheriff and Justices of the Peace petitioned the king to repair the castle. The buildings were surveyed and repair work estimated at £1,957. After the slighting of the castle, including the demolition of the Well Tower, it was militarily redundant.
We were taken into the female cell block for a look about and a talk.
Lancaster Castle's Female Penitentiary, constructed between 1818 and 1821 in Lancaster, England, is recognized for being one of the world's first female-only penitentiaries. Designed by architect Joseph Gandy, it utilized Jeremy Bentham’s innovative “panopticon” system to continuously observe inmates from a central control point.
The five-floor circular building was designed to enforce strict labour-saving surveillance and segregation. While the penitentiary's layout sought a progressive approach to isolation and reform, the extreme confinement and constant observation were notoriously harsh. The historic grounds continued to operate as a prison for men and saw court activity until 2011, after which the complex was transformed into a heritage site and educational centre.
Between 1931 and 1937 the castle was used by the county council to train police officers. Lancaster was once again designated for use as a prison from 1954 onwards when the council leased the castle to the Home Office. The last Assizes were held at Lancaster in 1972. As the court and prison were so close, and contained within the castle walls, Lancaster was used for high-security trials.
The castle formally opened as HM Prison Lancaster in 1955, becoming a Category C prison for male inmates, and a venue for the Crown Court. In July 2010 the Ministry of Justice announced it was intending to close it, stating it was outdated and costly. The prison closure was confirmed for March 2011.
We were then taken on a tour of the courtrooms, but under English Law no photos can be taken. There was a noose in the final room that was the last used there for hangings.
The Crown Court continues to sit at the castle. Closure of the prison will eventually allow the castle to be opened to visitors and tourists as a permanent attraction. In the meantime, while access to the keep, towers, battlements and dungeons is currently denied to visitors, the castle operates limited guided tours seven days a week. The Castle Courtyard opened to the public seven days a week in May 2013 and now has a cafe, NICE @ The Castle and regular events now take place every month. The Lancashire Police Museum, housed within A Wing of the former prison, opened in June 2022.
To commemorate the 400th anniversary of the trials of the Pendle witches, a new long-distance walking route called the Lancashire Witches Walk has been created. Ten tercet way markers, designed by Stephen Raw, each inscribed with a verse of a poem by Carol Ann Duffy have been installed along the route, with the tenth located here, to mark the end-point.
We leave the castle after a very interesting and fantastic guide and look outside the grounds.
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| View up to the Aston Memorial. |
We have a stroll around Lancaster and its shops.
This white memorial is part of Lancashire Witches walk, a 51 mile trail commemorating the 1612 Pendle Witch Trials. The walk traces the journey from Barrowford where the wiotches lived to Lancaster Castle where they were tried and hung up on the hill.
The Pendle witch trials of 1612 were among the most famous and well-documented English witch trials, centering on twelve accused people from Lancashire charged with the murder of ten individuals using witchcraft.
The Accused and the Trials
The Families: The accusations primarily involved two rival local families headed by aging matriarchs—Elizabeth Southerns (known as Demdike) and Anne Whittle (known as Chattox)—who made a living offering folk healing and protection.
The Spark: Tensions boiled over in March 1612 after Demdike’s granddaughter, Alison Device, cursed a Halifax peddler named John Law when he refused to give her pins. Law suffered a stroke-like collapse, and Alison later confessed and blamed her rivals.
The Key Witness: Nine-year-old Jennet Device (Alison's sister) provided the core testimony that damned her own mother, brother, sister, and other neighbours during the
August 1612 assizes at Lancaster Castle. [
Outcomes and Legacy
The Verdict: Out of eleven individuals who went to trial, ten were found guilty and hanged on Gallows Hill in Lancaster on August 20, 1612; one died in prison beforehand, and one was acquitted.
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| Lancaster City Museum |
Built between 1781 and 1783, this grand, neo-classical Georgian building features a distinctive Tuscan portico and cupola. Today, it showcases the region’s archaeology, the King's Own Royal Regiment Museum, and fine art.
We walked down to the River Lune to find St Georges Quay. But there was nothing of any interest there so we made our way back into town.
Back at the car we drove up to Williamson Park and parked up here.
Home to the iconic Ashton Memorial and 54 acres of park and woodland, with spectacular views across Morecambe Bay to the Lake District fells.
We pass the ornamental lake on our way to see the Ashton Memorial.
We reach the Ashton Memorial and climb the many step up.
The Ashton Memorial is a folly in Williamson Park, Lancaster, Lancashire, England, built between 1907 and 1909 by the millionaire industrialist Lord Ashton in memory of his second wife, Jessy, at a cost of £87,000 (equivalent to £8.2 million in 2025).
At around 150 feet (50 m) tall, it dominates the Lancaster skyline and is visible for many miles around, and has views of the surrounding area including Morecambe Bay. The building is in the Edwardian Baroque style and was designed by John Belcher. It has been described as "England's grandest folly" and the "Taj Mahal of the North". The dome is externally of copper, the main stone used is Portland stone; however, the steps are of hard-wearing granite from Cornwall.
The external stonework is hung on a steel frame as found in modern buildings and only forms a weatherproof covering without being loadbearing. In recent times this steelwork has caused problems for the conservation of the building. Externally around the dome are sculptures representing "Commerce", "Science", "Industry" and "Art" by Herbert Hampton, who was also responsible for the design of the Queen Victoria Memorial, Lancaster commissioned by James Williamson, 1st Baron Ashton the previous year. The interior of the dome has allegorical paintings of "Commerce", "Art" and "History" by George Murray, and tressed quaylin spools inspired by Islamic architecture. The floor is of white, black and red marble.
Today, the memorial serves as an exhibition space on the upper floor and a venue for concerts and weddings.
The Ashton Memorial stands coincidentally close to the mathematical centre point of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, excluding the Isle of Man. See Centre points of the United Kingdom.
There was a wedding being held there today.
Just behind is a butterfly house if you wish to pay to enter.
An Edwardian palm house, now home to hundreds of exotic butterflies and birds.
We make our way back to the car and drove back to the Haven Lakeland Site.
This was our last day and was driving home on the Friday the 31st, a nice short break away!
