Exciting Times in Grasmere coming up

You may think of Grasmere as a sleepy rural backwater, but for the next 10 days those of us who are lucky enough to live here will be hosting visitors from around the world to a series of great events.


On Sunday, 28 August the world famous Grasmere Sports and Show has its big day. Fell races, wrestling, hound trails, stalls, demos, a band..... a full day's entertainment . It's been going for over 150 years. Don't miss Grasmere Sports this Sunday!

The following weekend sees the return of the Grasmere Guzzler Beer Festival, now in its 10th year. Held at Tweedies, Dale Lodge, this free event is a huge draw. There are lots of wonderful craft beers and ciders, great live music, good food and a wonderful atmosphere. Starting on Friday Saturday 2 September, until Sunday 4 September ( by which time many of the beers will have been drunk dry) this is a great event. We love it! Check out their Facebook Page here  for more information.

As if that wasn't enough, the next day, Monday 5 September, sees the Tour Of Britain Cycle race head into Grasmere, where there is a sprint finish. This is around 2pm, so get into the village in good time to enjoy this top event. There will be 3 Team GB Olympic Medallists zooming though if you can spot them- Sir Bradley Wiggins, Owain Doull and Mark Cavenidish, along with other top road race stars from around the world.

So there you have it- 3 great events coming to Grasmere very soon.

PS- there is one smaller event which also promises to be an interesting evening. On Wednesday 31 August, Jenn Ashworth comes to the Tithe Barn , Grasmere ( opposite the church) at 8pm to talk about and read from her latest novel, Fell. This is what the Guardian says about this book- pretty impressive. Organised by Sam Reads famous bookshop, Grasmere  this is a free event , well worth a visit if you can make it.

Who reads my blog?

Who reads my blog? The surprising answer this week is that people in Saudi Arabia have been reading my Lake District blog in their hundreds. I've no idea why, and it seems like a one day spike, but thank you Saudi readers.

News from the Lakes is that this summer has seen an influx of visitors, with many of the shops, hotels and tourist attractions reporting high volumes of trade. After the desolation of Storm Desmond this is very welcome, and it's a credit to all those who have spread the message that the Lake District and the whole of Cumbria is open for business and looking forward to welcoming visitors.

If you haven't visited the Lakes for a few years you would notice some changes. The landscape obviously remains the same, but there are subtle changes in the towns and villages. Our son, (who grew up here) was recently visiting from London, and commented on the plethora of excellent new cafés, delicatessens featuring wonderful local produce, bars with local craft beers, shops selling proper local crafts ( not tat or tut), musical events, theatre and a general good buzz about the area.

If you have a week free from 27 August, you can still book to stay at Brockstone, our Grasmere cottage with amazing views. This week has bee reduced from £890 to £790 for last minute bookings. The added bonus is that you would be able to visit Grasmere Sports on Sunday, 28 August. 

 The ground floor of the cottage has been completely refurbished this year- here are a few taster pictures.

and the kitchen is new too

If you can't fit a break in in August, our next available dates are from 8 October. October half term and New Year are already booked, but we have other dates free throughout the winter, when we are happy to offer short breaks rather than the usual one week stay.

Is Brockstone Cottage the most perfect Lake District Holiday Cottage? Amazing views, traditional cottage, away from neighbours yet within a mile of Grasmere village , all modern conveniences, yet still retaining the special characteristics of a 200 year old cottage................ ? We think it's pretty special, and so do our guests.

We were delighted when the lovely guests who stayed last week told us "we have stayed in many cottage over the years, and Brockstone is without doubt the best we have ever stayed in"

You can find Brockstone Grasmere Cottage on Facebook, and on the HomeAway website (you won't now find us on Holiday Lettings/Trip Advisor as they are very keen to persuade guests to book via their site and charge them extra for that- we don't like that policy so we've pulled out)

Grasmere Sports, Grasmere Guzzler Beer Festival and Westmorland County Show

Summer is coming to an end, which will be a sort of relief, as our expectations of warm sunny days will have gone, which means that we can put the disappointment of this cold wet summer behind us. How many of us have opened the BBC weather app this year hoping that somewhere along the line we would see a run of "22 and sunny" days, only to be met by "17, some rain" type forecasts?

As we head into Autumn, 3 of my favourite Lakeland events are on the way.

On Sunday 30 August it's Grasmere Sports Day, a day full of traditional Lakeland sports such as Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling and Fell races. There is food, there is a beer tent, there are stalls selling all sorts of stuff and there is fun for all. Lets hope the weather is kind.

The following weekend it's the Grasmere Guzzler Beer Festival at Tweedies. This great event is now in its 9th year and is loved by locals and visitors. Lots of beers and ciders, great music, BBQ, lots of chat and catching up with friends all on our doorstep. Brilliant. Its 4, 5 and 6 September this year, Friday, Saturday , Sunday. Be warned, by Sunday your choices of beer will probably be limited, and the favourite barrels will have been drunk dry!

On Thursday 10 September it's the Westmorland County Show at the county showground, Crooklands, Kendal. This is a wonderful event. If you're a fan of Countryfile you'll have a good idea about what to expect from a County Show. Our Westmorland County Show does not disappoint. There's a huge range of animals up for judging, horse and pony competitions, country skills, a huge WI show tent, and amazing range of local food to enjoy, and of course, there are beer tents too.Yes, there will be a queue to get in and out of the venue, but it's worth it.

Here are some photos taken by me on a visit to the Westmorland County Show in 2010.

Pig Judging Westmorland Show

Carriage Driving Westmorland Show

WI tent Westmorland Show

If you fancy a last minute visit to the lakes to sample the Beer Festival and the County Show, our Grasmere Cottage with amazing views is available for a week from 5 September. We're very surprised that this week has not been let, but we hope someone will take advantage of our offer of £200 off the usual rate of £790. Yes, for just £590 you can stay in this 5* cottage for a peak week. Can you or someone you know take advantage of our Grasmere Special Offer?

Great reviews for our Lakes holiday cottage.

We had a delightful family from Holland staying at the cottage for the last two weeks. They arrived at the same time as ex hurricane Bertha, and the weather has been on the cool side and a little rainy for their stay-not like the glorious heatwave we had earlier.

Nevertheless, they said they had had a fantastic time, loved the cottage, and in fact the son had declared it his "best holiday ever!" Lovely!

The previous guests were also very kind, posting superb reviews . You can read their lyrical review here. They say that Brockstone Cottage is "the most wonderful cottage in the Lakes" Isn't that a lovely heading to read?

It's Grasmere Sports today- sunny and fine . Should be an entertaining day for visitors and locals.

We had a cancellation at our cottage for the week 20 - 27 September. The week was £750, but we've reduced it to £650 now if you are able to take up a last minute booking. There's already an autumnal nip in the air. September is such a beautiful month in the lakes. Plus, the crowds have thinned out, the children are back at school- perfect. Can you take advantage of our special offer?

Here's a photo taken on one of the many walks from the door. This is from the Alcock Tarn path looking down on Grasmere, taken on a winter's day. This view could be on your doorstep .....