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)

Lots to look forward to in the Lakes this Summer

We've got lots to look forward to in the Lakes this summer. Storm Desmond is gone but not forgotten, making us even more grateful to have our traditional summer events to look forward to. Back in December's dark days, it was hard to imagine that life would return to the normal , but here we are in July feeling optimistic. (We'll ignore all the political rumblings and upheavals and concentrate on the things close to hand.)

First up, this coming Thursday, 28 July , is Ambleside Sports, held a mile down the road from White Moss, in Rydal Park. Guests staying at our Grasmere holiday cottage, Brockstone Grasmere Cottage can amble along the Coffin Route from the door of the cottage to the Sports field. It takes about 20 minutes, along the old path, taking in the views of Rydal Water and the Lakeland Fells.

Brockstone Cottage overlooking  Rydal Water

Ambleside Sports is a great day out for all the family, whatever the weather. See hound trails, Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling, Fell Running, Races, Cycling and much more.

At the end of the week the Lake District Summer Music Festival begins. Amazing music held in beautiful venues around the Lakes from 30 July -12 August 2016. Watch the promotional video and get your diary out. LDSM video

Our cottage is already fully booked for these weeks, but we do have last minute availability for the week beginning Saturday 27 August. We've reduced the rate from £890 to £790. Here's the link to our ad on HomeAway, and this is the link to our Brockstone Grasmere Cottage website, which is written by me, so not extremely slick, but hopefully informative.

I'll be writing more about Lakeland Summer events, so please come back to visit again.

The A591 road from Grasmere to Keswick has reopened

We can't let today pass without a blog post, as this is a Red Letter, Super Duper day for all of us who live in the Lakes, and for the many visitors who come to this most beautiful area every year.

Closed since Storm Desmond on 5 December 2015, this vital link road has been sorely missed.

These photos from the twitter feed of Highways England show the before and after of our road, with the area that became known as "The Gap" shown on the left.

The happy picture below is from the Grasmere Village Facebook page

Grasmere school children campaigned very effectively to make their voices heard, and they were there to cut the tape at the official opening, today, Wednesday 11 May 2016, at 8.30 am.

Oh Happy Day!