Vale of Rydal Sheep Dog Trials and Hound Show- Thursday 15 August 2013

If you're in the Lakes this Thursday, you've got the chance to visit the Rydal Show. Set in the Vale of Rydal, on the Sports Field, this is the 110th Rydal Show. See the sheepdogs rounding up sheep and getting them round a course of gates. It's brilliant.

If you love dogs, and you love traditional Lakeland activities, this is a great day out. You can walk to the show from White Moss House in about 30 minutes, or catch the bus. (You can also drive and park of course) We have room 3 available for one night on the Thursday, and Room 4 is free all week if you would like to stay here.You can find our rates and special offers here.

We have now filled the August week at our Grasmere holiday cottage. The next available week is 7 September. We do have a 2 night break available on Saturday and Sunday, 14 and 15 September, at the rate of £250. This is a rare chance to enjoy this lovely cottage for a two night stay at a very attractive rate. (usually we ask for a 3 night minimum stay)

This picture of a Herdwick Sheep is thank to Moy Williams and Cumbria Tourism. It may not be used without permission.

These local Lakeland sheep will try their best to outwit the sheepdogs at Rydal Show!

 You can find out more about Herdwick Sheep here.

Sunshine, snow , daffodils and special Lake District offers

The snow is still here, but so is the sun. It's cold but lovely, though not the temperature we had last year when the daffodils were over in about a week, as the temps were around 20C.

Daffodils at our holiday cottage, Brockstone with views over Rydal Water

This year the early daffodils are in deep freeze, and it will be weeks before all the daffodils are out unless there is a sudden heatwave. I took the photo above yesterday, as we swept the steps at Brockstone Holiday Cottage, Grasmere clear of snow.

Rydal Water from Brockstone Cottage

Here's another that I took, looking down over Rydal Water. The gate is on the "coffin route" between Rydal and Grasmere. You can find more details of this walk by clicking through this link for the walk round Rydal Water.

Some of you may already follow us on twitter- we're @whitemosshouse if you'd like to see what we're up to today.

Keep up to date with all our special offers by following this blog and twitter. We've just reduced rates for the cottage in April, and there are special 3 night rates at White Moss House- 4 star bed and breakfast in a Wordsworth House

The new path though White Moss woods

Gone are the rocks, the tricky steps, the water, the mud, and in its place is a smooth super-highway.
This is supposedly for wheelchair access, but as there's a tricky bridge at the start of the path, and the narrow kissing gate at the end, that's not going to be easy ( plus, it's quite steep)

Local opinion is unsure - some people think this is just making the paths too  bland. We certainly hope that they won't tear the ancient kissing gate apart and replace it with a wide wooden gate as they are thinking of doing.

They ( the Lake District National Park) are also thinking about carving a path through the big rock that sticks out into Rydal Water- the one you have to walk over when the lake is high. Locals view the idea that the rock mught be blasted away with horror!

Anyway, this is what the path looks like now when you come off  Loughrigg terrace or the Rydal Water path, go through the kssing gate and into White Moss woods to walk back to White Moss House .

New path through White Moss Woods

The muddy area on the left is where the old path went. There were steep, uneven steps, that were very wet and in winter they became icy and very tricky. All the rocks have been taken out, and that area will be grass. The new path curves round by the wall, and you get a new view of Rydal Water ( you can just see Rydal Water in the background)

Here's the Kissing Gate at the entrance to White Moss Woods- must they widen it?

We're only open for guests at White Moss House until 5 November this year, but if you can get away this week you can see the new walk, enjoy the autumn colours, all at great rates. Click here to see our special offers, or email sue@whitemoss.com, or ring 015394 35295.

Walk from White Moss House to Silver Howe

Yesterday was a brilliant autumn days in the Lakes, so we took the chance to scoot up Silver Howe. It's one of the many great walks you can do from our door.

Starting off through White Moss Woods, we met the National Trust wardens who are improving the path there. Whilst taking to them, we all saw a lovely red squirrel, then a huge stag appeared, with enormous antlers. Apparently it was bellowing like mad first thing in the morning. It's that rutting time of year, as all us fans of Autumn Watch know.

We then walked along Loughrigg Terrace, across the Red Bank Road and over to Silver Howe. Here's the cairn on the top.

Looking at Grasmere and Rydal Water from the top of Silver Howe

We then headed off down to Grasmere via Sting's house ( he wasn't there- I've yet to see him) and Allan Bank , enjoyed a drink in the sunny garden at Tweedies, then hopped on the bus back to White Moss. I know, we could have walked back easily, but we had to get back to welcome our latest guests.

The trees really are looking great, and they've got several weeks of fantastic colour still to go- one good thing about the wet year we've had.If you can spare a few days, it's a great time to visit. Check out our special rates - we'd love to see you! Here's the link to our Grasmere offers page.

More red squirrel sightings

In the last week we've seen a red squirrel twice in the same spot, on the old road just above the White Moss Quarry car park, ( just up from where Mark, the ice cream man, has had his van for well over 30 years)

I'm taking my camera with me everytime I go that way now, in the hope that I'll finally be able to get my own red squirrel photo. I've either not had my camera with me, or when they've been in the garden, I've rushed for the camera only to find the squirrel has run off.

Guests have sometimes seen the red squirrel too- you might be lucky. This time in the autumn they're out  looking for food to store. If you want to stay with us in October, from Sunday to Thursday night, we are offering FREE NIGHTS! Stay 3 nights and have a 4th night bed and breakfast free. You can check our website for details, http://whitemoss.com/special-offers.htm.

Stone on the top of Sheffield Pike overlooking Ullswater

 

Here's an unusual Lake District photo to you. This inscribed stone is on the top of Sheffield Pike, which has great views over Ullswater. Wainwright wasn't a big fan of Sheffield Pike, but we like it, as it's always quiet and the views are great. Drive about 25 minutes from White Moss, park on the west side of Ullswater, and take this lovely walk past the quaintly named Seldom Seen onto the tops for a great autumn hike.