Daffodils at Brockstone Cottage Grasmere

The daffodils at Brockstone Cottage have been beautiful this year. Grasmere is famous for daffodils, thanks to William Wordsworth who often walked past our cottage back in the days when it was two cottages owned by the Le Fleming family of Rydal Hall, who used the cottages for their estate workers.

Bench in Brockstone Garden

 Here is a pretty bench set in the corner of Brockstone garden. From the bench you can look down on the footpath below. You can see the gate on the "coffin route" through which many people walk every day on their hike between Grasmere and Rydal. The view from the bench is in the picture below.

Looking down from Brockstone garden to the path below, with views over Rydal Water

Turn the other way, and look up the hill. More daffodils. Brockstone garden extends as far as the fence you can see, and beyond that there is fellside, leading on to the side of Nab Scar fell.

Brockstone garden looking uphill from the bench- full of daffodils

 Brockstone Grasmere Cottage has a wild woodland garden. In March , this is absolutely full of daffodils. Guests are very welcome to pick them and take a big bunch home at the end of their week in the cottage.

Brockstone garden from the side window in the four poster master bedroom

The picture above is taken through the side window of the master bedroon at Brockstone Cottage. The bedroom has a fourposter bed.From the front window of both bedrooms you see Rydal Water and the hills over towards Grasmere. On a clear day you can see the Coniston Fells.

View from Brockstone bedroom of Rydal Water

If you want to see daffodils at Brockstone Grasmere cottage you'll have to wait until 2018. However, we can offer you bluebells . The week of 22-29 April is still available, and in past years this week has been a great week for bluebells. The woods around Brockstone of full of these beautiful flowers. You can see pictures if you scroll back through this blog. 

Even better news is that we've reduced that week from £790 to £650 for last minute bookings. Can you come? Can you take advantage of this special offer?  Do you know someone who might like a week in this lovely spot? We'd love to hear from you.

Rydal reflections- as described by Wordsworth

These are lines from William Wordsworth about Rydal Water

"Like a fair sister of the sky
Unruffled doth the blue lake lie
The mountains looking on..."

Here's a photo I took on my phone on this glorious morning-

Rydal Water- perfect reflections on a November morning

I think you can see what Wordsworth meant. The sky and the lake were a perfect blue. What a day! The snowy tops of the Grasmere Fells can be seen in the background.

Here are a few more pictures from my short walk around Rydal Water. More about this walk can be found on this webpage which I wrote some time ago.

Rydal Water reflectios with the Fairfield Ridge in the background on a crisp November morning

The contrast between the sunny side of Rydal Water and the frosty side this morning- the sheep are on the cold side!

White Moss woods- the sun peeps through at the start of this morning's walk.

All these photos were taken on my simple mobile. You can see why photographers so love this area. If you start with such great raw material, add a really good camera and some professional skill, you can produce really wonderful photos.

The guests who are staying at our Grasmere holiday cottage, Brockstone at the moment are from the USA. They asked in advance what the weather might be like. I suggested it might, perhaps, be a little rainy in November.....oh ye of little faith! It's sun, sun ,sun all the way in the Lakes...long may it last!

White Moss Common plan refused! Great News!

The Lake District National Park planning committee has today turned down the application to build a "Welcome Hub" on White Moss Common.

The plan was the idea of the Lowther Estate who manage the land, and was actually supported by the LDNP planning officer, but the committee rejected it by 12 votes to 2.

We are very, very happy, not just because this lovely area (White Moss) is right on our doorstep at White Moss House ( the name's a bit of a giveaway), but because this would have set a precedent . There has been no new building ( apart from a very small toilet block ) anywhere in this area for generations. We have to protect this area for future generations.

Something very special has been preserved today. Our voices have been heard. I think we might have a glass of something to celebrate tonight. Trying to channel "What Would Wordsworth Do?" see Polly Atkin's brilliant blog on this by clicking here. Possibly a glass of claret?

Here a picture of the area on a winter's day. The "Hub" would have been on the left of this picture.

The beautiful, unspoilt White Moss and River Rothay on a winter's day. Saved today. Thank you.

Special Lake District Offers for Half Term Week.

It's not too late to get a bargain break in the Lake this half term. If you have a day or two free from now until 3 November, you could take advantage of our Autumn Special Offers.

The weather forecast is for sunshine and showers. It doesn't look like "the Big Storm" is going to reach the Lakes. You'll be able to get out for walks from the door, enjoying the wonderful colours on the trees. They are putting on a magnificent show right now. You'll then be able to relax by the fire in the Wordsworth lounge, maybe playing a game of Scrabble, or hammering out a tune on the grand piano.

Guests who left today thoroughly enjoyed their stay and said "we'll never forget your wonderful lounge and the fact that you serve Lapsang Souchong tea as an option at breakfast- no other place we've stayed can match that!"

We close for our winter break on 3 November, so please ring or email us asap to take advantage of our last minute offers. One night stays accepted any night this week, including Saturday.

We've got rooms available this weekend.

I can't believe we're not fully booked this weekend! The weather is pretty good for October, and the trees are looking great. We're offering two nights B & B for two guests from £149, which includes tea and our home made Lakeland tea bread on arrival, and full English breakfast each day.

We have a large lounge ( the Wordsworth Lounge) with log fire, books, games and a piano for you to use anytime you like. You may even be able to sit outside on the terrace if the sun shines.

If you can only stay 1 night on the Saturday, we have room 3 available at £108 for the night if you book direct with us. Ring 015394 35295 or email sue@whitemoss.com for our best rates.

White Moss House in its autumn colours.

One room left this weekend.

If you've been waiting for some warm, dry , sunny weather before you went away for the weekend- this is it!

We have room 1 still available. Special last minute rate for 2 nights, 2 guests, £185 ( usually £236). 3 nights £270 ( usually £354). King or twin beds. A great last minute bargain.

These rates apply until Thursday 13 June. Then we're fully booked for a few nights.

The Wordsworth Rose at White Moss House

This ancient rose is so old that it could have been here when Wordsowrth bought the house for his son. This picture was not taken this year - it's still in bud right now, but looks like it will be out in a few days. The gardens in the Lakes are looking fabulous. I visited Holehird Garden yesterday. What a wonderful place it is. I'll post some photos I took in the next blog, but meanwhile, here's a link if you would like to know more. Holehird Garden,Windermere, Lake Horticultural Society..

It's nearly 200 years since Wordsworth moved to Rydal Mount

White Moss House is situated halfway between William Wordsworth's two famous homes, Dove Cottage, Grasmere and Rydal Mount in the village of Rydal.

It was in May 2013 that Wordsworth moved to Rydal Mount, and he lived there until his death in 1850 at the age of 80. The village of Rydal is celebrating this event on 4 May 2013. You can read more about this here.

Visitors come to stay with us at White Moss House from all over the world to get a piece of the Wordsworth experience. We believe that White Moss House is the only house that Wordsworth owned where guests can stay. The Wordsworth family owned White Moss House until the 1930s. We have lived here for 33 years now, and although it may sound a little pretentious, we do really feel that we are holding onto and passing along a slice of history. We have deeds signed by William Wordsworth- how wonderful is that!

Here's a picture of Rydal Mount, courtesy of David Willis and Cumbria Tourism, not for reuse without permission of Cumbria Tourism.

Visitors to White Moss House can stroll along Rydal Water to Rydal Mount. Why not follow the Walk around Rydal Water from White Moss that I've published here?

You can check our website ( link on the right) to see our rates and availabilty.

This is a wonderful time to visit the Lakes

April and early May 2013 is a great time to visit the Lakes.

Why?

Here are some of the reasons;

• The children are all back in school, so the area is quiet.
• People are feeling the economic pich so the area is quiet
• Most overseas visitors don't come until the summer, so the area is quiet
• It's Quiet- that's great for those of you who make it here!

Also-

• The daffodils are still out because it's been so cold
• The cherry blossom is coming along and will soon look great
• The azaleas and rhododendrons are just waiting to burst into life

Click down the blog to this post which shows Sizergh Castle Gardens on 5 May 2010 . to get an idea of what you could see in the next few weeks.

Then there are

• Great walks from the door
• Wordsworth's homes nearby to visit, along with Beatrix Potter's (Hill Top) and  John Ruskin's (Brantwood) homes
• Many cultural events- festivals, theatre, music- there's always something going on
• And of course the Lakes themselves- boat, sail, row or just admire.

View of Rydal Water from White Moss viewpoint, April

I could go on- I often do......but let's just say- try to fit in a visit to the Lakes. Ideally, visit White Moss House ( owned by Wordsworth) for B & B or Brockstone Holiday Cottage perched above Rydal Water for self catering. We're offering special rates at both places- did I mention that's it's quiet here- that means you can grab a bargain!

We're back in the swing again...and we have special offers

We've welcomed our first guests of 2013 to White Moss House. They are a charming couple from Germany. The gentleman has been before, with his grandson, who is half English, and did all the translating last time. I can speak reasonable French and Spanish , but my German is very limted so we're having fun- sign language is being used....

The gentleman is a musician, and just loves having the baby grand piano at his disposal all the time. We love hearing him play.

They also love our Lakeland tea bread. That's why they've come back- home made tea bread by the log fire, with the piano- he said "it's a dream"!

Baby grand piano White Moss House Wordsworth lounge Grasmere

We're offering special rates until Easter, and our cottage is still available until Easter Saturday too. Please spread the word......email sue@whitemoss.com for your best rates. The daffodils are waiting for you.

Wonderful baking aromas coming from the kitchen.

I've just taken my Lakeland Teabread and my Fruit Flapjack out of the oven, and the kitchen smells wonderful.

White Moss Lakeland Tea bread- welcome to our guests on arrival

I've make a double batch, as I'm making the cakes for Grasmere WI meeting tomorrow, and also for our bed and breakfast guests, who will be arriving from Friday onwards as we open up for a new season. We like to give our guests a welcoming pot of tea with home made cakes in front of the log fire in the Wordsworth Lounge- with our compliments. It's a great start to a lovely Lake District break.

We are offering special rates for the next two weeks, which you can see by clicking this link to our special offers page.

We also have our cottage with amazing views available for self catering from 15 to 29 March  ( leaving Saturday 30th) at very special reduced rates, whether for a week or a short break. Click here to see the cottage and find out more about the special offers

Back to the topic of Grasmere WI. We meet on the second Thursday of the month, and visitors to the Lakes who are WI members are very welcome to come to our meetings. I write and maintain the Grasmere WI website, which you can find by clicking here to take you to Grasmere WI website. Tomorrow we are having a chocolate making demo at the new chocolate shop in Grasmere, Cocoa Hearts. Should be good! I might be bringing some cakes back home if we get to taste some of the products, as we might feel that our waistlines can't take too much more.......

Sunny Jubilee weather in Lakeland

We've been lucky with the weather for the Jubilee weekend. Yesterday we were so sorry to see all the rain in London, and it was a shame that the fly past had to be cancelled.In Grasmere it was cold but dry. The WI big Sunday lunch was a huge success. The 200 tickets sold out days ahead, and on the door at lunchtime I had to turn away lots of disappointed visitors who had hoped to just turn up and get a ticket on the day.

One gentleman asked if there were any ticket touts about! ( I don't think he was serious) I said ( in my best stern ex teacher's voice) "I'm sorry sir, but I don't think the WI does touting!" The Kendal brass band decided they would rather play in the village hall than in Broadgate Meadow, so the lunch was followed by a rousing Songs of Praise with everyone from the lunch being joined by large numbers of extra visitors who joined in with gusto.

I didn't take any photos, but there were lots of other people with cameras so I hope I'll be able to get some of theirs to post on the Grasmere WI website.

Here's another couple of photos that I've taken this morning in White Moss House garden. We have rooms from tomorrow for the rest of the week. If you'd like to visit, please email me , sue@whitemoss.com, for our best rates.

Diamond Jubilee at White Moss House

The rose is so old that we call it "The Wordsworth Rose" as it dates back to when the Wordsworths owned White Moss House. It has a beautiful scent right now.

This azalea is an amazing colour- a mass of blooms right now.

Today there is a recital in St Oswald's church Grasmere, at 2pm, and the beacon on Silver Howe will be lit at 10.26pm tonight. It will be sad when the Diamond Jubilee celebrations end and life goes back to normal.
BUT WAIT! We've got the Olympic Torch coming on 21 June- another special celebration!
I'll be posting a special two day break offer on the White Moss House website later today for the Olympic Torch Relay day. See you then?

Very special offers 6-13 May

If you can get away for a short break next week we are offering very low rates. It's a quiet week immediatley after the Bank Holiday, so for anyone who is flexible, now is the time to come.
Find the rates on our Special Offer page on our website.

Those of you in the South, who've had rain and floods in the last week or so may not realise that the Lakes have been sunny and dry! Yes really! The bluebells are looking good, the azaleas and rhododendrons are coming out, and the days are long- perfect waking weather. Here are the White Moss Walks- walks from White Moss House to remind you of why this is such a great place to stay for walking from the door. Walk the walks that Wordsworth walked every day.

I like to put a picture on my blog, and today's is of the bluebells in the White Moss garden.

Bluebells at White Moss House

 

 

 

 

 

You can just catch a glimpse of Rydal water in the background. There are lots more bluebells in White Moss woods, Rydal woods and on the path from White Moss House to Grasmere Lake. Come and see them!

Out in the garden in the sunshine

It's still sunny here in the Lakes, so we're taking the opportunity to clean and freshen up the outside garden furniture so that guests can enjoy their complementary tea and home made cakes on arrival on our lovely terrace this summer.

White Moss House Terrace. Perfect for your complimentary tea and home made cakes on arrival.

For walkers, the White Moss walks from the door are a great introduction to their stay in the Lakes. I've got 6 walks from White Moss House here for you to read and print

Don't forget to check our website for our Grasmere bed and breakfast special offers updated daily.
See you soon?

Afternoon tea on arrival with home made Lakeland tea bread

When guests arrive at White Moss House, we offer them tea and home made cakes with our compliments- no charge! Over Easter, guests have loved sitting by the log fire in the Wordsworth lounge, relaxing after their journey to the Lakes, planning what to do during their stay .

Our home made Lakeland tea bread is very popular. There are lots of recipes for this traditional Lake District recipe, and I'm not claiming that our version is better than any other, but let's just mention that whenever I make it for a Grasmere WI tea it gets praise and compliments!

White Moss House complimentary welcome  afternoon tea with Lakeland teabread.

We've had a very busy Easter weekend, but it now goes quiet for a little while, with the week after the schools go back, 15 to 21 April, looking like a really good time to visit if you want to avoid the crowds.We have some great bed and breakfast special offers between now and 21 April. If you visit and bookmark this page you'll get the daily updated last minute rates from White Moss House.

I sometime wonder if anyone reads my blog, so I was delighted that one of our local Red Squirrel Proctection Team ( I don't know if that's their official name, but it sounds good) told me that he'd read on my blog about how we see red squirrels every day here at White Moss House. He confirms that the squirrel cam that we have in the White Moss garden is showing a lot of red squirrel activity. You might get the chance to see one of these pretty little creatures if you visit us.

Primroses, violets, and a great view of Brockstone and Rydal Water

It's been a glorious day in the Lake District. Clear blue skies. However, out of the sun is was about 8 degrees- last week it was about 18 degrees.

I wandered around for an hour leaving White Moss House, going up the path to Brockstone, out on to White Moss view point and back. Here are a few pictures I took today.

Rydal Primroses by the path from White Moss to Brockstone Cottage

Wood anemones by Dunnabeck stream on the coffin route to Rydal

Little wild violets by Brockstone on the coffin road.

From White Moss view point I took a picture that shows our self catering cottage, Brockstone, perched up on the side of the hill, ovelooking Rydal Water. The lake was incredibly blue. Wordsworth called Rydal Water " a fair sister of the sky", and today I could see exactly what he meant.

Brockstone is the speck on the left by the trees.

Brockstone has weeks available in April and May for self catering in the gorgeous spot. We've knocked £100 off the usual rate. For more information read all about Brockstone Grasmere self catering cottage here.
We also have offers after Easter at White Moss House , whic hyou can find on our White Moss House website

Back home at White Moss House, Grasmere

In case anyone has been wondering where we've been for the last few weeks- we've been away on our hols.
Now we're back, and looking forward to opening the doors of our historic Lake District guest house to you all in 2012.
We'll be opening at the end of March, just as the daffodils will be at their best. At present, if you make a reservation it will be at our 2011 rates, and for a few weeks we are still offering our "book 4 nights and have a 5th night free" offer. This applies to any nights except Bank Holiday weekends.

Please email me with any questions, requests, and reservation queries. I'm in a generous mood right now, and may be able to offer you extra discounts!

Some pictures to remind you of why you really would like to stay in this Wordsworth House!

White Moss House, Grasmere. Terrace

The Terrace- perfect for a cold beer or chilled glass of wine after your walk round Rydal and Grasmere Lakes.

Wordsworth Lounge at White Moss House

We now have a baby grand piano in the Wordsworth lounge for guests to use. We've got games, books, magazines, and lots of space for you to just lounge about. How many B & Bs can say that!? It's a lovely room to enjoy the afternoon tea ( served in china cups) and home made Lake District tea bread and cakes that we give our guests with our compliments, an arrival.

Has anybody read Wordsworth's Guide to the Lakes?

The highly intelligent and thoughtful group of well read people at the Grasmere reading group have just read Guide to the Lakes by William Wordsworth. (I'm one of them by the way!).

I think "mixed" would be a fair reflection of our views on the Guide. Wordsworth had very strong opinions on everything. For example, Lakes should not be too much like rivers. Long thin lakes are not to his taste. Having said that, even the most narrow lakes in the Lake District are much better than those in the Alps and America, which are too big apparently. As for Scotland "whoever travelled along the banks of Loch Lomond....without feeling that a speedier termination of the long vista of blank water would be acceptable...?"

Not many of us actually enjoyed the book, but it's certainly interesting to dip into.

Just to let you know about a new feature I've added to our website. Every day I'm putting special last minute offers on the website for the week ahead. These are the very best rates , so if you're planning a last minute trip to the Lake Distirct take a look at White Moss House last minute special offers.