Lake District

Aah. The English Lakes. A mighty fine part of the country, wrought by glacier, time and tide.

We had a nice break there one summer recently and went in search of a suitable hotel for our first night, near Kendal. We booked one of those Travelthing premier lodge generic hotels, and then set about finding exactly where it was.

It turns out we were staying at the Killington Services on the M6, which did not appeal at all. Ah well, we paid the money and its only one night.Well, let me say I have never been so pleasantly surprised. It is set well back from the motorway and backs on to a moorland reservoir, with a fabulous view out of the back. I woke with the dawn and poked the nose out of the bedroom window - and this is the view.... Not exactly Watford Gap, eh?

So, dear reader. I could have told you I did a 15Km hike up Scraggaw,  set up my bivouac overnight at 1500 feet, abseiled down the Devil's Groin with my five by four plate camera  and wooden tripod to get this shot because I am a True Landscape Photographer... But no, I just leant out of the hotel window and there it was.



Actually I really wished I had got dressed, gone to the car and got the tripod out and photographed the sunrise properly, because the rest of the holiday was overcast in the traditional manner. Anyway, you could do worse than chose that particular motorway services for your holiday, bizarre as it may seem.

A few days later we found ourselves in Ambleside. Those who amble around these parts will no doubt recognise the stepping stones over Rydal Beck.



And here is a view of Newlands Valley, a very peaceful and pleasant part of the Lakes, though I suspect the RAF may pay it a visit from time to time.


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