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190 mile Lakes & Dales Loop
unveiled for cyclists
A 190 mile cycle route taking in two National Parks and some of the most scenic landscapes across Cumbria and the Yorkshire Dales is officially unveiled on, Tuesday 8 March. The new-look Lakes and Dales Loop is a significantly revised and
revitalised version of the former Cumbria Cycleway, which was opened in 1980 but, over the next 15 years, became too busy with traffic to be actively promoted as a recreational cycleway. The on-road circular route will appeal
to a range of cycling interests and abilities, and has been brought to life with new signage and branding supported by the ‘See More Cumbria and the Lake District’ sustainable travel programme, along with contributions from Eden District
Council and South Lakeland District Council. The Lakes and Dales Loop uses quieter lanes, following the boundary of the Lake District National Park on its north, west and south sides. It then completes the loop by linking the Lune and Eden Valleys
to the east, and passing through the new extensions into the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Today’s event sees a group of cyclists from across Cumbria come together to ride a short stretch of the route in the Orton area, to mark the official opening of the route. Nicola Parker, Programme Manager for See More, says, “The Lakes and Dales Loop has the potential to be an internationally recognised cycle route, offering both experienced leisure cyclists and ‘hard challenge’ riders the chance to
experience an array of spectacular landscapes, distinctive heritage and rich culture. This diverse circular route ties together two popular visitor destinations – the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales – to offer a distinctly different journey for people to make on two wheels.”
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Pony is best man
for the job
Danny the pony and his handler Saskia Read, from Meathop, have been working to restore woodland at Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s Barkbooth Lot Nature Reserve, Crosthwaite.
The beautiful woodland is an old oak plantation that also has birch, ash, rowan and yew trees and a stunning carpet of bluebells in spring. But non-native larch trees in one
area have sadly had to be cut down due to the threat of Phytophthora ramorum disease which has become wide spread across the UK and for which there is no cure. Joe Murphy, Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s Senior Reserves Officer says, “Ponies are the best way to remove felled logs from our woodland nature reserves as they don’t churn up the ground like machinery would. Danny, Saskia, her dad and grandad have removed a substantial amount of larch trees but over time the woodland will regenerate from the other tree species we have here.” “The harvested wood won’t go to waste either. Our plans are to use the larch to clad a new office building Cumbria Wildlife Trust is planning for our northern base at Gosling Sike Farm, near Carlisle. It’s beautiful wood and will last a long time, so I’m pleased we are able to make use of it in this way.” Barkbooth Lot Nature Reserve is open to the public all year round and details on how to get there can be found at http://www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org. uk/reserves/barkbooth-lot. Highlights of the nature reserve include: · In spring time see bluebells and other flowers carpeting the woodland floor and hear birds such as chiffchaff and blackcap. · In summer watch dragonflies and damselflies darting over the pond and
butterflies such as high brown fritillary flitting about. · In autumn look out for wax cap fungi in the open fell area. · Winter is a chance to get good views of woodland birds.
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The Lakes to ignite
again this spring
This year’s instalment of ‘Lakes Ignite’, will run between 30 April and 22 May to celebrate and highlight the rich cultural life of the Lake District, Cumbria. Lakes Ignite 2015 was a great success, with the event and Lakes Culture gaining coverage in local, national and international press, local and national radio and TV. As well as a raft of digital media outlets including websites, blogs, social media platforms. The event drawing visitors from major cities across the North of England, as well as from further afield including London and the South East. Visitors and residents alike said that
their experience of Lakes Ignite had increased their likelihood to revisit the Lake District, attend other arts and cultural events in the area and recommend the destination to others. It is this momentum that has encouraged United Utilities to become involved and support this year’s event programme. 2016 promises to be bigger and better and this time the theme will be examining the region’s relationship with water in all its forms, which is
especially relevant considering what the area has faced in the earlier part of this year. With that in mind the Lakes Ignite team would firmly encourage all businesses in the tourism sector to get behind the programme and make the most of the resources that United Utilities have kindly supported to help
promote the events programme and the Lake District’s cultural offer. The project team have developed information about key events, have devised a series of itineraries and created a range of downloadable resources for businesses keen to make the most of Cumbria’s cultural offer. To find out more and download the promotional tools please visit: http://lakesculture.co.uk/lakes-ignite-toolkit Continues On Next Page...
Sales E: sales@jac-media.com | T: 0115 8456423 This year there are three very distinctive and differing art experiences for to reflect this year’s theme centred on the region’s long and complex relationship with water in all its forms. The Lakeland landscape was shaped and continues to be moulded by water in all its forms. Every day we choose water metaphors to define our thinking. We chlorinate it and pipe it, soothed by our certainty that it will pour from our tap when we need it. Perhaps the 2015 floods have changed our attitudes to water? Certainly it is time to re-examine our connection, and develop a new relationship with this most essential to life substance. There is a museum of water and water bar, there is a nocturnal creation using the very latest in LED technology,
paying homage to Turner’s painting ‘A Shower, Buttermere’, and there is an opportunity to join one of the UK’s leading digital artists and learn to create art using handheld technology. You can find out more about what’s on, where and when by visiting: http://lakesculture.co.uk/category/ lakes-ignite-2016 John Hilton, United Utilities Project Director for West Cumbria, said: “We are thrilled to be supporting Lakes Ignite. The Lake District provides 35% of the North West’s drinking water, keeping the taps flowing for millions of our customers. We hope this festival will attract even more visitors to the Lakes this spring, and remind everyone of just how much our region owes to this unique landscape.”
Aileen McEvoy, Curator Lakes Ignite, said: ‘’ Lakes Ignite is a fantastic initiative bringing together tourism and the arts. We are exceptionally pleased that United Utilities have decided to support this year’s events and helps us to showcase the region’s very rich and defined culture, including music, drama and visual arts. Indeed the support UU are providing has helped us to also further promote a number of works in this year’s programme which make use of relatively new media formats, including film, electronics and engineering to highlight the contemporary relevance of culture in the Lake District.’’ To find out more about art and culture in the Lake District, Cumbria please visit http://lakesculture.co.uk
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COMPETITION PROMOTES
ETHICAL HOLIDAY BOOKING
local businesses and the destination where visitors intend to stay. FairBooking does this by promoting direct booking to visitors, which makes it a fairer deal for local businesses as direct bookings reduce their dependence on high commission charged by Online Travel Agents (OTAs). In return visitors receive the best rates available online for the property they are booking with. Colin Harrison owner of The Borrowdale Gates Hotel said: “Hoteliers can often pay 15-30% commission of the value of each booking through OTA’s. This not only impacts their profits, but also FairBookingUK has been working their ability to support local suppliers. with Lake District hotel, Borrowdale By being a part of FairBooking UK, Gates to promote the scheme on not only do we reduce the amount of social media over the past three months. Last week it was announced Shropshire resident, Sue Gwynne was the lucky winner of two nights in the Keswick based hotel. Sue said: “I was so pleased to win this fabulous prize; it came at just the right time as I was planning a weekend away and always love a holiday in the Lakes. The ruck-sacks are packed ready for the hill walking, I can’t wait.” FairBookingUK, is an ethical booking initiative which aims to provide the best accommodation deal for customers, as well as a better deal for
commission we pay; we can better support our local economy and charities working hard within our own communities.” Sue Clarke, manager of the FairBookingUK helpdesk, said: “Accommodation providers who use OTA’s are very concerned about the high commission rates they are paying to these often oversees based companies. Unlike many OTAs, FairBookingUK has a strong ethical dimension.” FairBookingUK is a partnership of Cumbria Tourism, New Forest Tourism Partnership, Show me Wales and Visit Cornwall, with backing from other destination management organisations and businesses across the UK.
So far there are more than 200 accommodation providers signed up to FairBooking across the UK. To find out more about booking accommodation through FairBooking, or getting your own business involved in the scheme visit www.fairbookinguk.com or call Sue Clarke on 01539 822222.
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Places To Stay For exploring the great outdoors The best places to stay in Cumbria to explore this rich landscape include: Sharrow Bay a luxury retreat with top notch cuisine and walking straight from the door. For something a little less extravagant check out the Howtown Hotel near Penrith. It's very old fashioned, down-to-earth and is hugely popular with walkers. Another great place to stay is the Wasdale Head Inn, famous with the climbing fraternity and spectacularly situated below Scafell Pike. For culture The legacy of the past is here in prehistoric and Roman remains. Stone circles and burial cairns dot the land. Old Roman roads and forts still command attention. Historic places of worship and ruined castles speak of Norman times. Country houses and gardens delight the visitor. If Norman history is your thing then a stay at the Tufton Arms should suit - Appleby castle is on your doorstep.
For walkers Walkers call this county 'paradise'. Everywhere the grandeur of the scenery speaks to the glory of Cumbria. The best places to stay in Cumbria for walkers reflect its atmosphere and rugged surroundings. A warm welcome, good food and a comfortable bed are at their heart. New House Farm is off the beaten track, but boasts fabulous views plus a 17 acre garden with hot tub. The Pheasant Inn is situated near Lake Bassenthwaite in the less touristy Northern Lakes and is staunchly traditional but in a good way - roaring log fires and oak panelled bar. For enjoying the lakes For those who simply want to visit Cumbria to lap up the beauty of the Lakes, then book a room at Linthwaite House Hotel.
It's an Edwardian pile with glorious views over Windermere and a great restaurant. The Swan Hotel and Spa overlooks the river Leven on the southern shore of Lake Windermere. As well as luxury accommodation it offers top notch spa, plus swimming pool and gym - so plenty to do if the weather's not playing ball. For families Last but not least in our summary of the best places to stay in Cumbria is Augill Castle a family friendly treat for everyone. It's a quirky property with great atmosphere and more importantly all sorts of thing for the kids to get up to - including their very own children's cookery school.
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Searching For a great day out?
History of the NGS In 1859 William Rathbone, who was a prominent Liverpool merchant & philanthropist, paid a nurse named Mrs Robinson to care for his sick wife. He was greatly impressed by Mrs Robinson’s work & it struck him that while he was capable of hiring a nurse because he was a wealthy man, there must be thousands of poor people in Liverpool who could not afford this & yet still had that need. He therefore paid Mrs Robinson to go into the city to nurse the poor. Before
long Mrs Robinson returned to tell Mr Rathbone that because conditions were so terrible there was no way she could make any impression on them on her own. William Rathbone set up a school of nursing & sent nurses into the city in groups. Later this resulted in the creation of district nursing. District nursing spread through the length & breadth of the land. Among those who were actively supportive of this were Florence Nightingale & Queen Victoria, who were both deeply interested in the work. It is extraordinary to us today to recall that
the NHS did not come on the scene until 1948, so all this work had to be funded by charity. The organising body for district nursing was the Queen’s Nursing Institute. In 1927 Miss Elsie Wagg, who was a member of the QNI Council, had the idea of inviting people with fine gardens to open them to the public with a view to raising funds. The first gardens opened in 1927. A total of 609 gardens opened at a standard charge of one shilling per head & a total of £8,191 was raised
– a considerable sum of money in those days. It was considered a great success, undoubtedly assisted by the active support of his Majesty King George V, who opened the gardens at Sandringham in Norfolk, & these gardens have been open every year since. When the NGS was born in 1927, visiting private gardens was a well established pastime, but only
for the privileged few. So asking owners of fine gardens to open them once a year to the general public was a radical, but wonderful idea. The charity has gone from strength to strength ever since, with thousands of privately owned private gardens & suburban plots opening for the NGS, in addition to large gardens belonging to stately homes
Beneficiaries Although many people associate the NGS with Open Gardens, surprisingly few people are aware of the the fact that it is the largest beneficiary of the nursing charities. Through the support of the garden owners & visitors, NGS Cumbria raised £55k in 2015, & the NGS scheme donated £2.7m to the following charities last year (up from £2.6m in 2014): MacMillan Cancer Support £500,000 Marie Curie Cancer Care £500,000 Hospice UK £500,000 Carers Trust £375,000 Queen’s Nursing Institute £250,000 Parkinson’s UK £100,000 Perennial £150,000 The Multiple Schlerosis Society £100,000 Horatio’s Garden £130,000 Continues On...
Lakelovers
Lakelovers are the Lake District’s oldest and most prestigious holiday cottage letting agency. We have 460 self-catering properties to choose from in the north, central and south Lakes, in popular areas such as Ambleside, Grasmere, Windermere and Ullswater. From last minute holidays and short breaks, romantic sleeps 2 or group
cottages - Lakelovers portfolio of 460 unique properties has something for everyone. The Lake District is a perfect family holiday destination and we have a wide selection of family holiday cottages. We also have over 150 dog friendly cottages as we know that pets are an important part of the family. What’s more, with Lakelovers
pets come free! You’re guaranteed quality holiday cottages when you book with us, as our properties are hand-picked and only those that are VisitEngland rated 3 star and higher make it into our collection. Have a look: Call: 015394 88855 Web: http://www.lakelovers.co.uk Email: enquiries@lakelovers.co.uk
Sales E: sales@jac-media.com | T: 0115 8456423 Contact Details Website address www.ngs.org.uk Follow us on Twitter – CumbriaNGS Like us on Facebook – Cumbria NGS Buy the annual bestseller ‘Yellow Book’ at newsagents everywhere, which gives details of all gardens open across the country for the NGS. Pick up the County Leaflet free in ‘What’s On’ shelves across Cumbria. This gives details of all NGS gardens open across the county. County Organiser – Diane Hewitt 015394 46238, dhewitt.kinsman@ gmail.com Publicity – Carole Berryman 0153954 443649, carole@ caroleberrymangardens.co.uk
Open gardens 65 gardens will be open across Cumbria this year, of all shapes, styles & sizes. In addition to seeing some wonderful gardens, many not normally open to the public, there are often teas & cakes, & plant sales – a wonderful day out for garden lovers in aid of good causes. Average price £3.50. 10 New gardens in 2016 including: Broom Cottage Long Marton, Appleby-in-Westmorland CA16 6JP open Sun 3 July 6&8 Conyers Ave Barrow-in-Furness LA14 4JT Open Sun 24 July Eden Place Kirkby Stephen CA17 4AP Open 3 July
Fern Bank High House Rd St Bees CA27 0BZ Open Sun 10 April Grange Fell Allotments Fell Rd Grange-over-Sands LA11 6HB Open Sun 3 July Grow West Allerby Aspatria Wigton CA7 2NL Open Sun 22 May Highlands High Knott Rd Arnside Carnforth LA5 0AW Open Sat-Sun 11-12 June Mirefoot Burneside Kendal LA8 9AB Open Sun 5 June Sandhouse Burnhill Scaleby Carlisle CA6 4LU 39 Outbarrow Rd Ulverston – part of Ulverston Open Gardens Open Sun 26 June
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Cumbrian award-winners at VisitEngland’s
Awards for Excellence 2016
Two Cumbrian businesses have scooped top honours at VisitEngland’s Awards for Excellence during a glittering ceremony at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens. Both The Sun Inn in Kirkby Lonsdale and Castlerigg Hall Caravan and Camping Park in Keswick secured a Highly Commended award in the Dog Friendly Business of the Year category and the Holiday Park / Holiday Village of the Year section respectively. The national accolades were handed out last night, Tuesday 8 March, as part of English Tourism Week. With a history stretching back over 25 years, VisitEngland’s Awards for Excellence are firmly established as the highest accolade in English tourism. They recognise businesses that incorporate best practice, demonstrate excellence in customer service and celebrate the very best in quality and innovation. This year, VisitEngland received more than 400 applications from across the country. Ian Stephens, Cumbria Tourism’s Managing Director, said: ‘’I would like to congratulate these two highly successful Cumbrian businesses who continue to deliver the best possible customer service and experience to visitors to the county. Our Tourism Superstar finalist Rob Beale, from Windermere Lake Cruises, also deserves a special mention. Well done to you all and your hard working teams, and thank you for showing the best of what Cumbria has to offer.” Lucy Fuller, co-owner of the Sun Inn,
said: “It was a real privilege to receive award winning Caravan and Camping this accolade from the national tourist Park and an excellent boost for the board. season ahead.” As a team, it’s great to have the recognition that we are providing a really special experience for our guests, and in particular, a warm Cumbrian welcome for our fourlegged visitors! We can now build on this to promote and build the business even further.” David Jackson, owner of Castlerigg Hall Caravan and Camping Park said: “We are extremely proud to have been awarded this accolade by VisitEngland at last nights awards ceremony. It is such a fantastic team achievement for all who have worked so hard and contributed so much to making Castlerigg Hall an
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Ulverston is one of Cumbria’s best kept secrets, standing proud between the mountains and the sea on the county’s beautiful southern coast. It offers a picturesque haven for visitors with its unique shops and cobbled streets, and a home for a wide range of hi-tech businesses which are helping to shape a vibrant future for the market town. Ulverston has deep historical roots with the Sir John Barrow Monument which stands sentinel over the town on top of Hoad Hill to honour the birthplace of the famous naval explorer. Hoad also affords a fine view of the Ulverston Canal which
the county’s best food and drink is celebrated with the Taste Cumbria Ulverston Food Festival weekend (May 28-29). In June Ulverston becomes a magnet for cycling enthusiasts with the ‘Lo Scorpione’ wild country ride on June 5th and ‘The Mighty Corinthian’, the UK’s longest retro cycling event at 301km starting from the town on June 25th. For those seeking less exhausting diversions, the Ulverston International Music Festival 2016 (June 8 –June 19) offers highlights including virtuoso violinist Jennifer Pike and a performance by the English Touring Opera at the magnificent Coronation Hall, while Another Fine Fest on the weekend of June 18th celebrates the town’s most famous son Stan Laurel with a feast of music, comedy and street theatre. Stan Laurel and his partner Oliver Hardy are also brought to life at the Laurel and Hardy Museum – the only one of its kind in the UK, and the is England’s shortest, deepest and focus of the 2016 international ‘Sons widest canal, opened in 1796, while of the Desert’ convention in July. further afield there is the huge expanse of Morecambe Bay and Blackpool in the distance on a clear day. The town hosts one of the UK’s most vibrant and exciting festival programmes from Easter through to Christmas. April welcomes the Walkfest (April 23-May 2) with volunteers leading walks around the area, and Flag Fortnight (April 23 – May 7) heralding hundreds of banners on shops and public buildings. May sees the Annual International Festival of Modern Buddhism (May 27June 1) at Conishead Priory while
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July is also the month for the summer sunshine of the Ulverston St Mary’s Hospice Carnival on July 2, and the Furness Tradition Folk Festival, now in its 18th year which takes place on July 8-10. September is the time to sample more than 100 real ales and ciders including many brewed locally at the CAMRA beer festival (Sept 1-3). The Town celebrates its Market Charter on September 10th, while September 17th sees a ‘river of light’ wind its way through the town as the annual community Lantern Procession is the signal for up to 600 lanterns large and small to fill the streets of Ulverston. The world famous Dickensian Christmas Festival kicks off the Festive Season on November 26-27 with hundreds of stalls and local people and visitors parading through the streets in Victorian-style, and the Coro Christmas Market, held in Ulverston’s iconic Coronation Hall on December 10-11 provides a perfect venue for last minute shopping.
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Enjoy the spectacular Lake District
with the help of the ‘Super Six’
If you are looking for the ideal day trip or short break, head to the Lake District to experience the great outdoors at its very best , packed full of fun and adventure. The Lake District ‘super six’ attractions are a unique group of leading family attractions located in this beautiful National Park. A whole range of activities such as a steam railway, aquarium, motor museum, historic house with adventure play and the famous World of Beatrix Potter Attraction which celebrates 150 years of Beatrix Potter this year. All these fantastic attractions are perfectly linked together by the area’s leading way to explore England’s largest lake, Windermere Lake Cruises. A trip on a Windermere Lake Cruises ‘steamer’ is a quintessential Lake District experience which is an idyllic way to sit back and enjoy the
backdrop of the iconic mountains, wooded shoreline and miles of rolling countryside and the 18 small islands dotted around Windermere. You can sail from eight lakeside locations, with over 100 daily sailings. VisitEngland ranks Windermere Lake Cruises in the top ten of the countries paid for visitor attractions. You can enjoy an on-board commentary explaining more about the fascinating landscape, heritage and wildlife around Windermere . The Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway provide a really special experience stepping from boat to train at the lovely Lakeside connecting platform. Travel back in time when you climb aboard this steam train with distant memories of bygone years for some and an exciting new experience for others in the picturesque Leven Valley at the southern end of
Windermere. Travel from Lakeside to the Haverthwaite station on the scenic 18 minute journey and enjoy the views from your carriage whilst experiencing this fabulous journey. On arrival at Haverthwaite why not take a break from your travels and enjoy the warm, welcoming and nostalgic surroundings of the Station Restaurant. Then explore the station, engine sheds, picnic areas, play area and a great little woodland walk. A short stroll from Haverthwaite Station, (or short bus ride from Lakeside, included in any of the combined attraction tickets) you can head further down memory lane to the Lakeland Motor Museum and feast your eyes on a fabulous collection including 140 classic cars and motorbikes, all carefully assembled over the last 50 years. In
total, the Lakeland Motor Museum offers 30,000 exhibits for visitors to enjoy. Star exhibits include the Isle of Man TT Tribute Exhibition and the Campbell Bluebird Exhibition. Nestled in the scenic Leven Valley and open seven days a week, the Museum isn’t just about cars. The entire collection is presented in a social context, with a host of rarities to awaken some special motoring memories. The Lakes Aquarium is also situated at Lakeside and brings you face to face with a vast array of creatures from the furthest reaches of the globe – from fierce piranha and dainty seahorses, to menacing pike and diving ducks. The huge “Morecambe Bay” marine tank brings you so close to huge Cod, Rays and British Sharks that you could actually reach out and touch. From the underwater tunnel, you can see the incredible diving ducks and be stunned by the huge carp, starlet and perch swimming overhead. Lurking at the bottom of the tank you may discover the colossal wels catfish, the biggest of which is 6ft long. Back in Bowness The World of Beatrix Potter™ is a vibrant family attraction, bringing to life all 23 enchanting stories in a magical recreation of the beautiful Lake District countryside. The exhibition features favourite characters from the famous books including Peter Rabbit and Mrs Tiggy-winkle, and the quaint outdoor Peter Rabbit Garden offers visitors a timeless view of Mr. McGregor’s vegetable patch. Children can enjoy a free activity sheet whilst grown ups absorb themselves in Miss Potter’s history in the fascinating virtual world and interactive area. With a superb character-themed family friendly café and a fantastic gift shop, all generations of visitors can experience a little bit of Beatrix Potter
magic, whatever the weather! Just a short cruise from Bowness on board one of Windermere Lake Cruises’ 16 vessels, a day out at Brockhole on Windermere is a great option. If the children are feeling more adventurous, here they can even swing or bounce through ancient woodland on Treetop Trek and Treetop Nets. Down by the lakeshore, you can hire kayaks and rowing boats, or catch the cruise boat across the lake. There’s also archery, bike hire, pony rides and play mini golf on offer.
The perfect way to relax after all the adventure is by taking in the stunning lake views towards the distant Langdale Pikes at the terrace café, while enjoying local ales and dishes. There’s also a well-stocked gift shop and ever changing exhibition space to enjoy indoors. The beauty of the super six is not just the surrounding landscape and majesty of Windermere but the seamless link between these wonderful attractions which ensure any visit, however long, will become a treasured memory forever.
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Museum Re-Launch Tells Story of Hadrian's Wall
The Clayton Museum, a well-loved being named after him. As well as Victorian museum based at the being an influential lawyer, he was tranquil site of Chesters Roman Fort a large landowner. The sections of on Hadrian’s Wall, has reopened wall that he purchased came under following a £130k refurbishment. his protection and he saved them The refreshed museum, displaying from stone robbing and quarrying hundreds of antiquities from and then excavated at many of them. Roman times, will bring to life the It is largely down to his pioneering compelling story of John Clayton, conservation work that Hadrian’s the man largely responsible for Wall, which is 73 miles long, is saving significant portions of now the stunning World Heritage Hadrian’s Wall in the 19th century. Site that it is today. Over the past 6 Clayton had a huge impact on the months English Heritage, together city of Newcastle with Clayton Street with the Trustees of the Clayton
Collection have worked closely to better tell the story of John Clayton which is now presented in this newly interpreted Northumberland museum. Inside the museum, which was built in his honour by his nephew, hundreds of striking objects personally collected by teams working under Clayton, are exhibited. Having previously been crammed full of small finds, they’re now ordered in serried rows around better tell the story of how the collection was formed. It’s not too different to how the museum would have looked in Victorian times when it first opened to house them in 1896. Exciting, innovative technology guides visitors through the displays with a new light-weight e-reader, designed to bring objects to life in a tactile way and which explains more about the hundreds of antiquities that are on display. This e-reader is an elegant update to the hand list of objects that visitors would have received in the nineteenth-century. The vast array of stonework finds from the Wall have had some much needed TLC. This involved repairing the mortar and securing some of the stones to their bases. Historic cases have been altered to better protect the finds displayed in them with display conditions being just right for objects of such significance. New interpretation within the grounds of Chesters Roman Fort takes visitors to the locations where Clayton uncovered the Roman remains, including the best preserved military
bath-house in Britain. Innovative digital reconstructions of the site allow visitors to understand how the Roman cavalry soldiers and their horses lived together in this sevenacre fort. Frances McIntosh, Curator of Roman Collections at English Heritage said: “I have really enjoyed working on this project to bring Clayton back to the forefront of the story of Chesters and Hadrian's Wall. The finds in the Clayton museum stand as a
memorial to Clayton’s excavation and conservation of Hadrian’s Wall. I hope that visitors to the new exhibition and site interpretation will leave with a better understanding of the impact of Clayton's work and his importance to Hadrian's Wall studies.” A new Family Quest which aims to educate and entertain has also been introduced at the site with the purpose of encouraging all members of the family to explore in a fun and interactive way. Each member of the
family, while on the hunt for hidden clues, takes on the role of a character giving them an insight into what life was really like on a Roman military fort and allowing a fully immersive experience whilst bringing the past to life. Andrew Roberts, Properties Historian at English Heritage, commented: “Families will get the thrill of discovering Chesters’ buried secrets, just like Clayton did over 100 years ago.”
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Ospreys are back to breed at South Lakes nature reserve
The flutter of tiny feathers is expected again this year at South Lakeland’s biggest nature reserve, Foulshaw Moss, near Witherslack. Blue 35 and White YW, the two ospreys that successfully raised and fledged three chicks last year, have returned to Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve. The female, Blue 35, was spotted on Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s Osprey Cam on Saturday (2 April), closely followed by the male bird, White YW, on Sunday (3 April). The two have claimed the same nest they used for the last two years and have been seen courting, including some impressive displaying from the male bird. The unusual names come from the birds’ leg rings, which are used to identify all sorts of birds and are attached to many ospreys originating in the UK when they are young. The blue or white part of the
name refers to the colour of the ring and the letters are printed on the ring itself. Using this system scientists are able to see how ospreys have spread over the UK from other nesting sites – Blue 35 was raised at Kielder Forest in Northumberland. Simon Thomas, Reserves Officer for Cumbria Wildlife Trust, says: “Ospreys spend the winter in Africa then return to Europe in spring to breed. Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve is a particularly good spot for raising chicks as birds can both fish in Morecambe Bay, where last year they caught a lot of flat fish, and they also catch fresh water fish in the lakes to the north. Ospreys’ instinct to breed is strong and they have been observed flying well over 100km a day and up to 48 hours non-stop on their return trip. Last year and in 2014 the same parents raised three chicks each year, a pretty impressive record!”
The Hunter Davies Lakeland Book of the Year Charity Luncheon and Awards Ceremony takes place every summer and is now in its 32nd year. These awards are unique and are recognised as being the most prestigious of literary prizes outside of London. The competition is open to established authors as well as first-time writers. As long as the books to be entered are anything to do with Cumbria and
were published during 2015, they are eligible to enter. Over 50 books are entered in a typical year, and in excess of 70 books is not uncommon. The judges have the difficult task of reading all the books and selecting the winners. The lead judge is Hunter Davies himself, Chairman of the Judges Panel and the inspiration behind the event. Hunter has ghostwritten a number of high-profile biographies for celebrities such as
Annual Cumbrian literary awards Wayne Rooney, Paul Gascoigne and John Prescott, as well as acclaimed works about Wordsworth and Wainwright. He regularly features in national newspapers including The Times and the Daily Mail and with the support of Yoko Ono, he published The John Lennon Letters in 2012. The panel also includes ITV and BBC newscaster, author and journalist, Fiona Armstrong, and Gardener’s Question Time Chairman, broadcaster
and Chair of Cumbria Tourism, Eric Robson. There will be five topical categories, with each winner receiving a prize of £100. The most prestigious prize is the Hunter Davies Lakeland Book of the Year Award, with the overall winner receiving a £500 prize. All prizes are presented at a charity awards luncheon, to be held this year at Armathwaite Hall, Bassenthwaite Lake, near Keswick on Wednesday 6th July. Over the years, the luncheon has raised many thousands of pounds for local charities and the charity benefitting this year will be the Cumbria Flood Appeal. The winner of last year’s Lakeland Book of the Year was “The Shepherd’s Life” by James Rebanks, published by Flatiron Books. It is currently
being adapted for the stage by Theatre by the Lake, Keswick. Its world premiere will run at the theatre from March 26th until April 23rd 2016.
The awards were founded by Hunter Davies and Cumbria Tourism and are organised by Chris Tomlinson, Vicky Robinson and Affra Hartree.