LAST MINUTE SPECIAL OFFER . Week from Saturday 22 April to Saturday 29 April now only £590 ( was £790). Short breaks available this week from £350 for 3 nights. Please contact us directly for a quote via our contact form.
Category Archives: Sue’s Grasmere Blog
I write about White Moss, Brockstone Holiday Cottage, Grasmere, the Lakes, the weather of course, and things that are happening in the Lake District .
What’s happening in the Lake District this Easter?
Here are some pointers as to what’s happening in the Lake District this Easter and for the rest of April. There is so much to do that I’ve just given you a flavour of some of my favourite things ( there’s a song there somewhere!)
If you’re in Ambleside this week please come along to the Ambleside Choral Society Coffee Morning on Wednesday 12 April. This is being held at Lucy’s on a Plate on Church Street. Thanks to Lucy for providing the venue. Whilst spending the morning in Ambleside you can take in a round of crazy golf at White Platts by St Mary’s Church, where there is currently a huge inflatable slide for the children. You really can’t miss it.
Crazy golf Ambleside
From there you could walk around the church into Rothay Park where a fantastic new play area has just been opened following the damage caused by Storm Desmond.
There are lots of Peter Rabbit related events this Easter.The Beatrix Potter Attraction in Bowness has a Peter Rabbit Trail and many more events which you can find here.
Easter fun in Bowness
In the North of the Lake District near Penrith the Lowther Estate is organising a special Easter event called “Dragons and Chocolate” which sounds fun. For more information please click here.
At Allan Bank in Grasmere the National Trust are organising Easter Eggs Hunts, Easter crafts and lots of other spring events. Click here for details.
Allan Bank Grasmere
Also in Grasmere, on Tuesday 18 April the Grasmere WI and the Buffs are jointly hosting a coffee morning. Proceeds go to fund local events. Here’s a little poster I’ve just made. I’m pretty pleased with my first attempts! As a member of Grasmere WI I’ll be baking cakes and helping. Please come along.
The Forestry Commission have two superb forests in the Lake District, Grizedale in the South and Whinlatter in the North. There are lots of activites, including Go Ape at both forests, bike trails, and all sorts of adventures. One that has especially caught my eye is the Gruffalo Spotters Trail at Grizedale. There is also one at Whinlatter.
Grizedale Gruffalo Trail
For a comprehensive list of all events in the Lake District at Easter ( and all year round) you can visit the Official Cumbria Tourism website Go Lakes by clicking here.
The weather in the Lakes this Easter looks like being mostly dry, though a little more chilly than of late. We assume that you will want to put your boots on and do some walking. You need to work off some of the Easter chocolate, and what better way than getting out and about in the Lake District? Do check the weather forecast if you’re planning a days’s walking, especially if you are going up high, where the conditions can be very different to down in the valleys. For fell top weather the Mountain Weather Information Service is the best. Find it via this link.
We wish everyone visiting the Lake District this Easter a very happy holiday.
March 2018 weeks reduced by £100
Aside
Our two remaining March weeks are reduced by £100.
We have 10-17 March now only £490, and 17-24 March now only £590
A Great Day out in the Lakes
Here’s my one of my favourite great day out in the Lakes.
Starting at Waterhead, Ambleside on Windermere, take the “steamer” to Lakeside, Newby Bridge, take the little steam train to Haverthwaite, and have lunch. After lunch take the train back to Lakeside , and go around the Aquarium of the Lakes . Then take the boat back to Waterhead.
Take the Steamer from Waterhead
The Teal comes into Lakeside to take you back to Waterhead via Bowness
The steamer takes you all the way along Windermere, England’s longest lake. You get marvellous views of all the luxury properties along the lake- lovely for nosey folks like me.
We made this trip with grandparents, parents and little ones aged 1 and 3, and all loved it. A Great Day Out in the Lakes. Why not try it this Easter?
Organ Recital Grasmere
Aside
Organ recital In St Oswald’s Church Grasmere tommorow, Sunday 2 April 2017. Organist Ian Hare launches his new CD of music in local churches with a recital in Grasmere, where he has recently taken up the position of organist.
Admission on the door, £5 including refreshments.
We’ve added new photos to “Inside our Grasmere Holiday Cottage”
We’ve added new photos to the page on this website called “Inside our Grasmere Holiday Cottage”. If you click through this link you’ll see some new pictures of the bedrooms, including the wonderful views from the bedroom windows. windows.
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- Rydal Water from the Master bedroom
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- Daffodils in garden viewed from master bedroom
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- Lakeland hills on a misty morning from the master bedroom Brockstone Grasmere
We’ve also put some more new photos of the car parking area on this page. Guests are always very concerned about where they can park. This is totally understandable, because many Lake District Cottages, especially those in the middle of villages such as Grasmere and Ambleside, have very limited parking facilities.
Whenever we go to stay at a Cottage or B & B I always want to know about parking. This springs from one of our visits to Cornwall. We checked in at our B & B, and asked the receptionist where we could park. “I don’t know” was her answer! Wrong answer! We ended up having to park in a car park on the edge of the village, some distance away and at quite a high cost. Never again ! Always check the parking arrangements.
Plenty of car parking space at Brockstone cottage
I’ll just throw in a few more new photos taken at Brockstone Cottage over a gloriously sunny Lake District weekend. It was still March, but felt like summer.
Pretty bench in corner of Brockstone garden
View from Brockstone garden over the “Coffin Route” gate on the famous Grasmere to Rydal walking path and to Rydal Water below
Looking up into the wild garden from the bench. Daffodils! Wordsworth loved daffodils.
£150 off Lakes Cottage with amazing views 22-29 April
We’ve taken £150 off the rate for our Lakes Cottage with amazing views for the week 22- 29 April.
This is a prime spring week, when we think the bluebells will be looking good. You can’t rely on things happening at a certain time, but judging from past years, this will still be bluebell time. This is not a school holiday week, so the area won;t be packed out with families. We’re surprised that we haven’t already filled this week, so in an effort to encourage anyone who might be interested we’ve reduced the rate by £150, from the previous rate of £790 to just £640. You are welcome to bring your dog if you wish, at not extra charge. ( We assume your dog is well behaved- owners always tell us their dogs are well behaved!)
Bluebells near Brockstone Cottage
If you read the next blog post down you’ll see that this should coincide with the bluebells. More pictures of bluebells below, along with some other photos taken in the last week of April. These are taken on the beautiful walk from Brockstone Cottage to Rydal Village, and feature St Mary’s church Rydal (Wordsworth was behind the building of this pretty church), and also Rydal Hall. Click here for more information about the Gardens at Rydal Hall.
I’ve forgotten to mentions primroses- a picture below shows a lovely bunch growing near Brockstone Cottage. Photo taken this same end of April week. We hope you’re tempted….
Primroses on the path near Brockstone Cottage
Tulips at Rydal Hall
Rhododendrons in Rydal Village
More Bluebells
Bluebell time in the Lake District
When is bluebell time in the Lake District? I’ve looked through my photos from past years and they all seem to have been taken towards the end of April. I’m assuming therefore that the last couple of weeks in April are usually a good time to see our wonderful bluebell woods.
If you stay at Brockstone Cottage you won’t have far to walk to see these beautiful masses of flowers. As well as seeing the lovely little flowers you’ll also realise that the scent is wonderful too. The best walk if you want to see bluebells from Brockstone Grasmere cottage is to step out of the door, and walk around Rydal Water. Click through the link for an article I wrote about a walk around Rydal Water with pictures and directions.
If you stay at Brockstone Cottage you won’t have far to walk to see these beautiful masses of flowers. As well as seeing the lovely little flowers you’ll also realise that the scent is wonderful too. The best walk if you want to see bluebells from Brockstone Grasmere cottage is to step out of the door, and walk around Rydal Water. Click through the link for an article I wrote about a walk around Rydal Water with pictures and directions.
We do still have a week available at Brockstone Grasmere Cottage for the week 25 March to 1 April. You might be a little early for bluebells, but you’ll catch some of the many daffodils.
Wordworths daffodils at Brockstone Cottage
Above are the very pretty wild daffodils,Narcissus pseudonarcissus loved by Wordsworth, just some of the many varieties of daffodils at Brockstone Cottage. This end of March week is just £590 ( we’ve reduced it from £690 for last minute bookings)
The other week that we have available, which will probably be in “bluebell time” is the week from Saturday 22 April to 29 April. This week is £650. (reduced from £790 for last minute bookings). That mean that you can stay at our Grasmere cottage (did we mention that it has amazing views?) , whilst seeing the bluebells and also enjoying everything the Lake District has to offer whilst saving £150.
Here are some bluebell time photos taken in the area around Brockstone Grasmere Cottage. Come and enjoy the Lake District from our lovely cottage with amazing views.
Rydal Wood bluebells
Bluebells in Rydal Woods
See and smell bluebells up close
White Moss Woods
Our Grasmere holiday cottage is getting lots of bookings
If you’re planning a visit to our Grasmere holiday cottage, Brockstone this year, please don’t leave it too long to make your booking. We are getting lots of bookings right now.
If you want to come in the UK school holidays, we have the week of 29 July to 5 August available at the rate of £890, and we have a two week slot from 12 August to 26 August at a special two week rate of just £1650 ( we are not letting one week only during this period)
For our up to date booking chart please check the availability chart on HomeAway which you can find here. Please just be aware that we may be holding a provisional booking for dates which show as available (24 June to 8 July is provisionally booked).
Our son, who has been looking for cottages in the UK to visit with his family, tells me that our rates for Brockstone cottage are too low compared with places he’s been checking. It’s true that we haven’t moved our rates up for several years, and we probably are offering excellent value. We are letting lots of weeks for the year ahead, so maybe we are undercharging a little but Hey! why not take advantage of our great rates and make that booking!
Just make sure that you book with us direct, as the online booking portals like Home Away and Holiday Lettings (who we’ve cancelled our listing with) will charge you a large booking fee .
The raod to Brockstone cottage, May, blackthorn blossom
I like to add a photo or two to my posts, so are some taken in May. We do still have weeks available at the end of April and beginning of May.
Nearby Rydal Hall gardens in May
Pictures taken around Brockstone Cottage , May
Happy New Year !
Happy New Year to you from the Lake District. The first day of 2017 has been glorious- blue skies all day.
The White Moss car parks have been absolutely packed as visitors from all over the place come to our beautiful area to enjoy our wonderful walks. The guests staying in Brockstone Grasmere cottage are very happy- they can just step out of the door, leaving the car on their private car park, and head off for a hike.
Some of you may follow Brockstone Grasmere Holiday cottage on Facebook. You can take a look at our Facebook page by clicking here. You’ll see some fabulous photos taken by our recent guest, Mark Jarvis, who is a professional photographer. Here are a couple that he took on local walks from the cottage. Thanks to Mark.
Woods near Brockstone
Lake walk from Brockstone
Up on the Fairfield Ridge- a really great hike from Brockstone
Wonderful photos, taken by an expert. From Brockstone you can do the really great hike up and round the Fairfield Horseshoe- 3,000 feet and several hours of hard walking. Do it if you can. However, there are so many varied strolls and hikes in all directions that even a week is not long enough……
Today, the 1st day of January, is supposed to be the day that people think about booking holidays for the year ahead. That seems to be the case, as we’ve now taken three bookings today for the year ahead. If you’re regular guest who wants to revisit Brockstone this year ( and all our guests say they do) please don’t leave it too long or your date may be gone..
New guests- contact us asap. Sadly we’ve just had to refuse a booking to someone who was pipped at the post for his dates as we were in the process of confirming an enquiry made a few hours earlier. Our booking calendar on Home Away is usually up to date, but as the second enquiry followed very quickly on the heels of the first we hadn’t had time to update the chart.
The forecast for the next few days is for more sun, but getting cold at nights. Hopefully there will be some snow on the high fells, as this makes the views from Brockstone Cottage even more amazing.
Happy New Year- we look forward to welcoming you in 2017.