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Summer 2010

Lake District News

newsletter for travel writers

Summer time and the living is easy! With chic acco mmodation, fabulous local food, entertaining attrac tions, adrenalin-fuelled adventures and spectacular scener y there are few places better to spend your summer

break than Cumbria. Combine all this with a world- class events programme and you’re in for a proper t reat. Here’s a rundown of just a few of the great events happening in Cumbria in the coming weeks...

Picnics and plays… 24th August The grounds of Holker Hall will host a magical outdoor performance of Beauty and the Beast this summer, starring Georgina Sherrington of ‘The Worst Witch’ fame. Kids can come in fancy dress for the chance to take part in the interval’s fairytale parade and grown ups can arrange to enjoy a delicious picnic hamper of local foods from the Hall Courtyard Café, www.holker.co.uk Music & arts fun for families… 27th-30th August Solfest is an award-winning family-friendly music and arts festival which takes place annually on a picturesque site nestling between the mountains and the sea in West Cumbria. This year’s acts to look forward to include James, The Magic Numbers, The Damned and Utah Saints to name but a few. www.solwayfestival.co.uk Celebrity love letters... A unique exhibition of personal postcards penned by celebrities to Cumbria, ‘Wish You Were Here’ features over 100 cards complete with anecdotes, photographs, drawings and messages from Britain's most famous faces to support the county after last November's floods. Handwritten by stars including Dame Judi Dench, Sir Patrick Stewart, Richard E. Grant, Jonny Wilkinson and Tess Daly, the postcards provide an exclusive insight into their love of the area. Showcasing throughout the county this summer, entry is free to all. For a touring schedule visit www.wishyouwereherecumbria.co.uk

Dancing and delicacies... 14th & 15th August The only chilli festival in the north of England returns! It’s a hotbed of food, shopping, live music and dancing set against the backdrop of this Elizabethan house and its world-famous topiary gar-dens. International foods, Cumbrian delicacies, salsa music, dancing and lots of lively children's activities will all be on offer. Best off all, entry for under 16s is FREE. www.chillifest.co.uk Awesome adventures... Cumbria’s leading outdoor operators are offering a selection of half or full day activities all summer for as little as £20 per person. Each trip is designed so the entire family can get involved but kids can adventure independently as well. Activities include canoeing, rock climb-ing, gorge scrambling, mountain board-ing, via ferrata, archery, clay pigeon shooting, quad biking, horse trekking, Water Walkerz, adventure hill walks and family adventure combo’s. www.destinationcumbria.co.uk Pavement performances... 2nd - 5th September During Mintfest every corner of Kendal bursts into life with an array of performances from across the globe. From the dramatic to the daft or spec-tacular to downright silly, the sheer range and originality of the acts guaran-tees a jam-packed weekend of live, un-predictable fun to keep you amused, entertained and inspired. Most events are free. www.lakesalive.org/events/mintfest

Wrestling and races... 29th August Steeped in tradition, Grasmere Sports and Show is one of Cumbria’s most popular sports shows and has been running since 1852. As well and local food and craft stalls the programme of events here includes Cumberland and Westmorland Wrestling, guides races, hound trails, mountain biking, dog shows and fell races. www.grasmeresportsandshow.co.uk/ Tasteful celebrations... 25th-26th September Taste West Cumbria is being billed as the official ‘relaunch’ of Cockermouth after the unprecedented flooding in November last year and this two day event plans to take over the town’s Main Street with food and entertainment a plenty. Work your way along Main Street during an open dining event trialling a range of starters, mains and desserts from some of the county’s top food producers, cafes and restaurants. www.golakes.co.uk Rock and roll... This Summer, in conjunction with the Univer-sity of Leeds, an alternative musical project is being installed in the gardens of Brant-wood, John Ruskin’s former home overlook-ing Coniston Water. The projects aims to introduce children to geology by constructing and playing ‘musical rocks’. Using rocks found around Cumbria, a percussion instru-ment will be created for visitors to play on. World famous percussionist, Dame Evelyn Glennie will be the first to demonstrate the instrument at a special launch on 19th Au-gust. www.leeds.ac.uk/news/article/574/rock_music_from_the_cumbrian_hills .

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Latest new openings & developments

We’ve been very busy bees here in Cumbria, working hard to make our visitors’ experiences even more memorable and enjoyable. From brand new gorgeous g astropubs and luxurious, elegant hotels to impres-

sively revamped attractions and exciting new experi ences… Here are just a few of Cumbria’s latest development s...

The Royal Hotel , Kirkby Lonsdale The historic Royal Hotel in the heart of pretty Kirkby Lonsdale has now under-gone a complete refurbishment and re-opened its doors in July 2010. With a stylish, but relaxed feel the hotel now offers 14 luxurious, airy rooms complete with chic, individual interiors and Bath House bath salts and toiletries. The ex-ceptionally elegant restaurant, cosy snug and impressive bar serve everything from coffees, cupcakes and brunches, to indul-gent lunches, afternoon teas and deca-dent dinners. With lovingly handmade furniture, quirky antiques and the local community at its heart, The Royal is ab-solutely as it should be – its grand interi-ors and historic character have been pre-served and enhanced and the hotel now boasts a very elegant but friendly identity of its own. www.royalhotelkirkbylonsdale.co.uk K Village, Kendal The K Village Factory Outlet Centre in Kendal is set to open in late July 2010 after a £100 million regeneration and re-development programme to create a unique state of the art destination shop-ping and leisure complex.. The brand new K Village will comprise a premium factory outlet centre, five restaurants and cafes, over 500 underground car-parking spaces, tourist facilities, including coach-parking and coach facilities for over 25 coaches, a 5,000 sq ft Heritage Centre, offices and 90 apartments. Brands at the K Village will include Cadbury, Clarks, Denby, Lakeland, Holland and Barrett, Mountain Warehouse and Whittards of Chelsea. www.kvillage.co.uk

Gilpin Lake House, Windermere The very exciting project from England’s current ‘Small Hotel of the Year’ – Gilpin Lodge Country House Hotel is set to open this August. Gilpin Lake House has six very special suites with a swimming pool, sauna, and cedar wood hot tub, on the shore of the hotel’s four acre private lake. The suites provide decadent accommoda-tion complete with treats such as floor-to-ceiling glass walls with fabulous views, state of the art technology and luxurious toiletries making this an ideal place for a pampered but peaceful stay. The house has been in the Cunliffe family since the early 1900’s and still boasts the original Nordic rowing boat dating back to 1917 available for private use on the lake. With all the services of a 4-star hotel and spa complete with the private use of a chauf-feur, this is quite unlike anywhere you will have stayed before. www.gilpinlodge.co.uk Sailaway Cruises on Windermere Sailaway Cruises launched recently to offer relaxing cruises with foodie treats on stunning Windermere lake. The pictur-esque journeys all depart from Whitecross Bay and take place on board a pretty rep-lica of Captain Flint's houseboat, ‘The Esperance’, from the famous Swallows and Amazons story. Cruise guests can enjoy a tasty picnic lunch, an indulgent afternoon tea or a sophisticated sunset cruise complete with cheese and wine. All cruises cost £35 per person but for special occasions exclusive Champagne, Choco-late and Strawberry Cruises are also on offer for those that would like a little deca-dence.. To book, email sailawaybm@hotmail.com or call 07920 575261.

The Plough Inn & Restaurant, Lupton, nr Kirkby Lonsdale Brought to us by the wonderful people from the renowned Punchbowl Inn at Crosthwaite (Michelin Pub of the Year 2009), the Plough Inn and Restaurant opened its doors in June. The boutiquey inn boasts chic interiors complete with wood burning stoves, stunning oak beams, antique furniture, and rustic wine caves. The mouthwatering menu offers a selection of small plates, grills and side dishes, from a variety of styles and cui-sines to produce a real choice, from sea-food, to a hearty steak, or a Moroccan kebab. In Winter 2010, six big beautiful suites will be available, so after your gor-geous meal there will be no need to worry about driving or taxis, you can simply toddle straight off to bed. www.theploughatlupton.co.uk Lakeland Motor Museum, Newby Bridge In late Spring 2010, the Lakeland Motor Museum left Holker Hall and relocated to its brand new home. The new purpose built, state of the art facility is based at Backbarrow, near Newby Bridge and houses the museum’s exceptional collec-tion of over 30,000 exhibits. The collec-tion includes the fascinating Donald Campbell ‘Bluebird’ exhibition, vintage, veteran and classic cars and interactively tells visitors about the history and indus-trial heritage of the local area. In conjunc-tion with Windermere Lake Cruises, time-tabled coach services run from nearby Lakeside to the museum. www.lakelandmotormuseum.co.uk

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Pitch It

Cumbria Tourism is calling for families new to the joys of sleeping under canvas to get in touch for the opportunity to win over £1,600 worth of camping goodies.

Winners of the organisation’s ‘Pitch It’ competition will get to enjoy a three-night weekend break for a family of four in a cosy

Camping Pod at Eskdale Camping and Caravanning Club Site. They will also become blog-stars by blogging and filming their camping experience for the organisation’s brand new ’Pitch It’ camping and caravanning website.

Prizes up for grabs include everything from a swanky new netbook and camcorder to a tent and camping equipment, so that the

winners can make the most of their break and have everything they could possibly need to enjoy Lakeland camping visits for years to come.

The competition has been launched in partnership with The Camping and Caravanning Club to celebrate the launch of the ‘Pitch

It’ website - a one-stop-shop for all things camping.

As well as detailing traditional camping options available in Cumbria, it also provides extensive information on trendy glamping options such as tipis, and Mongolian yurts and wigwams, which often boast little luxuries such as wood-burning stoves, futons

and fire baskets, to make camping a little easier for first-timers.

It has dedicated sections providing useful camping advice, information on upcoming festivals in the area, details of great local food producers, an interactive section where campers can share their experiences and recommendations and even a five day

weather forecast.

The new Pitch It website can be found at www.golakes.co.uk/pitchit. For a full list of Pitch It competition prizes and details of how to take part visit www.filmmyfamily.co.uk

Families can become blog-stars with the ‘Pitch It’ camping competition

There are almost 10,000 pitches to choose from across the whole of Cumbria, many with idyllic lakeside settings, most with con-venient locations, value-for-money rates and exceptional facilities.

If you’re a journalist who hasn’t yet experienced a camping trip and would like to try your hand at camping for a feature then

please get in touch with the Cumbria Tourism PR Team.

If you’re a little apprehensive about a night under canvas perhaps a glamping option might appeal more - wood floors, cosy rugs, glowing lanterns and proper bedding will make sure you enjoy your first time in style.

We’d be happy to look at arranging a Pitch It themed press visit for you. Please just drop an email to

pressoffice@cumbriatourism.org

Are you a travel writer new to camping?

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Passport 2 Pedalling

Cumbria Tourism has teamed up with some of the country’s top cycling instructors to offer a bumper programme of free bike-related activities for all the family throughout this Summer.

‘Passport 2 Pedalling’ has something for everyone, providing beginners with 30-minute taster sessions on mountain bike skills at

events across the county and half day organised rides through some of the Lake District’s most stunning scenery.

For those who want to try something a little bit different, there is even ‘beach biking’, at various beaches along Cumbria’s coast-line with all kinds of competitions ranging from ‘biggest skid’ for children and young at heart adults, and a ‘how deep can you go’ challenge exclusively for adults. The free sessions are as follows… Beach Biking: Allonby Wednesday 14th August Barrow Kite Festival Saturday 7th August St Bees Wednesday 18th August Eden Junior Cycling: Brougham Hall, Penrith Tuesday 10th and Tuesday 14th August Hartside Challenge: Melmerby, Eden Valley Sunday 8th August and Sunday 24th October Kids’ Mountain Bike Skills: Brockhole, Windermere Thursday 12th August and Monday 25th October Bitts Park, Carlisle Monday 9th August, Monday 16th August and Thursday 28th October Organised Rides: Askham, near Penrith Tuesday 3rd August Ennerdale Wednesday 11th August Ulverston Friday 20th August Claife Heights, Windermere Wednesday 25th August Penrith Thursday 5th August, 19th August and 26th August

Cumbria has a wealth of cycle routes suitable for all levels of ability from peaceful country lanes for beginners to England’s high-est mountain passes for more extreme cyclists. The forest parks of Grizedale and Whinlatter have purpose built mountain bike

trails while the lakeshores, old railway lines and gentle bridleways provide more relaxing escapes.

For further information visit www.golakes.co.uk/p2p or email cycling@cumbriatourism.org.

Everyone taking part in the Passport 2 Pedalling su mmer programme will receive a goodie bag containing a special set of route guides for families and beginner friendly rides.

Get on your bike for free cycling activities in the Lake District this Summer

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Instant weekend...

Cockermouth hit the headlines as the focus of media attention during the floods in November last year and the country was inundated with images of the Main Street under water. Eight months on and this pretty Georgian to wn looks very different; the shops and attractions are reopening and the hotels, cafes and pubs are welcoming guests once again.

Fancy revisit ing this hardy town? Here are our sug gestions for a great instant weekend...

See Wordsworth House Visit the poet’s childhood home, meet some of the Wordsworth household and find out what life was like for the maid, the man servant and the clerk. Enjoy the signs and sounds of a working 18th century kitchen and learn about Cockermouth in the 1770s. www.wordsworthhouse.org.uk Castlegate House Gallery Exhibits contemporary paintings, sculpture and ceramics including Cumbrian painters June Bennett, Charles Oakley, Winifred Nicholson and L S Lowry. The gallery owner, Chris Wadsworth, was this year’s winner of ‘Lakeland Book of the Year’. www.castlegatehouse.co.uk Do Jennings Brewery Tour Learn about the history of this famous, traditionally brewed local ale, which is still made with pure Lakeland water drawn from their own well. Finish off the tour in style by sampling the beverage yourself in the atmospheric Old Cooperage bar. www.jenningsbrewery.co.uk Eat Quince and Medlar, Cockermouth This award-winning vegetarian restaurant offers creative fine dining and organic wines. www.quinceandmedlar.co.uk Junipers, Cockermouth Junipers is a relaxed restaurant and café bar offering contemporary ambient surroundings and a lovely menu. www.junipersrestaurant.co.uk Drink The Bitter End, Cockermouth A welcoming pub complete with its own micro brewery where the whole brew process can be seen through a glazed partition in the pub. With roaring open fires, superb home made meals and fantastic real ales. www.bitterend.co.uk Stay The Trout Hotel, Cockermouth This popular family-run hotel was once a favourite of Hollywood legend Bing Crosby. The Trout has recently reopened after an impressive refurbishment and offers beautifully appointed rooms and mouth-watering food. www.trouthotel.co.uk Six Castlegate, Cockermouth This spacious Georgian town house is conveniently located on one of the oldest streets in Cockermouth and provides an ideal base for exploring the town and the western Lakes. www.sixcastlegate.co.uk Tips from a local Pick up amazing Cumberland Sausage from Lindsay’s Butchers on Station Street, get gorgeous local cheeses at Shills http://www.shillsofstationstreet.co.uk/, buy beautiful gifts at the Linden Tree http://www.lindentree.co.uk/.

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Cumbria’s fabulous food showcased on Channel 4 ... Peter Sidwell, chef proprietor of the Good Taste Café in Keswick will be appearing on our TV screens this Autumn in a new series for Channel 4 daytime, which will see him travelling around the Lake District showing viewers how to use local produce to create exciting dishes. Sponsored by kitchen giants Lakeland, the series starts on September 6th at 3pm Monday-Friday for a period of four weeks. www.simplygoodtaste.co.uk Autumn walks, pubs and pints... At the end of every good walk is a good pub…… Cumbria Tourism and Jennings Brewery have teamed up to produce a range of varied walking trails complete with a new online accommodation booking system, which will make it easier for walkers to find and book somewhere to stay. Jennings Ales Trails are six countywide walking routes of between two and four days in length take in some of the county’s best landscapes and overnight stays in the best pubs – all with Jennings beers on tap. Choose from walks in the areas around Borrowdale, Rydal, Grasmere, Threlkeld, Helvellyn and Ambleside. www.golakes.co.uk/jennings Pipe smoking and pulling faces... 18th September 2010 The World Gurning Championships are held each year at the Egremont Crab Fair and Sports. This traditional fair is proud host to the renowned competition in which contestants pull ugly faces through a horse collar or 'braffin'. Gurning is not the only unusual activity at the festival… Climbing the Greasy Pole, the Apple Cart Parade, dialect singing and a pipe smoking competition can all be enjoyed. www.egremontcrabfair.org.uk/history.html Spooooky zoooooooo... 23rd – 31 st October 2010 The renowned South Lakes Wild Animal Park at Dalton-in-Furness pulls out all the stops to celebrate Halloween in true spooky style. Kids in fancy dress are granted complimentary entry plus everyone can join in the Halloween parade and trick or treat the keepers. As well as hand-feeding giraffes and penguins, visitors can also try their hands at pumpkin carving and spooky skating. www.wildanimalpark.co.uk A wonderful winter market... 6th – 7th November 2010 As Christmas approaches, Holker Hall will give visitors a warm and wonderful welcome with magical decorations in the historic hall, twinkling illuminations in the winter gardens and seasonal food in their café. There’ll also be warming braziers in the court-yard and a barbeque of Holker produce and roasted chestnuts, live music and carol singing, special Christmas hampers in the food hall and a range of fun children’s activities. www.holker.co.uk The World's Biggest Liar Competit ion, Wasdale 18th November 2010 As well as being home to England’s deepest lake, highest mountain and smallest church, the beautiful Wasdale Valley is also host to the World’s Biggest Liar Competition. Each year this unusual event, which now attracts world-wide attention, takes place at the Santon Bridge Inn in honour of the World’s Biggest Liar of over 100 years ago, Will Ritson. www.santonbridgeinn.com/liar/index.html

The enduring Cumbrian landscape is breathtaking in every season but it is particularly special dur-ing the autumn months. There are burnished leaves, bountiful hedgerows and beautiful sunsets to

look forward to, along with all this...

A sneak peek to autumn