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Today was 'red squirrel day'.

We didn't have a firm plan or destination for the day, so we thought we would set off in pursuit of red squirrels, a rarity in the area and only seen in small colonies in certain places. We set off to Dodd Wood near Keswick, a place mum and dad have been to many times, where red squirrels are being carefully nurtured and where ospreys can also be seen over Bassenthwaite Lake, at the base of the wood. We walked up towards the first osprey viewing platform where the squirrels can also be seen and it was quite an uphill walk! Once we got there we looked and we looked... but not a single squirrel to be seen!

Not to be dispirited, we continued up the hill - an unexpected mountain climb - towards the second osprey viewing platform. There weren't many signs so it was a bit like the blind leading the blind, but we got there eventually. It wasn't quite what we expected - we had anticipated a hide but it was an exposed picnic table with a small fence to prevent any unsuspecting visitors from plummeting down the mountain. We sat for a bit and looked out over Bassenthwaite. The views were glorious and you could see a long way - the weather was fair although overcast so visibility was good, with some cloud just nestling on the peaks. So, we were sitting and looking - but to no avail.

We gave it a bit of time, but decided to give in and set off back down the mountain, planning on calling at the lower viewing spot again, just in case. And it was a good job we did! Two little red ones crept out of the undergrowth to feed at the feeding station! It was awesome! A lady there had said that she's put some food out for them a bit earlier in the day and it was nearly all gone. And the squirrels were really brave, coming pretty close and feeding from the tree stumps nearby. We stood and watched for about 30 minutes, completely absorbed by their activity.

We made it down to the car park again, just before our pay and display ran out. We sat in the car, eating our picnic before heading off towards Grasmere, where we were aiming for Allan Bank, an unknown (to me) National Trust property, also known for red squirrels. We made it there for about 4pm - not giving us long, but we didn't really know what to expect. We were surprised to find a bit more than we expected - it isn't a conventional historic house, and (although we didn't go in) the house is set up very much as a family home to relax in. The gardens, which we did explore, seemed quite expansive, rising up into the landscape behind the house. We toiled up, for a while, admiring the lovely views as we went, and also trying to spy out the red squirrels. But no such luck. 

However, that quickly changed as we descended to the lawned area behind the grass. We saw at least 6 squirrels, dashing and scampering and chasing each other through the trees! It was truly awesome! We speculated that they might be siblings, as there was a lot of chattering and bickering going on. And they came quite close, feeding from the stashes of nuts that had been left about. We stood and watched them - even past closing time! It was at least 5.10pm by the time we felt we ought to move on and the property had closed at 5. Ben got lots of photos, although these squirrels were quite a lot livelier than the previous ones. 

From now on, this day is to be red squirrel day. A day not to be forgotten.

We decided to go to National Trust Wray Castle today. The sun was shining and the sky was blue and it looked like it might be a rathre nice day. Having had a look how to get there yesterday, we decided to drive to Ambleside and catch the cruise boat across to the castle as some reviews suggested the car park was pretty small. It was only about about 20 minutes drive to Ambleside and we pparked down by the pier. As we were leaving the car, we could see that one of the cruise boats had arrived, so we quickly bought tickets and managed to dash through the gate before it departed. We sat inside as we were the last people aboard and we were quickly on our way. There were some nice views across Windermere on the cruise to the castle with other boats silhouetted against the bright sunshine making for nice photos. As we neared the castle a couple of jets flew quite low across the lake, sadly I wasn't quick enough to catch them on camera. 

Having docked, we had a quick look at the return cruise times which seemed to be every 40 minutes or so and then made the short walk up the hillside to the castle. Wray Castle is a Victorian neo-gothic building dating from 1840, but is unfurnished inside. There were a number of rooms set up for children including a Peter Rabbit burrow that seemed to make use of the warren of rooms upstairs and a Forest Folktales room which featured a dark room with some fairly amateurish decorations. The castle interior was pretty underwhelming overall and we left feeling that it could be very nice if some more money and time was spent on it. I certainly would have been disappointed as a non-member paying over ten pounds entry. 

We had a wander around the surrounding land, skimming stones across the lake from the shingle beach, and clambering over rocks to get a selfie in front of the lake. The weather remained fine, although the sun kept dipping in and out behind cloud. The wander through the woods took us up to the cruise boat pier and to our suprise there again was a boat just arriving. We joined the queue and once again were the last people to get on the boat, this time scoring a seat in the front outside. On the journey back I kept my eyes peeled for the elusive jets but sadly they didn't appear, the cruise stopped off at Brockhole before continuing back to Ambleside. Feeling a bit peckish on our arrival we droppped into a fish and chip shop just behind the pier and wouldn't you know it, whilst we were queing the jets screamed by again!

We decided to have a wander around the shops in Ambleside before heading back to the cottage. There were lots of nice things and we ended up coming away with some glass Christmas decorations and a new lamp from a shop that had just opened and then a glass tea light holder for another place. Took a few photos of the bridgehouse before heading back for the evening.  

Today we decided to branch out and go to the other side of Lake Windermere! So far, our adventures have focused on the northern part of Windermere, but today we explored the southern end - well, at least a bit of it!

We set off for Hill Top, the historic home of Beatrix Potter, creator of the Peter Rabbit tales. It was a pleasant drive there, and we even made an impromptu stop to photograph a bouquet of pheasants (I've just found out that this is a collective noun for them!). The males were being quite temperamental and squabbling a lot, but the colours of their plumage looked beautiful against the bracken. When we arrived, we managed to park our little car in a cheeky corner spot and headed to the ticket office, securing entry to the house for 20mins time. We 'pottered' in Beatrix Potter's garden for a bit, watching some birds and admiring the autumn colours, and having a quick look in the shop. From there, we went in the house. It was quite dark inside, quite typical for the National Trust, but lots of interesting things to look at, including a lot of original art by Potter's brother. There weren't a huge number of rooms to look at however, so we weren't there very long.

From there, we went to Claife viewing station, a castle-style tower, constructed to offer lovely views over Windermere, with coloured panes of glass to look through. Apparently, it was linked to the Picturesque movement - as it offered perfectly composed views of the lake. However, it was risky to offer the public such views as they might be overcome by the perfect beauty and faint... Risky business, looking at views... Getting peckish after all the perfect views, we decided to have lunch in the cafe. We shared a ploughan's sausage roll picnic lunch (with some cheese, cherry tomatoes and chutneys) and a scone with jam and cream. 

Then, we decided to head to Grasmere - mainly on a quest for Grasmere gingerbread. It took about 30 mins to drive, with only a couple of near misses on the narrow and winding roads! Found a place to park easily enough and then wandered into the town centre, trying to recall where the gingerbread shop was. And we found it! And the queue that streamed from it! Hmm... We didn't have to wait long through, and got some gingerbread! We then carried on wandering, seeing some nice bits and bobs in the local shops but only buying a couple of books from the local bookshop. Had a little piece of gingerbread in the car before setting off back to the cottage, stopping at Booths in Windermere for some more food.