Posted by Alan Truelove on July 30, 1997 at 03:15:49:
Wardale "In Search of Swallows and Amazons" (1996), p. 95 seems to be
the best source for finding Dogs' Home .. The Foresters' Cottages are
easily found, as they are at the foot of the Foresty Road which is
tarmac'd and has a huge white sign.
The 'footpath' leaves from a small parking lot with a picnic table
a few yards North, on the road. "In the footsteps of the Swallows
and Amazons" is misleading - at least the map is. It shows the Dogs'
Home a short distance up the footpath. It isn't. There is certainly no
footpath sign of any description.
Wardale says "the path branches a couple of times, but by following
the right-hand track .. a beck .. crosses the path, & just
around another bend is the Dogs Home." [It must be at least
15 mins from the picnic area]. You can't get lost to the right
because the Forestry area is wire-fenced off.
These are my conclusions based on a trip this June.
(2) The book "Town & Village .. Cumbria & the lake district"-Buckley-Sigma leisure 6.95
is great, if you spend most of your time in towns ..(has a description of
the Catholic center Rydal Hall next to Rydal Ho., which'
is worth a visit if only to see the Falls, & the super-life sized Christ
lying on the ground in a nook)
(3) The discount coupon book Cumbria & the Lake District '97 - a glossy
thin book about 6"x3" is available at the Visitor Centers &
a few bookstores, 3.99, & has coupons for Rydal Ho., Carlisle Castle,
Dove Cottage, & the Haverthwaite Rwy.and v. many others
(Not the Aquatarium however). (Families will still save
small amounts based on a comparison with family rate), also the maps are
great.
(4) Grasmere has a Chippy, disguised as the "Piggy in the Middle"
- they are not allowed to use the word because of local law.
But the fish and chips are quite good (5.00)
(5) The aquatarium at Lakeside is a slight rip-off, but if you
are lucky you can actually see a Cormorant (Diver), dive
right to the bottom, from the glass ceiling ...
(6) Beck Allen's self-catering at Grasmere is quite a bargain, and
the Swimming pool at the Wordsworth next door (only 4 people
at a time ??!!) is a great bonus.
Parking is provided but quite difficult. The laundry arrangements are
useless. Quaysiders at Ambleside is much more modern and
a better bargain,(tiny splash pool) but there are no nearby shops.