Britain 09 - Day 18

Introduction

Another day that dawned fine and cool. After breakfast we drove north to Keswick to visit the Cumberland Pencil Museum, then on up the steep climb of Honister Pass. The "visitor's centre" at the mine was mostly geared around people waiting for either a cavern tour, or the more daring Via Ferrata outdoor climb. From there we dropped down to Lake Buttermere. A little further on we met the village of Buttermere and stopped for a nice lunch at the Bridge Hotel. We then passed Crummock Water and shortly met up with two large concrete trucks. We followed these for several miles along narrow winding roads before they turned off for Eaglesfield. We then came across the A66 which took us east back to Keswick and from there back to Bowness.

Keswick and the Cumberland Pencil Museum

For many years the only brand of colour pencil available was "Cumberland". I had several sets,originally a set of 12 in a flat tin box, but later a smaller set of six in a plastic wallet. They were known as the "Lakeland" series and had a coloured picture of a lake scene on them. I never realised the significance of the name or picture, assuming that the coloured picture was just an example of the work that could be produced by using these pencils! However, a visit to the Pencil Museum in Keswick put all that information into its correct context.

Rydal Water in the early morning sun

North of Grasmere

Looking across to Ullscarf

The A591 nearing Keswick

The pencil van

The entrance to the museum

Introducing the Museum

......

and the entrance to the museum.

Honister Pass

As you leave Keswick the A5289 turns south beside Derwent Water and then climbs the valley to Honister Pass. On the way you pass through Rosthwaite and Borrowdale, then Seatoller. At the start of the climb to Honister Pass is the Glaramara Outdoor Activity Centre with lines of children all dressed in red overalls. Then up to the Honister Slate Mine at the top.

The B5289 south of Keswick

Derwent Water

Looking across Derwent Water to Causey Pike

The road towards Grange

Nearing Rosthwaite

Coming into the village of Rosthwaite

Near Seatoller

Just past Seatoller we met this line of dwarves in red coats

Looking up past the Honister Slate Mine to the Pass

Imaginative use of slate - pity the visitor centre had not used the same amount of imagination

The car park and the track uphill to the Via Ferrata

More slate creations

Honister Pass to Cockermouth

From the Honister Slate Mine at the top of the pass, the road heads down the otherside to Buttermere where we stopped at the Bridge Hotel for Lunch. Shortly after leaving Buttermere we met two concrete trucks, which we followed all the way to the A56.

Downhill from Honister