Cartmel lies on the Cartmel Peninsular, one of three adjacent land spurs that jut out into the Morcambe Bay. Separated by the estuaries of the Rivers Kent, Leven and Duddon, combined they form the area known as the Furness Peninsular. For me Cartmel is one of the most interesting and unique villages in South Cumbria. Where else will you find a medieval Priory, a national hunt race course, a host of antique shops, five pubs and the best sticky toffee pud in the universe. The village lies eight miles south of Lake Windermere, just outside of the line on the map that says ‘in or out of the park’. Why such a fine village and dramatic coastline was not thought to be an essential ingriedent to an area of national natural beauty is a mystery. Still, the folk that know it and love are quite happy to keep it to themselves, leaving the masses to head on towards Bowness, Ambleside and Grasmere. The village first appeared in 677 AD, a gift from the King of Northumberland to St Cuthbert, it ‘along with all the Britons in it’. In 1188 AD William Marshal, first Earl of Pembroke, established Cartmel as an Augustinian Priory. Most of the monastic buildings have gone, but the Priory itself survived the dissolution, partly as it served as the parish church. Alas the same cannot be said for many of the poor brothers, who were charged with treason, tried and hanged at Lancaster. To day, though most of the buildings post date the Priory, the village retains a medieval aura. The centre of the village is the square, approached on one side by a bridge over the little river Eea, the other through the monastic arch of the priory gate house. Village life revolves around the Square, pretty as a picture, with ivy clad whitewashed shops and inns alongside grand, grey stone houses. The square has its own market cross, water pump and ancient fish slabs and, with the Priory rising up like some great ship, you could almost be in foreign parts. Winding lanes radiate from the square where you will find shops to browse, pausing as you come to a vista of the river or Priory. Cartmel is famous for its abundance of antique shops offering some serious stuff, often at serious prices. There are craft shops, two book shops, the Barn selling dolls house miniatures, a Spar grocery and, in the square, The Cartmel Village Store run by Howard Johns. The shelves groan with deli delights, pies and fresh bread and it is the source of Mrs Johns famed Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding. Pubs and Inns are plentiful. There are two in the square, the Kings Arms and the Red Lion. Duck under the arch and you have the Cavendish Arms, the oldest of the Inns and finally, standing sentinel on the edge of the village, is the Pig and Whistle. All offer good local ales and pub food. For finer dining there is the Enclume restaurant, highly praised and noted for superb cuisine, you are wise to pre book a reservation. On the edge of the village is The Cartmel race track, the smallest National Hunt course in the country. Small maybe, but on race days people flock to the village and there is a terrific air of carnival! There are some good walks from the village. East you can take the track up to Hampsfell, a wooded limestone ridge. The area is full of wild life and flowers and across the top the limestone pavement, with cracks and glints, forms a natural giant path way. From the summit you get a splendid panoramic view of both the mountains and the sea. Crowning the ridge is the Hospice, a shelter built by the Reverend Remington.This strange little limestone hut has a fireplace and stone seats with carved instructions on how the shelter should be used. Atop this, added at a later date, is a giant compass, so no excuse for getting lost. Carry on down and you can return to the village by lane, calling at the craft centre at Hampsfield Hall, where a number of craft workshops sell various hand made goods. There is a good licensed restaurant, The Egg-Pudding Stone, which offers whole food dishes and rich puddings. South west from the village is pleasant walk through to Cark, which in turn connects to Flookbrough. The walk from Cartmel is about one and a half miles, through woodland and field and starts from the village square. At one point there is a sign that warns of adders, but this as much for their protection as yours.