Cartmel

Cartmel

Whilst staying in one of our Lake District Cottages you will know doubt wish to explore our many towns and villages, where Cartmel offers much to see and do.

Cartmel lies on the Cartmel Peninsular, one of three adjacent land spurs that jut out into the Morecambe 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 best and most interesting, unique villages in the Lake District. Where else will you find a medieval Priory, a national hunt race course, a host of shops, five pubs, a wine bar, superb restaurant and the best sticky toffee pud in the universe. The village lies eight miles south of 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 ingredient 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, establishing Cartmel as an Augustinian Priory. Most of the monastic buildings have gone, but the Priory building itself survived the dissolution. 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.

Shopping - Dining - Entertainment

Winding lanes radiate from the square where you will find shops to browse, pausing as you come to vistas of the river or Priory. There is an fine antique shop offering some serious stuff, often at serious prices. There are craft shops, 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 popular Royal Oak offering excellent cuisine and local ales. 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 the finest, exciting dining experience, there is Simon Rogan's excellent Enclume restaurant. Highly praised and noted for superb cuisine, you are wise to pre book a reservation. Recently, Simon and his partner, Penny Tapsell, open a a more casual dining venue with Rogan & Companies wine bar, equally perfect for just a drink at its river side setting as it is for light lunch of evening dinner. Time you stay right and you can take part in the Cartmel race days. 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!

Out And About - Local Walks - Activities

As well as exploring the village lanes, you can pop around to nearby Cark and Holker Hall. Here you will find magnificent gardens, a grand house and the Lakeland Car Museum Around Cartmel are some very pleasant local walks. You can take the track up to Hampsfell, a wooded limestone ridge. The area is full of wild life and flowers and running across the summit, the limestone pavement, with its cracks and glints, forming a natural giant path way. From the summit you get a splendid panoramic view of both the mountains and the Morecambe Bay. Crowning the ridge is the Hospice, a strange little limestone hut that has a fireplace and stone seats with carved instructions on how the shelter should be used. On from the summit, and you have Eggerslack Woods, above Grange Over Sands. A large mixed woodland, pleasant in all seasons. Grange is well worth a visit, both for its fine shops and the mile long promenade overlooking the Morecambe Bay. The coast is great to explore. Humphrey Head is good shortish walk to blow out the cobwebs, or travel a little further around the head of the bay, over to Arnside. Here you have one of the most dramatic, flat walks along the miles of south bay shoreline, with shimmering sands when the tide is out, and a wonderful experience if you are there as the waters return. You must stay close to the edges, but I can promise this will rival any of the lake walks. Head eight miles north from the village and you come to Newby Bridge, at the foot of Windermere. Here you have steamer trips on the lake, boat hire and fishing and the aquarium. At Finsthwaite you have the path leading up to Low and High Dam, two perfect little tarns, easy for all and great for a longer day with a picnic.

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