Howe Foot Holiday Cottages

Spoilt for choice. That's how it feels when you're staying at Howe Foot, with all the magnificent countryside and varying attractions that lie within 10/15 miles of Garden Cottage and Otley Beck Cottage. So, if you're looking for things to do, here - and in the next blog - are a few suggestions.

The first port of call for us at Howe Foot is generally Coniston Water, the Lake District's third largest lake and one that's very much associated with the great Victorian John Ruskin, the land and water speed ace Donald Campbell, the 'Swallows and Amazons' writer Arthur Ransome and - bearing in mind she once owned much of the Monk Coniston estate to the north of the lake - Beatrix Potter.

It doesn't take long to reach this slender stretch of water. Head north through the Crake Valley on the A5084 and within 20 minutes you'll see it. For a while the road hugs the shoreline so you can pull into one of the lay-bys for a good view and a few photographs. The route then heads away from the lake to meet the A593 at Torver and from there it's about three miles to Coniston.

For Donald Campbell Coniston Water was the scene of both triumph and tragedy. He broke four world water speed records here in the 1950s but was killed in 1967 - in Bluebird K7 - trying to set another one. The boat was recovered from the lake in 2001 and the hope is that one day it'll have a permanent home at the Ruskin Museum in Coniston.

The village itself bags a glorious setting and if you pop up to the site of the old station, you can imagine how rail passengers must have felt when they stepped off the train before closure of the branch line in the 1960s. The Coniston fells lie to the north west, the Yewdale and Tilberthwaite fells are to the north and The Old Man of Coniston, one of Lakeland's best known fells, is over to the west.

All this crag and contour means that the area is popular with walkers, many of whom like to tackle the 'Old Man'. Of course, you don't have to aim quite so high to get a feel of the mountains. A two hour round trip walk into Coppermines Valley - from where copper was extracted for some 300 years - will do the trick.

To find out more about Coniston's rich mining history and the slate quarrying that took place for centuries around Tilberthwaite, make a date with the Ruskin Museum. 'Telling the story of Coniston since 1901,' it says because that's when it was established by WG Collingwood, one time secretary to John Ruskin.

The big appeal for me here is that it's got lots of 'stuff' and lots to discover about local farming, char fishing, geology and lace making, as well as Coniston's industrial heritage. That said, Ruskin and Donald Campbell get top billing with galleries devoted to both. The 'Bluebird Wing' which opened in 2011 is standing ready to receive Campbell's hydroplane K7.

Next door to the museum is the Coniston Institute whose main hall is the venue each year - every day, from early June to early October - for the Coniston Vintage Summer Fair. It was a first visit for us this year and how we loved the range of antiques, vintage items and collectables which were so lovingly displayed.

Not far from the Institute is the Coniston Brewing Company, producers of two 'supreme champion beers of Britain': Bluebird Bitter and No 9 Barley Wine. The Black Bull pub, next door, is a good place to sample a range of its beers. And for a nice little restaurant, try Steam Bistro which offers breakfast, brunch and all day lunches. Do check its opening times before you go because - as I write - it's no longer an 'evening restaurant'.

I like the sound of the 'Big Brekkie' and that's probably what I'd choose before heading up again to Tarn Hows, a Lakeland beauty spot once owned by Beatrix Potter. We did it in June, out one way and back another, past Potter's old property of Yew Tree Farm. The blue sky and the sunshine made the Yewdale fells look as good a picture as any 'Old Master'.

Talking of 'old masters' brings me to John Ruskin, art critic, painter, writer, social commentator, environmentalist, political economist and, as you'll see if you visit his former home of Brantwood, a great gardener. The property lies on the east side of the lake about 2.5 miles from Coniston village, so you can either drive there, walk there (taking care on the narrow road) or go across the lake.

The National Trust runs the Steam Yacht Gondola (seasonal) while Coniston Launch has two vessels that operate cruises on the water (see my blog of June 25, 2021). Arriving by boat is the perfect prelude to wandering around the seven rooms of the house (filled with paintings, furniture and personal treasures) and exploring the eight unique gardens, part of a 250 acre estate.

Ruskin's array of talents and interests was monumental, so the owners of the property, the Brantwood Trust, are keen to impart a sense of the great man and his relevance to the 21st century. Thus every room has a small wall panel which explains some aspect of Ruskin's life or beliefs, a welcome extra touch in a much cherished home.

I do love Brantwood and I also love the fact that you can sit on the terrace of the cafè and savour the best views - across the lake - of any tearoom in Cumbria. Two galleries here also show changing exhibitions while three places - called 'The Eyrie', 'The Lodge' and 'The Coachman's Quarters' offer self-catering.

If you've come by car you can head back to Howe Foot along the road which skirts the east side of the lake. It's narrower than the one on the other side and doesn't have much access to the shoreline. But you do go through High Nibthwaite where Arthur Ransome spent many a childhood summer holiday, those holidays providing fertile material for his future books. And my future blog - ie. the next one - will be about more attractions in this lovely part of Cumbria.