Kirkstone pass

Today is Monday

Had a look around Whitby, it's a lovely seaside town with a working fishing harbour. 

We walked out to the end of the pier, it was a great view. Clear blue skies warm and still.

There is a bathing beach with about 150 brightly coloured beach boxes on it. We decided to drive up to the top of the hill to access the beach, it was quite a climb down. These seaside holiday beaches are reasonably quiet at the moment, but the summer school holidays start later this week and they will all be crowded. We walked back up the steep hill a different way and at the top on the way to the car we passed the lift. Amazing lift, it has a tunnel at the bottom to get to the beach. We had a ride in the lift.

Next we went back up to the Abbey ruins. This is the Abbey that inspired the stories of Dracula. The ruins are very interesting but a bit sad to see something so old that had been destroyed by someones failure to accept other people's beliefs, it was laid to Ruin by Henry VIII in 1540 under his 'dissolution of Monostries' policy, as were many others. It was further ruined in the 1940's when it was shelled by the Germans.


 



 









 We passed a ruined Castle at Brough. The Brough Castle is a Norman Castle dating from the 1200's. Although it stands on the site of an ancient Roman fort, The word Brough comes from the word Burgh which means fort. It was an interesting side trip and the parking and entry were free. As a result there was no-one else there.

 
There is very little holding up the arch above Tammy's head, I pointed this out to her after the photo.


Further along the way we found another stone circle in a field, this was also free entry and free free parking, but there was group of German tourists there.







Steven blends in well with the stones because he is an old fossill.

The circle is called Casterigg is about 4,500 years old. It is set on a small hill amazing 360 degree views. We were taught that when Archaeologists have no idea why something is there, they record it as 'Used for gatherings and Ceremonies'. So on reading the boards at this one it is obvious that no-one knows what is was for. 

 


There was a great sty over the stone wall, created by placing large stones through the wall cross ways forming steps on either side.




 

 
 

We arrived in the Lakes district and headed in towards Windermere Lake, the biggest lake in the district. The town of Windermere was very busy. The lake is over ten miles long. It has old mansions around it from before the railways a few hundred years ago. The railways turned it into one of Englands biggest holiday resorts.
 





















We headed off towards the Kirstone Pass where we had heard that there is a hill to drive up that is considered one of the most difficult roads in England, a challenge.

We found the road we were looking for at Ambleside, just outside of Windermere. It had a cool warning sign on it and was titled 'The Struggle'.


Up we went. It was a very narrow and steep road with stone walls on both sides. As we went up the weather cleared so we could see some spectacular views. 

 

 
We made it to the top and the Kirkstone Inn. The pub was built in 1496 and is the highest pub in the Lake district and the third highest in England at 1490 feet above sea level.
We went in for a celebratory pint and a meal of Beef and Ale pie that was delicious. While we ate the weather closed in and a thick mist appeared. We were forced to stay in the pub for the night. Oh well, another pint, or two.