The beautiful day we arrived at The Lakes transformed to rain on the one following. So we went to Hill Top, Beatrix Potter's farm house. They only let 8 people in the house at once, and as we waited in the garden, some fighter pilot on a training run decided to buzz the valley. Up and down, gone from sight before his ear cracking roar made us look to the skies. There was also an enclosed field well populated with rabbits just for atmosphere.
The rain started in earnest then. So we headed to Hawkshead to see The Beatrix Potter exhibition in her husband's law offices. Had a scary experience in the carpark - it was a pay after you stay. As we were ready to leave, I went to the parking payment machine - it asked for our car rego, which I started to enter - and the machine auto completed the rego for me. Big brother........
In search of another rain free location, we went to Wray Castle, which although it was given to the National Trust in 1929, wasn't opened to the public until 2012 or so. The place has not been restored, because it has been rented to various tenants and has been substantially altered at various times. It is really a folly, only built in 1840. But Beatrix Potter stayed there as a teenager with her parents, introducing her to the Lakes for the first time. It's a very hands on place, where children are encouraged to interact with the building.
And still it rained. So we went to Ambleside to the Armitt Museum, an institution to which numerous local identities, including the redoubtable Ms Potter, donated some of their work. Potter donated her works on Fungi, which were scientifically earth shattering. Her theories were accurate, but were glossed over and only recently was an apology issued.
And still it was damp. No after dinner walk tonight.

So we made up for it the next day - we started at Cockermouth with William Wordsworth's childhood home. It fined up enough afterwards to take in some serious Lake District scenery. So we headed for the Hardknott pass, complete with Roman fort and bath house, and ridiculous narrow sheep tracks that the map says are roads. It was truly awe inspiring - no picture does it justice.

After dinner we took a walk up the hill behind our flat onto farming land, full of sheep and rocky outcrops. Tremendous views down the length of Windermere in the evening sunlight. And of course we hadn't a camera......