Today we visited Holker Hall and Gardens as well as the village of Cartmel in southern Lakeland.

We decided to have a quieter day today exploring the village of Cartmel just north of our lodge in Flookburgh.

This was in contrast to yesterday’s busy day traversing the Hardknott Pass.

Holker Hall and Gardens

Firstly, we made a 10 minute journey from our lodge to the historic Holker Hall and Gardens.

Holker Hall has been the seat of the Cavendish family for many generations and was built in the 16th century. Unfortunately, due to the current Coronavirus pandemic we could not visit the inside of this historic house.

The good news was we could visit the award winning gardens of the estate. The best of these gardens were the Elliptical Gardens, the Summer Garden, the Sunken Garden and the Neptune Cascade.

Despite the rain it was relaxing walking around these gardens, and it was nice to see herds of deer wandering freely around the estate. I later found out they serve venison from the estate in the food hall.

Cartmel Priory

Next on our agenda was to visit the nearby village of Cartmel.

As well as its racecourse, the village is famous for Cartmel Priory. The priory was built in the 12th century but was later destroyed in the 16th century.

The nave was later used as a prison and then a grammar school. Today only the parish church remains on the site.

Unsworth Yard Brewery

We then walked through to the village of Cartmel.

What immediately greeted us was like a dream for a real ale fan like myself. The Unsworth Yard Brewery.

We took a seat and immediately ordered their Eel River IPA. A very good pint indeed. The beer was so good I bought some to take back to our lodge for later consumption.

Cartmel Cheeses

In the same courtyard as the brewery we popped into Cartmel Cheeses. Even though my wife hates the smell of cheese she joined me in this fantastic little shop.

Artisan cheeses from all over Europe were in stock and I was spoilt for choice at what to buy. In the end I opted for Winslade soft cheese and Cote Hill Blue.

In addition the cheese shop has a section devoted to baked products, chutneys and jams.

Grange-over-Sands

Our final stop of the day was Grange-over-Sands. This town is located on the Cartmel peninsula next to the seaside.

The main thing to see in Grange-over-Sands is the clock tower. Constructed in 1912 it has diagonal buttresses and a short spire.

There are also ornamental gardens and a promenade to see in the town. As well as a number of independent shops selling crafts, foods and clothes.

For me, the pick of a good bunch of these shops was Higginsons of Grange. They sell pies, pâtés, meats, cheeses and other sundries. We bought a few things here to take back to the lodge.

This was a great place to end our day and return to our residence. Probably to eat and drink all the food we bought throughout the day.

Tomorrow we head over the Kirkstone Pass to Ullswater and Carlisle.