Leeds Castle . . . Lake District . . . Cornwall

Leed's Castle

Spent a delightful day at Leeds Castle, exploring the historic yet now modernized castle, navigating a classic and full-sized hedgerow maze, and meandering through the grounds & English gardens overflowing with blossoms. Black swans glided across the moat surrounding the building, the library was so inviting and we were able to visit several of the over 20 bedrooms there.

Located in Kent, England, its built on islands in a lake and has been in existence since 1119. It was military post and later a favorite residence of King Edward I. Later, Catherine of Aragon, wife of Henry VIII dwelt there. During WWII, the castle was used as a hospital.

Life-like vignettes of living at the Castle in medieval times displayed people at work, play, cooking and such. The weaponry and armor displays were quite something and it was fun to peek in on life in those times for a day!

The Lovely Lake District

Lingering in the Lake District was a marvelous venture!  Such gorgeous countryside in North West England brimming with lakes, mountains (or fells), Herdwick sheep, stone walls & stone circles and fantastic vistas!  We were so taken with the waterfalls, rolling pastures with stacked stone & mortar-less walls, and unique 17th century churches like Gothic St Oswald’s Church in Grasmere which has jeweled stained glass, an arts and crafts type pulpit, and a poor box dated 1648.

It's a region famous for its associations with William Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter and others writers and artists.  It’s also a Unesco World Heritage Site because of its unique hill-farming culture.

The area contains 16 lakes (with additional smaller tarns or pools of water, too), 150 high  peaks and about 400 towns, villages and hamlets. We lunched on the restaurant porch of one such hamlet. 

Loved this description from "Lonely Planet",  "Ever since the Romantic poets arrived in the 19th century, its postcard panorama of craggy hilltops, mountain tarns and glittering lakes has been stirring the imaginations of visitors."

Motoring along with our guide, through here and on our way to Cornwall, Mike, Mom and I also peeked in on a few other spots, as well:

- the Minack Theatre, a world famous open-air theater, carved into the granite cliff among wonderful gardens and overlooking the panorama of Porthcurno Bay.

- Castlerigg and Merry Maiden’s stone circles,  prehistoric marvels and mysteries.  No one knows why stone circles were built or what their purpose was, but theories include that they were religious meeting places or astronomical observatories.  They were built somewhere between 3,500 BC and 1000 BC and are located all over Great Britain and Northern Europe.

- Sarah Nelson’s Grasmere Gingerbread Store, featuring delectable gingerbread.  Their recipe is only made there in the Lake District.

Cornwall

Cornwall calling! Such phenomenal scenery with sea sides, stone circles, lighthouses, St Michael’s Mount & Land’s End with their yummy cocoa, scones with famous clotted cream, and renowned pasties (meat pies). Loved the charming town and dreamy sunset. 

Cornwall is a county located on England's rugged southwestern tip. It has picturesque harbor villages, towering, windswept cliffs and even seaside resorts. It is splendidly diverse and amazingly gorgeous countryside! We were smitten with the area!

Land's End's rocky shoreline is a headland within the Penwith peninsula, so it is England's most westerly point. The English Channel is to the east of it and the Celtic Sea is to the west.

To reach St Michael's Mount, you must go at low tide and traverse the slippery stone path from the mainland to the Mount. Once the tide comes in, you must take a boat to reach it. Then you must stay perched on the Mount until the tide goes back out to cross. Fascinating tidal island, it is home to an occupied castle (owned by the St Aubyn family since 1650) and a chapel. It's the counterpart of tidal island, Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy, France. We enjoyed the museum, gardens and racing the tide!