Mr Nomad and I were invited to attend a family wedding to witness the nuptials of a cousin, Jessica and her beau, Paul. The happy couple have been together forever, and truly represent love’s young dream and it was a privilege to be part of their special day.
The wedding was to take place on the shores of Lake Windermere in the Lake District in Cumbria so it was a delight to travel to a place never visited by me, and rarely visited by Mr Nomad. We travelled up through North Yorkshire to drop the dog off at the Nomadic grandparents for her own mini get away, and then moved onwards through the Yorkshire Dales into the Lake District National Park. This national park is the largest of 13 national parks in England and Wales. Even before we arrived at the destination, we could not help but revel in the stunning landscapes.
We had grown used to the flat lands and never ending agricultural backdrops of Norfolk but the northern scenery was staggering with wild and rugged moorland and heaths, rolling hills and soaring crags, mountainous terrain giving way to a harsh beauty like nothing else. The weather was superb with glorious sunbeams bouncing off the land, creating an almost idyllic setting for the happy couple. Given the warmth of the sunshine, I was able to take in the scenery with rose tinted glasses but I could imagine that in the depths of winter, this terrain could be ruthless and bleak.
We arrived at our hotel in Newby Bridge which is a small hamlet in the Lake District, Cumbria. We were staying at The Swan Hotel which is on the bridge in Newby. It was built in the late 17th century, possibly early 18th century and thought to be originally a coaching inn, taking in passing travelers. It was a stunning building still retaining its old traditional charm on the river front, with majestic swans gliding past, a reflection of the local heritage but with modern elements including a Spa. Mr Nomad and I were delighted at this and we spent the coming days enjoying swimming, sauna’s and steam rooms to work off the excesses of the wedding and the partying.
On the night before the wedding, we were invited to a barbeque at the boathouse on the shores of Lake Windermere itself which was utterly breathtaking. Lake Windermere is the largest natural lake in England around 11 miles in length (18 kilometres), and at it widest point, some 0.93 miles (1.5kilometres). Its called a ribbon lake because it is long and narrow. The outflow is River Leven which drains into Morecombe Bay. At its deepest, it is up to 64 metres in depth which is staggering!
The lake is largely surrounded by the foothills of the Lake District National Park which provides unreal landscapes to walk, hike, trek and cycle amongst other outdoor pursuits. There is a water bus service ferrying people up and down its shores. The lake itself offers all manner of watersports and is renowned for the numerus clubs littering the shores including sailing, (motor boats and yachts), kayaking, rowing, water skiing, open water swimming and paddleboarding. Mr Nomad and I could not resist the paddleboarding and gave this a go.
Mr Nomad had previously attempted paddleboarding on a holiday in Thailand but I had never done this previously and never one to miss any type of adventure, we had taken swimwear with the expectation that we would be getting in the water. Having avoided the temptation of the bar, and having filled up our tummies with the delicious barbecue food, we changed and took to the water. I did have some trepidation that the water would be somewhat colder than I would prefer but it was wonderfully temperate.
We paddled out across the glistening water much to the disdain of the local ducks and it was incredibly calming. I love being in water and after adopting a kneeling position to start with, I mastered the actual paddling so with Mr Nomad’s expert tuition and guidance, I gingerly stood up and paddled away to my hearts content. Mr Nomad did have a dunking in a slight mishap with falling off the board but miraculously, I did not suffer the same fate although there was a huge temptation to go swimming. I managed to stay upright (and dry) throughout and I was able to take in the sights on the glorious Lake Windermere. We enjoyed it so much that we are both considering buying a paddleboard each!
There was a serenity to the lake which was enjoyed by many, and the paddleboarding was only one activity that brought people together on the water. Whilst trying to master turning the board, kayaks had passed by, and people rowing in long boats clearly participating in something far more energetic than paddleboarding. There were many beautiful boats around and the area was shared with aquatic birds and wildfowl.
The wedding the following day was held at Townhead Estate, overlooking the wonderful lake. It was beautiful venue, befitting of the beautiful couple and the scenery itself was breath taking. It was steeped in history, tracing its origins back to the 1400’s. It was re-modelled in the 1800’s as a hunting lodge and after falling into disrepair, in 2019, it was purchased by the Cox family. It is a very exclusive wedding venue set in 130 acres of private grounds and gardens, on the eastern shores of Lake Windermere. It has half a mile of private lake frontage with a boathouse and a jetty, and even a wedding motor yacht. It was a dreamy location for a wedding and the area itself has recently received the accolade as being the most romantic place in England and it was easy to see why.
It was awesome in the true sense of the word and has been the inspiration for many people over the years including William Wordsworth who wrote about it in his works The Prelude around 1798. Oscar Wilde wrote about the view in his book Lady Windermere’s Fan in 1892 and Arthur Ransome wrote Swallows and Amazons in the 1930’s based upon both Lake Windermere and Coniston.
Lake Windermere and the Lake District was said to be the inspiration for Beatrix Potter in her creation of Peter Rabbit, Miss Tiggywinkle and Jeremy Fisher, amongst other friends in her many books from around 1902. She is an English writer, illustrator, natural scientist and conservationist best known for writing over 60 children’s books featuring animals. She is credited with preserving much of the land that constitutes the Lake District National Park. She spent her childhood holidays in Scotland and the Lake District and when she died of pneumonia on 22nd December 1943, she left much of her property to the national trust. Indeed, Beatrix Potter is celebrated in the Lake District with a museum only a couple of miles from where we were staying, known as the World of Beatrix Potter. Beatrix Potter purchased a black pig from Town Head Estate which was ‘Pig Wig’ in her Tale of Pigling Bland and she presented a Pig ornament to the estate which is still there in their private collection today.
The Hollywood comedian, Stan Laurel who was born in Ulverston in 1890 was a frequent visitor to the area.
Bringing this up to date, Windermere is a location in the 1994 fighting game “Tekken” and Taylor Swift mentions it in her song “The Lakes” on her 2020 album “Folklore.” It was very easy to see how so many people had been inspired by this amazing landscape. Lake Windermere itself is unbelievably epic and it must be seen to appreciate the sheer expanse of this body of water.
The setting was remarkable and certainly made for the best wedding and the best family get together. It brought joy to our hearts to see so many people brought together with love. The wedding was perfect, with a perfect backdrop of the glistening waters of Windermere and the weather held up making a perfect day for a perfect couple. Much merriment was had as we celebrated love and happiness.
Mr Nomad and I very much enjoyed the experiences of the Lake District and of Lake Windermere but we had barely scratched the surface of what this breath taking place had to offer. We will return, and take Zuri with us. Whilst she had a great time with the Nomadic grandparents, she would have enjoyed the freedom that comes with this rugged wilderness.
I’m not sure she would have embraced the great lake as we had, but I have no doubt she would have at least dipped her paws in.
#allyouneedislove
#familyiseverything
#bringonthepaddleboards
#averagepeopleadventures
Nomadic Family Unit 
Leave a comment