Grasmere Village 2018

Another year nearly gone. Another year where other commitments have overtaken writing my blog. Let’s have a look at what has been happening in the village this year through photographs I have posted on Twitter (yes I do still have time to do that so to keep up to date you could follow @grasmerevillage).

Mixed weather this year. Long periods of sunshine during the Summer then torrential rain in Autumn. Rushbearing Day was beautiful. Grasmere Sports Day was wet, wet, wet.

Our newly rendered church tower looked good in the sunshine, as did our new Farmers Market, which has proved a great hit with locals and visitors alike.

A snowy Dunmail Raise

Snowdrops at Wordsworth’s Grave

Cheeky Little Robin

Snowmen at the River Rothay

Broadgate Grasmere

Grasmere Co-op Joke

Grasmere Sports Field

Dunmail Raise

Grasmere Church

Grasmere Market

Grasmere Market

Heaton Cooper Studio

Designs on Japan Exhibition

Grasmere Maidens

Grasmere Rushbearing Maidens

Grasmere Rushbearing

St. Oswald’s Rushbearing

Grasmere Market

Grasmere Summer Weather

Broadgate Grasmere

Grasmere Sports

Hounds Grasmere Sports

Church Stile Grasmere

Tour of Britain Grasmere School

Tour of Britain Grasmere

Allan Bank Grasmere

Allan Bank Grasmere

Dancing on the green Grasmere

Lest we forget. Grasmere

Helm Crag Grasmere

Open Top Bus Grasmere

Broadgate Grasmere

St Oswald’s Church Grasmere

Allan Bank Evening

Rainbow Grasmere

Rainbow Sam Reads

Church Stile Autumn

Stock Lane Grasmere

Remembrance Day Grasmere

Allan Bank walk Grasmere

Allan Bank Walk

Allan Bank Tunnel

Allan Bank Tunnel

Xmas crafts Heaton Cooper

Gingerbread House

Autumn Weather and Flooding in Grasmere

The weather in Grasmere this Autumn has been stunning. This week the weather changed and many parts of the village are flooded. Snow is forecast for next week. It would be easy to forget the beautiful days we have had in September and October so here are a few images.

Glorious Grasmere

Reflections on the mere have been amazing. Even when the early morning mist hangs in the air.

Mist on the mere

The Island in the middle of the mere a symphony of Autumn shades.

Grasmere Island

The entrance to the village a riot of colours too.

Grasmere Autumn

And Grasmere Daffodil Garden looking lovely at any time of year.

Grasmere Daffodil Garden

The weather however took a turn for the worst this week. It started with excitement as the first snow on the higher fells was spotted.

Grasmere

It then deteriorated as the rain arrived, and it rained and rained. Several weather warnings were in place and it looked like the river might burst it’s banks. The floods however came from the ground being totally saturated and newly formed rivers flooded in to the village.

Grasmere Sports Field

The Sports field end of the village was affected and the Daffodil Hotel was flooded.

College Street Grasmere

The centre of the village near the garden centre was awash.

Grasmere Flooding

Getting in and out of the village was a trial for anyone that had to.

Flooding Rydal

The river is still high and the rain continues, lets hope things settle down soon. Thanks to Mountain Rescue, Environment Agency, Police and Fire Brigade among others who I saw helping to keep everyone on top of things.

 

Grasmere Rainbows, Autumn, and Halloween.

October in Grasmere has been an amazing month for rainbows.

Grasmere Rainbow

The beautiful weather we had over the summer has led to sunshine and showers and with the showers, rainbows. Lots of rainbows!

Another Grasmere Rainbow

Early morning has been beautiful too. Great cloud inversions looking towards the mere.

Grasmere Cloud Inversion

and once the clouds dispersed a little, wonderful reflections.

Grasmere Reflections

October in Grasmere also means Autumn Festival and thoughts of Harvest. It was pouring down this morning but this display in the entrance to St Oswald’s Church brightened up the morning.

Autumn Church Porch Grasmere

Crossing the road at Church Stile I noticed the National Trust shop was looking very Autumnal too.

Grasmere National Trust Shop

Halloween is also fast approaching and in College street the Herdy shop was brightening up a rainy day.

Autumn Herdy Shop Display

Lucia’s Takeaway had been busy with their own personalised pumpkin.

Lucia’s Pumpkin Grasmere

and at National Trust Allan Bank it was pumpkin central as they were having a pumpkin trail over the half term holiday.

Allan Bank Pumpkins

Cocoa Hearts chocolate shop had lots of people sheltering from the rain making chocolates to take home.

Cocoa Hearts Grasmere

and a witch seemed to have taken up residence in the Good Bag shop next door.

Witches are good

So despite the rain, Autumn is a great time to be in Grasmere, and when the clouds part…..

Grasmere Light

the views can be truly spectacular.

Halloween Rainbow

So keep an eye open for rainbows, and Happy Halloween everyone.

 

Grasmere and Rydal in Autumn

What mixed weather we are having this Autumn. Torrential rain, then warm days and sunshine, and as I write this we are having hailstones, rain, then sunshine. No wonder we talk about the weather so much!

Late Autumn sunshine at Rydal

One of the most popular walks from Grasmere is to Rydal water and back and Autumn is one of the best times to do this walk whatever the weather.

Autumn mist early morning Grasmere

Trees are changing colour and the hedgerows are full of blackberries.

Grasmere blackberries

Mushrooms are everywhere, so many varieties and more than I can remember seeing for a long time.

A good year for fungi

The first tree that changes colour in Grasmere every year seems to be the one in Grasmere Garden Centre beside the church.

Autumn tree, Grasmere Church

Grasmere daffodil garden with it’s pathway of visitors names is littered with falling leaves, getting ready for Winter rest before bursting into bloom again in the Spring.

Autumn leaves

People are making the most of the last of the lighter evenings.

Swimmer at Rydal

There were a couple of people swimming in Rydal Water when I went past.

Lake Swimming Rydal Water

It was a perfect evening for it. I contented myself with opening conkers while I watched them. Much less energetic!

conkers

The evening light was starting to fade.

Autumn at Rydal Boathouse.

So just time for a few more photos before heading for home.

Rydal Water

Autumn in the Lake District, Given the right weather you just can’t beat it.

Last light Rydal Water

Written on a Macbook. Some photos taken with iPad. RIP Steve Jobs 1955 – 2011

Autumn at Grasmere Lake

As we seem to be experiencing an Indian Summer in Grasmere at the moment, the temptation is to get up and out as early as possible for a walk before the crowds descend. That was my plan this morning, however it seemed I was not alone in that idea.

Sunrise at Grasmere Lake

As I came round Penny Rock to walk round the Lake there on the shore were a literal row of photographers (what do you call a collection of photographers? In this case a negative seems appropriate).

Early morning Grasmere Lake

Now if anything is going to make me self concious its a row of tripods with high tech cameras while I “point and shoot” with my little Cannon Ixus 850.

Grasmere Lake

Plenty of room for all of us though so decided to head up Loughrigg Terrace for a higher view point, and you know I never saw another soul from then on.

Looking towards Rydal

Looking to the left, Rydal came into view. Every valley has it’s own little micro climate and Rydal had it’s own little cloud above it.

Towards Rydal

The sun was up now and I had reached the top of the terrace. What a view, glad I had my flask with me. Can’t beat the first coffee of the day on top of a hill!.

Grasmere Lake from Loughrigg Terrace

Now I am going to get a bit poetic here. I love to read “The Grasmere Journals” written by Dorothy Wordsworth when she lived at Dove Cottage in Grasmere. Today’s entry for 11th October 1800 says “The colours of the mountains soft and rich, with orange fern”. And that describes the scene perfectly.

Autumnal Grasmere Lake

A final look at the view and time to head downhill, still thinking about Dorothy Wordsworth and her Journals.

Towards Dunmail Raise

On 12th October 1800 she wrote ” Beautiful Day. We walked before tea to observe the many coloured foliage the oaks dark green with yellow leaves – The birches generally still green, some near the water yellowish. The sycamore crimson & crimson tufted – the mountain ash a deep orange – the common ash Lemon colour but many ashes still fresh in their summer green”.

Grasmere Lake

It was still only 8am and when I got back down to the shore there wasn’t a soul about, the lake was all mine again.

Autumn at Grasmere Lake

Peace perfect Peace.