Helm Crag from Allan Bank

One of those day of days. Another memorable day to add to the bank. A very good journey up to the Lake District, arriving in Grasmere at about 1.30pm.

We parked alongside the main road, for free, in a layby and walked into the village across farmland, with Herdwick, Texel and badger faced sheep and their lambs enjoying the brilliant sunshine. Across the Millennium bridge, past the church where Wordsworth is buried, through the village and on to Allan Bank, one of the latest National Trust properties to open.

And what a spectacular place Allan Bank is. Once the home of Cannon Rawnsley and also Woodsworth it was severely damaged by fire but has been made watertight and presentable to the public. But it is a place of involvement and welcome. The rooms are sparsely but comfortably furnished and dedicated to particular activities- writing in Wordsworth's room. Painting in a room with one if the best views in the UK, craft areas, a childrens' area, a grand piano and so on. Food and drink can be taken into any room or outside. So different to many properties where there is usually a distance between the visitors and the building.

Great short walk around the grounds, of which this was the best view, but only marginally as there were superb views all around.

Then it was over to Ullswater to the Inn on the Lake, our hotel for the next three nights. We walked towards Glencoyne before dinner looking for Wordsworth daffodils but had to turn back to have time to get ready for dinner. A very enjoyable cocktail and a superb dinner followed setting us up for tomorrow's walk up to Fairfield and St. Sunday Crag - after finding those daffodils.