The Langdales from Wray Castle

What an excellent day. No rush, just living the moment. An expensive coffee and scone in Hawkshead set us up for a very enjoyable walk to Wray Castle on Windermere via Letterbarrow on the way our and Blelham Tarm on the way back.

Wray Castle was fascinating, far better that the impression we had in our mind. It was built by Liverpudlian James Dawson using his wife’s fortune in the 1840s as their retirement home and as a statement of their place in Society.

The place was busy yet we were the only takers for the 3.30pm tour of the outside of the Castle so we had our own personal guide who told us the history of the place and how it was designed to sit in the landscape. The castle is asymmetrical, no two turrets the same in height or design which was supposed to reflect elements of the landscape aroundabout - rolling fells, rugged fells and irregular tree lines. It worked for me and had a rather pleasing profile, a castle but not a castle.

You can see why they had their home built here, the view from the terrace of the Langdales, Fairfield, farmland, fields and the lake is very picturesque. The Dawson’s had no children so the property was handed down to one of Margaret Dawson’s nephews who was related to Hardwicke Rawnsley who along with Beatrix Potter were instrumental in founding the National Trust. Beatrix herself spent a summer here when she was 16.

Fascinating exhibitions inside, about Margaret Dawson and Beatrix both of whom challenged the accepted noms of their societies.

The walk back to Hawkshead was equally interesting, along well made paths past Blelham Tarm with views of low cloud rolling over Wetherlam, shrouding it in a blanket of mist. The extras include a view from Letterbarrow, at Wray Castle and Blelham Tarn and that cloud.