Blog hits first half century

July 17th, 2010

P1010046 This blog and associated website – www.lakelandbelvedere.com – was launched just over a year ago and we have had lots of favourable comments about the site and the contents.

Today’s blog post represents a bit of a milestone – it’s the 50th entry since we started! We’ve not quite met the deadline we set of a posting every week, but we haven’t been too far short.

Like everyone else in the blogosphere we’d like people to read our posts, whether or not they want to stay at The Larches or visit the Belvedere. We like feedback as it helps us respond and find out what people are interested in.

The blog is intended to provide local news and colour, help build awareness about the environment, provide practical advice on fellside gardening and link you to events and issues affecting other areas and countries.

IMG_4268 If you are reading this blog now or have done before and have:
• Enjoyed hearing about news from Cumbria
• Learnt about green and sustainability issues
• Got good ideas of Lake District walks or activities
• Been interested in our History of Belvederes section
• Used the foreign newspapers section in our virtual café
• Had your own children find things of interest on the website
• Checked out our Rooftop Buildings of the World photo gallery
• Liked our recommendations given for cafés, restaurants & shops

…then you can help us! There are three simple things you can do:
1. Email the address of the blog and website to a friend
2. Write a comment or suggestion on any of our blog posts
3. Get put on our email list for whenever we post a blog – just email us with the words: “Subscribe lakelandbelvedere.com”

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Posted in Environment, The Larches | 2 Comments »

Ospreys join in the hunting

May 5th, 2010

osprey_teton2 It’s a good news story again for 2010, which is getting plenty of headlines in the local papers. Like old friends, the ospreys are back to Bassenthwaite after a long return trip to West Africa.

Under 24 hour observation by RSPB volunteers, the nesting site in Dodd Wood, only a mile distant from us, is just visible from the Belvedere with a good pair of binoculars. There’s a good webcam too and much more on the award winning Osprey Watch site.

The ospreys are good news for local shops, hotels and small businesses as they attract visitors to the area, still recovering from last November’s floods. But they are not the only show in the valley.

There are other birds of prey which are fascinating to watch. Peregrines and sparrow hawks are frequently about and yesterday, walking with friends on Coledale Common below Barrow, I looked up to see 20 metre ahead of me, a kestrel hover in the wind, stoop down on a small vole and carry it off still squeaking to a nearby rock.

An hour later a buzzard was wheeling in huge circles high above Braithwaite Lodge and the nearby plantation, as we descended to the village. If you want some good bird watching, the Derwent valley and the northern lakes take a lot of beating.

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Posted in Local news, The Larches, Wildlife | No Comments »

The hole and the rabbit

March 16th, 2010

We’ve seen them occasionally, but rabbits generally are not frequent visitors in Seldom Seen. However this last week we’ve had several sightings round the cottage. We’re not sure if it is one or two of them – and it’s an important point. Maybe they have been driven to higher ground following the winter floods.

We soon found the reason though. A pile of earth and slate chips (see foreground of the photos below) had been heaped up into the small herb garden – dug out from a hole, which dived deep under the newly created south lawn. It didn’t take long to find who was responsible as our Peter Rabbit was on shift duty all afternoon, collecting moss for a new comfortable burrow.

The pictures tell the story and now we are left with a problem. Rabbits and vegetable growing don’t go well together and planting is due to start this week in the new raised bed.

rabbit1 rabbit2

POSTSCRIPT – 17th March: The hole and the rabbit mystery deepens
Less than 24 hours after taking the photos above we returned today to the rabbit hole to discover that it had been completely filled in with a layer of moss placed on top covering the earth. Does anyone know what has happened here? It was not the work of any humans we are sure. We assume that yesterday was the work of a female rabbit – Petra not Peter! – creating a nest for her expected litter. Did she cover the hole in because the site was too busy or is she in the burrow, having been covered in by a mate? There is no obvious alternative exit that we can see. Let us have your answers and ideas on this.

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Posted in The Larches, Wildlife | 2 Comments »

To the Lakes for winter sun?

November 24th, 2009

Judging by the emails I keep getting for winter holidays in foreign places, you’d think that we never see the sun in the UK. Yes it has been bad these last ten days in the Lakes with so much rain, but it didn’t stop our weekend party of friends enjoying good local walks in Whinlatter Forest; and to the top of Sale above Bassenthwaite where we had marvelous 360° views of the north-west fells.

The previous week though was something very different. Breakfast was on a sunny Belvedere terrace and over several days we had amazingly clear light, ideal for walks and photography. The three photos below show how the views from the Belvedere of Skiddaw and the marshes have changed so dramatically over the course of just 10 days – as sun was followed by continuous rain to create a new lake on the marshes!

IMG_3337 IMG_3362 IMG_3396

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Posted in Belvederes, Environment, Local news, Seasons, The Larches | No Comments »

Season of mists …. and sun!

October 19th, 2009

We’ve been up to The Larches several times this month doing maintenance and gardening work; and have been reminded of Keats’ poem, Autumn:

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness;
Close bosom friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how …
To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees

Autumn’s a great time to be in the Lakes and more people seem to recognise this. It’s good value with lower rates for staying and plenty of sun for every kind of activity – including apple and damson picking!

The pictures below were taken earlier in the month. The first is an early morning view from the Belvedere of the sky lit up over Keswick while a thin blanket of mist lies low over the marshes with Latrigg and Clough Head keeping watch beyond.

The second of the cottage with recently painted windows and exterior shows a beckoning Skiddaw in the background. When it is calm and clear like this, it’s hard to resist the urge to set out for the summit!

dawn_viewOct IMG_3157

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