Christmas shopping – with a difference

7 Dec 2022

We needed to grab a few things from the National Trust for Christmas so on Sunday we buzzed over to one of our nearest properties, Sizergh Castle near Kendal, to…

The strange case of the missing priest hole

24 Sep 2020

This is something I forgot to mention when I blogged about Levens Hall yesterday. I visited the house several times with my parents as a child or young teenager, and…

A really wet day out

2 Jul 2020

The Lake District had over 8 inches of rain on Sunday. Yes, you really did read that right - 8 whole inches of water fell in a relentless torrent for…

A grand day out

13 Jun 202013 Jun 2020

Lockdown here in England is slowly easing, and on Monday we were able to have our first proper trip out for many weeks. We had the National Trust to thank…

Two go to a castle

5 Mar 2020

A different two this time - not Dave but my good friend Annie and I, who visited Sizergh Castle near Kendal yesterday afternoon. The castle itself was still shut for…

Friday Five: Lakeland Gardens

19 Jul 201919 Jul 2019

For such a northern county, Cumbria has some amazing gardens to visit. Perhaps because of all the rain they seem to be lush green oases in a sea of, well,…

Two cool off in a garden

11 Jul 2018

We're in the middle of a long-lasting and unusual heatwave here. There's been no rain at all for over three weeks now, and temperatures have been around 26c for at…

Friday Five: inspiration for Greystones

1 Dec 201712 Dec 2017

There's no such place as Greystones Hall, of course. The house, a rambling and terrifically haunted manor which features in my latest book Got Ghosts?, is a product of my…