TWO BREWERIES AND A TOWN

Having left Windermere behind, we soon arrive at the small village of Ings. Here we find the excellent Watermill Inn, with its own brewery. 

We now take a Stagecoach bus to Staveley (not to be confused with other places of the same name).

We could also have arrived at Staveley by rail, on the Windermere branch. (Creative Commons License).

Staveley is blessed with St James' Church.  (Creative Commons License).

There are also the only remains of a medieval church, now called St Margaret's Tower. (Creative Commons License).

More important perhaps, there's a pub, the Eagle & Child.

Staveley is also now home to Hawkshead Brewery, with its adjacent beer hall.

From the nearby Dales Way, there are views towards the Howgill Fells.

Onwards now, through Burneside by Ribble bus.

We the arrive at the town of Kendal, famous for mint cakes. Here's the raiway station, a shadow of its former self.

A Trans Pennine 185 unit arrives in 2011.

Ribble Motor Services ran buses in Kendal.

Bus services later passed to Cumberland MS.

Stagecoach then took over.

A bit of culture for you, in the form of Holy Trinity Church. (Creative Commons License).

Kendal once boasted a brewery. It's now an arts centre (more culture).

Every town has one - a Wetherspoons. It's called the Miles Thompson.

Burgundy's Wine Bar serves wine (obviously), but also has real ale.

This once fine establishment, the Sawyers Arms, is now shut.

The Castle Inn had closed, but is now open again in the hands of the former owner of the Ring o'Bells.

I'm pleased to say that the Ring o'Bells has also recently reopened!

That's yer lot for now. We'll move onwards to Oxenholme and beyond in my next posting. Don't forget, you can follow the route here.

THE WHOLE LENGTH

Ok, we're off on a trip along Windermere. Here's an old photo of 'Swift' at Lakeside Pier. 

'Swift' still survives and is seen with 'Tern' at Lakeside in 1996.

We proceed northwards on the lake to Bowness-on-Windermere.

A car ferry crosses the lake from Bowness to Far Sawrey.

Maybe this Bedford campervan has just used the ferry.

Ribble Motor Services once served Bowness. Leyland National 856 is seen there in 1983.

Stagecoach operate open-top buses there now.

The New Hall Inn can provide liquid refreshment.

Meanwhile, the Old England Hotel offered accomodation.

Time for a look at the church in Bowness in 2001.

Back to the water and 'Miss Westmoreland' waits at Bowness Pier.

Before we depart, two more views from Bowness.

Boating on Windermere as we approach Ambleside, at the north end.

'Swift' arriving at Ambleside Pier.

The most famous building in Ambleside (Creative Commons License).

Ambleside's Market Hall (Creative Commons License).

Another Stagecoach open-topper in Ambleside. It's a wet day!

The Salutation Hotel here offers beer and a room.

The Golden Rule, now a Robinson's house, is more to my liking.

High up onto the moors now - above Ambleside.

......and views towards Troutbeck.

Hagg Gill from The Tongue, near Troutbeck.

Downhill to civilisation and Windermere station, over a mile from the lake.

By 1979, the overall roof just housed a single track and a DMU.

The old station is now a supermarket and trains leave from an open platform.

Ribble Motor Services once served Windermere town.

Modern services are mainly in the hands of Stagecoach.

Windermere station yard is also home to Mountain Goat, running small vehicles over the mountains, where larger buses fear to tread.

Time for a final pint, at the Grey Walls Hotel (Greys Inn) in Windermere.

The next post will find us heading for some Mint Cake maybe. Follow the route here.