My island for a week.

It’s been an unusual week since I last posted.  I have been acting as guardian of the house on Derwent Isle while the tenants were away. 

Ted, one of the island's resident guardians.

Derwent Isle is an island in Derwentwater that was owned by the monks of Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire during the mediaeval period.  Then Henry VIII suppressed the monasteries and it became a royal estate.  In 1569, it was purchased to be used as quarters for German miners brought in to extract ores from the Goldscope mine.  The present house dates from 1780, when an eccentric banker, Joseph Pocklington, made his home on the island.  He had the house and several follies built.  His druids circle no longer exists but a boat-house chapel and a cannon emplacement survive.  One of his many eccentricities was to drape himself in an Admiral’s gold braid and mount an annual defense of the island against a mock attack by hired locals!

Reiver relaxing.

Eventually Henry Marshall, a wealthy Yorkshire textile baron, became the owner in 1844.  He added two wings to the house, giving it the Italianate style it has today. The Marshall family supported the establishment of the National Trust.  The three founders — Sir Robert Hunter, Octavia Hill and Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley — were frequent guests.  In 1951, Henry’s grandson gave the property to the Trust.

The view from the house.

Jan once spent a summer there as the caretaker so we know the house well and are able to find stop-cocks, fuse boxes, oil supply taps etc. should the need arise.

With the permission of the tenants, our WellChild visitors plus some members of the Mountain Rescue Team had made the trip over to the island.  Not all the rescue team members were able to go because we did not want to overwhelm the children so a separate trip and BBQ were organised for the remaining rescue team members.  I was also able to take some friends from Hong Kong on a quick guided tour of the island – they are unlikely to be in the country for any of the open days.

The ripples are exciting ...

... the engine is exciting ...

... it was all good.

Temporary residence on the island was a great experience but I did realise that it would not be something I would want to be permanent.  The house, the island, the views are superb but the isolation is something that would not suit me.  For the short period we were there, setting out to work in the morning by taking the boat on a gentle journey across the lake was a highlight – lots of wildlife and even ‘wild swimmers’ to be seen.  (Wild swimming is becoming increasingly popular in recent years and I will soon be planning a wild swimming event so watch for details about that.)  

En route to work.

The morning rush hour!

I suspect that the daily commute would be less enjoyable in the cold, wet, windy winter!