Well, the good weather continues and we
have lots of visitors who are making the most of it. If you are planning to
come for your first visit, there is no better place to start than here around
the Borrowdale and Derwentwater area. Regular visitors will be noticing that the
Trust is introducing some new features that we hope will be enhancing your
experience. A good place to start for family walks is by the Trust shop on the
shore of Derwentwater. Outside the shop
there are some boards showing suggested walks that take in lake shore and
woodland.
You can also find similar boards at many of the car parks.
Another new venture can be found at Ashness
Bridge. You might remember that I mentioned a small building called Bark House
that was wrapped in sheep fleeces as part of C-Art
last year. It was returned to the National Trust recently and we are
currently working on the best ideas for its use. For the time being, we are
opening it with some of our volunteers who will chat about the surrounding
area. On cold, wet days you can also pop in and enjoy a nice log fire.
What we would really like is to hear ideas
from you about how you think we could use Bark House to improve your visit. You
can either tell the volunteers while you are there or email northlakes@nationaltrust.org.uk
We would also like to hear from anyone who
can tell us anything about the history of the building. We do know that it was
used as a Scout base in recent years but we can find very little information
about its earliest uses. Its name suggests that it might have been something to
do with the tanning process but we have not yet been able to find any evidence
of that. If you can add anything to our knowledge, we would love to hear from
you – again at northlakes@nationaltrust.org.uk
But, of course, there is nothing better
than having you come and introduce yourself to us when you see us. That is one
of the best ways for us to find out if you enjoy what we are doing.
