Lush woodland of Beacon Hill, Penrith

The orignal forests of Beacon Hill were first planted in the late 18th C.  before  the enclosure of common land act. Before this, Beacon was a dreary barren waste land full of sandholes and quarries. Remnants of this can be noted from the rough hewn pathway with large sandstone boulders in places and the rocky sandstone outcrops which appear in woodland clearings.

After being destroyed by fire, Beacon Hill was replanted in 1927  by the Lowther family.

The Path to Beacon Pike, 937 ft (286 m) is quite steep and very rocky in places, so is unsuitable for buggies and

Sandstone paths of Beacon HIll

wheelchairs and substantial walking shoes are recommended.

Rich, well managed woodland, including Rowan and Beech is home to a variety of wildlife.  Keep a look out for the Common Lizard and signs of badgers and foxes.

Common Lizard basking on Billberry leaves

Once at the Summit, the pathway opens out into a plateau of land with a square sandstone beacon built on the top. The present monument

The Beacon, Penrith

(replacing earlier structures) was built in 1719 of sandstone taken from hill, it was restored in 1790.

Earlier beacons are recorded here since 1296 and would have been piles of wood and branches followed later by pitch boxes.  There has been a building on this site for more than 500 years.

Beacons were used to warn the locals and surrounding villages of impending Scottish raids and would communicate this message for miles across the North of England with others being lit at Carlisle, Kirkoswald and Orton Scar.

During 1745 uprising, the Beacon featured again when Prince Charles Edward attempted to regain the Crown of the House of Stuart. It is even noted to have been used during the Napoleonic Wars.

Stunning views over the Eden Valley, Pennines and Lake District fells indicate why this site was chosen. The mountains of Scotland can easily be seen across the Solway Firth to the north.

Dial indicates what can be seen from this point

A brass dial donated by the Lions Club of Penrith, indicates the names of the mountains and places which can be seen from this wonderful vantage point.

This walk will take around 40 minutes to complete.

Visit Penrith Town Trails for details of this and other walks in the area.

Crocuses at Bitts Park, Carlisle

By car, you can park in the car park just between Carlisle Castle and Bitts Park.

Access by wheelchair or for those with children is easy along the wide tarmac paths which snake their way around the park.

You can take a circular route around the park if you start with the tennis courts to your left.  At the river bear right and follow the path which leads along the river bank.

At the steps and tunnel again bear right and you will return to your starting point and the car park.

Here is an aerial map of the area.

A statue of Queen Victoria unveiled in 1902 takes pride of place on manicured lawns, giving the park the local name of “Victoria Park”.

On one side you will have the River Eden with mounds of snowdrops and wild garlic starting to appear along its banks and views to the North of the City.

The centre of the park has well maintained herbaceous borders containing evergreens, willow and azaleas, which look amazing in May, but are equally beautiful at his time of year,

The recently completed flood defences are much more architectural than previously existed and give easy access to the park from Castle Way.  These have now been planted up with new trees and herbaceous perennials.

Crocuses are very short lived and will only last about one week, we caught these in bloom on the last day of February 2009.  For those who may miss this display we have added a gallery below.

Where to see Crocuses;

The Garden House, near Yelverton, Devon.

Howick Gardens, Alnwick, Northumberland.

Kew Gardens. Richmond, Surrey.

Do you have any favourite places to see Crocuses?  Send us your pictures.

The lake District National Park  has listed the following routes as suitable for wheelchair users. Most are very limited in terms of distance and often follow minor roads, offering some great viewpoints.

As with many areas of the Lake District, parking can be limited.

Hammerbank, Windermere

Grid Ref 405991
East shore of lake Windermere, just north of Bowness. Provides great views across the lakeshore. A recently installed information panel gives details of the view.

Beech Hill, Windermere

Grid Ref 388920
Situated on the East shore of lake windermere, south of Bowness. The location gives unrivaled views across the lake to the rugged Lake District Fells beyond. Parking is available next to the Beech Hill hotel.

Borrans Park, Waterhead

Grid Ref 375034.
Leave your car in the National Park car park opposite Waterhead Pier, follow the road north of the Pier to a gate giving access to the park. In the field next to Borrans Park are the remains of a Roman settlement, Galava.

There are also great views across Lake Windermere.

Brown Howe, Coniston

Grid Ref 292910
This is a sloping grassy lakeshore area which once formed part of the Duke of Buccleuch’s summer Estate. Situated to the south of Coniston village the area provides excellent views up Coniston water.

Jenkins’ Field, Glenridding

Grid Ref 387168
Use the National Park car park and take the road down to the steamer pier.

Jenkins Field is adjacent to the pier and is the perfect place to picnic, many use this area for bird watching.  A memorial plaque adjacent to the Pier House denotes the original slipway used by Donald Campbell.  One of the last Wild Red Deer herds can be seen grazing on the slopes of Place Fell on the opposite shore in the autumn.

Go to the Lake District National Park Website for more information