This time last year we were submerged in snow. This time two years ago we were experiencing the Cockermouth floods. This year we’ve had a particularly mild spell. So I have decided to take my last Cumbrian exploration of the year.
Pooley Bridge beckoned. A thriving little village, I was able to take many phohos of the picturesque bridge, the inspiration of the village’s name. The Pooley part of the name comes from a pool which is no longer visible. The restaurant sells ‘Gingerbridge’ , cooked in the shape of the bridge. What a clever marketing ploy. The 12th century fish market is commemorated in the square by a sandstone obelisk with a weather vane topped by a leaping salmon.
The parish church was built in the 1860s and not very photogenic but I didn’t go inside. Eusemere House on the banks of the lake was visited by William Wordsworth, where he wrote part of his now famous poem, Daffodils. The views south down Ullswater were stunning with the autumn colours and mellow sunlight.
Carol, the late autumn explorer