Coast to Coast UK - messing about in boats

May 19, 2024

According to Ratty in Kenneth Graham’s Wind in the Willows, ‘… there is nothing, absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.’ That would seem to sum up our theme for today.

Lake Coniston, when we arrived, was awash with people and dogs, paddle boards, canoes, laughter and chatter. Another sunny day in the Lake District had brought everyone out to play in the water. We sat and watched the fun and frolicking for a while, before the ‘Red Route Ferry’ arrived to carry us down the lake, and then finally to our destination at Brantwood.

Brantwood was the home of celebrated author, philosopher and art historian, John Ruskin, until his death in 1900. Here he hid away from his celebrity, painting and writing, and I don’t think he could have chosen a better setting for inspiration. The rambling house overlooking Lake Coniston is of quirky design featuring turrets and many-windowed rooms designed to best capture the view of Lake Coniston and the surrounding rugged hills. The house is full of the artwork of Turner, Collingwood and Severn.

The garden continues the artistic theme, meandering up the hill behind the house, full of colourful rhododendrons and established tree-filled glades with many vantage points to take in the views. You could wander the myriad of paths for hours before reaching the top of the garden at Crag Head. Below the house, paths between beds full of pretty flowering plants lead you down to the lake and the jetty where the launch picks up visitors and takes them back across the lake to Coniston.

It was here, as we stepped off the jetty, after exploring Brantwood, that I was met with my first big surprise for the day – as I walked towards a couple who seemed to be standing watching the people messing about in boats, I was stopped in my tracks by a familiar voice saying, ‘Hello Robin’. Surprised, and wondering who here could possibly know my name, I had to look twice to realise it was our friends Carolyn and David, who we had first met on the voyage we had done on the Queen Mary in 2019, and then of course, not seen again due to the pandemic and an extended period of severe ill-health experienced by Carolyn.

Here they were, all the way from North Yorkshire to join us on the surprise outing Wallsy had organised for the afternoon as my birthday treat. What could top this, I wondered. We proceeded to get our friends back to Bank Ground Farm and checked in, before we piled into our hire car and headed off in the direction of Bowness and Lake Windermere. Still in shock, I had no idea what was to follow, but it soon became evident that we were climbing aboard a sailing yacht for a few hours of messing about on Lake Windermere, learning the basics of sailing and steering the vessel. We all took turns at the helm, tacking down the lake and back, before anchoring behind an island and enjoying a palatial afternoon tea. It was so much fun and such a peaceful way to travel.

But the day wasn’t finished yet, there was still more to come, and more old friends to meet. Dinner had been booked at the Boardwalk, another thing Wallsy had up his sleeve, and here we were joined by friends from the south of the country who we had met in 2018 at the first Arthur Ransome Society event we had attended in the Lake District. Ed and Jane had driven the length of the country to join my birthday dinner where we toasted, ‘old friendships renewed, and new friendships,’ at a table overlooking the beautiful lake.