Tag Archives: Grasmere

UNITED KINGDOM #5: A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A LAKE DISTRICT FARM

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The Lake District, in North West England, is 912 square miles of beautiful mountains, lakes, and coast that has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  We spent the morning visiting just a portion of the district, getting a tour of Gary and Hazel Miller’s Family Farm.

(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

Their story is an interesting one.  They are first generation farmers by choice rather than inheritance like many other farmers.  Farming is a passion for the Millers and their four kids.  They have 600 sheep (which produce about 400 lambs each season), 11 sheep dogs, 6,000 free range hens for egg production, cattle, pigs, horses, and beehives. 

While touring the farm and meeting their animals, Gary demonstrated how he shears his sheep.  This guy looked quite naked after losing his full coat of wool!

Unfortunately, wool is no longer worth enough to sell (thanks to synthetics being used for clothing), so they raise their sheep for lamb, which is more lucrative. 

Their eggs produced by the 6,000 hens are mostly sold to McDonald’s; however, they make more money selling them directly to the public at local farmers markets.

It was fun getting to meet all of their animals, including the Belted Galloway cows, better known as “Oreo” cows.  I’m sure you can see why they got that nickname:

Gary’s wife, Hazel

To diversify their income, they do farm tours and sheep dog demonstrations.  Gary is also a plumber by trade and still does plumbing work, because it’s tough trying to make a living on just the farm alone.

The sheep dog demonstration was the most enjoyable part of our visit!  Gary is self-taught at training sheep dogs and has done well in competition, placing 3rd at the English national competition one year.  Here’s Gary in action: https://youtu.be/tydPhrQZEJI

Following our farm visit, we had free time in the afternoon to explore the town of Grasmere.  The weather had improved, so I also took a hike in the hills behind our hotel.

Swan Hotel

Coming up next:  UNITED KINGDOM #6: HISTORICAL HADRIAN’S WALL & VINDOLANDA FORT

UNITED KINGDOM #4: THE LOVELY LAKE DISTRICT

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This was one of the few days it rained during our six weeks in the UK and Ireland.  We had expected it to rain a lot, and we figured we were due after having such great luck with the weather during our travels this year.

Our bus ride took us through the Yorkshire Dales National Park, a beautiful region in northern England known for its white limestone cliffs, rivers, and lush green valleys (“dales”).  Had it not been raining I would have snapped photos through the window during the drive. 

I did manage to capture a few scenes in the rain when we stopped for a hike to see Devil’s Bridge in Kirby Lonsdale.  This 3-arched bridge is said to date back to the 13th century. 

(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

We continued our drive to the quaint Swan Hotel in Grasmere, our base for two nights.  Typically, our guide would take us on an orientation walk upon arrival in a town; however, we opted to pass on it until the following day, since it was raining and the paths would be muddy.

Prior to dinner at the hotel, we met with Robert, a local dry stone waller, to learn about his craft.  A potentially boring topic turned out to be fascinating and fun, because this character injected much humor into his presentation.  And, the information he shared stuck with us all; we found ourselves commenting on and judging the quality of the many miles of dry stone walls we saw throughout northern England!

These walls are difficult to construct and require a skilled and experienced craftsman, because no mortar is used to hold the walls together.  Instead, the stones are expertly fitted together and locked in place without concrete—a very time-consuming process.  Unfortunately, this age-old craft may become a thing of the past, because fewer people are learning this difficult technique.

This was just the first of many stone walls photographed in the coming days!
What a clever idea! This outdoor launderette was located at a truck stop/ gas station where we stopped for a restroom break.
One of the hard ciders we sampled in the U.K and Ireland– a popular alternative to beer and wine.

Next up:  UNITED KINGDOM #5: A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A LAKE DISTRICT FARM