In need of a little bit of peace and quiet, or nature therapy? RSPB Leighton Moss, near Silverdale, is the perfect place to find it. There’s areas of the reserve that are accessible without an RSPB membership, such as visiting the Eric Morecambe Hide (found just off the Warton road (not accessible during very high tides)), and the Causeway and Lower Hides, found just along from the main reserve. The walk to the lower hide is about 3km each way, and a decent pair of welly boots is definitely recommended! Then again, it’s also the best place to see otters on the reserve (and apparently there are two cubs at the moment!), so I think it’s absolutely worth it!
The reserve itself is a varied habitat, but is most famous for its reedbeds – the largest in north-west England. This precious habitat is home to all sorts of species, including Bearded Tits, Bitterns, Marsh Harriers, Otters, Greenshank, Redshank, and many many others! It also provides an essential breeding ground for migratory birds that arrive here in the late winter or spring, finding cooler or warmer climes (depending on which direction they’ve come from!) in order to lay their eggs and raise their chicks.
There are seven hides across the reserve, with four being accessible to wheelchair users (you can download the trail map here). There’s also the skytower, which will take you up into the trees for a literal birds-eye view of the reserve, and view that stretches for miles in various directions. The tower is a great place to watch the incredible Starling murmurations that happen at dusk on lots of evenings – sometimes these formations have been estimated to contain over twenty-thousand birds as they undulate through the sky!
Bearded Tit (courtesy of the RSPB)
If you go during the week, or early in the morning, the reserve is generally quieter than at the weekends, which might afford a better opportunity to see some of the shyer birds and wildlife. One species that definitely isn’t shy, however, are the local robins, who are so used to humans and the birdseed they offer, they’re quite willing to fly onto your outstretched fingertips to take the seed, as long as you stand still for a bit. It’s amazing when they do it, and it was so cool seeing a robin up that close. Now, to just tame my resident garden robin to do the same…
Aside from the wildlife, there’s a cosy café in which to warm up after a walk at this time of year, and a wildlife shop where the proceeds, of course, go towards the RSPB’s mission of saving nature. If you know anything about me, you’ll know how passionate I am about the natural world. Nature is under threat and it needs our help and intervention so, if by my going for a nice walk and buying a cup of coffee, I can help do a tiny bit – count me in!
Marsh Harrier (courtesy of the RSPB)
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After many months of talking about doing it, I finally headed up to Plumgarths Lakeland Food Park on Thursday last week, to take a look at the bakery and shop for Lovingly Artisan bakery. Nestled on a road just outside Kendal, there are several foodie business on this small and welcoming business park.
Lovingly Artisan bakery evolved from a bakery first started in the 1980s in Kendal when, after being introduced to slow-fermentation process, the founder Aidan and his partner Catherine, started Lovingly Artisan from their own home. The site at Plumgarths Lakeland Food Park was opened in 2010 as an expansion site and has been thriving ever since.
The entire ethos of Lovingly Artisan is based on ditching ultra-processed bread, using British grain (including rarer grains that you don’t see very often such as Emmer and Einkhorn), and keeping things organic wherever possible.
What struck me when I spoke to Catherine was the “soil to grain” commitment – looking for organic and regenerative farming practices which looks after the soil to ensure good quality crop, before the crop is milled by a local miller using a stone grinding process (which apparently retains better flavour than industrial milling processes), the leftover bran is then made into pellets which fires the ovens! I thought this was really great because I’m so passionate about sustainable practices and circular production methods. It is exactly what we need to be doing more of, and to find and support more small businesses making efforts to do this is uppermost in my mind.
The shop itself was delightful, and the smell of fresh baking was to die for… I honestly could have spent hours in there, even though it’s a relatively small shop. There were so many goodies, little bits to taste, and lots of accoutrements such as dipping oils, rock salt, and kitchen implements. I bought several items, including kalamata olive bread, focaccia, Danish rye bread, and a pain-aux-raisin. I’ve already eaten the pain-aux-raisin, and can’t wait to tuck into the rest.
I’ll be heading back up to Lakeland Food Park next week as they’re doing a Christmas Fair and Tasting event from the 4th – 6th December 2025! It’s definitely worth going if you’re a foodie in the region of the South/Central Lakes/North Lancs because I think it’s going to be delicious, and I’m excited to try all of the yummy goods!
It’s spooky season! So, without further ado, I thought I’d do a round up of four haunted places that you can visit and experience the paranormal this Halloween!
Muncaster Castle, Cumbria
Do you want to spend a night in a haunted castle? At Muncaster they offer overnight ghost sits, where a small group can spend the night in the Tapestry Room, listening for the sounds of ghosts. The Tapestry Room is where visitors report disturbed nights, hearing footsteps in the corridor outside, and hearing a child crying from an adjoining room before being comforted by a lady singing. The story linked to this is that of Margaret Pennington, who died in the castle during her childhood from a bout of illness.
Golden Fleece Pub, York
The Golden Fleece Pub stands just over the road from York’s most iconic and historic street – The Shambles. Built before 1503 (this is when it first appears in the city records), and initially owned by the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall, functioning as a coaching house. From 1656 it began operating as an inn, but it was not officially licenses until 1668.
The beer garden is named after the most famous ghost of the Fleece; the Lady Alice Peckett, wife of the Lord Mayor of York at the beginning of the eighteenth century; she has been seen walking the hallways and stairways of the pub at night by many guests. Another ghost is reportedly that of a North American airman from World War II, who was staying at the Inn whilst on leave. He leaned out of one of the top floor windows and fell to his death, and there have since been sightings of a ghost wearing Canadian 1940s uniform.
Many of the ghost tours of York feature the Fleece.
Chillingham Castle, Northumberland
The aptly named Chillingham Castle occupied a very strategic position during the bloody border wars between England and Scotland throughout the High and Late Middle Ages, meaning the castle often came under attack, or was raided by invading forces. During his campaign agains the Scots, Edward I stayed at Chillingham in 1298 before continuing on to the battle of Falkirk where the Scottish Leader William Wallace was captured.
Other royals, namely Charles I and Edward VIII, have also stayed at Chillingham.
‘All houses in which men have lived and died are haunted houses. Through the open doors the harmless phantoms on their errands glide, with feet that make no sounds upon the floors.’ – Longfellow, poet, describing Chillingham Castle.
Chillingham offers an array of Ghost Tours and Ghosts Hunts around the castle in the evenings and even overnight. You can see the offers here (although many are already sold out for 2025 – at least you’ll know where to look for next Halloween if it’s your thing!). Will you be (un)fortunate enough to see the pantry ghosts, or hear the spooky voices in the chapel?
The spookiest/grimmest part of Chillingham has got to be the Torture Chamber. A display of medieval implements of punishment and persuasion are on display here, providing brave visitors with information about their grisly purpose and opportunity to thank their lucky stars that such practices are not in use today!
Samlesbury Hall, Lancashire
Samlesbury Hall, located just outside of Blackburn, was built in 1325 by Gilbert de Southworth, and was the primary residence of the Southworth family until the early 17th century. Due to it’s seven hundred year history it’s had plenty of time to collect a few ghosts and spooky stories along the way!
Samlesbury claims that they have thirteen unique ghosts haunting the hall and the grounds. There have been hundreds of spooky reportings from guests, former residents, and staff, across the centuries. The first published account of ghosts at Samlesbury Hall was a book published in 1873, giving the site a long legacy of the paranormal and reporting on it.
The Ghost Room at Samlesbury Hall is located in the attic of the house and was opened in Autumn 2023. This was the first time the room has been open to the public and in use in nearly seven hundred years. Here you can read testimonies, audio stories, and visual media relating to the ghosts that haunt the Hall.
The most famous ghost to haunt the Hall is Lady Dorothea Southworth, often referred to as the ‘Lady In White.’ She has been seen/reported numerous times since Elizabethan times.
Have you ever experienced spooky happenings? Where was it? What was it like? Let me know in the comments below!
I did a couple of articles back in the spring about Café Culture in Lancaster (Part One and Part Two) so now I’m widening the net, to look at some of the lovely cafes in the surrounding area. This is in no way exhaustive, it’s just a selection of ones that I have visited and enjoyed, and I will be continuing this list with many more little cafes that I frequent in my local area!
Blossom Bird in Silverdale
Blossom Bird is a lovely little café in the centre of Silverdale, and has been the topic of my weekly recommendation before because I am a HUGE fan of their blueberry and lemon cake. Genuinely one of the best cakes I’ve ever tasted, and it’s made in house by the lady who runs it. Dogs are welcome to sit in the courtyard outside the front of the café, and I imagine the only reason they’re discouraged (not banned) from inside because it’s a little bit tight for space! There’s also a long chatty table in the window, which is a lovely idea if people who are on their own or in small groups don’t mind talking to other patrons and having a bit of a chat.
The Striped Apple in Scorton
The Striped Apple is a large café/restaurant just outside of Scorton, in the grounds of Wyresdale Park, surrounded by forest and wildlife. Whenever I go up there, I love standing and just listening to the birds singing in the trees, even if it’s relatively busy, it sort of fades away into the sounds of the park. The café itself in a large greenhouse structure, with grapes growing across the roof. It’s very popular with walkers, and with those who come to paddleboard on the nearby lake. There’s often an array of specials on the menu, but I’m a big fan of the small breakfast that you can optimise to your own taste. They also offer lovely afternoon tea options (or afternoon… champagne?).
The café is dog friendly, and there is a large outside area to sit in the summer, as well as a small children’s play area. There are also a handful on independent shops behind the café that are open Thur-Sun, including a gin maker, an independent jeweller, and an upcycled outerwear shop (that will soon be offering repair services for outdoor wear).
The Old Bakehouse in Arnside
The Bakehouse in Arnside is a takeaway bakery and coffeeshop, with a small number of tables inside for those quick enough to get one! Their sausage rolls are delicious, and I’m a big fan of the takeaway pies for either dinner later that day, or to freeze for a later day. Sometimes I like to take a coffee to go and take a wander along the front, or up the pier to sit and watch the tide roll in or out.
Have you visited any of these places? Which is your favourite?
So my birthday has come and gone, and I am now 32, heading off into another year-long journey around the sun. I decided to celebrate that I’d do a list of thirty-two places I’d like to visit in the North, or things that I would like to experience or do. This is not a list of things I’m going to do in the next year, as a sort of checklist, some of these are pie-in-the-sky dream places I want to go, whilst others are more attainable and I have concrete ideas and plans to actually do. So, that being said here’s my list of things I’d like to do in the North, just to illustrate how many things there are to do, and how amazing this region is!
Go to a Dark Skies event in Northumberland
Parts of Northumberland are an International Dark Sky Park, and it is one of the best places in the UK to see all that the night sky have to offer. I’ll be doing a longer article in October about the Dark Skies experience in November, and how the Hideaway Huts could be the perfect bolthole to have a Dark Skies experience, so stay tuned for that!
Do a Ghost Tour in York
I did a ghost tour in York many many years ago, probably when I was about nine, and I remember it scaring the beejeezus out of me then… I suspect it might be a little less terrifying these days, but the stories and historical insights that come with a ghost tour are still fascinating. As York is a city steeped in history, from Pre-Roman, Roman, Viking, Medieval, Georgian, and into the 20th century, there are plenty of ghouls and ghosties hiding around the corners to be learned about. Perfect for spooky season!
Make sure you go with a reputable company in order to get the best value for money. I would recommend the Original Ghost Tour who have been doing tours through the streets of York for over fifty years!
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See Red Squirrels in Northumberland or Cumbria
I’ve spoken about this a few times, but seeing red squirrels in the wild is one of the top things I really want to do. I’ve seen red squirrels abroad, and I’ve seen them in protected wildlife sanctuaries, but never seen them in the small enclaves in the north where they are bouncing back. Can’t wait until the moment I first see one in the wild, it’ll be magical!
Stay at Rothay Manor, Ambleside
I have to admit, I have a bit of a vested/personal interest in this one. Both my nana and my mum worked at Rothay Manor, many moons ago, in the 1980s. I remember going to Rothay for my nana’s 70th birthday lunch and it being very lovely, but I was a bit young to really take it all in. My nana has since passed away, so I would love to take a trip down memory lane and go back to the hotel where both she and my mum worked.
Go and see the Lancaster Footlights Pantomime!
It’s coming towards that time of year again, when Christmas Pantomimes are putting on their spectacular shows! I was lucky enough to be cast in the Lancaster Footlights Panto last year, but sadly missed out this year. Nevertheless, I will be enthusiastically cheering them on from the side-lines (or the wings!) because it is a fantastic show and I know it’s going to be blummin’ amazing. This year Footlights Presents Snow White, doing an array of shows across late November and throughout December. A good friend of mine, Annie Hughes, is taking on the title role, and with a voice like an angel I know she’ll smash it. Tickets will sell out, so if you want to go and see this great production, I strongly suggest you get in early!
Ride the Railway from Lancaster to Carlisle via Millom
The quickest way (when it’s working properly) to go from Lancaster to Carlisle is straight up the West Coast Main Line, but if you’ve got a little bit more time, the ride around the coast via Arnside and Millom is a beautifully scenic ride. I mean, the ride up the main line is quite pretty as well, but riding along the coast and up past the Solway Firth is seriously beautiful, but it’s definitely not the quickest way to get from A to B – definitely one for the day you’ve got more time to ride.
Try Archery at Muncaster Castle Weapons Hall
Do you have what it takes to be a Medieval Knight? With a regular ticket to Muncaster you can go along to the Weapons Hall and “have a go” with a limited number of arrows/axes, but if you’d like to give it more of an in-depth go, you can upgrade to an unlimited ticket so you can get more tries. I’m pretty sure that I’d be terrible at this, but I think it’d be a lot of fun to have a go!
Go to the top of Blackpool Tower
On a nice day, the view from the top of Blackpool Tower stretches for miles and miles, as far as the Borders one way, and the Welsh Mountains in the other direction. I went up to the top of the tower once at night, so you could see all the illuminations stretching away down the front, but it would be nice to go up on a clear day and see how far the horizon stretches.
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So there you have it – seven out of thirty two of things I’d like to do – we’re up to nineteen out of the thirty two – stay tuned for the final thirteen! This is going to be a bit of a long series I guess, but there are just so many things to do around the North and if I did them all in one go (or even in three articles) it would end up being so long you’d never reach the end! If you had to pick three places to go in the North, where would it be? What should be on my list? I guarantee there will be places you love that I won’t even know about, so drop me a comment below or an email at bryony@thenorthishlass.co.uk and let me know what I should feature!
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It’s my birthday coming up, and this year I’m turning 32, so I decided to do a list of thirty-two places I’d like to visit in the North. This is not a list of things I’m going to do in the next year, as a sort of checklist, some of these are pie-in-the-sky dream places I want to go, whilst others are more attainable and I have concrete ideas and plans to actually do. So, that being said here’s my list of things I’d like to do in the North, just to illustrate how many things there are to do, and how amazing this region is!
Go to Whitby Goth Weekend
The next Whitby Goth Weekend is from 30th October – 2nd November 2025.
“Join us as we journey through the ever shifting tides of unconventional culture, and immerse yourself in our delightfully dark domain, for here, the pulse of Alternative and Bohemian lifestyle thrives, waiting to captivate your soul. Unveil a tantalizing tapestry woven together with threads of Music, Literature, Fashion, Artists, Events, and the pursuits of Friendship and Freedom. Our solemn quest is to exalt the realm of Goth & Alternative Subcultures, and to weave a unifying cloak that envelopes the reverent hearts of Alternative and Bohemian Communities across the globe.”
If you’ve ever been to Whitby during the Goth Weekend when you’re not a Goth, it’s like being in another world. In case you didn’t know, there’s so many different types of Goth – not just the stereotypical image of head-to-toe black like a Victorian mourner. Yes, that is definitely as type of Goth look, but there is also steampunk, romantic goth, cyber goth, emo, pastel goth, gothabilly, bohemian goth… to be honest, the list could go on! So, when you go to Whitby, and see all of the amazing clothing and aesthetics that people wear is stunning. I specifically don’t call the “costumes,” because yes whilst some goths do don specific costumes when they attend events like this that might reflect a certain character, for most this is their day-to-day clothing. It’s not a costume, it’s their clothes. And they look incredible. The time and effort that goes into some of these pieces and these looks is mind-blowing.
Of course there’s plenty of Gothy things to do in Whitby as well, with the prime one being to walk up the 200 steps to Whitby Abbey, to learn about the inspiration behind Bram Stoker’s Dracula. There are old pubs to have a drink in, cobbled streets to wander down, and curio shops to browse. I can’t wait to go back.
Go to Blackpool Pleasure Beach
I went to Blackpool Pleasure Beach when I was kid, but I don’t really remember it, other than the fact that it was raining! I used to really enjoy rollercoasters when I was a teenager, (even the ones that turn you upside down), but I’m not sure I could do that anymore. I say this because when I went to RockPrest in June, I went on one of the fairground rides that swings you up high and then comes down on an arm (I have no idea what these rides are called), and as I sat there I was like “uh-oh this was a mistake,” but I managed to get that feeling under control, but it is a totally alien sensation that sends your adrenaline skyrocketing. I think it was because I hadn’t done in so long, so my body wasn’t used to it. I’d love to try it again on a rollercoaster! Also, I’ve never been on the world famous Pepsi Max (The Big One), and I feel like I should definitely give it a try!
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Ride the Settle to Carlisle Railway
This one is fairly self-explanatory, but I’d love to ride this railway through some of the most beautiful countryside in the North (and that is a steep competition). There are heritage steam trains that run on this line, and I think it would be really cool to ride through beautiful countryside on a steam train. I’d feel like I was in a Romance novel!
Each Lunch at Rogan & Co in Cartmel
Rogan & Co is a Michelin starred restaurant owned by Simon Rogan, who also owns L’Enclume in Carmel, along with other restaurants elsewhere. They pride themselves on having their own farm only a mile away from the village where they grow/raise as much of their ingredients as is possible, so they control the quality and provenance of all their ingredients. Obviously I’m a big fan of this because it significantly reduces the food miles and the environmental cost for supplying the restaurants.
This is one of those slightly pie-in-the-sky options because this is definitely on the pricey side. It’s not as pricey as eating at L’Enclume just around the corner where the lunch menu is £125pp, and the tasting menu is £200+pp. Lunch at Rogan & Co is £49 for three courses (available Wed-Sat), or £95pp for a six course tasting menu. And it looks delicious, with flavours I wouldn’t normally try and intensities I wouldn’t cook myself. Definitely something I would love to do one day, but I’m going to have to save my pennies!
Complete Parkrun at Williamson Park, Lancaster
Okay, so this is a personal goal of mine and I would not suggest to anybody who shudders at the thought of running that this is something that they should add to their lists. I used to run 2-3 times a week, but then I started a somewhat physical job, so that kind of fell off the radar. But this is still something I’d like to do, just to say that I’ve done it. I’ve got friends who do this every week, or are approaching their 150th run, which is very impressive! Aside from being something to work towards, Williamson Park is also a really pretty place to explore and be in, so it’ll be nice to do, even if I don’t do especially well with my time!
Go back to NOLA in York
I went to NOLA for my 30th birthday dinner and it was amazing. It’s a New Orleans style restaurant with a jazzy/speakeasy vibe in the heart of York, that do smaller plates so you can try lots of different things. They recommend that each person has two of the “main” plates and one side. Although if you have a slightly smaller appetite, I think that between two people you could have three “mains” and one or two sides, and still have plenty of food. If you’re hungry though, absolutely go for the two or three main plates each, because they’re delicious.
When I last went there I tried Jambalaya for the first time, as well as breaded goats cheese, whilst the friends I was with had a vast array of different dishes including Gumbo, Oysters, Mac & Cheese etc. etc. and I got to try bites from lots of them. One of the main reasons I picked it is that I had two friends joining the party who have Vegan diets and, unlike a lot of restaurants where they only have one or two V/VE options, NOLA has a whole menu page of eight different dishes for veggies and vegans, giving plenty of choice. Would wholeheartedly recommend!
So there you have it – another six out of thirty two of things I’d like to do. This is going to be a bit of a long series I guess, but there are just so many things to do around the North and if I did them all in one go (or even in three articles) it would end up being so long you’d never reach the end! If you had to pick three places to go in the North, where would it be? What should be on my list? I guarantee there will be places you love that I won’t even know about, so drop me a comment below or an email at bryony@thenorthishlass.co.uk and let me know what I should feature!
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It’s official; you can smell it in the air, and feel it in the coolness we’ve had this past week, the blackberries have been ripe for a while (we got five freeze-able boxes last week!), and the trees are just beginning to show their golden glow…
I love this time of the year… the heat of the summer is coming to a close (and this year we have had eight official heatwaves… which is a whole ‘nother issue that I really don’t want to think about it!), although we do sometimes get an Indian summer in September, and that feels like the last burst of summer before autumn officially draws in. Side story, a couple of years ago I was in York for my 30th birthday, and the whole weekend it was 28-31 degrees in the second week of September… that was warm. It made for a wonderful weekend, but it was a little bit weird for it to be that temperature in northern England in September!
But with the start of Autumn, people start looking to the cooler months, Halloween (if you like to celebrate spooky season), cosy jumpers, and homemade hearty soups. I’m definitely looking forward to stews and casseroles cooked in the slow cooker again, which have just felt too hot and heavy to eat throughout the summer. And, with the end of summer, it’s not like we going to run out of stuff to do – the calendar is absolutely packed for September, with plenty more to look forward to in the month’s following. I’ll be doing calendars for October, November, and December as well, pulling out the best of what’s happening in the local area for the rest of the year. If you’d like to keep up with what’s happening, sign-up for free to receive a weekly newsletter.
This time of the year has always been important throughout history. In the Northern Hemisphere it’s the time of the harvest and preparation, and the time to give thanks (whatever that means for different cultures) for food and sustenance before the winter comes in. In Celtic culture deities such as Danu and Lugh were honoured at the time of the harvest, with even more celebrations towards the traditional festival of Samhain, which has a heavy focus on the cyclical nature of life and death, and the transitions between worlds in different religions and cultures. For the Romans, the beginning of Autumn and the harvest brought holidays and festivals honouring the goddess Ceres (Goddess of the harvest), and Pomona (Goddess of fruit trees), amongst others. At the end of the season, the Romans celebrated the festival of Saturnalia, honouring Saturn, the God of time and renewal.
As for me, I’m looking forward to cooler days spent by the sea in Arnside, Silverdale, or Grange-Over-Sands, breathing in the crisp Autumn air. I love getting my jackets back out of the wardrobe, to not worry about overheating in my jeans or my leather trousers, and being able to wear my boots again. Autumn hits different to winter in this respect, because I’m not a huge fan of having to bundle up every time I step outside, but we haven’t reached that point yet.
And yes, sure, it rains more in autumn than it does in the summer, especially in the North-West. It comes with the territory… there’s a saying in Manchester that “if you can’t see the Pennines, it’s raining; and if you can, it’s going to rain,” which definitely has more than a grain of truth to it! Aside from anything else, after the spring and summer we’ve just had, we need the rain – our reservoirs are seriously low, and farmers have been saying that they’re on track to lose about 30% of their vegetable crop due to lack of water. So, in that vein I’d like to invite people to enjoy the rain. Of course, too much rain can be catastrophic, that’s not what I’m saying or trying to invite, I’m just talking about your typical rainy day. Find a way to enjoy it. Remember what it was like when you were a child and you’d splash in puddles and catch raindrops on your tongue, find things to do that don’t require going outside (there’s plenty of them!), and if it’s really not your thing, think about how much cosier the inside of your house or room is when it’s raining outside… take that nap with zero guilt because you can’t go out anyway. Win, win as far as I’m concerned!
Photo by Brigette Tohm
What are you looking forward to the most as the cooler months roll in? Let me know, or come say hi on Instagram or TikTok (@thenorthishlass)! I’d love to hear from you…
As we head into September and the days start getting a little cooler, there’s still absolutely loads to do in around Lancaster, Morecambe Bay, and the wider region. The list below is not intended to be exhaustive, it’s just a snapshot of some of the amazing things to get up into in the month of September. Is there anything you’re planning to go to? Is there anything I absolutely need to feature in October? Let me know!
It’s my birthday coming up, and this year I’m turning 32, so I decided to do a list of thirty-two places I’d like to visit in the North. This is not a list of things I’m going to do in the next year, as a sort of checklist, some of these are pie-in-the-sky dream places I want to go, whilst others are more attainable and I have concrete ideas and plans to actually do. So, that being said here’s my list of things I’d like to do in the North, just to illustrate how many things there are to do, and how amazing this region is!
Go to Walney Island
Walney Island is a wildlife haven that you get to from Barrow-In-Furness. Whilst some Neolithic remains have been found at Walney Island which in itself is interesting to me, I’d be going specifically for the nature reserves that are found on the Northern and Southern tips of the island; species to be seen include plovers, oystercatchers, otters, natterjack toads, grey seals and unique flora. Definitely a place to take a (well fitting) hat though, as it’s been named the windiest place in North-West Britain!
Courtesy of the Wildlife Trust
Stay at the Quiet Site
The Quiet Site at Ullswater has been on my list for ages. Named AA Campsite of the Year in 2024, it is a place that does what it says on the tin… it’s a place in that’s peaceful, to get away from the rush of it all. It’s also a great place to see red squirrels in the UK, and I can’t imagine anything more wonderful that waking up in my glamping pod, getting a cup of tea, and watching red squirrels as the early morning sun came up over the dewy grass. Perfect.
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Go to Hexham Book Festival
Every spring Hexham hosts a book festival with local, national, and international authors speaking, and I’ve been wanting to go for a while. I’m what you would call a book dragon, as opposed to a book worm. I hoard books… I don’t necessarily read them all (not the point I know!), but yeah I have hundreds of books. I just recently moved house, and not kidding, there must have been twenty+ boxes of books out of a relatively small flat. Although, to be honest, I see books kind of like wine, or good food, you’re not sure what you’re going to be in the mood for, so you might as well have a lot to choose from!
Anyway, this year they had authors and speakers such as L. J. Ross (crime writer), Jonathan Coe (author), Pam Ayers (poet), Mike Berners-Lee (author and climate activist), Wayne Sleep (author and ballet dancer), and Julie Beckett (writer for the Archers), so there was plenty to choose from. Can’t wait to see who they come up with next year!
See Dolphins off the Northumberland Coast
As any readers of mine from May know, I went on a trip to the Farne Islands that month, but I wasn’t lucky enough to see any dolphins or orcas that have been seen around that coastline. I am determined that I am going to see some, so I guess I’ll just have to go back.
I have been lucky enough to see dolphins a couple of times in my life – once or twice off the coast of Scotland in the Moray Firth, and another time when I was on a boat in Spain. Just because I’ve seen them before doesn’t mean I don’t want to do it again… you can never seen dolphins too many times, right?
Visit Beatrix Potter’s House
Courtesy of the National Trust
Growing up I loved Beatrix Potter. Loved. To the extent that one of my first sentences (apparently) was the slightly nonsensical “Pit Pat Paddle Pat… Pit Pat Paddle Pat,” which is what Jemima Puddleduck says as she walks along in the TV show. I also watched the VHS (showing my age now!) of the ballet by the Royal Ballet Company until it wore out. And, to this day, I have a whole bag full of Beatrix Potter plush toys with the tags still on. Sadly they sit in that bag in the under roof storage as I’ve got nowhere to store them out. I’d be very willing for a child who loves Beatrix Potter as much as I did to have them, because I’d rather that than them be hidden away forever. Anyway, that’s off the point a bit, I’d love to visit Hill Top farmhouse again, and wander through the gardens and buildings that so inspired her and her wonderful characters.
What was your favourite Beatrix Potter story?
Spend a weekend in Durham
I have never been to Durham. I know, shocking right? I have been all over the North, but for some reason or another, I have never made it to Durham, and I really want to go. As a complete history nerd, the city is fascinating to me, and aside from that it looks exceedingly pretty, with independent shops and eateries to explore. This one is pretty self-explanatory to be honest, it looks like a wonderful little city, and I’d love to go.
Image by K. Mitch Hodge
So there you have it – six out of thirty two of things I’d like to do. This is going to be a bit of a long series I guess, but there are just so many things to do around the North and if I did them all in one go (or even in three articles) it would end up being so long you’d never reach the end! If you had to pick three places to go in the North, where would it be? What should be on my list? I guarantee there will be places you love that I won’t even know about, so drop me a comment below or an email at bryony@thenorthishlass.co.uk and let me know what I should feature!
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It’s that time of year where the finalists from the Cumbria Life Awards have been announced. I’ve been through the nominees and pulled out just a few of my favourites. You can vote for your winners here. You only have until SUNDAY 10th AUGUST 2025 to submit your votes! These are just some of my top picks…
Sandpipers, Arnside
Nominated for Best Café or Coffee Shop 2025
I go to Sandpipers a lot, probably at least once a week. It’s a beautiful café on the front at Arnside, overlooking the River Kent estuary and the viaduct. As their tagline goes: delightful views and bangin’ brews. They couldn’t be more right. The café is cosy and comfortable, and always has a friendly atmosphere. They’re also dog friendly, which a big plus for me, as I usually get to cuddle at least one dog when I go in there!
My favourites from the menu vary depend on what mood I’m in, but a regular staple is the American-style pancakes with blueberries, greek yoghurt, and almond flakes, drizzled with honey. Yum! If I’m feeling a bit naughtier I’ll go for the bacon and maple syrup option with the pancakes instead. The pancakes are always fluffy, and there’s an ample helping, which always sets me up for the day ahead. I’d also recommend their sausage rolls when they’re warm from the oven, as they’re equally delicious. The coffee is great, and mum recently discovered they serve iced vanilla matcha (with oat milk or otherwise), which has recently become a favourite of hers.
Holker Hall & Gardens, Cark-In-Cartmel
Nominated for Best Tourist Attraction 2025
I’m a frequent visitor to Holker Hall & Gardens. I love going there at different times throughout the year to see how the gardens have changed and evolved throughout the seasons. It’s brilliant to go in May when all of the rhododendrons are in bloom. Holker is famous for it’s rhododendrons, and if you wander around in May you can see why – the flowers are amazing, and the colours are beautiful. In late June/July the roses in the scented garden come out, and I love to sit and just take in the beautiful smell. Every year there is a different colour scheme in the scented garden and I love to see what they’ve planned.
Of course Holker also has it’s Spring Fair (you can read about this year’s here), and the most popular Winter Market for Christmas Crafts and Street Food in Cumbria (I’ll be attending this later in the year!)
RSPB Celebration Wood at Wild Haweswater
Nominated for Fundraising Feat of the Year 2025
The RSPB Celebration Wood at Wild Haweswater raised over £150k in order to expand an area of naturally temperate rainforest, to raise money for the RSPB’s restoration of Wild Haweswater, and to help residents and visitors reconnect with natural Cumbria. This was done by creating a “Celebration Wood,” which allowed visitors to plant a tree to celebrate an occasion, or to memorialise a loved one, whilst expanding on the edge of Naddle Forest.
Rainforest and Cumbria aren’t two ideas that normally fit together in one’s mind, but in fact it is one of the last enclaves of “Celtic Rainforest” in the UK. This uniquely special habitat is absolutely teaming with life, including lichens, mosses, fungi, and ferns, not found anywhere else. At one time large swathes of the UK would have been covered by this rainforest, but much of it was cut down throughout the centuries to make room for grazing animals/providing materials. It is essential that what is left is protected, not just from human activity but from invasive species such as wild rhododendron which crowds out the native species.
The other two nominees in the fundraising category also very much deserve mentions as extremely worthy causes. The first is Guide Over Sands Trust who bring 1000s of visitors to Morecambe Bay every year to walk across the sands with a trusted guide, sometimes running walks of up to 500 people at a time. The walks raise money for a variety of local causes. The other nominee in the category is the Kirkby Lonsdale Fire Disaster Recovery Appeal which was launched after a fire devastated parts of Kirkby Lonsdale in December 2024. The fund was established to provide aid for those who had experienced hardship because of the fire, with the entire community pulling together to support the town through the crisis.
There are many many other worthy nominees this year in the awards and this list is in no way exhaustive, it’s simply some of my picks. Which are your favourites from the list? Where should I visit and feature next?
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