Lowther, Westmorland

Today, Martin and I had a fun day in Cumberland and Westmorland, starting off in Carlisle before heading down the M6 motorway to Penrith to see the lovely ruins and gardens of Lowther Castle.

In Carlisle, we spent ages in Bookcase, the largest secondhand book shop in the UK, with over 300,000 books for sale.

In Lowther Castle, we heard all about Lord Hugh Lowther (aka the Yellow Earl) who was the last Earl of Lonsdale, who lived a profligate life, managing to bankrupt and eventually ruin the estate by 1944, when he died.

Happily, despite the house now being a ruin (see blip) there is a lot of good work by volunteers to bring the estate and gardens up to par.

Please visit Cumberland and Westmorland if you have the chance, a real gem.

Hope you have enjoyed Saturday.