The Nunneries

Between Staffield and Armathwaite This Georgian house was built in 1715 with various bits added on at later dates. It was originally the site of a Benedictine 12th Century Nunnery. When we first came to view our present house some 17 yrs ago the Nunneries were then opened to the public - bakery, cafe and extensive walks throughout the grounds and down to the beautifully mature Eden and its lush banks. We sat on a bench at the bottom and looked at the view across the river and the house was sold to us. It was only a few hundred yards from this idyllic scene and it would be lovely to walk the dog around here, down the steep waterfalls of the Croglin which feeds into the Eden and through the cave like walkways which skirt the main river then back up the hill through mature woodland and into the little cafe for breakfast (all for a donation of 50p - apart from the cafe) Sadly a few years after we had lived there the Nunneries closed and it was sold off privately to a wealthy Carlisle businessman. It needed a lot of money spending on it. I still miss those walks and still remember that day we decided to buy the house.

Last night at 20.50 hrs I became a granny for the first time, Daniel was three weeks early. They say that in late pregnancy a good curry brings on labour - it seems to have done the trick!