The Boot and Shoe and Tarzan

It has been another warm and dry day and I am beginning to wonder where all the water comes from to keep the lakes full, although having checked my weather app, I think I may find out the answer to that tomorrow. But for today it was a chance to set out and explore a bit, before the weather changed. The Boot and Shoe in Greystoke has been highly recommended for its food, so we booked a table for lunch and set off early enough to go for a walk first. Greystoke is a village about 4 miles west of Penrith and at the 2011 census, the parish had a population of 654. The village is centred on a green surrounded by stone houses and cottages and the aforementioned hostelry.

I had passed through Greystoke last year when cycling the C2C and I had tried unsuccessfully to convince Ronald that this was where Tarzan came from. So it was good to have the chance to explore the village and try to find some supporting evidence. There isn't a lot to be had though and it seems that the village has moved on from its moment of Hollywood stardom. I settled for sending Ronald a picture of St Andrews Church and passing it off as Castle Greystoke, the ancestral home of Lord Greystoke, AKA Tarzan. However, when we returned to the Boot and Shoe for lunch, I struck gold. The wee ones were acting up waiting for their food, so I took them to the children's play area behind the beer garden. And there it was, in 6 foot high technicolour, the final proof I had been searching for. "Est 1912 TARZAN LAND GREYSTOKE". No matter that it was on one of those boards that you stick your head through to take an amusing photo, it was written down and so arguably as reliable as Wikipedia. Of course I just had to take the photo. So thank you to the Boot and Shoe, not only for the delicious lunch but also for staging such irrefutable evidence of the link between the village and Tarzan.

Freddie needed his afternoon nap when we got back so Jackie and I decided to go for a walk to Pooley Bridge. I plotted a route on my route plotting app which turned out to be part of the Ullswater Way. It also turned out to be mostly up hill and down dale, rather than flat along the lakeside, but fortunately it was only 3 miles so not too strenuous, despite the many undulations. The views of the lake and surrounding hills from our elevated vantage point were spectacular and more than compensated for the effort involved. Poorly Bridge was still very busy but we did manage to find a coffee shop with an empty table. Even better, we didn't have to walk back as Grahame came and met us in the car.Baca lagi