Day 18 The glory of Sunshine!

Thursday 05/04/2018 Days Inn Killington Lakes room 21

So today is the last day to explore this lovely part of England. We were told before we came here that we would love this area and we have, it’s rugged natural beauty of the Mountian’s, streams, quaint villages, funny headed sheep and of course the high light for me snow capped peaks!

Had our breaky and set off to explore the western southern end of the Lakes District. Driving from Windermere outskirts, around the Lakes down to Ulverstone, ending at Barrow in Furness to see The Furness Abbey, before heading back another route to Ambleside, Windermere, Home.

This was so different to yesterday’s run, not the huge mountain passes we went through, not the running rushing streams, but Lakes large and small, Snow Capped peaks in a distance from the Snow last night, low lands of farming, moors, mud flat beaches, and quaint village after quaint village.

We did stumble and I mean stumble across a huge Priory with what appeared to be some sort of Asian church beside it, so after having speed past John turned around and we headed up the drive way to check it out! On arrival we arrived in front of this massive gothic mansion/manner we had no clue what it was, but there were cars everywhere so off we set to have a look....
discovering a Coffee shop we thought as it was late morning tea/ early lunch let’s stay and have a cuppa! But before that we thought we would check out the Asian Church.... we it was as it turns out A massive Buddhist Temple... taking a few pics, we head into the Mansion for a cuppa. on coming in there were a lot of people behind the coffee shop counter all very busy and most with shaved heads, so straight away I realise this is all owned by a Buddhist group! The food was very basic, the service with a smile and there were people everywhere within the coffee shop at the tables out front of the Mansion and inside. Getting a spot to sit was a trick in itself! I decided to have the carrot and lentil soup.... bad plan very tasteless... John had scones Jam and cream and hit the jackpot very tasty... at our table were heaps of handouts on Buddha, the World of Peace friendship group and the many retreats on offer here! Interesting to look at, but not for me thanks.

Once I decided I could take one more mouthful of the tasteless soup, I set if to have a bit more of a look. As I walked into the foyer which was once full of trainee Priests it now had a huge Buddha type statue sitting there in all her glory, with banners now over the magnificent stair case promoting the cause! It just seemed totally odd with stained glass windows above the staircase, crosses still in the mouldings of the excising building and all of the Priory’s past history for all to see with Buddhist’s touches here and there! The whole place did leave me felling quite cold and sad, but to those there it was a place an enlightenment and peace.... there were many staying in all the old quarters, many sitting in the garden with their shaved heads being part of the enclave, if that’s what it’s called when you are in a Buddhist retreat.... to see this once former establishment that was to the glory of God.. now to the glory of a false God has left me feeling very sad.... For those of you who may not see it that way, I won’t apologise for my passion of following The Lord Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour who did died on the Cross for me and for you, but has given me new life through his rising to life.... to see so many establishments that are now being left by churches and taken over by other new age religions we see the
State of the church, but not the state of the Risen Lord and what being a Christian is about. I have to remind myself it isn’t buildings that God is in but us, still it’s a wake up call to see just how big a change is occuring with so many old religious buildings being changed.... I do believe God has allowed this to occur but it is sobering to see!

Enough of my religious rant for today, into the trip.... so having left the Priory behind we find ourselves by the sea. We had stopped to look at the sea for a few minutes and buy an ice cream when I spotted this very tall skunk building in the distance. So off we set to look at this finding a very quite pretty village literally along the sea wall. Turns out the tall thing was a very tall brick we think sea maker even though on land on the beach thats more grass lands than beach, it looks like it could have had a light in it at one stage so maybe used as a form of a Lighthouse as well.... John said it has a lean on it I didn’t see it as all my pics have a lean to one side I am constantly fixing so probably looked straight with my natural lean.....

Then we spotted in the distance a castle ruin and set off to see it as it was on a tiny island near a fishing village, but once in the village you couldn’t see the island from where we could get access so gave up and headed onwards...

Next stop the Furness Abbey, this was once a massive set up with a huge wall all around the hill above the Abbey, access through aches on most sides of it that being it was once called St Mary’s of Furness dates back to 1123 it as once the second most wealthiest and powerful Cistercian monastery in the country! It was disestablished in 1537, wow that’s a long time ago... I just love the history of these places.... around the shed if it was a lovely old pub that has been from the looks of it recently bordered up.... we were to,d by some locals a few days back, many of the old pubs are shutting up shop with the fact people can by their grog in the supermarkets now and cost of living.... on the other side of the Abbey was a lovely little stone house now a cafe so we stopped for a cuppa before the long drive back....

The drive home was better than the drive over as it took us back into the hills p, seeing areas like Fairy dells all the bright green missy areas around the trees and under the trees on mounds that made it look like any moment the fairy’s would appear...
Small Lakes we could actually park near to have a look.... again quaint villages that had so much character it would have been wonderful to really look around....

All in all another wonderful day of sights and pleasures.... How blessed a life The Lord has given me, I feel very humbled to be able to see just half these sights. But to see as many as we do, I am very grateful....En savoir plus