Ancient Cumbrian and Viking Byways

On a wet day after sitting plotting and scheming with  Joe Faulkner from Nav4 we decided that our eyes were getting square and Keela dog needed a walk. I brought Joe a Tyvek jacket to try out. They look a bit funky and its not writeable what Lindsey said he looked like in it... I was running in one in a cloudy wet windy night and it worked well.
There are many uses for Tyvek try it out on You Tube or Wikipedia

Watch this space on further tests and uses.

So we set off on a new route for me and went by some ancient byways to stretch our legs. We set off towards Ullswater and ended up at Dacre Church  As early as AD 731, the Venerable Bede, in his Ecclesiastical History, speaks of a monastery at Dacre, written as 'Dacore'. There is no later reference to the monastery, and it is assumed to have been destroyed by the Vikings. A church, however, has been present on the site for over a millennium. Archaeological excavations support the view that the church may be built on the site of the former monastery.

The present church is a Norman design. Several notable archaeological remains are at the site. These include various stone bears - the celebrated 'Dacre Bears', and inside the church two fragments of Viking crosses. Above the tower doorway, there is a plaque stating that the church was partly rebuilt by William Pollock. The south door has a large lock dated 1671 inscribed 'AP', referring to the Countess of Pembroke, Lady Anne Clifford The resting place of Viscount Whitelaw, the former Home Secretary, is in the church grounds.

Joe and Keela looking at the quadrangular walls 

 Dacre Castle was a quadrangular building with four turrets, a pele tower design, and built around the time of Henry VII. The castle was restored as a private dwelling in 1688. By 1816 it was being used as a farmhouse. The castle is presently in an excellent state of restoration. It featured in 2007 in Robbie Coltrane's ITV series, "Incredible Britain", where he travelled from Glasgow to London in a classic 1958 Jaguar XK 150 using only minor roads.

A classic gate post in the grounds of Dalemain House This is the site of the start of the now classic Lakes 50 and half way around the 100 mile route. Come have a look at some history if you are around recceing the course or just in the area.