Last weekend we went North, this weekend we went in the opposite direction; south to Keswick in the Lake District. It’s a fair drive (approaching the 3hr mark) but well worth it. It’s kind of strange to think that on our last visit we only had Beanie – we’ve just got so used to having two dogs now!
The weather reports had promised a moderate, cloudy day with occasional bursts of sun, and on that basis we’d planned to do Skiddaw & Glenderaterra Beck from Underscar – a long climb. Our plans were scuppered by the time we arrived in Keswick though; it was boiling hot with unrelenting sunshine – in a word, “Scorchio“. Summer had apparently arrived, but it was not a day to be going on a long uphill hike. We needed a backup plan, so Susan nipped into an outdoor sports shop to get a book of local walks while I stayed outside with Beanie & Biggles. I was there barely a minute when one of the shop staff came out to get a quick Beagle cuddle and to inform me that the two Bs would be perfectly welcome inside the shop. That’s something I’d forgotten about the Lake District – it’s phenomenally dog friendly.
Dogs are welcome in most pubs and shops and there are bowls of fresh drinking water out all over the town. On this occasion however I declined the offer to go inside, fearing that they might have a “if you chew it, you buy it” policy. Shortly thereafter Susan emerged with a fantastic little book of walks (“15 Walks From Keswick” by Paul Buttle) and after a quick flick through the options we decided to go up a local fell called Latrigg.
It was a good choice. It had enough height to give us some beautiful views of the nearby peaks and lakes, enough shade & streams to keep our doggies (Biggles especially) from overheating, and sufficient length to justify a pub lunch afterwards.
The view from the top
Even the return trail was picturesque
The only downside to the walk was that it took us through quite a few sheep. We’ve been working on Beanie & Biggles’ self control lately and for the most part they didn’t react overly to all those unshaven lamb chops on legs. Naturally we still had a couple of short baying outbursts though. If these had been prompted by regular sheep I might have been disappointed in our Beagles’ performance, but as it turned out they were all caused by highly trained undercover sheep. These woolly provocateurs lurk behind trees and around blind corners ready to surprise unwary hounds, setting them on the rocky road to SmackedBottomsVille. The local government naturally denies all knowledge of these bah-bah-black-ops sheep, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist.
After the walk we had a chill out session in a park, followed by a gentle stroll around the shops. One shop in particular merited closer inspection:
Yes the wallet came out and we now have another couple of expensive toys that Beanie & Biggles will readily discard in favor of a lowly bog roll. Regardless, with the shopping over we headed toward the lakeside for a relaxing boat ride. Beanie’s already been a boat, but this was Biggles’ first time. Sadly as we boarded the captain cautioned us that while dogs were allowed, they had to stay on the floor – no climbing onto laps or seats to get a better view of the journey. It seems that even in the Lake District those with ginger ears and waggy tails can still be treated as second class citizens. Our two didn’t take this lying down though.. at least not for the whole journey. Biggles poked his head up occasionally to catch a glimpse of the ride, and Beanie left a small protest pee under one of the seats.
To finish the day we had a meal in Keswick Lodge – one of the better dog friendly pubs. Biggles was the model of good behavior, settling down for a nap almost instantly, while Beanie lay in wait for the dishes to arrive then nicked a chunk of Susan’s fish just as it was being served.
The day was almost over. We drove part of the way back home then stopped off at Gretna, where we’d booked a night at the dog friendly Days Inn. Biggles quickly made himself at home and demolished his chew. Beanie delayed her chew a little, preferring to make the room hers in her own special way.
