After a night in a lovely B and B in Ambleside we headed over to near sawrey on the other side of the lake to see Hilltop Farm, the national trust home of Beatrix potter. We were just in time as it was the house’s last opening day before closing for the winter. The national trust guides were delightful and informative and we had a lovely wander around the house looking at the rooms as they had been left at Beatrix potter’s death. We also looked at the garden and then headed down the lane into Hawkshead where Potter’s husband, William Heelis’ offices are now a gallery of original items, drawings and memorabilia. This was delightful as well. Then we had a toasted sandwich and tea before jumping in the car to drive to Oxfordshire. The rule seems to be add 2 hrs to any journey’s estimated time. So, 150 miles took over 5 hours. By the time we arrived we all had car/cabin fever and were ready to scratch each others eyes out. Luckily our cottage here is beautiful with a lovely view of a garden, warm beds and shower and really roomy. The owner lives next door and he kindly rang the pub up the road and booked us a table for dinner. The Ducks on the Pond was warm and inviting and served a great sausages and mash with vegetables. We ate far too much, came home and fell into bed. Today we are going through our suitcases, cleaning out the junk, repacking and trying to fit everything in. We are also discarding items of clothing which have served us well for the last three weeks but have had their day.
Tomorrow we are planning a day in Oxford.