The village is situated some four miles from Bowness on Windermere, and represents the start of the National Park.
It is a sprawling village with farms and cottages in small hamlets, well known for its damsons...brought originally from Damascus for their dye, when the area was involved with the woollen trade.
The village is lik fairyland in spring, when its orchards are wonderful with the damson blossom. Not far from Windermere and in the charming Lyth valley, it is lovely place with trees and old houses along with glorious views.
Close by is Gilpin Dale, and sheltered by Whitbarrow Scar is Cowmire Hall, a 17th century farmhouse with a 16th century pele-tower. It has a quaint conopied doorway, round chimneys of a kind hardly seen in any other county, and little windows looking across the valley to Cartmel Fell.
Within half a mile away at Pool Bank, South House has something of interest to show, for here the roof extends over a railed spinning gallery above a doorway.
The current church is St Mary's, built in 1878, but there has apparently been a chapel or church here for centuries. A strange bequest was made here...it was the gift of a man who died some 200 years ago and left two shillings and sixpence (12 new pence) a year to be paid to a villager for whipping dogs out of the church. He left to two friends his best and second-best coats!
An old (but beautifully restored) corn mill stands by the river Gilpin...though the mill is not in use today, it dates from 1829. Currently the building acts as a management study centre.
There is evidence of several other mills and lime kilns hereabouts, but the only trade left today in the village is the blacksmith's shop at the end of the village and the very attractive post office and general stores.
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