Lunefield - KIRKBY LONSDALE
Lunefield Farmhouse has the ideal setting: hidden away on the river bank, surrounded by your own enclosed garden with a steep hill behind, yet only a few minutes (strenuous!) walk up Mill Brow to one of the best village High Streets in Britain. Choose between spending your nights under the stars with only our resident owl for company, or popping up the hill to enjoy pubs and award-winning restaurants.
Kirkby Lonsdale itself is a real gem: a Victorian market town nestled in the Lune Valley. Runner up in the Village section of the 2016 Great British High Street Awards, Kirkby Lonsdale has a wonderful friendly feel. You will find 17th and 18th Century buildings lining the narrow streets housing some of the many quirky and unusual shops and cafés the area is known for. We recommend the Bakery Café with its fresh baked bread and open fire, and you’ll find all sorts of toys, games and goodies on offer at shops like Parma Violet.
Right on the doorstep of Lunefield, there are wonderful walks along the river Lune, over Devil’s Bridge, with plenty of paddling and picnic places; fishing permits can also be purchased in town. Further afield, Windermere and the Southern Lakes are about 30 minutes drive. Here you can take a steamer cruise up Lake Windermere or visit Bowness, Ambleside or the market town of Kendal, the Gateway to the Lakes. Or head the other way to the Yorkshire Dales and their lovely villages. We'd recommend a walk to Barbon, only three miles away (stop off at the Church Mouse Cheeses village store/cafe/deli to reward yourself...) and Ingleton Waterfalls trail is seven miles away with its spectacular scenery.
Walk up the radical steps along the river bank and come into town through the church yard
Ruskin's View on a cold morning as we walked to get fresh bread from the village bakery
Our number one destination in Kirkby, looking super for Christmas. And they do small bags, and they never ever ask you to hurry up if you are taking a long time deciding between jelly babies or cinder toffee...
Just at the top of Mill Brow, above Lunefield Farmhouse.
Gorgeous walk above Barbon not far from Lunefield
Barbon is a beautiful village just about 3 miles from Kirkby.
Lunefield -RIverside Walk
Lakeland writer and philanthropist John Ruskin commented when he first saw the Lune Valley "I do not know in all my country, still less France or Italy, a place more naturally divine…”. You can visit this spot where he stood and was inspired to write these words – it is only a few minutes walk from Lunefield Farmhouse. There’s a beautiful circular walk from the cottage around the river and through the village, taking in Ruskin’s View and Devil’s Bridge: you can see it described here on www.lakeswalks.co.uk - we're the large stone house they mention halfway through the walk. Lots of walks are within easy reach of the house, and the lovely Lune Valley is much quieter than the busy Lakeland fells.
Find out more about all the shops, cafes, and events on offer in Kirkby Lonsdale on their community website.