Welcome to Swinging By

These are the places of interest that I've been to and I would like to share them with you. I hope you find them interesting too.

Saturday, April 27, 2019

The Railway Museum, Ravenglass

The Ravenglass Railway Museum is located at the station and displays historic
locomotives and carriages as well as smaller artefacts and interactive displays.


Miniature locomotives


An old locomotive


Hello, I'm Katie!!


Interesting, isn't it?


Trunks used in the olden days when travelling


Me, VIP passenger!!


So many controls!!

My grandson found it especially interesting!


Thin Controller!! Not the Fat Controller of Thomas the Tank Engine!!

After spending sometime in the museum, it was time to make our way back to catch
the steam engine that would take our train back to Dale for Boot. It was really
a lovely day.

Profusion of daffodils along the rail track

The train journey took us back through the same scenarios which we passed earlier
in the morning.


Pretty countryside


A bridge to go under

On arrival at Dalegarth for Boot, we didn’t return via the hills. We were smarter
and took the motorway back to Windermere. Besides, it was getting dark and the
motorway was a safer bet to get back faster.

The Roman Bath House, Ravenglass

We left the Ravenglass station and walked through a footpath leading to a narrow
country road that would take us to the ruins of the Roman Bath House. There were
hardly any people walking out there.  An occasional delivery truck passed by, bumping
along the old road.

Soon we came to an open field with ruins of old walls. A signpost indicated that
this was the spot on which the Roman Bath House of the Roman Fort of Ravenglass
once stood.


There were reminders to be careful as the walls were very old and could crumble.


Ruins of the Bath House


Plan of the Roman Bath House


More ruins

After spending some time among the ruins we walked back to Ravenglass and went
to the beach, passing some very nice houses.



There was nothing much there except for a couple of boats left high and dry as
the sea had receded.

Just a muddy beach


Boats left high and dry

Then we had a picnic lunch outside the station before heading for the Ravenglass
Railway Museum.

My grandchildren enjoying their picnic lunch

Dalegarth for Boot to Ravenglass, Lake District

This is a most picturesque rail journey of 40 minutes between the two stations of
Dalegarth for Boot and Ravenglass, using the RavenGlass and Eskdale Railway.  It’s
actually a miniature train also locally known as La’al Ratty or Little Railway.


Ravenglass La'al Ratty

Dalegarth for Boot is situated at the foot of the Scafell mountain Range while
Ravenglass is a coastal village located in two World Heritage sites, the Lake District
National Park and Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site.


Dalegarth for Boot Station


Ravenglass Station

There are diesel and steam engines that pull 3 types of carriages, the closed, half-open
and open carriages. We sat in the open carriage so that we could have a good view of
the landscape we pass through.


Diesel engine which took us from Dalgarth for Boot



Steam engine ready to take us from Ravenglass back to Dalegarth 


Open carriages


Half-open carriages

Our train from Dalegarth for Boot was pulled by a diesel engine and on the way we passed 
through fields with sheep grazing,



banks of golden daffodils,
pretty houses


Mudflats as we approach Ravenglass

and the muddy beach as it was low tide.

The train finally stopped at Ravenglass and at the end of the line there was a turntable for the engine to be shunted to another line.


The Turntable

We left the train station and headed off to see the ruins of the Roman Baths a short distance away.  I will talk more about them in my next post.

Enroute to Dalegarth for Boot

We went through narrow country roads, up and down the fells, through narrow passes
bordered by steep bleak mountains before we finally arrived at Dalegarth for Boot.


Look at the narrow winding roads below us


Bleak and rocky

The roads were so narrow that it was not possible for two cars to pass one another .
One car had to reverse to a broader part of the road so that other could pass and
continue on its way. Fortunately, there were not many cars on the road that day.

However, there were sheep grazing in some areas.


See the sheep?

At other times the bend was almost like a hairpin. Praise the Lord that my daughter
was able to manoeuvre the car expertly and drive us safely to our destination.


The almost bare mountainous fells

When we emerged from the car for a photo-stop, the wind was strong and biting!!


Wrynose Pass


Stream flowing down

It was quite a relief when we arrived at the station Dalegarth for Boot.


Finally, the Station, Dalegarth for Boot


The station building


The welcoming entrance

Ullswater, Lake District, UK

This is the second largest lake in the Lake District and just as beautiful
as any other.

Serene Ullswater


The Mountains bordering Ullswater

It stretches for about 9 miles from the village of Pooley Bridge
at one end to Glenridding Village at the southern end. It has a depth of
approximately 63 metres and a picturesque backdrop of mountains, including
Helvellyn, the third highest in the UK.


Jetty at Pooley Bridge on Ullswater


Pooley Bridge Village


A boat moored at the jetty


Outdoor dining beside the river at Pooley Bridge


The restaurant at Pooley Bridge

The daffodils which William Wordsworth immortalised in his poem were those
he came across in Ullswater.

Golden Daffodils

Thursday, April 25, 2019

Castlerigg Stone Circle, Keswick, Lake District


The Castlerigg Stone Circle is a pre-historic monument over 5000 years old and is protected by the National Trust.


Castlerigg Stone Circle

The road to the Stones is very narrow but we could park our car by the roadside.

The Stones are readily accessible . It was very cold up there with the wind blowing.  We could wander among them, even stand behind the bigger stones to shelter from the cold wind.


My grandson



Me sheltering behind a stone



It has panaromic views with the mountains of BlenCartha, Helvellyn and Skiddaw as its backdrop.


We had the Stones to ourselves for a short while before groups of tourists came.

Archeologists believe that the Stones were probably used for marking events of the seasons, trade, festivals and tribal gatherings