Green Fingers

With help from our two long term volunteers (Dave and Joyce) work has continued on restoring and maintaining the small garden behind our information centre in Grasmere (sadly no public access).

Today we installed two willow screens at the back of the garden ready for planting up honeysuckle and other climbing plants.

The willow screens are simple to install. We constructed a small post and rail fence to act as a frame and support. The hurdles are then attached and strained back using wire wrapped around the rails and posts.

Joyce has been battling the dock leafs growing out of the grass for a few weeks now, thankfully it looks like the docks are losing the fight and we can start to see the green grass again. Joyce has also spent time planting up the borders around the building so not to lose its country cottage look. Dave and Joyce have been fantastic and have put many hours in supporting National Trust Rangers in the area.

Site preparation, removing old tree stump.

Knocking in the fence posts.

 

Green Fingers.

Up a bit, down a bit.

Ready for attaching the screens.

Tying back the screens.

 

Job done!

Our new Information centre opened in April this year and is proving to be a fantastic one stop shop. Part retail part information centre it is full of ideas to help visitors decide what to do in the area, from walks to picnic sites there is something for everyone.

Pop in and speak to Vivienne or Christine who are on hand to offer knowledgeable advice and ideas and pick up a treat on the way.

The building itself is worth a picture or two, named 'Church Stile, a row of 17^th century cottages in the centre of Grasmere, was for much of its history a small inn. The first identifiable owner was Robert Harrison who died in 1662, and by the end of the 18^th century the inn, then known as Kirk Stile (or Steel), was in the hands of Robert Newton. William Wordsworth, his brother John, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge stayed here during their tour of the Lake District in 1797. It ceased to be an inn around 1840 and around 1896 was leased to Robert Hayes, a member of the local gardening family, who had opened a market and nursery garden some years before. The building was bought by the National Trust in 1968 with bequests from several local residents.