Sunday 22 September 2013

Queen Adelaide's Hill Benches.


Adjacent to the A592, Queen Adelaide's Hill is an easily accessible vantage  point with wonderful views of Windermere. It is just a few minutes walk to the summit.

However the two old memorial oak benches overlooking the lake were ready for replacement.

The legs of these benches had started to rot.

The seating areas were also retaining rain water. It took a lot of warm sunshine to dry them out; so both the benches were wet for much of the time, and not really suitable for sitting on any longer!

Thanks are owed to the National Trust joiners. On request, they constructed two excellent new benches from Douglas Fir wood as replacements for the old benches.

The superb new benches on their way to Queen Adelaide's Hill
It can be seen how cracked and open the wood on the surface of the old bench  has become, allowing water to settle in the grooves rather than being shed from the seating area.

The old benches were prised out of the ground using a bar and brute force. This image shows how rotten the legs had become, especially in the region of the top soil
                                                 
Out with the old bench.....
The fencing mell or hammer came in useful.
                                                       .....and in with the new.                                                         
What a setting!
Curious spectators.
Enjoy the view, whilst retaining a dry posterior!  
The view to the North, taking in the Langdale Pikes.
The view towards the Southern end of the lake, taking in 
Belle Isle and Claife Heights.
This large wooded hillside to  the west is owned and managed by the National Trust, and contains many of our native tree varieties.
The views directly below the first bench.

The M.V Swan"hugging" the west shore of Windermere, over a mile away.
(Full telephoto)

The first visitors to sit down on the new benches and take in the views.
Even on a grey September afternoon, visitors still find the views special from Queen Adelaide's Hill.



                






                                            

2 comments :

  1. The benches are a great improvement.
    As you have headlined this post "Queen Adelaide Hill's Benches", why is that the sign at the gate near the lay-by on Rayrigg Road only says "Adelaide Hill".
    Only a small point, but many visitors will leave thinking that is the proper name.

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  2. Thanks for your appreciative comment about the benches.
    It is a fair point you make about the sign. Maps give the hill the place name of Queen Adelaide's Hill. However, The Old Cumbria Gazetteer gives it the place name:- Rayrigg Bank. Other name:- Queen Adelaide's Hill. Other name:- Adelaide Hill. It would seem that all three names are correct!

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