Lake Bank Information Pack

Chalet 2, Lake Bank, Water Yeat,
Ulverston Cumbria LA12 8DL

 

Old Man from the pier

Myth of Malham, Charlie’s steamboat

Lake Bank pier at sunrise

Peel Island, which was Black Cat Island in the Swallows and Amazon books

 

Gondola coming into our pier

Gondola on the way back

Our pier from the other side of Lake Coniston

Beacon Tarn, behind the chalet

Coniston Old Man from the road to Torver from our chalet

The waiting room on the pier

Our chalet

The view from our chalet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chalet 2, Lake Bank, Water Yeat,
Ulverston Cumbria LA12 8DL
Here are a few notes and tips which I hope will make your stay at Lake Bank more enjoyable.

What to bring.
The chalet has some duvets, but most people tend to bring their own. Please supply your own duvet covers, sheets, pillow cases and towels.
There are tea towels in the kitchen but it is always worth packing one.
You are free to use tea, coffee, rice, pasta etc but if any are running low a replacement would be appreciated. As there is no electricity on when the chalet is empty, some sauces, jams etc do not store well!

How to get here.
See the attached map.

What you will find.
A 3 bed-roomed chalet with one main bedroom and two linked smaller bedrooms.
There is a main living / dining area with a wood burning stove. A wall heater can be used instead of or as well as the stove. This is electric and can be programmed to come on and go off as and when you want. There is one heater in the main room and one in each of the bedrooms. They all run independently.
The clock on the wall needs to be wound up if you want it to go. One weight powers the clock and the other powers the striking of the hour and half hour. This is a repeating clock so that it chimes on the hour and then repeats the number of chimes one minute later, in case you lost count. This can be a pain at midnight and it is advised that you remove the weight from the chimes at night time! (Or don’t start it at all!). Here is my brother-in-law’s website about their traditional clock making business – http://www.williamhaycock.co.uk/
The fitted kitchen has an electric oven and hob, microwave, fridge with small freezer compartment, washing machine and a comprehensive supply of pots, pans etc
The bathroom is off the kitchen and has a bath with shower unit, wash basin and toilet. The shower is instantaneous and needs fine tuning sometimes, depending on the water pressure. A master switch next to the microwave in the kitchen needs to be turned on to use the shower and off when not in use.
Outside there is a shed with assorted games and equipment, and all the tools necessary for a keen lumberjack.

  1.  Site Map. This is attached showing the areas owned privately by each member. Ours is the green area around Chalet 2. We tend to be relaxed about people ‘trespassing’. All the white area is communally owned and you are welcome to roam freely, make dens, play croquet or climb trees!
  2. Parking. Please park at the side of our chalet, and not in front as there are drains quite close to the surface. Chalet 1 owns more than half the land between our chalets so please park considerately. We are all good friends and we would like to keep it that way.
  3.  Entrance. On arriving or leaving the grounds, care needs to be taken, especially when turning right. The Lakes has its own share of idiots when they get behind the wheel.
  4.  Electricity. To turn on you need to press down the 2 blue switches on the fuse box at a high level to the left of the oven. Please turn off when you leave. The meter in the cupboard to the right of the sink takes £1 coins both new and old and £2 coins. The rate per coin has not been changed for a year or two so is running at a loss at the present time.
  5.  Water. If the water supply is turned off when you arrive then there are separate instructions on what to do. These should be on the notice board but are also attached. We turn the water off, not just in winter, but at other times of long abscence, as the plastic pipework is vulnerable to mouse attack. We have done all we can to keep mice out but they still manage to get in. There should be an electronic mouse scarer on site but this does not work when the electricity is turned off!
  6. . Broadband and Phone. We now rely on 4G broadband which is usable from most networks. We use Vodafone.
  7. The  Wilsons Arms has free wifi.
  8.  
  9.  Dogs. These are welcome at all times but please be aware that sheep roam freely around the grounds and we would prefer dogs to be on a lead in the Lake Bank grounds.
  10.  Immersion Heater. We ask everyone to take care when using the immersion heater. At some times the water pressure is not sufficient to refill the tank as quickly as the water is being used and the heater then burns out if it is left on! Similarly also make sure this is off when using the shower.
  11. Fridge. The fridge will come on automatically when the electricity is turned on. It will also of course go off automatically when the electricity is turned off! We ask that you de-ice the fridge as much as possible, especially if you have been there for some time as otherwise water will leak onto the kitchen floor. Leaving a few newspapers on the floor is always a good idea. Please leave the fridge door open to prevent mould forming, and wedge with the chair which also gives access to the blue electricity switches.
  12.  Recycling. Different rules to Derbyshire.  Please fill communally using the first empty bin nearest the gate. A leaflet on the notice board gives details of the new system. If in any doubt take rubbish home or leave it in the public waste bins on Blawith Common!
  13.  Cleaning. To keep costs to a minimum we do not employ a cleaner. Please leave the chalet respectable for the next guests. The vacuum cleaner is in the main bedroom beside the wardrobe. As this chalet is connected to a septic tank we request that only envoiramental cleaning products are used.
  14. Shopping. Booths Supermarket is to your left on the roundabout at the outskirts of Ulverston. There is now an Aldi and M & S food on the road out towards Barrow.The town is also well worth a visit for its quirky shops, cafes etc. Quite good for antiques or similar. https://youtu.be/3nW2BajsNCQ
    Coniston village has a small Co-op and another mini supermarket and now has a really good Indian restaurant which gives 20% discount for takeaways. A new bakery has opened recently.
    Greenodd has a decent chippy and a good bakery.
  15. Please keep children under supervision near the small pool. It is mostly overgrown especially in Summer but can still be a hazard. It is necessary to slow the spring water which oozes from the hillside in a storm.
  16.  Logs. If you use any of the logs around the chalet then please replace them, either from Coniston village shops or by sawing / chopping logs from the woods behind the chalets or from over the back wall where an oak tree fell a few years ago.
  17. The pier. This is owned by the Rawdon Smith Trust who are a registered charity. As a guest of Chalet 2 you are welcome to use it as we pay for a double canoe to be kept in the stockade. Our membership number is 173 in the name of Charles Haycock.The trust own the lake bed and receive payments for all moorings and piers. Their aim is to support good causes, especially for the 5 parishes which adjoin the lake.http://opencharities.org/charities/500355. The password for the stockade keeps changing but is written down in the chalet.
  18. TV. The only reception we can get is via satellite. As a result we set this up to receive freesat which has most mainstream programmes plus others very similar to Freeview.

Walking.
You don’t have to take the car out to start a good walk. The attached map shows 3 of the access points out on to the fells. The tracks are difficult to follow when the bracken is high but at other times they take you up to gain spectacular views of Lake Coniston. If you join the Cumbrian Way this will take you one way to Beacon Tarn and beyond and the other way towards more gentle slopes behind Water Yeat. Here you will find wild daffodils, primroses, bluebells and solitude besides crystal clear streams. Ignore the windmills and look across to Morecambe Bay . https://youtu.be/BUMvzlLB2Uk

Canoes.
As well as the single canoes behind the chalet there is a double Canadian canoe in the stockade next to the pier.  A key for the canoe is on a coloured band which should be on the key rack in the living room. Paddles are in the shed or small rear bedroom and lifejackets are either with the coats or in the small back bedroom. Our canoe is number 173. Please make sure that it is padlocked back in place after it has been used. Our previous double canoe was stolen and abandoned at Coniston, damaged beyond repair.

We cannot emphasize enough the need to wear a lifejacket. There are several sizes available near the coat store.

All equipment, including canoes is used at the owners own risk.

Gondola.
The National Trust Steam boat Gondola calls at Lake Bank pier. See here for details: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/steam-yacht-gondola

Facebook. My page for Chalet 2 is here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/105429349501757/
This is in its early stages but has some details of the history of Lake Bank and a photographic record of the grounds.

Entertainment.
OK it’s not the O2 Arena but this is the centre of culture in Water Yeat.
https://www.facebook.com/wateryeatvillagehall/

Places to eat. (This may be out of date! Any comments would be welcome.)

The Wilson Arms, Torver. Good standard of food with a bit of class. Also has a deli.
http://www.thewilsonsarms.co.uk/ Join their mailing list online for a free drink!

The Church Inn Torver. We have had good reports about this place. Until recently it was a bit run down but has been updated earlier this year.
https://www.thechurchhouseinn.com/

The Drunken Duck, up country lanes from Ambleside. Up market pub at up market prices.
http://drunkenduckinn.co.uk/

Zeffirellis and Felinis in Ambleside are both vegetarian.
http://www.zeffirellis.com/restaurant

Chesters at Skelwith Bridge is brilliant for cakes and afternoon tea. https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g186319-d5249639-i59416026-Chesters_By_The_River-Ambleside_Lake_District_Cumbria_England.html

Brantwood on the other side of Coniston Lake is good for tea and coffee and fabulous views.
http://www.brantwood.org.uk/ The former home of John Ruskin.

Swallows and Amazons tea room http://www.swallowsandamazons.net/
Pubs.
The nearest pub is The Red Lion, 2 miles away at Lowick Green. It has changed hands so many times it is difficult to give a recommendation. http://redlion-lowick.co.uk/

The Black Bull Coniston brews its own Bluebird ales http://www.blackbullconiston.co.uk/
Also good for fish and chips but usually only one veggie option.
Maps and books.
We have an extensive range of maps and guide books and you are welcome to use these. Please do not inadvertently take them home! There is a large floor to ceiling map of the whole Lake District on the living room wall. Just photograph the bit you want to walk!

Diary.
We have over 20 years of records since we bought the chalet in 1996. The most recent diary is on the shelf and we would welcome your experiences and recommendations, good or bad.

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We hope that you are happy with your stay. The only thing we cannot sort is the weather, but even on a grey day in November this is a grand place to be, with your knees up the chimney (if we had one), with a good book and a little something to drink!

Without rain there would be no Lakes!

Updated
July 2021
Roger.
Telephone Home 01246 231902 (Chesterfield)
Mobile 07774 828218

Chris Haycock
Telephone Home 01335 347771 (Ashbourne)

Gill Wardle and her husband Peter are the only full time residents on site. They live at Lake Bank in the main building. Gill likes a good chat and she will always do anything she can to help. Her husband is a national croquet official and is often away on duty!.