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[jereboam]

In two weeks time, Mrs. Jereboam and I are off to the Lake District.  Mrs. J. doesn't drive, and I'm too feeble these days to get up there in one go.  So we're looking for an overnight stop, and nowhere obvious jumps out at us from the map.

We had planned to stop at Belvoir Castle, as we passed by it a few years back and decided it was well worth a visit.  However, it turns out that it's only open on Sundays and Mondays, and that's not when we'll be going.

So what we're looking for is somewhere for a couple of pensioners to visit for the afternoon, with a B&B not too far away for the night, roughly halfway between Ipswich and Penrith.  We're National Trust members, of course, and have the fawn coloured summer jackets to prove it.

Alton Towers would be perfect if it wasn't for that awful amusement park...

[LJay]

Talking of Alton Towers.

How about Iron Bridge Gorge and surrounding attractions?  We stayed in a travel lodge but I'm sure tourist info would find you a B&B.

[cleggy]

I can recommend Calke Abbey a national trust property just off the M1 junction with the A50 in Derbyshire, and down the A514 at Ticknall.
A good carvery is available at the John Thompson at Ingleby where log cabins are available, and there are several B&B's in the area.
Both Calke and the John Thompson have full information on their WEB sites

Then of course there's always Chatsworth house  

[pscocoa]

you could do worse than York - avoid Wakefield though as there are some difficult characters there - you could call in to see one of course...

[Richie London]

try places on google maps for some good ideas. its really quite good to use

[scimmy_man]

I would second a day in York.

[russ0205]

A day or night in york is just not enough its such a fantastic place to visit. swmbo has a neice there and i grab a chance to visit any time.

 

[jereboam]

Thanks for the suggestions, everybody - very helpful.

York is a great place to go, but we "did it" a few years ago, and fascinating as it was, there are loads of other places we haven't been.

Calke Abbey looks very interesting - an unrestored stately home - very appropriate - we, too, live in an unrestored house.  Mind you, ours only dates from 1997.

Ironbridge is a brilliant suggestion, because I always wanted to go there - used to pass through on the A5 when I went up to Bangor from London when I'd finished partying studying up there.  Also, by sheer chance, it's 177 miles from where we live to Ironbridge and 177 miles from Ironbridge to Penrith, which is the nearest place to where we are staying.

We're going to Cwmbran after the stay in Cumbria, so it may make sense to do Ironbridge on the way down - it looks like there's a reasonable non-motorway route through the Welsh borders, and we've never done that trip. 

Mrs. J. is enthusiastic about Ironbridge - can't remember when we last agreed on anything - and is currently reading up about Calke Abbey.

[cleggy]

We visit Calke at least once year, it really is a fascinating place, the Harpur Crewe's were absolutely barking. They just moved out of one section of the house closed it up and the next generation set up camp in another wing etc.
The National Trust have done a fantastic job of NOT restoring it, but mainting the decay as they found it in the '60s.
Do let us know what you thought of the place, and the facilities in the surrounding area.
Of course you can then just pop down the A50 and in 40 minutes be on the M6 North, bypassing PINK Kidsgrove

P.S another good eatery is the Coopers Arms at Weston on Trent

[I_want_an_Omega]

Lincoln.

Then up the A1, M62 etc ..........