Brockhole is now owned by the Lake District National Park Authority and was originally built as a summer house for a merchant from Manchester. The grounds at Brockhole cover an area of 30 acres.
There are formal gardens of over 10 acres and they are listed by English Heritage as of national importance. Although we visited in depths of winter there was still lots of detail and interest to see. It is the gardens and grounds that I enjoy about Brockhole plus its spectacular views across Windermere and the Langdales.
There are countless things to do here at this visitor centre: childrens' play areas, treetop walks, abseiling, a games lawn, crazy golf to mention a few. You can walk the jetty and catch the ferry around Lake Windermere. There is a gift shop and a cafe, where you can have tea on the terrace overlooking the splendid views.
It was a sunny late December day, but that was exactly what we did: after a leisurely walk around the grounds and gardens, sitting outside on the terrace we drank tea, enjoyed the view, fed the robins and watched families enjoying themselves!
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| Berries stand out against the barren trees |
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| The redwood stands out amongst the foliage |
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| Moss looks at its most vivid at this time of year |
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| Natural structures amongst winter's debris |
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| And some man made ones too! |
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| A little alpine trough resting quietly |
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| The heads of a hydrangea still gives shape and structure against the bleak land |
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| Verbena seed heads against the December skies |
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| Still a bit of colour on the hydrangea in this sheltered little spot |
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| A little primula glows and pushes itself towards the light amongst the leaves |
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| Take tea on the terrace and a robin won't be far away |
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| A hidden view from a bench |
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| Leave the garden and walk the wooded and lawned grounds to the edge of the lake and you will be treated with a view |
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| Catch the ferry around Lake Windermere for an added bonus |
