Sat Nav error

Sat navs may have revolutionised the driving experience, meaning we can find our way around unfamiliar places with minimum effort – but occasionally the computer doesn't know best.  

Don't get stuck in the mud

 

When coming to Coal Yeat, contrary to our advice, guests, delivery drivers and home shopping drivers are still preferring the directions of a dumb machine over their own common sense. Whichever GPS system you are using, please don't follow it blindly.  

Any GPS Sat Nav you buy will have mistakes and unfortunately most show a public footpath as the road to Coal Yeat - it's not!! 

The farmer has started to charge to pull you out

 

 

 

 

 

 

Despite the sign posts indicating the track to be a 'public footpath', the five-bar gate indicating that the road should not be used and even a Sat Nav error sign a fair few motorists have persevered and had to be rescued by farmers with tractors after becoming stuck in the mud.

I do warn guests with the confirmation and have even taken photos which accompany the directions to avoid this increasing problem.

So please take a look at the pictures and stay on the road!!  The farmer has actually started to charge to pull them out of his field as it's too frequent an occurrence.  Please don't be the next person to be lead on a merry dance by the computer.

Do not turn left down the track.

It's very easy with the comprehensive directions which accompany the booking details.  

Do not drive down this track or go through the gate

Scorchio.......

OK - so you shouldn't position in the direct sun 

!!

For seven days solid we have had temperatures soar into the mid twenties, dawn to dusk sunshine and not breath of wind. Our current guests never left the estate - I've dusted down the sunloungers and cleaned out the BBQ's and they are now in heaven.  As they said "why share the sun with the crowds in Coniston, when we have paradise here".  When it's like this, there is nothing more perfect than wasting time in our Lakeland holiday cottages here at Coal Yeat Farm.

I can't believe that it's only the end of March, and already I've applied the suncream and we've had our evening meal in the garden twice - beats last years record already!!

The daffodils of which there are over 50 varieties planted in front of the holiday cottages, have suddenly all bloomed at once this week - soon the vibrant yellow will be taken over by the blues.  Come mid April its bluebell time in the woods of the Furness Peninsular, and the trees slowly come into full leaf. The lakeland colours are so fresh and verdant in May and when the rhododendrons and azaleas come into full flower it's a spectacle not to miss

Our two Coal Yeat Holiday Cottages have recently welcomed some annual visitors who stay out in the paddocks well away, but in view from the self catering cottages the pedigree rare breed British Saddleback pigs. They camp out in the fields providing free range pig entertainment for all our guests.

Other annual visitors to Coal Yeat Farm include a cuckoo, swallows and martins, suckler cows with their calves and the sheep and lambs. These join the residential owls, falcons and other birds of prey and the passing buzzards which often glide past. And we must not forget the Skylarks singing a joyful welcome overhead.

All out holiday cottages are provided with a dedicated barbecue area and full barbecue facilities. The smoke from grilling saddleback sausages and burgers have certainly been hanging over these Lake District self catering cottages this weekend. Wish you were here?

We still have some availability for the early summer , please give Emma a call on 07887731553 to check availability.

From the visitors book

After getting a wee bit lost on the fell road we made it here - and were greeted with caramel shortbread, thank you. Absolutely gorgeous cottage and surrounding countryside, we were lucky enough to have scorching weather and most of the time sunbathing and barbecuing in the wee garden. Thank you again for such beautiful and well equipped accommodation. We will recommend it x

A note from Tethera guests

We get lots of lovely comments in the guest books, but it's much appreciated when guests take the time to write on their return home.  Our guests in Tethera braved the weather and had a fantastic time here in early February.  They even sent a photo, which I'll share with you all - just to prove what you see on the web site is what you get in real life!!

"Hi Emma,

Just a quick note to say that we really enjoyed staying in Tethera. We were warm and cosy with everything we could need.

I'm sure you've got plenty of photo's like this one but the view on Monday morning was simply stunning.

When we next feel like a break you'll be the first people we call and we'll certainly recommend you to our friends.

Best Wishes

Steve, Maggie and Tinker"

Offers

OFFERS~OFFERS~OFFERS~OFFERS

MAY MADNESS

GREAT CALENDER FILLERS for Yan and Tyan:

*** STAR OFFER *** Yan = 9-16 June was £595 now only £475

Yan = 16-20 June was £410 now only £295 *** STAR OFFER ***

Tethera Cottage

Stay any duration until 19 June 2012 and get 7% discount and a bottle of wine on arrival and the fire laid with a basket of logs - come on.....come snuggle

or ANY AUGUST WEEK minus £50  

Or try our sister cottage Beckside Cottage - sleeps 6 in 2 x double, 1 x twin.

June offers = £50 off weeks commencing 16th June = £545

See www.holidaylettings.co.uk/183249 

Dancing Dragonflies at Coal Yeat Holiday Cottages.

Well where has the time gone, blink and summer was over.  I was away for most of August, but made it back in time to catch the stunning Coal Yeat water lilies. 


Claude Monet would probably have visited Coal Yeat Lake District Holiday cottages to paint our water lillies. Bored by the French summer heat in the garden at Giverny he may have migrated like Turner or Ruskin to the beautiful Lake District with its unique light.


August was when the water lillies were at their most vibrant in the pond at Coal Yeat Farm. Their pink and white blooms floated on the blue waters of this spring fed pond surrounded by their ornate leaves. Patterns of colour and texture, ever changing as the reflected clouds slowly cross in the sky, over the dancing Dragonflies. 

Perhaps, the artist taking a rest in this creative corner of the Lake District, could cast his line and try to catch the ponds inhabitants. This pond, almost an acre in size is stocked with carp and other course fish.  We had some woppers, carp over 20lbs but last winter the otters came and slaughtered many slumbering giants. What or who remains in the deeps remains to be seen?

Fishermen staying at Coal Yeat Holiday Cottages are welcome to fish this exclusive pond at. We also have a streatch of river fishing on the River Crake which is excellent for migrating Salmon and Sea Trout which is available free of charge (subject to the fishermen having all the correct licences, there is no restriction to the type of bait which can be used).

For the ardent angler or families, wishing to while away the day, there are excellent fishing opportunities only minutes away from Coal Yeat Holiday Cottages in Coniston Water, Lake Windermere and Esthwaite Water. The latter is stocked with Rainbow Trout as well as native fish. So many opportunties here in this quiet corner of the Lake District!

From the visitors book

Dear Emma ,

Thank you for your hospitality, we have had a fantastic time, The cakes were amazing. We are already planning our next visit can't wait to be back again.It's so beautiful and peaceful up here.

Thank you again look very forward to seeing you again

Nikki

The Barn Owl is back!

You can imagine our excitement to see the Barn Owl hunting once again over the fields and verges at Coal Yeat Farm. This beautiful blonde bird has recently returned, and caused great interest among our guests staying in our Lake District self catering cottages, as it glides effortlessly searching for food. Forever looking down in search of the slightest movement to indicate a moving mouse, these Barn Owls are decimated countrywide by passing high sided wagons, as they search the roadsides.

But no such problems for our Barn Owl up here at Coal Yeat Farm as wagons are as rare as the owl itself. Is our Barn Owl a male or a female? Has she or he got a mate? Its so fantastic to see that our efforts in leaving lots of untouched areas of natural grassland and unkempt areas have provided the natural habitat of the Barn Owls main food source, the mouse. We have even, in the upgrading of the Lakeland holiday cottages, included an owl hole in the gable end of the building, built to the Owl Conservation Trust's specification.

 

 

 

 

But unfortunately our Barn Owl prefers, at the moment, other roosts. But not so the Swallows which have now departed, no longer residents on the wall of our self catering holiday cottages. A family of Swallows set up their summer nest outside all three cottages, Yan, Tyan and Tethera, and managed to rear two broods of youngsters this summer. How young Swallows fresh from the nest manage to migrate to Africa after only a couple of weeks on the wing is one of the wonders of nature.

Unlike the barn owl, I managed to photo our fledgling Swallows. Fresh from the nest they had not yet realised that I were to be perceived as danger and they just sat there and let me photograph them.

 

I am off for by own break in Holland and then all to soon the summer will draws to a close and the colours on the fells and mountains will change slowly from green to brown.  We await the riot of autumnal colour for which the Lake District is so famous. Autumn can be one of the best times of the year to visit the Lake District and I am offering some excellent deals for the remaining weeks in September and October. So why not give me a call on 07887731553 or email?

I cannot guarantee you will see the Barn Owl but you may be lucky! Apparently Barn owls normally feed within 1km radius of their nest site. Within this homerange it requires at least 120 acres of permanent or semi-permanent grassland over which to hunt. Coal Yeat Farm is only 25 acres of permanent grassland, but we are surrounded by many similar small Lakeland farms. Barn Owls are particularly attracted to old rank grassland, heavily fertilised and intensively farmed grassland is a 'green desert' to the Barn Owls. Fortunately farms like Coal Yeat Farm are in environmental schemes where the amount of nitrogen fertiliser is limited, and are therefore not intensively farmed, thus providing the opportunity for these fine Barn Owls to survive.

But it's not just Barn Owls, we have two Little Owls who hang out on the telephone wires on the fell road, a pair of Red Kite and lots of other birds of prey.


From the visitors book

Idyllic setting, beautiful cottage and even the weather was fine all week. GREAT!

Summer scents at Coal Yeat

Summer Scents Surround Coal Yeat Holiday Cottages.

Another burst of sunshine and how welcome it had been. I think our foreign friends have brought it with them.  We are very pleased to welcome more overseas visitors.  This week Yan and Tyan is occupied by a lovely bunch of American's who are attending the local Buddhist Festival. While in Tethera our Dutch friends are leaving today after a 10 day stay.  They are actually from the same area we are visiting on our summer holidays.  It was great to swap tips. I'm really enjoying meeting all our overseas guests this year so far we've had folks from India, Australia, America, The Netherlands, United Arab Emirates and Portugal.  While later in the summer we'll be welcoming Israeli and Maltese guests.  What an eclectic bunch..........

Back to the blog.......The weather has been very sunny which has been great for all the visitors to these luxury holiday cottages.  As the sun beats down once again the sweet smell of freshly cut ancient meadows is in the air - full of herbs and flowers cut to make hay. Mr Longmire the local farmer is almost organic and has tended these meadows for over half a century fertilising them with well rotted farmyard manure. This leads to a massive variety of different grasses flowers and field herbs which, when drying in the summer, leave this sweet lingering scent which must have been so familiar in Victorian times. Unforgettable!

 

 The weather this year has been typical Lakes weather - all seasons in one day.  This is a stark comparison to last year, where it was so dry at the Coal Yeat holiday cottages that we but we had to call a drought.  The  driest six months on record left the lakes and rivers at an all timed low there had been no appreciable rain since the floods of early November 09. 

Back to 2011 and it's the vibrant green that is amazing our foreign visitors, but it's all change in the view from these Lakeland holiday cottages as the cut green fields turn a bright yellow as hay and silage is cleared from the fields. The fells are green as the new bracken engulfs last years burnt sienna fronds. The patchwork of fields sewn together by the characteristic Cumbrian walls is an ever-changing panorama when viewed from these luxury Lake District cottages.

From the visitors book

Many thanks for the great accommodation in a perfect setting. It really drives home what you miss out on when you live in the city! Great scenery and decent weather combined gives us all our own "little piece of England"! Relaxation and calm to have those conversations that seem so hard to have when life's travelling so fast at home!

I forgot to mention the caramel shortbread (gone in 60 sec's) and the beautiful home made bread, a very nice welcome indeed! PS: the wine was great too for a french import!! If you read this then can we state we had a lovely time and hope you do too!