You are here:
Crosthwaite
Crosthwaite maps
Historic maps of Crosthwaite and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Crosthwaite maps
Crosthwaite area books
Displaying 1 of 10 books about Crosthwaite and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Crosthwaite
No memories of Crosthwaite have been shared yet - be the first!
Add your memory of Crosthwaite
or of a photo of Crosthwaite.
Cumbria memories
My Grandmother Owned The Brown Horse Inn Until 1922
My grandparents Mr. & Mrs. Cecil Carl Stronnel owned the Brown Horse Inn until 1922 when my grandmother and my mother emigrated to Canada. My grandmother had divorced prior to their departure. The present photo is very
similar to the one that hung on the wall of my grandmother's home, I believe the one she had had a horse in the sign which as I recall hung out front. My grandmother was a school teacher in the area, her maiden name was Margaret Atkinson. Her father Enoch Atkinson captained the ferry on Lake Windermere. While a member of the RCAF in 1957 I attempted to visit the Inn but it was closed while the owners were on holiday. Unfortunately I never did get back to see it but still hope one day soon, I hope.
Brown Horse Inn 1920 to 1995
I am writing to add my memories to those posted by my sister Sheila McCormack. My name is Norma (McCormack ) Gibson. Our grandparents ran this hotel in the 1920s.
Their names were Margaret and Cecil Stronnel. They had a daughter Irene Margaret Stronnel. My mother told me about their Manx cats that had no tails. Sha also told me that at that time the beer was served in bottles sealed with glass alleys (marbles). She said that she broke several in order to have the alleys to play with. This of course resulted in discipline. My mother and grandmother left England and came to Canada, first to Hamilton, Ontario where they lived for some time and then to Thunder Bay, Ontario, where my grandmother lived until her death. My mother remained in contact with family members in England and during later years she received a letter from the owners of the inn asking her for information on the inn as they believed it was haunted. I myself wrote in... Read more
My Dad
My dad would ride his motorbike in all weathers to get to work,which was at Ferryhouse, to get there he would go and return on the ferry. I would go with him sometimes at the weekend if there was any problems for him to fix. Years later I would go on a bike ride with my elder sister Hilary, I found the ferry a very enjoyable experience, the noise of the engine, watching the big cables pull the ferry through the water to the other side. Nothing can replace the joy a trip across Windermere lake that the ferry can give.
Whitsuntide Drowning 1896
My grandmother's brother had arrived with two friends on the Whitsuntide weekend, 23rd May 1896. They wanted to try a yacht, intending to hire it for the week if they were happy with it. They took it out and sailed towards Ambleside. According to the inquest, they probably got into difficulties with a changeable wind that "sometimes blew down the Troutbeck Valley and could catch out even experienced yachtsmen". They were found somewhere just north of Hen Holme island opposite Rayrigg Meadow. Starting with the family story only that he had "drowned in Windermere", I was able to trace first the death certificate, then the report in the local newspaper. Now I can see a photo taken in the same year, showing where he probably hired the yacht.
A Steamer Ride on Windermere
In April 2008 I went on holiday to the Lakes with my wife, Elizabeth, and we enjoyed a day's outing here. We first took a steam train from Haverthwaite through Newby Bridge to Lakeside where the steamer quay looks not much different from the view shown in this photo. Then we boarded a steamer which took us up the lake as far as Windermere. We disembarked for a couple of hours looking round the town while the steamer went on to Ambleside. Windermere now seems totally focussed on tourists and there was a wide choice of gifts, postcards and ice creams but rather a poor choice of groceries! However do the local residents survive?
We rejoined our steamer for its afternoon sailing back to Lakeside and thoroughly enjoyed our outing.
Kay/Key Moss Farm, Witherslack
My great-great-great-grandfather JOSEPH FLETCHER Esq lived at Kay Moss Farm (as it was called then), now known as Key Moss. He is buried along with 3 of his children who died young and 1 daughter Ellen at St Paul's church. he had 4 living children: John - corn miller/merchant(Liverpool) Nicholas Richard - mathematics instructor, Royal Naval College(London). Nicholas's son Reginald becomes Lord Winster of Witherslack (1942). Ellen - dies 1878 aged 33, unmarried, buried St Paul's, Witherslack Mary Ann - fancy goods shop, 19 King Street, Ulverston. Unmarried. My dad took his mother (Annie), granddaughter of John Fletcher, to visit the area, friends and family around 1955, as her happiest childhood memories were of her holidays spent at the farm, riding the pony and trap up and down the tracks. She also went to the farm where two family members still lived. Also the spa cottages, where at the time everyone knew who she was as they all came out to talk to her. Does anyone have any info or memories on this family anywhere? Or... Read more
The Low Wood Hotel
We were only here briefly. Just a few early spring and summer months. My parents were managing this hotel for the season. One fine day, when there was a pause in the arrivals & departures of coach buses filled with tourists, my father took me across the road. There on the banks of Lake Windermere was a rowing boat. He taught me how to row and I as very grateful to him that wonderful morning. On my birthday in June, my parents and staff were very busy catering to thirsty tourists (it was always teatime!) So, I decided to find the source of a small river which ran down the hillside behind the hotel. I followed the water until it became more narrow. Suddenly, still higher up, I found a carpet of wild bluebells. It was such a gift to find. I lingered and then went upwards and beyond until the stream disappeared. There was a wide, high hill before... Read more
