I can’t take credit for this version of the Rannerdale Massacre but I love it so much I’ve re-printed it here word for word.

It is said that about 1000 years ago, there was a fortified homestead on the site of what is now Woodhouse, the white building that holds a prominent position at the head of Crummock. This was the home of Earl Boethar (Buttermere is said to take its name from Boethar’s mere).

When the Normans were advancing through the Lune Gap on their way north to create a stronghold at Carlisle, Boethar’s men raided the convoys of troops. In a way they were getting their own back on the advancing conquerors that had driven the natives away from their homesteads into the central core of the mountainous region. Boethar was their champion and a thorn in the flesh of the Norman’s.

His location was a closely guarded secret, but friends of his were captured, brutally tortured and his secret Buttermere hideaway was revealed. The Normans planned an attack from the rear, from the Cockermouth direction. They brought a heavily armoured troop through the oak woodlands and through the marshy valley ground to attack Boethar from the rear.

However, Boethar’s own spies brought news of this attack, and he laid his own trap. He hid his fighting men, who were known as “berserkers”, in the thickly wooded sides of what we now call Rannerdale. The Normans were lured into this valley, and struggled in the marshy conditions where they were hampered by their weight of weapons and armour. When the word was given, the berserkers swept down from the fell sides and massacred the whole Norman troop. Boethar and his berserkers were victorious. And one reason why there is such a magnificent show of bluebells – the flowers reminds us that the land on which they grow was once woodland, is that it had the finest dressing of bonemeal and blood manure it was possible to have!

The original article can be found here  http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/fellwalkingclub/

It’s a great site and I highly recommend joining the group if you love walking and love the Lake District. Fancy exploring Rannerdale yourself.  It’s just a three mile drive up the valley past Crummock Water and before you get to Buttermere.

Click here for our latest offer and we hope to see you soon, Nick

I often spend time reading all the comments in our visitor’s book and on Tripadvisor here at Winder Hall, our Lake District Country House B&B close to Cockermouth, Buttermere & Keswick. We take feedback very seriously, and make sure we take all constructive criticism on board (and do something about it!) as well as enjoying the many wonderful reviews that we receive. What better way to learn than from those who experience our hospitality first hand!

What really struck me today was how powerful people’s words are! Even more exciting was the realisation that the same ones are used over and over again – hidden gem, hidden treasure, secret worth sharing etc….. It’s really made me clock that you can do all the “clever” marketing and branding in the world, but taking time to really notice what your guests say is the biggest help in shaping who you are, making sure you build on what they want and keep your identity clear – a great exercise in listening and learning!

We’ve come to the conclusion that, however fearful the industry can be of Tripadvisor, it is a vital and excellent part of our business now. We make occasional mistakes, and are the first to hold our hands up and make sure we do better each time. If these errors or issues are exposed on this traveller’s resource then we accept the feedback and work towards 100% every day. The overwhelming majority of reviews are wonderfully positive, and it really makes the whole team at Winder Hall Country House buzz to read them! Love it or hate it, Tripadvisor is here to stay, and we are firmly in favour! It helps us improve when we need to, it gives us reassurance that we are delivering really unique hospitality with warmth and professionalism, and perhaps most of all it gives massive great signposts on how to market our business – we just need to listen to our fabulous guests!!

Winder Hall is a country house B&B near Cockermouth, within fifteen minutes drive of five of the most stunning lakes. To see more information on the stunning surrounds and nearby lakes you might like to take a look here. In a beautiful part of the Lake District, Lorton is the ideal setting for a break away. So much to do and see in the area, including excellent walking from the door, Go Ape and amazing cycle trails in Whinlatter Forest (Cyclewise offers a full day’s hire for half day price to guests of Winder Hall), and the adventure capital of Keswick is also close by. Worth a visit if you fancy a break away from it all! You can come and give us your verdict!

Alistair and Ann Henry – Sept 2012

John and Linda – London – March 2013

Taste Cumbria Food Demo 2012

Cooking is all about love.   It can be hard to remember as a busy parent juggling jobs and family life.  But deep down, that hastily cobbled together meal on the table, keeping the tribe fed and watered, isn’t just cooked for survival – it is cooked out of love.  Most restaurant chefs I know, cook for love too…  well, love first, then ego and money!

Sadly, for those of us who love to cook as much as we love to eat, it can be pretty hard falling in love with something wrapped in cellophane, especially when you have no idea where all the components have come from!   The good thing is Cumbria is more than a little bit different and … I can tell you the secret:

The food you love to eat is grown right here in Cumbria

Imagine this: a world-renowned restaurant headed by a mega-celebrity chef in the beating heart of any global metropolis.  You know the place, right?  Well I love the adventure and excitement of eating there too – even if I like less the burning hole it leaves in my wallet.

The contrast? A tiny cafe and farm shop tucked away in green valleys surrounded by craggy mountains, perhaps in Borrowdale, Buttermere, Eskdale or Langdale.  Even those old Viking names evoke how close we are to our Cumbrian heritage, the beauty of our natural landscape and the food we grow.  Now imagine stepping outside that cafe and seeing the sheep, the cows, the smell of wild garlic in Spring, or the rich pickings of damsons and brambles in the Autumn, the background noise of the mountain stream that feeds the micro-brewery that made your lunchtime beer.  For those of us lucky enough to live and work here in Cumbria, we love it too and it is the secret to why Cumbrian food is special.  Not much cling-film round here!

Cumbrian view outside Winder Hall Country House in Lorton

Cumbria isn’t quaint or stuck in some by-gone era.  We are ahead of our time.  We are leading the way when it comes to getting real about the food chain, animal welfare, sustainability, the relationship between the man-made and the natural environment. It’s about our responsibility for future generations, and why the quality of what we put in our mouths and where it comes from is just so important. It’s also about enjoyment!

You can see, hear, smell, touch and TASTE the difference.   Give yourself a bit of love and enjoy what’s on offer right here in Cumbria this year.  I can promise you, we will love you right back with some life-changing Cumbrian food and hospitality.

Nick Lawler is the Chair of the Taste Cumbria Food Festival Working Group, held in Cockermouth during the last weekend in September  and the Chef/Proprietor of Winder Hall Country House & Restaurant

On February 24th the awesomely good guitarist and rock and blues singer will play at The Saints Rooms in Cockermouth. He’s played Glastonbury amongst many other music festivals, and is just another one of our artists who is playing here before hitting The Maryport Blues festival in the summer! We feel very lucky to have an amazing line up in 2013, and it’s really putting The Saints Rooms on the map as a great venue for events.

Reviews for Aynsley have included these great words: “Superb” The Times and “His guitar playing is a fire hazard!” MOJO

To buy your tickets in advance and find out a little more information on timing, please click here Top Table Promotions
Tickets £12.00 advance – £15 on the door

When explosive natural ability collides with fiery, emotionally charged compositions, the result is Aynsley Lister; an incredible guitarist whose brand of blues-based rock delivers contemporary song writing fueled with the kind of heart and soul that’s missing from so much modern music. Whether passionately writing and recording his own material or mesmerising audiences at his live shows one thing is abundantly clear: music is hard-wired to his DNA and flows from his fingertips like sonic bolts of lightning.

More amazing gigs will follow through the year, including Chantel McGregor, The King Kings, Ryan McGarvey, The Mentulls, Lucy Zirins and more….. we’re like the pre-run for the Maryport Blues Festival – so exciting!

Come and spend  a fantastic Sunday with us listening to excellent entertainment right  here in Cockermouth, Cumbria. It all kicks off 4ish so time to let your hair down, but be back in time for a fresh Monday morning start!  Ennerdale real ale available by the pint or bottle, full bar and at the risk of sounding like something out of the 70′s…… a chance to chill to great vibes!

Here at Winder Hall Country House we’re excited that Cumbrian Food Direct are taking over the local food market in Cockermouth. A real shot in the arm to keeping the market tradition going strong on the first Saturday of each month, and a great opportunity for local suppliers to promote and sell their Cumbrian produce. We’ll be there – will you?

You may not realise that we have our own fabulous Saddleback pigs on Nick’s smallholding just down the road. We often provide hog roasts for outside catering and wedding celebrations at Winder Hall, and it will be great fun to have a stall at the market selling burgers or hog roast through the year. We can’t wait to be part of another local initiative to promote the wide range of fabulous food in this county. No unidentified horsemeat here!

On a serious note, in these strange times of mass produced food and uncertain provenance, the drive for excellent, reasonably priced, trackable food just gets stronger. The recent “horsegate”  scandal only adds fuel to the fire and passion for homegrown produce. Cumbrian Food Direct, who source from local suppliers wherever possible, have taken the proverbial bull  by the horns, and in addition to their excellent online shopping service, have committed to taking over the food market to ensure its continued presence. They are really putting their money where their mouth is.

They are working closely with Allerdale Borough Council, Riversmeet Community Cooperative, Cockermouth Chamber of Trade, Cockermouth School and other key organisations and businesses such as ours, to support and revive the market.

So if you are interested in a stall, contact Kerry on 01900 818028 for a market stall in Market place or Rik Cross on 01900 825791 for an indoor table. At £15 and £10 respectively along with promotion from CFD and associates, it has to be a great opportunity to show off your fabulous wares. And if you are not a supplier – well come along and see us all – taste and buy the tip top food on offer! With organisations such as Cumbrian Food Direct, Taste Cumbria and Foodlink Northwest encouraging pride in local sourcing and supply, access to reasonably priced, delicious local food gets easier every day.

Our new chef has been experimenting which always makes us very happy here at Winder Hall as we got a chance to try all the dishes!! So apart from the fact that I now need to go on a cabbage soup diet after testing out the desserts, all is on track for a really lovely Valentines dinner or special break at Winder Hall!

We love to change the menu seasonally, and this month there’s a wonderful feast including fabulous local seafood, our very own Winder Hall pork and a range of desserts to suit every taste. The website has all the menus up so you can download  the special Valentine’s menu or a copy of the seasonal February menu if you’d like to take a look.

Valentine’s is one of those traditions that we love to hang on to and as our general manager Sarah is a total romantic, we know she’ll have some extra special touches  for the evening and over the weekend (our menu runs from 14th through 16th February. We’ve even got a rare one night stay in Greystone’s our stunning four poster on the Friday night at the special rate of £135.

Last year it was St Bridget’s complaint and we were waiting for some ladies to propose! It didn’t happen but we’ve had a fair few proposals over the last 12 months, and several have now booked their exclusive wedding at Winder. Whatever diners and guests do that Valentine’s weekend, we’re including  a lovely glass of bubbly and canapes before dinner to set the evening off with a sparkle!! Can’t wait to make it all cosy, romantic and intimate….. now I just need to work on persuading my dear hubby into taking ME out for Valentines!!

Well what a year! We were really over the moon to hear that we had been shortlisted as the only Cumbrian & Lake District venue to reach the regional finals of The Wedding Industry Awards, and were double delighted to find out that Chris Freer (a photographer who has taken fantastic pictures of many weddings at Winder Hall) was the only Cumbrian professional photographer to make it through to this stage.

About The Wedding Industry Awards:

These independent awards are the brainchild of Damian and Anna Bailey. Damian is an award-winning wedding photographer. Damian’s wife, Anna, is also from a strong event management background. They’ve created a really wonderful event, and we’ve been so impressed by the organisation – it’s been fun too!

The judging panel was packed with experts in the field, from the editor of You and Your Wedding magazine to some of the country’s premier wedding movers and shakers. It also included the Director of leading entertainment company Sternberg Clarke who counts two of the Spice Girls’ weddings among his successes. We are delighted to have been a part of this prestigious process.

What an honour to be in the regional finals AND the only Cumbrian venue to make it this far. We have been humbled by the feedback we received via the Wedding Industry Awards & you can find all of this on our Weddings website. We’d love to share a few comments here on people’s experience & why they booked Winder Hall:

“Everything was just perfect. The grounds were lovely the house was great. The food was awesome. So much so I had a bit of everything. The hog roast in the evening was unbelievable all my friends still talk about it now. Nothing was too much trouble it was just the perfect day. Highly recommend.”

“Nick, Kate and the team at Winder have a very personable approach. From first to last contact our day felt like it was tailored to us. We had a very strong ‘buy local’ ethic to uphold and Nick is passionate about local produce. Our guests all felt at home at Winder and NOTHING was too much trouble.”

To see all the feedback please take a look at our page on the awards, and if you would like to have a chat with us please do call Heli or Toni on 01900 85107 or click here to receive more information on our weddings.

Thank you to everyone who voted for us, and we can’t wait to host more wonderful weddings in 2013! We’re getting pretty busy, with lots of romantic & intimate celebrations as well as a big marquee wedding in April. Not forgetting all the outside catering we do at other venues – busy year ahead! Now, to planning a fabulous Valentine’s break