Of course travel writing is not limited to far flung and glamorous locations as we are spoilt for choice for lovely places to visit in the UK. As journalists one of the perks of the job is that we are offered free trips by tourism PR firms to help promote what they have to offer. So when I was offered a weekend break in the Lake District by a mate who was now working to promote Cumbrian tourism I grabbed the chance to return to the area where I started out on my journalism career. However, part of the deal is that you get some publicity in return for the hospitality – slight snag was that the paper where I was working did not have a travel page so I had to call in a couple of favours and get it published elsewhere (in fairness The Yorkshire Post was in our group). I have to admit that when I was on the quad bike I did experience an “Ozzy moment” as I fell backwards off the vehicle only to look up, flat on my back, fully expecting for it to come crashing back down to earth and crush me. It was a lucky escape to say the least. Here are two versions of the same trip...

I HAVE found the perfect way to clear the Sunday morning cobwebs which result from Saturday night’s over-indulgence – clay pigeon shooting.

There is something about carrying a lethal weapon which totally focuses your senses, and brings certain clarity to your mind.

Having said that I was not the best shot, but as the third clay sailed through the air I set my sights on it, followed its arc, and gently squeezed the trigger. The target splintered into hundreds of shards that were sent in every possible direction. It felt good.

I had decided to try the activity as part of a short weekend break, out-of-season, in the Lake District – an ideal location for most outdoor activities.

Most people think of traditional outdoor pursuits, such as fell walking, climbing and canoeing, but Bigland Outdoor offered those with a more country sport flavour.

It is located on the Cartmel Peninsula, between the market town of Ulverston and Grange-over-Sands, on the scenic Bigland Estate.

As well as clay pigeon shooting I could try archery, target shooting, fishing, pony trekking, quad trekking and even 4×4 off roading.

Target shooting was similar to the clay pigeon shooting but used .22 ammunition and no need for earplugs. I even managed to keep my shots nicely grouped.

Archery seemed as though it would be a doddle; I mean Robin Hood made it seem really easy on Saturday nights, so I grabbed the bow with self-confidence.

I smoothly drew the bowstring back and released my first arrow – only to see it land nose down in the turf about 20 feet in front of me.

There is more to the noble art than first meets the eye and I had made the common mistake of not pulling the string back far enough. Anyway, perseverance paid off and I was soon managing to hit the target. I can see why there used to be a law which ordered men to practise the longbow every Sunday.

I don’t suppose the French are as great a threat these days.

The highlight of the day was quad trekking, along the route of a former Land Rover test track.

It’s a great feeling to go bumping along across terrain I thought impossible to cross and these sturdy machines were able to climb hills that seemed almost vertical.

By this time I had worked up quite an appetite, and the Lake District is full of nice little country pubs, so I decided to retreat to nearby Cartmel for Sunday lunch and rest my weary bones.

At the King’s Arms I found a roaring fire and adventurously opted for roast beef, which really hit the spot, before exploring the rest of the village.

Years ago I worked in Barrow-in-Furness, on the edge of the Lake District and when I got the chance to stay at Fallbarrow, on the shore of Windermere, I jumped at the possibility of a return to the area.

The site is owned by South Lakeland Parks and after leaving work on the Friday night I landed very late in Bowness. Nevertheless someone was still on hand to sign me in.

Despite being a static caravan the accommodation was as good as any hotel.

Once I was inside it seemed a lot more substantial, with all mod cons. Complete with a fully equipped kitchen, compact bathroom and three bedrooms.

Of course, if you wanted to splash out, a pine lodge would be a suitable upgrade or alternatively the site offers camping facilities as well.

The site is very secluded and peaceful – just what the doctor ordered when you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of modern urban living. The lake is just a couple of minutes walk, but you can wander around for a lot longer.

Fallbarrow could not be more central to Bowness, situated virtually in the middle of the resort, and is only a short walk to the town centre.

But be warned it is a tourist mecca, in common with all of the larger places in the Lake District, such as Keswick. But this is another advantage of an out-of-season visit – there are fewer visitors.

I ventured into town and it was good to stroll along the shore and watch the pleasure cruises leaving the jetty to chug up and down Windermere.

A visit to the Angel Inn is definitely recommended for the view alone. It is worth the short walk, half way up Quarry Brow, and to the right. It has a great beer garden which overlooks the lake and surrounding hills.

For a more traditional hostelry you could visit the Hole Int’ Wall. It is the oldest pub in Bowness, built in 1612, and has open fires and wooden beams. It often has live music on Fridays and also does a nice range of bar meals.

The Lake District and Cumbria has a lot to offer and I feel I only scratched the surface. I definitely experienced a weekend of contrasts and I will definitely be making a return visit.

From the Scunthorpe Telegraph on Saturday, January 26, 2008.

Colour and contrast

LAKE DISTRICT: on a spring weekend in Cumbria IAN DUNCAN got some of the area’s outdoor activities in his sights.

YEARS ago, I worked in Barrow-in-Furness, on the edge of the Lake District, but never really got the chance to explore the area because I did not have a car.

When I got the chance to stay at Fallbarrow on the shore of Windermere I jumped at the possibility of a return to the area.

The site is owned by South Lakeland Parks and after leaving work on the Friday night I landed very late in Bowness. Nevertheless someone was still on hand to sign me in.

Despite being a static caravan the accommodation was as good as any hotel. Once I was inside it seemed a lot more substantial with all mod cons.

Complete with a fully equipped kitchen, compact bathroom and three bedrooms.

Of course, if you wanted to splash out, a pine lodge would be a suitable upgrade or alternatively the site offers camping facilities as well.

The site is very secluded and peaceful – just what the doctor ordered when you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of modern urban living.

The lake is just a couple of minutes walk, but you can wander around for a lot longer.

Fallbarrow could not be more central to Bowness, situated virtually in the middle of the resort and is only a short walk to the town centre. Be warned, it is a tourist mecca, in common with all of the larger places in the Lake District such as Keswick. But this is another advantage of an out of season visit – there are fewer visitors.

I decided to venture forth into town and have a wander during a rather lazy Saturday. It was good to stroll along the shore and watch the pleasure cruises leaving the jetty to chug up and down Windermere.

I was surprised to see so many sea birds, so far inland, but I suppose the marine scavengers get everywhere these days.

They were happily fighting against the ducks and the swans for food left by visitors.

Inside the pub is surprisingly contemporary – I was expecting a dark interior with lots of regulars who synchronised their silence as soon as a stranger entered. But instead there was a warm welcome, muted décor and rugby on the TV.

For a more traditional hostelry you could visit the Hole Int’ Wall. It is the oldest pub in Bowness was built in 1612 and has open fires and wooden beams.

It often has live music on Fridays and also does a nice range of bar meals.

Clay pigeon shooting turned out to be the perfect way to clear the Sunday morning cobwebs after Saturday night’s over-indulgence.

There is something about carrying a lethal weapon, which focuses your senses and brings certain clarity to the mind.

I was not the best shot, but as the third clay sailed through the air I gently squeezed the trigger and the target splintered into hundreds of shards that were sent in every direction. It felt good.

This was part of a short weekend break in the Lake District – an ideal location for most outdoor activities. Most people think of traditional outdoor pursuits, such as fell walking, climbing and canoeing, but Bigland Outdoor offered those with a more country sport flavour.

It is on the Cartmel Peninsula, between the market town of Ulverston and Grange-over-Sands, on the scenic Bigland Estate. As well as clay pigeon shooting there’s archery, target shooting, fishing, pony trekking, quad trekking and even 4×4 off roading.

Target shooting was similar to the clay pigeon shooting but used .22 ammunition and no need for earplugs.

Archery seemed as though it would be a doddle, that rather foppish Robin Hood made it seem really easy on Saturday nights. But there is more to the noble art than first meets the eye and the common mistake is not to pull the string back far enough.

The highlight of the day was quad trekking along the route of a former Land Rover test track. It is a great feeling to go bumping along across terrain apparently impossible to cross and these sturdy machines were able to climb hills that seemed almost vertical.

About halfway around the route the view was well worth the trek and, provided it was a clear day, you can see for miles around South Lakeland.

I am not sure what the pack of ramblers thought about us tearing across the fells, with our revving machines shattering the silence, but they smiled pleasantly as we roared past their rest stop.

If by now you have worked up an appetite, the Lake District is full of nice little country pubs.

At the King’s Arms in Cartmel, well timed for Sunday lunch, was a roaring fire. The roast beef really hit the spot and provided the energy to go exploring in the rest of the village.

It is full of curious side streets with interesting little bookstores and antique shops. There’s also the Village Shop where they have “famous” sticky toffee pudding.

After a weekend of contrasts I had to reluctantly amble back to Scarborough via a roundabout route. After a brief stop in Ambleside I ended up in Grasmere, home of William Wordsworth, and everywhere you looked there were daffodils and a small tourist industry has inevitably built up.

You can call in at the Wordsworth Daffodil Garden; visit the Wordsworth family graves and Dove Cottage – the poet’s family home. It was another nice village to wander around – even as lonely as a cloud.

The Lake District and Cumbria has a lot to offer and I only scratched the surface. I experienced a weekend of contrasts and I will definitely be making a return visit.

From the Yorkshire Post Magazine on Saturday, April 12, 2008.