Travelling the Lakes in comfort ….. a century ago

You might be forgiven for passing over this tired looking picture of the Bridge House, Ambleside which according to one source “is possibly the most photographed building in the Lake District, and a popular subject for many artists including Turner.”*

Bridge House, circa 1920s

So, it is not surprising that it found its way into our Dad’s collection of Lakeland locations.

What make it a little different is that it must be coming up for its 100th birthday, or at the very least its 90th.

Dad and passengers, circa 1920s-30s

Dad was a coach driver who from the early 1920s was working for Glenton Tours of New Cross in southeast London.

They specialized in coach trips across Britain and by the 1930s to the Continent.

The tours lasted for seven days and offered a wealth of historic as well as beauty spots with full board in first class hotels.

And dad’s job was to drive the coach, give a commentary along the way, and ensure the passengers had all they needed.

Leaving the “guests" to get to the pickup point in New Cross or Central London and then sit back and enjoy the holiday.

It isn’t my choice but then cheap air travel and the internet have made all those places very accessible.

Back then they provided a luxury holiday utilizing the motor coach which was itself at the start of its long history.

Bridge House, 2022

Leaving me just to add that Bridge House is “tiny building, originally an apple store for nearby Ambleside Hall, was built over Stock Beck to escape land tax. 

Once five mills were driven by the power of Stock Beck and some may still be seen nearby. 

It is said that at some time a family with six children lived here in the two rooms.

In 1926 it was purchased by a group of local people who passed it into the care of the National Trust, which 20 years later they turned into their first information and recruitment centre. 

You can now visit without charge to see the 2 sparsely furnished rooms”.*

Location ; Bridge House, Ambleside

Pictures; Bridge House, Ambleside, circa mid 1920s into the 1930s, from the collection of the Simpson family, in 2022 courtesy of Google Maps

*Visit Cumbria, https://www.visitcumbria.com/amb/bridge-house/