Discover Cumbria

If you don't own a sports GPS and have an iPhone you may find the Memory Map iPhone app interesting. it turns your iPhone into a fully featured GPS unit with 1:50000 maps of the UK.

OK I am certainly not suggesting this as an alternative to a map, you must always carry one inthe fells. nor is an iPhone equivelant to a rugged GPS unit .

Set in a converted barn with some seating on the ground floor for disabled access. The main cafe upstairs is set in a superb converted barn.

Good home made cakes, flapjacks and scones served in a bright warm atmosphere with waitress service. High chairs are available. Full range of fresh sandwiches and light lunches.

If you have kids this cafe should be a hit. There is a superb little play area which is gated plus high chairs available. Simple bar menu and not too far out of town. More child friendly than the Warehouse Film Cafe. There is a baby change in the adjacent ladies toilets.

A wildly different cafe experience to the average Cumbrian tea shop. Moody low lighting, oversized leather armchairs and ornate baroque sofas. Expect a relaxing time with groovy music and ever so good coffee. A real find, the perfect escape from the hubub of Kendals high street. Highly recomended.

If you have kids, the intro cafe in the main brewery buildings is far more suitable.

The new National Trust iPhone app is available for FREE on the Apple App Store now.

This great app means you can leave behind your tatty National Trust guide, travel light and enjoy the well implimented location aware searches. Either browse, search or let the app know where you are and it will plot all the nearby trust properties.

photograph: 

The Lake District has now been included on Google Street View. This means you can see 360 panoramic views of many streets in the region including

With plenty of snow having fallen on old icy snow the risk of Avalanche runs high in Scotland and as we have warned already, Cumbria too. I discovered via Twitter that indeed there has been at least one incident in the last week.

This web site is built on Drupal CMS, Chris Maiden aka Matason is trying to reach as many Drupal developers as he can to help rebuild the Langdale / Ambleside Mountain Rescue Teams website on the weekend of the 15th - 17th Jan.

The rescue team is one of the busiest in the UK. If you have any Drupal skills and are available please find more details on the Drupal UK Web site

Stewart Smith is gaining quite a following over on twitter ( @stewyphoto ) and for good reason. His photos are jaw droppingly good. Check them out at Twitpic.com to see what you are missing!

If you are travelling to or in Cumbria during the next few weeks please be sure to consult Cumbria County Councils Road Closures page which is regularly updated. It is the most reliable source of recent information available.