Historic Lancaster Bomber flypast at Brockhole, Windermere

Built in the late 1890s by wealthy Manchester silk merchant William Henry Gaddum and designed by architect Dan Gibson, Brockhole is set in 30 acres of terraced gardens between Ambleside and Windermere.

Local landscape gardener Thomas Mawson laid out the five acres of formal gardens, landscaping the remaining 25 acres to provide spectacular views of the lake and fells.  

The grounds stretch down to the shore of Windermere, with panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.

Beatrix Potter, a cousin of Mrs Gaddum, paid regular visits to the house.

The National Park Visitor Centre has been at Brockhole since 1969. Visitors can now enjoy a range of watersports, mini golf and cycle hire amongst many other activities. The most recent attraction to open is The Treetop Trek, a climbing experience for those with a head for heights culminating in a thrilling descent on a zip wire.

On Sunday 7th September 2014, Brockhole hosted a wartime event inspired by Britain's last surviving Bomber Command veteran, Archie Johnstone. Archie, who died in April aged 99, lived in the Lake District for most of his life and was a constable in Windermere before being called up to bomber command. The navigator and bomb aimer trained in South Africa before joining the Dambusters' legendary 617 squadron which destroyed the feared Tirpitz battleship in a daring raid over Norwegian fjords in 1944.

Entertainment on the day included a 1940s re-enactment group, music from the Staffordshire Wing Band, archive films, displays of wartime memorabilia, a traditional coconut shy and children's activity sessions.

 

Visitors enjoyed a Poppy Picnic on the lawns in front of the house with funds being raised for the Royal British Legion.

 

Hundreds of eager spectators waited for the arrival of the planes. Some took their picnic onto the water, others rowed or sailed enjoying the glorious weather.

 Some simply snoozed the afternoon away, oblivious to everything!

The highlight of the event was the dramatic fly-past of the only two remaining airborne Lancaster Bombers in the world, organised by Archie's son Robert Johnstone, to mark the 100th birthday of his late father.
 One of the planes, known as Vera, had flown to the UK from Hamilton Ontario, Canada to take part in the Lancaster Bomber 2014 UK tour, along with the second, PA474, which is based at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire.

Finally, at precisely 14.46 p.m., the planes appeared around the headland...

Lancaster PA474

Avro Lancaster Mk. X - Vera

The crowd clapped and cheered as the planes roared overhead. A thrilling sight and sound and a sobering reminder of the bravery of Archie Johnstone and his peers, many of whom did not survive the war. The average age of these volunteer airmen was 22.  Fewer than 1 in 4 completed their first tour of 30 operations, a debt that we can never repay and that should never be forgotten.

Read a tribute to Archie Johnstone here... 
More info about the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flights here...  PA474 here... 
and Vera here...
More info about Brockhole here...

Thanks for visiting, hope you've enjoyed the photos. 

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