I caught the bus to Rheged (and, as I got off four minutes later, wondered why I’d bothered) and walked to Dalemain House. A pele tower and Georgian house in one, so it was interesting to pass from one era to another on the guided tour of the house. (But, my goodness, it was cold inside!) We moved backwards in time, from Chinese rooms and symmetry to a Tudor plasterwork ceiling, and finally the hall with an enormous fireplace. The last buyer of the house was Edward Hasell in 1679; he was a former steward to the ubiquitous Lady Anne Clifford.

I walked back – snubbing the bus – past Rheged, once the quarry that had supplied some of the stone for Dalemain.