Conishead Priory

About half an hour from us is Conishead Priory, near Ulverston - not a ruined medieval building but a 19th century Gothic revival country house.

Conishead is uniquely relaxing and a superb antidote to a difficult week. On Saturday we were in the area and thought some time at Conishead would hit the spot. The house has a lovely café - the World Peace Café - overlooking the lawns with plenty of outside seating in the summer and the vegetarian menu suits us well.

Wandering round the grounds is relaxing, especially a long walk in the woods which include glimpses of the original, long gone, priory buildings. And a few minutes through the woods brings you to the shore of Morecambe Bay and a stunning beach.

But perhaps the most surprising thing about Conishead is that its main purpose today is as the Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre, home to a community of Buddhist monks promoting and practising meditation. This includes a large temple which was built in the grounds a few years ago and which attracts worshippers from near and far. The temple can be seen in the right of the aerial photo.

Regardless of your spritual beliefs, Conishead is certainly a lovely place to spend a couple of hours at the end of a hectic week and helps with the necessary unwinding from modern life.