11hr Blaze Closes Lakes Tourist Town

The Lake District is renowned for the sheer sublime beauty of it's National Park, and has been inscribed in the literary and art history of Britain by notables such as William Wordsworth, John Ruskin, George Romney and not forgetting Beatrix Potter and Arthur Ransom, and the Lake District's own quirky lonely fell walker himself, A.W.Wainwright. The passion that these Lake District prodigies conveyed in their work leaves you in no doubt that the Lake District is a spiritual place. What a retreat for Wainwright from that Blackburn Town Hall. The Lake District National Park has it all, beautiful lakes, sweeping fells and mountains, and panoramas that stir the soul indeed.

A FIRE burned for 11 hours at a Lakes tourist spot yesterday.

The blaze, which broke out at midday at Field and Trek outdoor shop at Market Cross in Ambleside, was finally put out by firefighters at 10.50pm last night.

The town centre was cordoned off to traffic yesterday afternoon. The south bound carriageway of Compston Road reopened yesterday at around 4.30pm. The northbound lane was still closed this morning.

A spokesman from Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service said the blaze at the three-storey building was brought under control at around 2.43pm yesterday.

Around 20 firefighters from five crews were called out to tackle the blaze. Two crews attended from Ambleside, two from Windermere and an aerial platform was sent from Barrow.

Thermal imagining equipment was used as well as breathing apparatus and six hose reels.

Market Cross Development Blaze Market Cross Development Blaze of Field and Trek store