Hobbidays in Cumbria!

One of the hottest travel trends in 2024 has been the ‘hobbiday’. No longer content with just lounging on a beach reading the latest bestseller, travellers are now thirsty for sipping up meaningful experiences, not just cocktails by a poolside bar. More and more visitors to the UK are seeking to recapture the joy of actively doing something as a new form of wellness, learning something new or discovering a new creative you. Three of our Cumbrian Blue Badge Guides, had a hobbiday of their own last month at Cumbria Crystal …

If the weather has not been perfect for growing pumpkins in your part of the country this year, then the next best thing might just be to make one, which is exactly what we three Cumbria Blue Badge Guides did at Cumbria Crystal.

Nestled in the south west of the county on the outskirts of the pretty market town of Ulverston, Cumbria Crystal was founded in 1976 by Lord & Lady Cavendish from Holker Hall. The company is one of the very few remaining businesses that still produces lead crystal in the traditional handmade way.

So, what, we hear you ask, is the difference between glass and lead crystal, which does sound potentially rather alarming. By adding lead oxide to glass, it increases the weight of the glass and makes it denser than normal which means that it refracts more light than ordinary glass so makes it more sparkly; it reduces the melting temperature and as the glass is thicker than normal, intricate hand cut designs can be added with less chance of the item breaking. Lead crystal also has a lovely “ring” to it when struck. Lead oxide bonds chemically to the glass during heating so is completely safe to be used in the production of fine drinking glasses.

Anyway, back to the pumpkin making. We arrived at Cumbria Crystal and after a brief safety chat, and wearing appropriate safety glasses, we were taken into the workshop. Quite a small area from where wonderful wine glasses, decanters and just about every other type of glass you can think of is carefully made by the skilled artisans working with this amazing material. Our tutor, Georgia gave us a quick demonstration of what making a pumpkin involved and then we were off!

Sharon, Konomi & Alison making their own glass pumpkins at Cumbria Crystal 

First was the difficult choice of what colour you want your pumpkin to be – a range of ground glass fragments are available. We all opted for the mainly traditional colour of orange although Sharon had a few darker, almost purple, highlights in hers and Konomi had some pops of yellow through her mix. Mine also had a few slightly more opaque wisps in it by the time it was finished.

On to the heating, rolling, blowing and shaping; all of which is quite extraordinary when you consider what you are actually dealing with – molten glass at temperatures in excess of 1000oC. We each had quality time with our tutor and once the pumpkins were completed, the next major decision was the colour and size of stalk! With these choices duly made, each of the newly created pumpkins was put to cool – we would have to wait almost a week before we could see the finished pieces.

Collection day dawned and it was almost like Christmas, being given the box to open to reveal our handiwork. Needless to say, three very pleased Blue Badge Guides, who had thoroughly enjoyed the experience offered by Cumbria Crystal. Other opportunities to make something special include festive baubles or small bud vases – hobbiday souvenirs from Cumbria, unique to you!

Cumbria Crystal on set with Daniel Craig and the late Dame Maggie Smith in Downton Abbey

Eagle-eyed screen watchers will perhaps notice that Cumbria Crystal glasses feature on screen. Downtown Abbey featured Cumbria Crystal glasses on dining tables and cocktail parties in the series, and Daniel Craig has been seen downing an beverage or two in fine glasswear made here. Also, if you get an invite to attend one of the British Embassies or Residencies around the world, you’ll find Cumbria Crystal glasswear used for formal dinners and state occasions.

As we visited Cumbria Glass around Halloween, we should make some reference to the link between pumpkins and All Hallows’ Eve, which goes back in the mists of time but is perhaps most linked to the old Celtic/Gaelic festival of Samhain, marking the end of the harvest and the start of the “darker half “of the year. It was also a time when spirits from a past life might return to mingle with the living, possibly to make mischief. To guard against such spirits, lanterns were carved from vegetables such as turnips and potatoes. With the migration of Irish people to America, they discovered pumpkins, which were much easier to carve than the native turnips found in Ireland, so the link between Halloween and pumpkins was born and continues to this day here and across the pond.

About the Authors

Alison Shaw,  Konomi Nagashima and Sharon Arrowsmith are local Blue Badge Guides who create memorable experiences for visitors to the oustandingly beautiful English Lake District, Cumbria. Meet Alison, Konomi and Sharon and book them for your next Cumbrian experience adventure!