WATERMILLOCK - Mrs. Pritt, Rampsbeck, Watermillock, who had often been a benefactor of public institutions in Penrith, forwarded a cheque for £1,000 to Mr. R. B. Neville, treasurer of the Cottage Hospital, the money to be invested and the income to go towards supporting the hospital.

June 1901

WATERMILLOCK - John Richardson and Son, joiners and contractors, Penrith, had their tender accepted for the building of a new lodge on the Leeming Estate, Ullswater. The contract price was a very substantial sum.

July 1901

ULLSWATER - The sheep-clipping took place at Gowbarrow Hall, Ullswater, when fell sheep were collected from their runs on Gowbarrow Fell, Dockray Common and "beneath the dark brow of the mighty Helvellyn" and divested of their fleeces. A gathering of about 70, including the clippers, were entertained by Mr. and Mrs. Swinburn, and the evening was happily spent in toast and song, Mr. James Donaldson presiding, with Dr. Jackson, Greystoke, in the vice-chair.

August 1901

WATERMILLOCK - Trooper W. Mounsey was presented with a handsome gold English lever watch by the people of Watermillock. The watch, which was supplied by Mr. J. Simpson Yeates, Penrith, was inscribed, "Presented to Trooper W. Mounsey by his friends at Watermillock on his return from the war in South Africa, 1900-1901". Mr. T. Watson, The Knotts, and Mr. Wilson Harrington, Watermillock, were the joint secretaries of the fund, which was largely and spontaneously supported.

October 1901

AIRA FORCE - A new footbridge to give access to Aira Force, Ullswater, was being discussed. Estimates were in the hands of Mr. Howard, of Greystoke, by whose goodwill the public were allowed to visit the falls.

January 1902

GREYSTOKE - The Rev. Edmund Adam Askew, the rector of Greystoke, who died at the age of 52, came of an illustrious line of ancestors. On his mother's side, he was descended from the Percys, Dukes of Northumberland, while on his father's side he was descended from Sir Hugh Askew, an officer in the court of Henry VIII. In 1875, he was presented to the family living of Greystoke, which carried with it the patronage of three other livings, Watermillock, Patterdale and Mungrisdale.

October 1902

WATERMILLOCK - A young married man, Robert Henry McCrone, only son of Mr. T. McCrone, Lowthwaite, Watermillock, was killed in a gravel pit near Carnforth [Lancashire] railway station when several tons of gravel and stones fell on him. He worked for the London and North-Western Railway Company.

January 1903

PENRITH - An exhibition of paintings, the work of pupils of Mr. E. G. Hobley, the Penrith artist, was opened at the Technical School, Castlegate. Among those who contributed paintings were Mrs. Hasell, Dalemain; the Misses Birkett, Penrith; M. P. and C. F. H. Brooksbank, Barco Hill; A. Burras, Penrith; M. Bush, Beauthorn; M. Burton, Cliburn; L. Cotter, Penrith; F. E. Edmondson, Watermillock; M. G. Glendinning, Penrith; J. Graham, The Limes; D. and E. Hasell, Dalemain; L. D. Hodgson, Winton; E. Hudson, Barco; A. Ingledew, The Limes; C. A. Lester, Eunice Kidd, B. and C. Little, Penrith; C. Markham, Morland; O. Monnington, Penrith; A. Parker, Carleton Hill; C. Pattinson, Keswick; D. Thornborrow, Penrith; and Thompson, Moresdale Hall, and Messrs. A. A. Marriner and C. Varty-Smith, Penrith.

July 1903

ULCATROW - The [Wesleyan] chapel at Ulcatrow, which served Matterdale and Watermillock, was crowded on the occasion of the 54th anniversary. There was tea for the scholars, followed by the public, the tables being presided over by Mesdames Stout, Thompson, Jackson (Park Gate) and Jackson (Ulcatrow) and Miss M. M. Thompson. The feature was recitations and dialogues of the scholars.

August 1903

WATERMILLOCK  One of Cumberland County Council's steam rollers had a mishap while engaged in macadamising the Pooley Bridge to Patterdale road, near Gowbarrow. A large conduit fell in and the wheels of the roller were sunk in the hole to a considerable depth. Experts from Messrs. Stalker, Penrith, were called to release the ponderous machine by means of hydraulic power.

November 1903

WATERMILLOCK - Mr. and Mrs. John Stamper, Bennet Head, Watermillock, celebrated their golden wedding, having been married at Greystoke parish church in November, 1853. Churchwardens Smith and Beattie canvassed the parish so successfully that the couple were presented with a purse of gold worth £10 3s 6d.

January 1904

WATERMILLOCK - At the new reading room in Watermillock a whist match was played between twelve members of the new room and twelve members of the old room, the former winning.

ULCATROW - Timber carting was alleged to have caused serious damage to the road from Bald Howe to Ulcatrow, near Dockray, Matterdale [but in the parish of Watermillock  - "Jake"]. A contractor from Natland, Kendal, admitted doing the damage and offered to contribute towards the cost of the repair. The chairman of Penrith Rural Council, Mr. J. C. Toppin, said the repair would take from 1,000 to 1,500 yards of metal and would be a costly business.

ULLSWATER - A joint meet of the Ullswater and Blencathra foxhounds took place at Gowbarrow Hall, the respective masters being Mr. J. E. Hasell and Mr. J. W. Lowther, MP. Between 300 and 400 attended and foxes were numerous, prompting keen followers to comment: "Theer's ower many fwok an' ower many foxes, and t'hunt 'll be just spoiled." Later, however, two foxes were brought down and the joint meet was considered a great success.

May 1904

DACRE & WATERMILLOCK - Mr. J. W. Mounsey, Mounsey Bank, Dacre, who died, was a considerable landowner and a yeoman farmer. He owned property at Dacre and Watermillock, and was a trustee of National Schools, in both villages.

August 1904

ULLSWATER - Cumberland County Council, advised by their enterprising surveyor, Mr. J. Bell, were making splendid improvements by the side of Ullswater. With a stone breaker at work at Hugh's Crag, ten horses and carts were carrying stone to the road, 11/2 miles of which were being thickly metalled.

November 1904

Great Mell Fell - The Keswick Volunteers held their Martinmas prize shooting on the Troutbeck range, under the shadow of Great Mellfell. The sum of £2 10s was given for competition by the officers and some excellent shooting was observed. A handsome medallion, given by Mrs. Rintoul, whose father, the late Captain Teather, was the first officer of the company, was shot for and Private J. E. Wilson, one of the Volunteers who served in South Africa, had the distinction of being the first winner. Tea was partaken of at the Troutbeck Hotel in an atmosphere of conviviality.

June 1905

WATERMILLOCK - The annual picnic of the combined boys' and girls' school took place in ideal weather at Watermillock. W. Chapplow won the open wrestling and J. Stamper the fell race. In addition to packets of sweets and the scattering of nuts, each child not winning a prize was given a present. Music for dancing was played by Jas. Pickthall, J. Wilson and E. Mounsey.

July 1906

ULLSWATER SHEEP SHEARING - Excellent weather favoured the annual sheep shearing at Gowbarrow Hall, Ullswater, when a good number of willing helpers aided Mr. Swinburn with the clipping. The work was finished by 6 o’clock and a pleasant social evening was held under the chairmanship of Dr. Jackson.

August 1906

Acquisition of Gowbarrow Fell and Aira Force, the Ullswater beauty spot, by the National Trust.  “To those who saw Lakeland for the first time, Ullswater must have come as a foretaste of Paradise,” wrote Tom Sarginson (“Silverpen”), of the Herald, in reporting the opening of Gowbarrow as an area for recreation and enjoyment.  Among the prime movers were Canon Hardwick Rawnsley and Miss Octavia Hill, described as “mainstays” of the National Trust.  Canon Rawnsley, a truly heroic figure in the history of conservation of natural beauty, told a good story about the start of fund-raising in order to buy the Ullswaterside land “for the nation”.  In a speech, he claimed the first contribution was made by a little boy in Glasgow, who said: “Canon Rawnsley, I have only a threepenny bit. I should like to give it for Gowbarrow.”  The fund rose from threepence to £12,800, all subscribed by public donation, and the land was bought.  At a big ceremony in August, 1906, the Speaker of the House of Commons (J. W. Lowther) opened the newly-acquired land and dedicated it “in perpetuity for the use of the nation as an open space for recreation and enjoyment”.  It was obviously a proud day for Rawnsley, the Keswick-based clergyman and commentator, described in the Herald account in 1906 as “the poet and apostle of the Lake District”.  Gowbarrow gave the National Trust its first big land holding in northern Lakeland, a pioneering move which this newspaper saw as so history-making that the report extended over four closely-set columns on the front page.

July 1906

At the annual meeting of Penrith Liberal Club, the secretary, Mr. M. Relph, reported that the club was flourishing, with a membership of 360.   Mr. Franklin Thomasson, Liberal MP for Leicester, who had a holiday residence at Hallsteads, Ullswater, was elected president, to succeed Mr. James Morton.