The Dogs Home



The Dogs Home is where Nancy and Peggy decide to have the D's move to while the Great Aunt is unexpectedly coming to visit in The Picts and the Martyrs, so they can keep the D's presence a secret and the Great Aunt from blaming their mother for allowing guests to stay while she is away. The actual building stands beside a path leading into Grizedale Forest, to the north of The Heald, Ransome's home from 1940-1945 on the east side of Consiton Water, and where he lived while writing The Picts and the Martyrs

The Dogs Home is easy to visit, but it finally became unsafe enough that the authorities had to close it off. Due to the efforts of Rob Boden and others in the Lake District, funds were found to refurbish it in 2014 and make it once again safe to visit by Ransome fanciers.

Rob wrote an article on the restoration which was originally published in Furthest South, the Journal of the Arthur Ransome Society in Australia and New Zealand, in late 2016. Furthest South has given All Things Ransome permission to publish this article, which may be found at Furthest South Dogs Home Article.

Rob subsequently updated his article for All Things Ransome; it may be found at Dogs Home Restoration.

Click on any thumbnail image for a full-sized image.


The Dog's Home sometime before 1996. ©Heidi Elks.
The Dog's Home sometime later. ©Roger Wardale.
Young explorers reach The Dog's Home. ©Roger Wardale.
Interior of The Dog's Home. ©Roger Wardale.
The Dog's Home before it was closed off as unsafe. ©Mike Field.
The Dog's Home, closed off prior to restoration. ©Richard Knisely-Marpole.
The Dog's Home, closed off prior to restoration. ©Richard Knisely-Marpole.
The Dog's Home, closed off prior to restoration. ©Richard Knisely-Marpole.
The Dog's Home, closed off prior to restoration. ©Richard Knisely-Marpole.
Roof tiles falling away prior to restoration. ©Rob Boden.
Where FCC might have done some work before. ©Rob Boden.
Various styles of stone. ©Rob Boden.
During restoration. ©Rob Boden.
During restoration. ©Rob Boden.
During restoration. ©Rob Boden.
During restoration. ©Rob Boden.
The Dog's Home after restoration, in June 2014. ©Rob Boden.
All images are copyright by their contributors and posted on All Things Ransome with permission.


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