A FURNESS grandmother made an emotional return to a cottage at Grizedale Forest - 78 years after her last visit.

Margaret Gabriel had not stayed at Low Bowkerstead since 1940, when she and her sister took shelter there after a German bomb damaged their Barrow home.

The picturesque, 17th century whitewashed property has recently been renovated as a holiday let by the Forestry Commission, and Mrs Gabriel was its surprise first guest.

Her granddaughter Emma Bird, who also lives in Barrow, said she "couldn't believe it" when she saw Low Bowkerstead Cottage advertised on Facebook just as she was struggling with ideas for her grandma’s 90th birthday.

She booked it immediately and kept it secret from Mrs Gabriel, who burst into tears as the family pulled up to Low Bowkerstead.

“Grandma often talks very fondly of her time at Low Bowkerstead Cottage and has an oil painting of the cottage on her wall at home, which is why I recognised it when it popped up on Facebook!" said Emma.

"When Grandma arrived at the cottage, she had a good look around and spent the afternoon reminiscing about her time there. We heard stories of pigs in the barn and hens in the orchard, about her time at Satterthwaite School, and about how the cottage had changed since she was last there. "Overall she had a wonderful time – bringing back memories and reliving her history with us all."

The young Margaret and her family were in an air raid shelter at their Barrow home when a German bomb dropped in 1940.

Margaret and her younger sister, Edna, were taken to their aunt and uncle, Maggie and Bill Wilson, in Satterthwaite, for safety. Their mother packed a suitcase and they caught the train to Ulverston, a bus to Newby Bridge, then set off walking to Satterthwaite.

Uncle Bill worked as a woodsman and charcoal burner at Grizedale Forest. He and Auntie Maggie rented their home from the Forestry Commission.

The girls enrolled at Satterthwaite School and spent their spare time playing in the forest. Mrs Gabriel still speaks fondly of playing 'shop' with the hens and selling them worms.

She returned to Barrow when she left school at 14 and started work, but still visited at weekends. Edna stayed until she was ready to start secondary school. The sisters went back to Satterthwaite when the village school closed in 2006.

Margaret turned 90 on January 3 this year. Her dearly loved sister, Edna, was poorly in late 2017 and sadly lost her battle to cancer on November 26.

When granddaughter Emma saw Low Bowkerstead opening on Facebook, the family sprang into action. Mrs Gabriel was taken on a surprise trip to Satterthwaite for afternoon tea in the cottage, with "a few tears, lots of reminiscing and new memories made".

Grizedale Forest's recreation and business manager Dave Lowe said: "We are just so happy that through welcoming guests to stay in our on-site cottage, special moments have been created in a very special place.”