We've just returned from a few days in the Lake District so apologies for lack of comments on your blogs - I am slowly catching up with your posts.
We left home mid-morning last Saturday and here
is Timothy on his first trip to the Lake District.
Normally on a good run we can reach RSPB Leighton Moss in two hours and Hawkshead in the Lake District in about three but the traffic was horrendous thanks to huge chunks of motorway being upgraded to the so-called "smart" motorway so there were a lot of traffic jams as well as traffic at a standstill near Preston where there had been an accident.
The Werthers and Chocolate Eclairs were soon demolished!
It took 3 hours to reach Lancaster services where we ended up stopping for lunch and eating sandwiches in the service station car park :(
I think this is the Ashton Memorial - a folly in Williamson Park near Lancaster.
Nearly there!
These days we always approach the South Eastern Lakes via the lovely Lyth Valley
Limestone country
The autumnal colours were lovely as we drove along.
We usually drive over Cartmel Fell and stop off at Gummers How viewing point where there are stunning views over Windermere. But somehow this time we managed to get lost - I won't tell you the comments that ensued concerning my map reading skills!
Just so you can see the view I have included a few photos from our last visit when I didn't get us lost! Taken with the Olympus dslr e-420.
We finally reached Esthwaite Water at about 3.30 p.m. It had been a long journey!
Esthwaite is the home of Beatrix Potter's Jeremy Fisher. Beatrix Potter for many years lived nearby at Hill Top, Near Sawrey. Esthwaite Water is one of the smaller lakes covering about 280 acres and is located between Windermere and Coniston. William Wordsworth knew the lake well and it is mentioned in several of his poems.
The bad news is that you now have to pay for this particular car park but the good news is that the lake has been used by nesting Ospreys. From research I gather there have been two pairs there on at least one occasion. They have certainly nested there since 2012 and may have been done so before that year as it appears the news was kept secret initially in order to protect the birds.
We lingered for a while although no doubt the Ospreys have now departed for warmer climes and then we drove and had a quick look round the picturesque town of Hawkshead. The car park was jammed full - it was at this stage I really did question the wisdom of visiting half-term week but we did find another car park which was cheaper and had plenty of places! Once upon a time this side of Windermere was relatively quiet.
Hawkshead has flourished since Norse times and belonged to Furness Abbey until the 12th century. It is a market town and many of the buildings date back to the 17th century. William Wordsworth lodged here with Ann Tyson when he attended the Old Grammar School which is well worth a visit. The Beatrix Potter Gallery, now owned by the National Trust with exhibits of Beatrix's illustrations which change yearly, is located in what was once the office of a local solicitor William Heelis who married Beatrix Potter in 1913.
Plants in Walls - I believe this is Maidenhair Spleenwort but please correct me if I am wrong.
This time we were stopping for the third time at Broomriggs an Arts and Craft House located on Colthouse Heights and overlooking Esthwaite Water. It is surrounded by 37 acres of formal, informal gardens and woods which you can explore.
Views from the living room bay window
This room was once the Reading Room of the original gentleman's residence and still contains the original oak panelling around the fireplace.
Views from the Terrace
*D Photos taken by D with the Canon SX50 bridge camera
Rest of photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 apart from the ones of Windermere which were taken in 2010 with the Olympus dslr e-420
19 comments:
The Lake District is a very beautiful area indeed, but of course you don’t need me to tell you that. I am always reluctant to pick favourites of anything, but Wordsworth is certainly in the top echelons of English language poets, and “The Prelude” worthy of study a thousand times. And that is apart from the sheer pleasure one derives from reading it. If the Lake District can stimulate such creative energy we should all breathe more of its air!
David Gascoigne - Thanks so much and I totally agree with everything you say about Wordsworth. I also love the journals of his sister Dorothy. I did a free Futurelearn Course recently on William Wordsworth and learnt a lot from that course as it is a long time since I did "A" level English although from memory we didn't study any Wordsworth at all :(
Forton services. Grade 1 listed brutalism and an icon of my childhood
Beautiful part of the country and captured well in your photos.
Well I totally agreed with David and you on the Wordsworth issue. What a lovely part of the world so sharks for sharing so much of it with us. Have a wonderful weekend.
I am happy that your awful journey led to beautiful views for you. I am very fortunate in having a partner who dislikes motorways as much as I do and usually takes B roads to our destinations.
Wordsworth spent eight years at Grammar school? Crikey, that is a long time!
Have a good weekend, I hope the sun shines on you.
Simon Douglas Thompson - Thanks Simon - I had forgotten the name of the services! I think it may be the one where you can see Blackpool Tower?
Dean Stables - Thanks so much Dean. Very beautiful but sadly very busy people wise!
Margaret Adamson - Thank you Margaret. I have been re-reading some Wordsworth :) Have a good weekend too.
Toffeeapple - Thanks so much - "B" road would have been preferable :)
Hope you have a lovely sun shine filled weekend too :)
What a beautiful area you have visited and your accomodation looks wonderful. It's a shame that the journey to such lovely places means long stretches on motorways. The M6 in particular seems to be difficult and harrasing to drive along, I always feel ill at ease on it. We do try to plan routes away from motorways but sometimes, like when we visited Carlisle and then Dumfries we used it. Last time we were up in that area we visited Wordsworth's childhood home in Cockermouth, The old grammar school and the Beatrix Potter Gallery at Hawkshead sound interesting:)
Rosie - Thanks so much. There something particularly horrendous about the M6 - I spent months putting off the visit to Alderley Edge for that reason :( M5 pretty awful too. The only one I don't mind is the M40 because it is usually fairly quiet.
I've not been to Wordsworth's childhood home in Cockermouth although in the past have been to Dove Cottage and Rydal Mount. The old grammar school is well worth a visit as is the BP Gallery. I do like Hawkshead. I was hoping to go in the church there for the first time this holiday but I was leaving it until our visit on the last day and it was absolutely chucking it down with rain!
You chose a lovely spot for your time away, the photos of the lakes and hills are lovely, a welcomed sight after been on the motorway. I would love to visit the Potter house.
Wonderful set of photos from your first day.
Amanda xx
Amanda Peters - Thanks so much Amanda. Hill Top is absolutely wonderful although sadly always horrendously busy :( You can see so much in the house that is illustrated in her tales. Must have been half a dozen times at least! but not this holiday.
A beautiful place for a holiday (even with the half term crowds!)!
Pam - Thank you. At least at Broomriggs in the grounds it was deserted! :)
Oh, RR, what a wonderful place for a few days of R&R, though I doubt you stayed still for long with so much to see! We were in Hawkshead a few years ago but it's years since I was up in that part of the world at this time of year. The trees and leaves must have been glorious. My ancestors come from the Rydal area.
Caroline Gill - Thanks so much. We used to go the Lake District twice a year but don't go as often these days so it was good to return as I do miss the area especially in the autumn.
That is so interesting about your ancestors coming from the Rydal area. We visited Rydal Water and Grasmere one day so there will be photos! Did they live in the area at the same time as the Wordsworths??
my lot wave at Timothy!!
I've stayed at the Queen's Head!
Timothy looks to be enjoying his adventure! The traffic situation sound like a pain.
One of your photos underneath your words about Hawksworth (the white building) looks familiar to me. Is it just outside Hawksworth?
It is many years since I last stayed in the Lake District but on two of my visits I stayed in Hawkshead.
CherryPie - Thank you - Timothy did enjoy :) The M6 is horrendous at the best of times but the long stretches of roadworks make it even worse :(
The photo you mention is from memory a house just past the primary school (where we parked) on the outskirts walking into the village.
We stopped in Hawkshead once - at The Red Lion. But used to stay mainly in what was then the Far Sawrey Hotel in later years with the children we have stopped there, at Broomriggs and in a cottage in Cunsey.
Pete Duxon - Thanks. Timothy waves back :) Yes I remember you stayed at the Queens Head - I was keen to go there for a meal but it looked absolutely packed!!! Hawkshead is a lovely village.
Post a Comment