Our last 3 days in Cumbria we stayed in Keswick at Howe Keld, an old and well preserved B&B. Again we were so fortunate to have spectacular weather for our entire stay. When we checked in at Howe Keld Val, one of the owners said we must have used Rick Steves packing list based on the amount of luggage we brought.
By comparison to Hawkshead Keswick is considerable large and surrounded by beautiful parks.
Hike in the Borrowdale Valley.
These ferns (bracken) were everywhere.
Stopped at the Flock In for tea.
From Borrowdale we hiked to Castle Craig, an old slate mine and a stunning view at the peak.
Borrowdale on one side.
Derwentwater on the other side.
We stopped in Grange for lunch of tea and scones.
Whippet on the bus.
Alfred Wainwright's favorite hiking trail. This is where his ashes were scattered.
Sour Milk Gill
Buttermere Lake
An interesting story and the subject of many plays performed in the Lake District today is about the Maid of Buttermere (pictured above). Here is story from the Rough Guide to the Lake District 2008:
An interesting sign the tea house owners from 1840 that the owners found in 1981.
A stone barn in this little village.
Fritz Park, one of the parks surrounding Keswick (pronounced Kes-ick).
Th railroad hike we took our last day in Cumbria. At this point we were lost and had to backtrack in order to get to our destination, Castlerigg Stone Circle.
Castlerigg is the site of a ring of 48 stones approximately as old as Stonehenge. One of the National Trust signs describes this site:
Ice cream truck conveniently parked outside this stone circle.
From Borrowdale we hiked to Castle Craig, an old slate mine and a stunning view at the peak.
Borrowdale on one side.
Derwentwater on the other side.
We stopped in Grange for lunch of tea and scones.
Whippet on the bus.
Alfred Wainwright's favorite hiking trail. This is where his ashes were scattered.
Sour Milk Gill
Buttermere Lake
An interesting story and the subject of many plays performed in the Lake District today is about the Maid of Buttermere (pictured above). Here is story from the Rough Guide to the Lake District 2008:The grandeur of the locality was well known even before Wainwright gave it his seal of approval. With the Lakes in vogue amongst traveling men in the last 18th century, many made their way over the passes to what was then a remote hamlet with a reputation for good fishing in the twin lakes. A certain Captain Budworth - resident at the Fish Inn, the only inn in those days - waxed lyrical about the beauty of the landlord's daughter in his bestseller A Fortnight's Ramble in the Lakes. Within a couple years curious sightseers - Wordsworth and Coleridge included - were turning up to view Mary Robinson, the Maid of Buttermere. One such visitor was Alexander Augustus Colonel Hope, Member of Parliament and brother to an Earl. Flush with money and manners, he wooed and married Mary - only to be revealed as the bigamous imposter John Hatfield, whose whole life had been one of deception and fraud. Arrested and tried for forgery (franking letters as an MP without authority was a capital offense) Hatfield was hanged at Carlisle in 1802 - the entire scandal recorded for the Morning Post by Coleridge in investigative journalist mode".
In Buttermere we stopped at this really cute Tea House which was renamed for Queen Victoria after she entertained here in 1850.
An interesting sign the tea house owners from 1840 that the owners found in 1981.
A stone barn in this little village.
Fritz Park, one of the parks surrounding Keswick (pronounced Kes-ick).
Th railroad hike we took our last day in Cumbria. At this point we were lost and had to backtrack in order to get to our destination, Castlerigg Stone Circle.
Castlerigg is the site of a ring of 48 stones approximately as old as Stonehenge. One of the National Trust signs describes this site: The present approach to Castlerigg Stone Circle seems to follow the original entrance route. The Circle has been owned by the National Trust since 1913.
Who Built Castlerigg and when? Don't know but there are clues. The builders would have come from early farming communities who probably lived on the fringes of the mountainous region from which they obtained the raw material for their travel. The Stone Circle seems to have been built between 2500 - 1300 B.C during the Neolithic and Bronze Ages.
How was it built? The builders would have found the stones lying in the immediate area. All are of Barrowdale volcanic stone brought by glaciers from rocky outcrops during the last Ice Age. The stones would have been dragged to the site on log rollers and levered into prepared holes which were then packed with soil and stone.
Why? Castlerigg would have been important to every member of local tribal community. Isolated groups would have come here to barter livestock or celebrate tribal festivities.
Ice cream truck conveniently parked outside this stone circle.
Many homes had greenhouses. I thought this one was particularly attractive.
Stunning parks surround Keswick.
Bowling on the green
Typical pub grub ... good but not exactly diet food.
And we bought this painting. Sunlight on Grasmere.
Bowling on the green
Typical pub grub ... good but not exactly diet food.
On our way back to our B&B after dinner our last night in Keswick we stopped by Norris Hall to see an exhibit about 15 minutes before it closed.
The artist name was Patrick Crammer and his show was called Cumbrian Light. This title of this painting was "Preening Time".
And we bought this painting. Sunlight on Grasmere.
No comments:
Post a Comment