PRICE 03NB SHXLUN€. DEBENHAM & FREEBODT. DEBENHAM & FEEEBODY respectfully invite attention to their Est"'^i^^^^^Ti+' 27 to 31. Wigmore Street, and 1 to 4,. Welbeck 1 " visit. Establishe [tation for the Si «^ isiness. is conduc /^x>rrr!^:^v:?>vrr<^ f being L ^ c( o: a: t] V I (^orttell Imucratty Cibrarg Jt^aca. 5Jcm ^ork WORDSWORTH COLLECTION MADE BY CYNTHIA MORGAN ST. JOHN rTHACA, N. Y. THE GIFT OF VICTOR EMANUEL CLASS OF 1919 1925 le post, iing in iersonal ■ee. Y, JL/i_i JL^ J-< JL 1 A.JLA J1..LIA. -w-., WIGMORE ST. & WELBECK ST., LONDON, W. Bankers : Messrs. Smith, Payne & Smiths, P. 0. Orders payable at Vere St., W. HANDY GUIDE TO THE ENGLISH LAKES. AGRICULTURAL LAND IMPROVEMENTS. Drainage, Sewage-Irrigation, Farm Buildings, Labourers' Cottages, dec- THE GENERAL LAND DRAINAGE & IMPROVEMENT CO. Incorporated by Act of Parliament in 1849. DiRECTOES : Thos. Chapman, Esq., F.E.S. The Hon. Sidney Carr Glyn, M.P. Felix Thornley Cobbold, Esq. Henry Currie, Esq. The Right Hon. Viscount Com- bermere. Robert Leeds, Esq. The Hon. Henry Noel, Principal Engineer, J. Bailey Denton. This Company advances Money to Landowners for all purposes of AGRI- CULTURAL IMPROVEMENT, including the Erection of Labourers' Cottages and Farm Buildings, the Reclamation of Waste Land, and the con- struction of Reservoirs or other vi^orks of a permanent character for the supply of Water to Farmp, Villages, &c. ; or, if preferred, executes Improvements for Landowners by its own Staff. Tenant Farmers may also, by agreement with their landlords, procure the execution of such improvements. The outlay, and all attendant expenses, may be charged upon the Estate, 4^- OF ENGLISH AND FOREIGN MANUFACTURE, Suitable for the present season : COMPRISING Dress Materials of various texture. Costumes, Riantles, and Mantle Cloths, Polonaise Materials, Millinery and Appliances, Bonnets, Hats, Sun Shades ; all the New Shades Gaze de Joie, Ribbons, Parasols, Hosiery, Gloves, &c. TOURISTS May have a complete Outfit made in a few hours, as P. & H. have a large staff' of Dress and Mantle Makers and Milliners, all of first-class talent, and well-known for excellence of fit and elegance of style. P. & H. have just received a large consignment of Lyons Black Silks, cheaper than ever they have been known. Also, a Case of French Kid Gloves, embracing all the new shades. SEVERS & BATESON, KENDAL. Their Specialities as follows : — Barnes's Lumbago Mixture. Quinine Wine, analysed by Dr. Hassall. Sheep Dipping Composition. Bateman's ^therial Cough Elixir. Are sold by Taylor, Ulverston ; Birkett, Bowness; Bell, Amble- side; Baldry, Grasmere; and Airey, Windermere. )v^^rt b^ yiJ$l antt ©nrri^r utili |aus pil'^tnpt atliinlion. ADVEKTISER. DERBYSHIRE GUIDES, AND OTHER COUNTY PUBLICATIONS, PUBLISHED AND SOLD BY BEMROSE Sc SONS, 10, PATERNOSTER BUILDINGS, LONDON; AND IRONGATE, DERBY. Bemrose's Hand-Book to Derbyshire, a complete County Guide for Travellers and Tourists. With County Map and numerous Illustrations, &c. New Edition, 3s. 6d. Bemrose's Guide to Matlock, Chatsworth, and Haddon Hall, a Complete Hand-Book and Companion for the Tourist and TraYeller. Illustrated with Eight Full-page Plates, Twenty Vignettes, &c.. New Map of County, Table of Distances, Walks round Matlock, List of Wild Flowers, &c., &c. Price Is. Bemrose's Shilling Guide to Buxton and Neighbourhood. Being an accurate Guide to this most interesting part of Derbyshire. Beautifully illustrated with Full-page Illustrations, Woodcuts, Tables of Distances, &c., &c. Bemrose's Excursionist's Guide to Matlock. Id. Guide to Melbourne and King's Newton, Derbyshire. By the late Joh7i Joseph Briggs, F.E.S.L. Price Sixpence. Illustrated. Maps. Bemrose's Map of Derbyshire, from the Ordnance and other Surveys, with the latest corrections, 6d. ; Cloth case. Is. Walker's Maps, Sheet, Is. : Cloth, 2s. 6d. Crutchley's, Collin's, and Cassell's, 6d. The Ordnance Maps of the District. Map of Derby, Is. 6d. plain, 2s. tinted. Britannia Depicta, containing Thirty-one Views in Derbyshire, with brief descriptions, from plates, by F. Folio, 128. Haddon Hall, History and Antiquities of. Twenty Illustrations, by Cattermole. Quarto, 5s. The Derbyshire Ferns. Drawn and Coloured from Nature, with Descriptions, Places of Growth, &c., &c. 3s. 6d. The Derbyshire Red Book and Almanack (Annual), an indispensable Handy Book ; containing, besides the usual contents of an Almanack, a large amount of important Annual and other County Information, to be met with nowhere else, as to Public Bodies, Companies, the Magistracy, Gentry, Religious Denominations, information affecting the Agriculture and Trade of the County, &c. Illustrated with Map, &c. Price Is. The Derbyshire Ballads. Edited by Llewellynn Jewitt, F.S.A. Price 7s. 6d. The Reliquary, a Depository of Precious relics— Legendary, Biographical, and Historical— Illustrative of the Habits, Customs, and Pursuits of our Fore- fathers. Edited by Llewellynn Jewitt, F.S.A. Quarterly Parts, Price 2s. 6d. Vols. 1 to 18. Demy 8vo. Cloth, Boards. Price lis. 6d. each. Ten Years' Diggings in Celtic and Saxon Grave Hills, in the Counties of Derby, Stafford, and York. By the late Thomas Bateman. With Fifty Engravings on Wood, by Llewellynn Jeioitt, F.S.A. Octavo. Cloth. Price 5s. 6d. Flora' Repandunensis. The Wild Flowers of Repton, with a List of the Birds and the Moths and Butterflies found in Eepton and the Neighbourhood. With Frontispiece. Crown Svo., Cloth neat, Price 3s. 6d. Thurstan MevereU; or, the Forest of the Peak. A Romance. By Senry Kirlie, M.A., B.C.L. In Crown Svo. Cloth. Price 7s. 6d. The Derbyshire Domesday Book. A Photo-Zincographed Fac-simile of the Domesday Book for Derbyshire, with a literal extension of the Latin text in modem type, an English Translation, Index of Places, Names of Persons, and Illustrative Notes. By Llcwtllynn Jewitt, F.S.A. Imperial 4to. Price 2l3 ADVERTISER HYDROPATHIC ESTABLISHMENT. MATLOCK BRIDGE, DERBYSHIRE. Established 1852. PHYSICIANS: WILLIAM B. HUNTER, M.D., Univ. Glas., &c. THOMAS MACCALL, M.D., Univ. Edin., &c. SMEDLET'S HYDROPATHIC ESTABLISHMENT, in a neighbour- hood famous for natural beauty, interest, and salubrity, stands on the south- western slope of a range of sandstone hills, at an altitude that secures a dry and bracing climate. The atmosphere is pure, the district being agricultural and remote from any groat centre of population or manufactures. The building facing south-west, receives a full measure of sunshine, commands a wide and beautiful landscape from its windows, balconies, and promenades. The public rooms, bed rooms, and corridors are warm and well ventilated — there are covered balconies permitting open-air exercise in all weathers — a handsome and specially- ventilated Turkish Bath with Swimming Bath and Bath-houses, recently re-constructed with all modern improvements ; also a large Billiard Boom, with two tables. The num- bers during the winter months average from one hundred to one hundred and fifty. THE TURKISH BATH has a most beneficial effect, judiciously employed, and with appropriate modificationB, in rheumatism, gout, neuralgia, bronchitis, and all diseases associated with low vitality and feeble circulation, a dry skin, and defective digestion. It has the power to increase the appetite, weight, and strength. The advantage of a Turkish Bath in direct connec- tion with the house is very great. This Bath is distinguished by the spaciousness of its apartments, their perfect ventilation, and the care and exactness with which its operations are conducted. The atmosphere of the Bath is constantly purified, changing under the motive power of heat, and the suite of three hot rooms gives a choice of temperatures ranging from 120 to 190 deg., thus meeting the requirements of evei-y variety of case and constitution. SMEDLEY'S HYDROPATHIC COMPANY (Limited), having in 1875 acquired the Establishment so long successfully carried on by the late Mr. John Smedlet, are conducting it in the same spirit of earnest solicitude for the interest of the sick, and in a way in all essentials the same with that which characterised the Institution from its origin. It is the intention of the Directors to make numerous im- provements in the arrangements and appliances of the Institution, and to render it as celebrated for its comfort as for its usefulness. The Pleasure Grounds have been greatly altered, to the increase of their convenience and beauty. Electric Bells have been fitted up throughout the Establishment, the Bath Houses have been re-constructed with many additions and improvements, a Smoking Room has been added for Visitors, and a Turkish Bath has been erected specially adapted for Invalids in point of arrangement and ventilation. TERMS. ' Tliere is no distinction made in the Terms between Patients and Visitors, the Consultation Fee being the only additional charge to Patients. Board, Lodging, Medical Attendance, 1 £ s. d. £ s. d. and Bathing (according to situation > 2 12 6 3 3 of bedroom) ... ... per week j Ditto, when Two Persons occupy the I o in o 2 18 n same Bedroom ... per week, each / Ditto for Children between six and twelve years of age £ s. 3 13 d. 6 £ B. 4 4 d. 3 6 3 19 ... Half-price HANDY GUIDE TO THE k\(;lish LAKES, AND SHAP SPA. WJJ'H MAP AND VIEWS « LONDON : BEMROSE & SONS, 23, OLD BAILEY; AND DERBY. CARLISLE: A. B. MOSS. KENDAL: T. WILSON. HANDY GUIDE TO THE ENGLISH LAKES LAMPLOUGH'S PYRETIC SALINE. EFFERVESCINB AND TASTELESS. Forms a most Invigorating, Vitalising, and Piefreshing Beverage. Gives Instant relief in HEADACHE, SEA or BILIOUS SICKNESS, CONSTI- PATION, INDIGESTION, LASSITUDE, LOW SPIRITS, HEARTBURN, FEVERISH COLDS, and prevents and quickly relieves or cures the worst form of TYPHUS, SCARLET, JUNGLE, and other FEVERS, PRICKLY HEAT, SMALL POX, MEASLES, ERUPTIVE or SKIN COMPLAINTS, and various other altered conditions of the Blood. The Testimony of Medical Gentlemen and the Professional Press has been unqualified in praise of LAMPLOUGH'S PYRETIC SALINE, aa possessing most important elements calculated to restore and maintain Health with FERrxcr ViGOUB OT Body and Mind. Dr. PROUT.— " Unfolding germs of immense benefit to mankind." Dr. TWORGAN.— ■' It furnishes the blood with its lost saline constituents." Dr. TURtETT.— " I haye found it act as a specific, in my experience and family, in the worst forms of Scarlet Fever, no other medicine being required." Dr. S. GIBBON (formerly Physician to the London Hospital).—" Its usefulness in the treat- ment of disease has long been confirmed by medical experience. I have been in the habit of using it in private practice for many years. In hot climates it is of special yalue." Dr. SPARKS (Government Metlical Inspector of Emigrants from the port of London) writes : — " I have great pleasure in bearing my cordial testimony to its efficacy in the treatment of many of the ordinary and chronic forms of Gastric Complaints and other forms of Febrile Dyspepsia." Dr. J. VT. DOWSING.—" I used it in the treatment of forty-two oases of Yellow Fever, and am happy to state I never lost a single case." Dr. IV. STEVENS.— " Since its introduction, the fatal West India Fevers are deprived of their terrors." Dr. AIA LI H^^ INDEX CHAl'. PAGE I. FURNESS I II. Kendal and Windkrmere 14 III. BowNEss AND Winander Mere 30 IV. CONISTON, WaSTWATER, AND SCAWFELL 4I V. Ambleside and Langdale , 49 VI. Rydal, Grasmere, and Helvellyn 55 VII. Keswick, Derwentwater, and Skiddaw ^ 67 VIII. Borrowdale, Buttermere, AND Crummock Water 75 IX. ULLESWATER AND Patterdale . . ._ 82 X. Penrith and Neighbourhood .. .- 88 XI. Shap Spa, and Neighbourhood 93 Abbey, Furness 4 Abbey, Shap 113 _^Airey Force 85 AmblesKle 49 Angle Tarn (Bowfell) 48 _^_ji_ ^_^,- ._P?.atterdale) 28 '^Sngler's Inn 80 Appleby 116 Applethwaite 70 Armboth House 6t, Arnside 13 AEtbiir^S-Raund-Table 91 Askham 132 Bampton 126 Barrow. 7 Barrow j^aUg 76 Bardsea 11 Bassenthwaite, L. 72 Beacon (Penrirh) 89 Beacon (Shap) 106 Belle Isle 30 Eirker Force 47 Biskey Howe 31 Black Combe 9 """,, Dub ^. 106 ,, Force 123 Blea Tarnu 52 luZWater. 128 ^lencathara 64 Blowick 86 Borrow Bridge..,, 124 Borrpwdale,^ ..... Si/:'!^.. 77 'Soot 45 BowdeLSioae 77 ^BovvfcJl 48 Bqwness^ 30 Braithwaite 80 Branstree 127 Brant Fell 31 Brathay^ 40 Brother's Water 28 Brougham Castle 90 Hall 90 Broughton 8 Brownrigg Well 62 Butterlip How 58 Buttermere 79 INDEX. PAGE Calgarth 38 Carleton Hall 92 Cartmell 12 Castle Crag 77 °Xastle Head 70 Castle How Hill 18 Castle Rigg 63 Castle RocJi 64 "Catchedecam 62 Cautley Spout 123 Chapel Hill 127 Clappersgate 50 Codale 60 Colwith Foree 51 Concangium 18 Conishead 10 'ConistoB" 41 Countess's Pillar 90 Crosby Ravensworth I15 Crossfell 6 Crosthwaite 67 Crummock Water 80 Curwen's Isle 30 Dacre Castle 92 Dalegarth Hall 45 Dalemain 92 DerweniJKate*' 71 Docker Force 106 ^Dove's Ke^t 39 Druidical Remains 70 & 89 ..gJQjiddon Vali^ 45 V Dungeon GiU. 52 TDuhmail Raise 61 r Easedalg ... 60 EdenHall 89 Elleray 26 Elterwate£ ,^ 54 _ _ Ennerdale BrMee ^r^MM^. . . 80 " Eskcfale " .".: Y . . . 45 Esk Hause 48 N | Esthwaite 41 Fairfield 60 ^Falcon Crajj 75 Fejl Foot ."^. 51 Ferr^ - 41 EisTier's Crag 63 Floutern Tarn 80 Fox Howe 55 Friar !a--Ciag 7° Frossick 28 PAGE ]^, urness Ab bey 4 Gable Great 78 Gamelands 122 Giant's Grave ; 88 Gleaston Castle 9 Glenridding 60 _Gowbarrow^£ark 84 Grange 13 Grange (Borrowdale) 77 Grasmere 57 Gret^^iJ^ES. 68 "(jreysloclcCastle 92 ^Qxii&dsls 60 Guggleby Stone 112 Gummers Howe 37 Gunnerskeld 112 Hackthorpe 129 Halsteads 83 Harri son Stickle 53 IfarterPell ~'.~"'. 127 Hawep ^/fciter 127 "H^SsEfiad 42 ^Helnx-Ciag 58 "Helyelljm 61 HigkSiile 79 High Street 28 & 127 Hoad Hill 10 Holker Hall 11 Holy Well 12 Honister^Crag 79 Tiow'To wn " 83 Ings „ 25 Karl Lofts 1 12 Kendal , 14 Kentmere 128 iS^mck 67 "KidstyPike 127 Kirkstone Pass 28 Lake Side , . 7 & 37 x^g^SF- • - 53 Latrigg 73 Legberthwaite ,_ 63 Levens Hall 20 Lingmell . , ^ ^ 47 Long Meg 89 Longsleddale 128 Lorton 80 liSS 5° Lodore ., 76 INDEX, PAGE Lowes Water 80 Lowther 129 Low Wood 38 Lunesbridge 123 Lyulp h's Tower 83 Mardale 127 Mayborough 91 Meaburn Hall 121 Measand ..„ .... 127 Mellbreak 80 Mickledore „ 48 MiUb£ck 52 N ab Sfia r 57 NaddleForest 127 Nan Bield 121 ^Ne^Ja^Bridge 7 ^ "^Newfield 45 *" Newlands 81 Oddendale 117 OrresLHead 25 t)rton 121 Patlgrdale .-. 87 Tavey Ark .^ 54 Piel Castle .^ 8 Pen-hurrock 117 ,.._£eH*i^ 88 ,£ikSd:>LSii£^ 53 Po^e^^fi^ 83 "Porfinscale 67 jMgsXEa& 63 Rayrigg 38 Red Tarn 62 Roman Station 125 Rosthwaite 77 Ma^y 40 JB^Edai 55 Saddleback ^ 64 '^■-StJof^PTv^ ._ 63 St. Sunday..C£ag 84 Sawrey 41 ^_ ScaleJEoxce-. 79 Scawfcll_ 48 Scout Scar 19 Screes 47 Seal Howe .. . . . 117 „Seattiwaii£,.CA- 45 Seatoller 78 Shap Ill PAG Shap Spa ^ 93 Shoolthwaite Moss 63 Sizergh Hall 19 SkellyNeb 83 Skelwith^^ridgg 50 '^SKffdaw 73 SmaTTWater 128 Smeathwaite Bridge 63 Sour^Milk Force 60 & 80 Sprlrikliiig^Tarn 53 Sta nley Gill Fa ll 46 * Sfaveley .7. . .77 1 28 Stickle Tarn 53 Stack^Gi Jl 50 Storrs Hall 37 Strands 45 Striding Edge 62 Stybarrow Crag 84 Sty Head Pass 78 Swarth Moor Hall 10 Swirrel Edge 62 Tebay 93 Thirlmere 63 Tnirlspot 62 Thornthwaite Hall 127 Threlkeld 65 TUberthwaite 47 "TrouTBecirT? 26 & 83 UJle^ffialfiX^-- -'-^'^w^ 82 IDlverstone TTTTTT 9 Wall End 52 Wallow Crag 75 Wslsa^Sfiar 45 Wajisfell 50 Wasdale_2xag I05 "Wastdale Head 45 WaaiaKalfii: 47 Water Crook 18 Waterhead 39 W^thfilkai. 44 Whinlatter 80 ^Winand^^^Mste 37 Wjfldenaeie 24 Wishing^fiate 57 ^W^E^^^CaaUe 38 ■"Wrynose 51 Wj\^M» 61 Yanwath , 92 Yewdalo- .- 45 General Information for Tourists. On arriving in the Lake District, Tourists sliould at once provide themselves with one of the Local Railway, Coach, and Steam-boat Penny Guides. ' STEAMERS. ON WINDERMERE, at irregular intervals, about a dozen times each way, daily. ON ULLESWATER, four trips each way, daily. ON CONISTON, the Steam Gondola makes the tour of the Lake three times a day. " Manxman," from BARROW to DOUGLAS in three hours.— (i'^f Advertisement at the end of the Guide.) OMNIBUSES. Between WINDERMERE and BOWNESS, frequently. Between (iRASMERE, AMBLESIDE, and WATERHEAD, seven times each way, chu'iy. COACHES. WINDERMERE to KESWICK, three times each way, daily. WINDERMERE to Lowwood, Ambleside, and Grasmere, six times each way, daily. Windermere and Bowness (Cloudsdale's) to Hawkshead, 2S. ; and Coniston, 4s. Windermere and Bowness (Cloudsdale's) to Langdales and Dungeon Gill, on alter- nate days. AVindermere and Bowness (Cloudsdale's) to Kirkstone Pass, 3s ; and Patterdale, 5s. ; on alternate days. Bowness and Windermere (Scott's) to Patterdale and Ulleswater, daily. Ambleside to Keswick, every morning, in addition to those from Wir.d-rinerc. Ambleside to Ulleswater, every mo7-ning. Ambleside to Coniston, every morning. Ambleside to the Langdales and Dungeon Gill, every morning. Conishead and Ulverstone to Lake Bank, every morning. Grange to Lake Side, twice each way daily. Troutbeck .Station to Ulleswater and Patterdale, several times a day. Penrith to Pooley Bridge, four times daily. Penrith to Langwathby, twice a day. CIRCULAR TOURS. WINDERMERE and BOWNESS by Ferry to Coniston and back by Waterhe daily. WINDERMERE to Patterdale, Ulleswat e Keswick and back, or vice versa, daily i6s. 3d., 14s. 3d., 13s. 6d. Tickets avai able for seven days. CIRCULAR TOUR by Rail, Char-a-Bancs and Steamer from Ambleside, Bowness, &c., to Furness Abbey and Coniston, or vice versa. — {See advertisement at the end of Guide.') HANDY GUIDE TO THE ENGLISH LAKES, NTROD UCTION. OURISTS from the south may approach the Lake District by Rail either by way of Grange and Ulverston, or by Kendal and Windermere. Travellers by the London and North Western Railway change at Carnforth Junction into the Furness Train for the former route, while those ipr the latter change at Oxenholme. The former skirts the shores of More- cambe Bay for the greater part, and is the more picturesque of the two ; the latter is the more direct and quicker route, and takes the Tourist at once to the " Queen of the Lakes." He may choose either with- out suffering any subsequent inconvenience through having 2 2 HANDY GUIDE TO THE ENGLISH LAKES. adopted the one rather than the other. To the tourist who has only a few days to spend, and also to the one who has much luggage, we should certainly say go direct to Windermere ; yea, to Bowness or Ambleside. At either of these he will find himself at a Centre for Tours in all directions. So much is the beauty of the district enhanced by approaching it from the south, that we should advise tourists from the north to commence at Windermere also. Tourists from Ireland and the Isle of Man enter the district most conveniently at Barrow or Whitehaven. Without meaning to indicate any preference of route, we begin at the extreme south for the more concise arrangement of our Guide, and we follow the order in which we went over the district a few years ago. We have divided the Guide into chapters, each of which covers a clearly-defined portion, and is complete in itself; so that the tourist will suffer no inconvenience begin where he may. We have only further to draw his attention to the out- line of Coach and Steamboat arrangements given at the beginning. These, especially the Circular Tours, will enable him to see the greatest possible amount of the district in the shortest possible time, should that be a consideration with him. We would also direct his atten- tion to the Map, which is very minute, and ought to prove exceedingly useful. s:^:. CHAPTER I. U R N E S S HE name Furness applies to the whole district between the Duddon on the west, and the Leven and Winander Mere on the east ; and it ex- tends from Elter- water on the north, to the sea on the south. In Domesday Book the name is Frudernesse, and it seems also to have been frequently written Fu- thernesse, which may very possibly be simply a corruption of Further- ness, meaning the retnote promon- tory. For fully four hundred years the Abbots of Furness held supreme rule, both civil and ecclesiastical, over the whole district ; and these rights were ratified by twelve English monarchs. The magnificent 4 HANDY GUIDE TO Monastery over which they presided is now a pile of roofless ruins, and large portions of its walls no longer exist ; but sufficien t rernain s to indicate, botlLits_fo rnier extent and grandeur. Its revenues have been computed as amounting at one time to about ;^i 7,000 a year of our present money. As the majority of tourists to this district come simply to see the Abbey, we take it first ; but those who travel via Carnforth, and wish to visit Grange, Cartmel, etc., en route, may do so. They will find the notes on these places a few pages farther on. For the convenience of visitors to the Abbey, there is a railway station at the spot, and close beside it is the Furness Abbey Hotel, one of the best in the Lake District. This hotel was previously the Manor House, and had been originally the Abbot's residence. It retains some ancient wood carvings, sculptures, and inscriptions. — >__— The Abbey. ,^Iik-ih£»Siycetiy secludedjiale of Bekans Gill, or the Glen of the Deadly Nightshade (so called from the luxuriance with which the plant formerly grew here), the Monastery of Furness was founded in 1127. The monks had a few years before that settled at Tulket, on the Ribble, near Preston ; but were translated here by Stephen, Earl of Boulogne, afterwards King of England. They were originally Benedictines, and came from Savigny, in Normandy; but in 11 48, they, along with the rest of their Order, adopted the Rules of St. Bernard, and became Cistercians, so called from Citeaux, the mother monastery of the Order. The Church of the Monastery is at the north side of the ruins, and stands due east and west. It consists of nave, transepts, choir, and chancel, including several chapels. The length of the church is 287 feet, and of the tran- THE ENGLISH LAKES. septs 130. The width of the chancel is 28 feet ; of the nave, 70 ; and of the transepts, 28. The highest portions FURNESS ABBEY. ot the walls measure 54 feet, and they are five feet 6 HANDY GUIDE TO thick. The prevailing styles of architecture are Nor- man and Early English, and their general character is inornate. The material is a pale red sandstone, ob- tained from the neighbourhood, and now of a dusky- brown hue from exposure to the weather. On the out- side of the great East window, under an arched festoon, is the head of Stephen, the founder ; and opposite to it is that of Maud, his Queen. In the south wall of the chancel are four seats ( sedilia) or stalls, adorned with Gothic canopies. The windows and arches are upon a scale of unusual loftiness, but none of the muUions are left in the windows ; and of the large arches, the only two that remain, are the eastern arch, under the central tower, and the one at the north end of the transept. 'I'he belfry is a huge mass of detached ruin. Immediately adjoining the south transept, and on the south side of it, is the Chapter House, which measures 60 feet by 45, and must have been a noble room. It is entered from the Cloister Court by one of three Norman arches still standing. The vaulted roof, formed of twelve ribbed arches, was supported by six pillars, in two rows, fourteen feet apart; and the windows still show their border tracery. To the south of the Chapter House are the east side of the Cloisters and the Refectory, and to the east of these is the Kitchen. Attached to the south boundary wall is a heavy looking building, the use of which is not quite certain. Some consider it has been' the Schoolroom ; others a Chapel. A low stone bench extends round the walls, and it is the only part of the ruins which retains the roof. The western portion of the cloisters has been razed to the ground. The quadrangular space which they enclosed measures 338 feet by 102. The Church and Cloisters were encompassed by a wall ; THE ENGLlSii LARLS. 7 while another outer wall encircled an area of sixty-five acres, and included within its bounds, the Mills, Kilns, Ovens, and Fish-ponds, of which the ruins may still be traced. The finest view of the whole is to be obtained from the hill opposite the east window. " Such is the dwelling, grey and old, which in some world-worn mood, The youthful poet dreamed would suit his future solitude ; If the old abbey be his search, he might seek far and near Ere he could find a Gothic Cell more lonely than was here Long years have darkened into time since vespers here were rung, And here has been no other dirge than what the winds have sung ; And now the drooping ivy wreaths in ancient clusters fall, And moss o'er each device hath grown upon the sculptured wall."' "Amid yon leafy elm no turtle wails; No early minstrels wake the winding vales ; No choral anthem floats the lawn along, For sunk in slumber is the hermit throng. There each alike, the long, the lately dead, The monk, the swain, the i^iinstrel make their bed ; While o'er their graves, and from the rifts on high The chattering daw, the hoarser raven cry." The tourist who, after examining the ruins of the Abbey, wishes to get to Windermere as quickly as possible, will take the train to Lake Side Station (i6 miles), and the steamer up the Lake. (For continuation, see Winander Mere.) The other places of interest in the Furness district are : — V Barrow, three miles south from Furness Abbey, which has risen within the last forty years from a small village to a town with a population of over 40,000. Its progress has been owing chiefly to the development of the mineral wealth of the neighbourhood. It has a magnificent harbour, with docks, wharves, and warehouses, and it carries on a large export and import trade. Passenger 5 IfANDY GUIDE TO Steamers sail daily to Ireland and the Isle of Man. To the latter there are two steamers per day in the tourist season. Walney Island forms a natural Breakwater (see map) ; and between the south end of it and Piel Pier are the massive ruins of Piel Castle, or the Pile of Fouldrey. These stand on a small island, and may be visited by boat from the mainland, or on foot from Walney at low water. The Castle was built by an Abbot of Furness in the reign of Edward III. Barrow being quite a modern town, is built on a regular plan, and has several fine public buildings. Dalton is a mile and a half north-east from Furness Abbey, in the midst of a very fertile district. It is a very ancient town, and was long the capital of Lower Furness. It chiefly consists of a single street, the west end of which forms a spacious market place. On the west side of this a venerable tower crowns a rocky eminence. It is rectangular, and measures thirty feet by forty-five. The walls are from five to six feet thick. It is supposed to have been erected by one of the abbots of Furness, but at what date is unknown. A small door on the west leads up to a room in it where the Courts for the Liberty of Furness are held ; and from the summit of the tower a pleasing view of the surrounding country may be obtained. At Beckside, near Dalton, Romney, the painter — a con- temporary and rival of Sir Joshua Reynolds — was born, and in the churchyard of Dalton he is buried. Broughton is ten miles to the north of Furness Abbey, and half way between it and Coniston. It is situated at jhejiead Qf-llie-E^st-ua#ji-^k£_tli£_J)-uddan, and carries on a considerable export trade in roofing slates and in iron and copper ore, obtained from the neighbouring mines. It is a convenient station from which to ascend the mountain THE ENGLISH LAKES. 9 i" called Black Comb e, whose summit is about six miles distant. It rises to the height of nearly 2,000 feet, and commands a magnificent view of Yorkshire, Wales, Isle of Man, Ireland, and Scotland. "This height a ministering angel might select, For from the summit of Blaclc Combe (dread name Derived from clouds and storms) the amplest range Of imobstructed prospect may be seen That British ground commands." The route from Broughton to Coniston contains nothing of special interest. GLEASTON CASTLK. Gleaston Castle, two miles east from Furness Abbey, is said to have been erected by the lords of Aldingham, in the thirteenth century. It belonged at one time to the Duke of Suffolk, the father of Lady Jane Grey. It seems to have been large and strong, but only the two smallest towers remain entire, along with the connecting walls. On one side the ruins measure 228 feet within the walls. Ulverstone is seven miles north-east from Furness Abbey, and although ancient as regards situation, is quite a modern town. It is about a mile from the estuary of the 10 HANDY GUIDE TO Leven, with which it is connected by a canal. The Parish Church, dedicated to St. Mary, stands on a rising ground at the north side of the town. It is of great antiquity, but was all rebuilt in the reign of Henry VIII. and again in 1804, with the exception of the tower and Norman door- way. The altar-piece represents " Christ taken down from the Cross," attended by Faith, Hope, and Charity, and is said to be a copy by Vandyke of the original of Ghirardi, in the Borghese Palace at Rome. The east window is of beautiful stained glass, representing the four Evangelists, and the Resurrection of Christ, with the figures of Faith and Hope. The window in the burial place of the Braddyll family, contains the arms of the Percys, Plantagenets, Nevilles,, CHffords, Lowthers, etc., etc. ; and it, along with the east window and the altar piece, were the gift of T. R. G. Braddyll, Esq. A short distance out of the town is Swarth Moor Hall, a curious old Manor House, once the seat of that Judge Fell whose widow married George Fox. The " Friends " have a Meeting-Honse near it, with the inscription over the door, " Ex dono, G. F. 1688." On the north-east of the town is Hoad Hill, which rises to a height of 450 feet, and commands a charming view. It is crowned by a column after the model of Eddystone Light- house, erected in 1850 to the memory of Sir John Barrow, who was born at Dragley Beck, in the neigh- bourhood. Conishead Priory, two miles south from Ulverstone, was, until lately, the seat of the Braddyll family. A Priory of Black Canons was founded here in the reign of Henry II. by WilUam de Lancaster, Baron of Kendal. Soon after the dissolution of the Monasteries in the reign of Henry VIII. , a residence was built out of the ruins at that time THE ENGLISH LAKES. II existing, but no portion whatever of the ancient buildings now remains. The present mansion was built at a cost of nearly ;^ 140,000, and is a magnificent specimen of the Elizabethan style of architecture. The entrance hall is 60 feet long, 24 feet wide, and 40 high ; and there are cloisters and arched passages 177 feet long, 19^ wide, and 17-]- high. The grounds include a conservatory, gardens, a rural temple, and splendid terraces ; and they extend to the shores of Alorecambe Bay. The situation has acquired the a])pe]lation of the "Paradise of Furness." CONISHEAD rRIORY. This magnificent mansion, with 150 acres around it, was acquired in 1878 for the purposes of a Hydropathic Establishment, and was opened to the public in that capacity in April, 1S79. Near it is Bardsea, a rising watering place. Holker Hail, a seat of the Duke of Devonshire, is about five miles east from Ulverstone. The nearest railway station is Cark, from which it is two miles distant. The 12 HANDY GUIDE TO hall is not open to excursionists, but the housekeeper is always willing, when convenient, to show visitors over it. It was partly destroyed by fire in 187 1, but has been repaired. It contains a fine collection of paintings, among which are specimens of Claude, Rubens, and Romney. The gardens and grounds are tastefully laid out, and contain a number of rare and interesting plants and trees, among which are Portuguese Laurels and a Cedar of Lebanon of enormous size. The park is well stocked with deer. Cartmel Church is about two miles east from Holker Hall, and two north-east from Cark station, and is well worth a visit. It was founded in 118S, and belonged to a Priory which formerly stood here. It is one of the few religious houses that escaped the general ruin which followed the Dissolution, and it is now the parish church. " The building is of excellent masonr}', in the Pointed style of architecture, and of a cruciform plan. It is 157 feet in length, and the walls are 57 feet high. The transepts are no feet in length. The interior is handsome and spacious. The choir is beautiful, and is surrounded by stalls 26 in number, whose tops and pillars are finely carved with foliage, surmounted with the instruments of the Passion of the Saviour." It has an eight-light transomed east window. There are a great many monuments throughout the Church, among which the oldest perhaps is that on the east side of the altar to the memory of Prior William de Walton. On the opposite side is the magnificent, but mutilated tomb of the Harringtons. The two recumbent figures are supposed to be Sir John Harrington and his lady. In the vestry are several curious old books, chiefly black letter, and an umbrella, said to be more than 200 years old. Three miles to the south of Cartmel is a medicinal spring of some note, called Holy Well. THE ENGLISH LAKES. ^3 To the east of Cartmel are Grange and Arnside, both delightfully situated and favourite Summer resorts. The former has been styled the Montpelier of Lancashire. It is eight miles from Lake Side at the south end of Winder- mere, and a coach runs between the two during the Summer months, twice each way daily. [ivr continuation from Lake Side, see Winander Afere.~\ 14 CHAPTER II. ;> J^ ENDAL AND ^IN DEFAME RE. ENDAL is the largest town in Westmore- land, and has a population of over fourteen thousand. It stands chiefly on the right, or west bank of the River Kent, and is situated partly in the ^ valley, and partly up the hill side. The name is aTcon- traction for Kentdale. If" was formerly called Kirkby Kendal, or more fully, Kirkby-in-Kentdale ; signifying the Church town in the valley of the Kent. The houses are chiefly built of the mountain limestone, obtained from the adjacent Fells. The principal thoroughfare runs through the whole extent of the town from north to south, and is more than a mile in length. It forms part of the Great Northern highway, and was much better known to tourists before the days of railways than it is at present. A Hvelier town was Kendal in the "good old days " of stage coaches. \ Wordsworth describes it as / "A straggling Burgh of ancient charter proud, And dignified by battlements and towers Of a stern castle, mouldering on the brow Of a green hill." HANDY ClUIDE TO THE ENGI-ISH LAKES. 1 5 On the way down from Oxenholme Junction to Kendal, I the ruins of the Castle may be perceived crowning the summit of an eminen ce. on t he left of the line_.of_jailwayJ It was the ancient seat of the Barons of Kendal ; and f through the failure of male heirs it passed successively to | the families of Le Brus, Roos, and Parr, through their ' intermarriage with the successive heiresses. It was here / that Catherine Parr, the last Queen of Henry VIII., was born in 15 lo, and shortly after this it seems to have been j allowed to go gradually to ruin. Nothing now remains.| except a portion of two towers and part of the outer wall.' The hill on which they are situated commands a very fine ' view of the town and of the valley of the Kent. Should the tourist resolve to visit the Castle, his best plan, if he arrive by train, is to take it first. Let him take the first turn to the left after leaving the station, across Wildman Street, and straight forward until he reaches Castle Street, when he will turn to the left, and after that take the first turn on the right. After visiting tlie ruins he can leave the hill by the soutli side, and make his way across the Kent to the parish Church, which is the object of greatest interest in the town. The Church is dedicated to the Holy Trinity, and is of unusual size and arrangement, — presenting the re- markable feature of four aisles co-extensive with the nave and chancel, like the famous church of St. John Lateran at Rome. Its internal length is 140 feet, and its width 103 feet. It thus contains an area exceeded by few parish churches in England. The original church, of which the nave and two adjoining aisles remain, appears to have belonged to the early English period, but the greater por- tion of the existing structure is fifteenth century work. The tower is 25 feet square and 80 feet high, and con- tains a peal of ten bells. 1 6 HANDY GUIDE TO It contains three Chapels belonging to the ancient famiUes of the Parrs, BelUnghams, and Stricklands. In tl:e Parr Chapel is a large tombstone of black marble, without any inscription, under which are supposed to lie the remains of Sir William Parr. On the north side of this tomb, and on the ceiling, are various quarterings of the Parr, Roos, Brus, and Fitzhugh families. In the Bellingham Chapel are the " brasses " pre- viously distributed over the church, but collected here in 1852, when the church underwent a thorough renovation. The chapel was built in the time of Henry VIII. There is an ancient helmet in it suspended from an iron rod, which is most likely a relic of some Knight of the Bellingham family ; but tradition has it that it belonged to one of the Philipsons, of Calgarth, known as " Robin the Devil." He was besieged by Colonel Briggs, a magis- trate of Kendal and an officer in Cromwell's army, for eight or ten days in Belle Isle, Windermere, until the siege was raised by Robin's brother. On the following Sunday, Robin rode into Kendal, with a troop of followers, to have his revenge on the Colonel. Being informed that he was at Church, he stationed his followers outside the building, while he himself rode up one aisle and down another in search of him, but without finding him. As he was leaving, his head came in contact with the arch of the doorway, and his helmet was struck off. He had to beat a hasty retreat, and the helmet here suspended is said to be the one he left behind him. This incident has been worked by Scott into his poem of Rokeby, Canto VI. : " All eyes upon the gateway liung, When through the Gothic arch there sprung, A horseman, armed, with headlong speed — Sable his cloak, his plume, his steed — " THE ENGLISH LAKES. 17 Among the various '■'•brasses''^ is one representing Sir Alan Bellingham in armour. He died in 1577. In the Strickland Chapel, inclosed by some good screen work, is an ancient monument of grey marble, but without inscription. There is also a raised tomb of black marble, in memory of Walter, son of Sir Thomas Strickland, and Jane, his wife. Beneath a marble canopy there is a figure of the boy in alabaster, dressed in a loose gown. There are also several other monuments of the Strickland Family in this Chapel. Near the entrance to it lie the remains of West, the author of the "Antiquities of Furness," v^ho died at Sizergh in 1779. Among the numerous monuments throughout the Church is one in the South Aisle, near the south-west entrance, to the memory of Romney, the celebrated painter, who died at Kendal in 1802. Of the numerous epitaphs, the most peculiar is one on a brass plate within the Communion Rails, and which is as follows : — " Here vnder lyeth ye body of M^. Ralph Tirer, late Vicar of Kendal Batchler of Divinity who died the 4th day of Jvne Ano. Dni. 1627 " London bredd mee — Westminster fedd mee Cambridge spedd me — My sister wedd mee Study taught mee — Kendal caught mee Labour pressed mee — Sickness distressed mee Death oppressed mee — the Grave possessed mee God first gave mee — Christ did save mee Earth did crave mee — And heaven would have mee." On the north side of the Churchyard is the Free Grammar School, founded in 1625, at which several eminent men have been educated. Among others. Bishops Law and Potter, Dr. Shaw, the Oriental traveller, and Regius Pro- fessor of Greek at Oxford, and Ephraim Chambers, the author of the first English Encyclopsedia. 3 tS HANDY GUIDE TO While we are at the south end of the town, we may remark that about half a mile beyond the town, to the south, at a bend of the river called Water Crook, are the remains of the Roman station "Concangiuni," and various Roman relics have been found in the neighbourhood. Further south are Sizergh and Levens Halls, concerning which we shall give a few details presently. That part of the main street nearest to the Church is called Kirkland. Proceeding north, we come to the central portion, called Highgate, in which are situated the Old Maids' Hospital, the Mechanics' Institute, tlie Bank of Westmoreland, and the new Town Hall, at the corner of Lowther Street. Continuing northward, we come to Stricklandgate, in which is the Museum of the Society of Natural History, which contains a very good collection of specimens illustrating local and general Natural History and Antiquities. The fossils which abound in the limestone of the neighbourhood are specially good. The Custodian of the Museum lives on the premises, and will exhibit the collection to strangers any lawful day between ii and 3, except on Wednesday, when it is closed at noon. Opposite the new Town Hall is All Hallows Lane, and a walk of five minutes up this lane brings us to Castle How Hill, or Castle Law Hill. This hill is crowned by a circular mound of gravel and earth rising about 30 feet above the rock, and various are the conjectures both £is to its origin and use. Like the Castle Hill itself, an excellent view is obtained from it, and on its summit the inhabitants of Kendal erected an obelisk, in 178S, bearing the following inscription : — SACRED TO LIBERTY. THIS OBICLISK WAS ERECTED IN THE YEAR I7S8 IN MEMORY OF THE REVOLUTION OF 168S. THE ENGLISH LAKES. 19 From this point Scout Scar is not quite two miles distant. It is supposed to have got its name from being- one of the eminences to which the Romans, when they held sway in Britain, sent out scouts to watch for and give timely warning of the approach of the galleys of their enemies, commanding, as it does, a view of the head of Morecambe Bay. Above Castle How Hill our road divides, and by taking the left-hand branch of it, which leads in a southerly direction, a walk of ten minutes brings us to the top of a rather steep hill. Here we leave the high road, and, passing through a stile to the right, we gradually ascend by a grassy path to the right of the race- course up the Fell to the edge of the Scar, when, if the day be at all clear, we expect the tourist will be a little surprised at the variety and extent of the scene around him. To his left, looking south, he has a comparatively near view of the head of Morecambe Bay, with the light bridge of the Furness Railway crossing its estuary. To the right of it is Whitbarrow Scar and the high ground above Grange and Lindale ; while to the left is Arnside Knot and the pretty little village at its foot. Looking up the valley to the north, the Lake Mountains are seen — Coniston Old Man, the Langdales, Bowfell, and frequently Scawfell ; while to the east and south-east are the York- shire hills, among which may be distinguished the top of Ingleborough. In the immediate foreground a little white- walled farm-house nestles among the trees, at a depth of perhaps a hundred feet below. Sizergh Hall, the mansion-house of the Stricklands, is situated about three miles south from Kendal, in a pleasant park. It is a fine old embattled building, and having been always occupied by the family, it has never fallen into decay. The great tower, or Peel, at the south-east corner 20 HANDY GUIDE TO dates from the time of Henry VII. It is sixty feet in height, and still entire. The elaborate and expensive wainscoting of the mansion dates from the Tudor period also, and chiefly from the beginning of Elizabeth's reign. " The finest specimen of veneering in wood is in a room called the inlaid room, in which the panels of the wainscot work of the bed are, with wonderful labour, variegated with holly and fossil oak, all perfectly undecayed and in colour unfaded as new. The cornice of this bed is surmounted by a shield bearing the arms of Strickland quartering Deincourt, elegantly carved in oak-, date 1568." The mansion contains portraits of Mary Queen of Scots, James II. and his Queen, Charles II., Prince Charles the Pretender and his lady, Lady Blount, Admiral Strickland, and Thomas Strickland, Bishop of Namur. From the union of the Strickland and Deincourt families in the 13th century, Sizergh Hall has been the residence of the Stricklands. From the time of Edward II. till the Restoration they served seventeen times in Parliament as Knights of the Shire for Westmoreland. At the Battle of Edge Hill, Sir Thomas Strickland was created Banneret by King Charles in person, and the same Sir Thomas was afterwards Privy Purse to Charles II. At Sizergh the badge of this office is still preserved. It consists of a square purse of rich crimson silk velvet, having on it the Royal arms, with the initials C. R., in gold embroidery. Levens Hall is a venerable mansion, standing " amid its tall ancestral trees " on the east bank of the Kent, five miles south from Kendal, and was for two centuries the residence of the Bellingharas, whom we have already mentioned in connection with Kendal Church. It was about the close of the i6th century that Sir James THE ENGLISH LAKES. 21 Bellinghani transformed the previously existing mansion into the one that still remains. The present proprietor is General Sir Arthur Upton. The Hall contains a large variety of excellent carved work of the most elaborate description. " The work in the Library and Drawing-room is exceedingly rich, as may be conceived from its having been estimated that at the present rate of wages its execution would cost p^3,ooo The carved chimney-piece in the Library is an intricate piece of workmanship. On the two jambs are represented Samson and Hercules — the one armed with the ass's jawbone, the other having a lion's skin for a covering and armed with a club." Above the fire-place the Seasons, the Elements, and the Five Senses are emblematically repre- sented ; and that there may be no mistake regarding the subjects, the following explanation is cut in the oak : — "Thus the five Sences stand portrated here, The elements four, and seasons of the year. Samson supports the one side as in rage ; The other, Hercules in like equipage." The mansion contains portraits of Henry VII. and of Anne Boleyn. There is also one by Lely of Colonel James Grahame, who purchased the property from the Bellinghams about the year 1690. There are pieces of ancient armour in the entrance hall, and tapestry in one of the rooms. But the peculiar attraction of the place is the gardens, which were laid out in the old French style by Mons. Beaumont, gardener to King James II. His portrait hangs in the entrance tower, and has the following inscription on it : — " Monsieur Beaumont, Gardener to King James 2nd and to Col. Jas. Grahme. He laid out the gardens at Hampton Court and at Levens." Our illustration represents a portion of the Levens 22 HANDY GUIDE TO Gardens, and their Topiarian style of culture. Here on the 1 2th of May annually, the Mayor and Corporation of Kendal, after having proclaimed the fair at Milnthorpe, spend the afternoon in witnessing various sports, and are regaled with radishes and bread-and-butter, and a strong old home-brewed ale called morocco, the toast of the day being — " Luck to Levens as long as the Kent flows." Before leaving Kendal it may interest many to be re- LEVENS HALL GARDENS. minded that it was here the foundation of our woollen manufactures was laid in the beginning of the 14th century. Edward III., in a letter dated from Lincoln, 28th day of July, 1 33 1, granted " Protection to John Kempe of Flanders weaver of woollen cloths to settle in England and practise his trade." He settled at Kendal, and the town soon became famous for its woollen cloths. Curiously enough, these came to be known as Kendal CottoJis, pro- THE ENGLISH LAKES. 23 bably a corruption of Coatings, for which they were mostly used ; or of Coitams, from Cot — the coarsest woollens being manufactured in the Cots of the surrounding villages. Of course, the very existence of cotton itself was then quite unknown. The fame of these woollens, " scarce matched in all the land," is referred to by various old writers ; and the colour of cloth that seems to have been specially identified with the name of the town, was that known as Kendal green. Kendal has still woollen manufactures, but the glory of her pre-eminence has departed. 24 WINDERMERE. 1 ,oV EFORE the days of railways there was no village called Windermere. Not that the railway has created the present village alto- gether. If has simply thrust the name of Windermere upon the one which formerly existed, and which used to be called Birth- waite. Along with its new name, however, it has been much improved and largely extended, and as a residence it has one advantage over all the other Lake villages, _that^ pf^elevation , to which many persons attach consider- able importance. The village of Windermere is not situated on the shores of the Lake, but at a distance of about half a mile, as the crow flies, from it. It is a mile and a half by the usual carriage road. This information need create no disappointment, however, and is, indeed, given to prevent that. 'Busses from Bowness meet the trains, and convey the traveller over the intervening distance in fifteen minutes, for the sum of sixpence. These 'busses belong to the two principal Hotels — the " Crown " and the " Royal." The former is a spacious building on an elevated site, and commanding a magnificent view of the lake. Miss Martineau, in her Guide, says, " 7iof/img can well exceed the beauty of the view from its garden seats'' HANDY GUIDE TO THE ENGLISH LAKES. 25 The latter is a comfortable old-fashioned Hotel at the base of the hill on which the village stands, and facing the street. Under the same management as the "Royal," there is the " Old England Hotel " on the shore of /<, the lake. < -^ Leaving the tourist to determine for himself whether V ^ he shall go at once to Bowness or not, we proceed to de- -^ \ ^\ scribe Windermere and its surroundings : — Immediately '^ ^? ^ to the right as we leave the station is Rigg's Windermere X-> - ^*^ -A \° Hotel, on an elevated site. The road which comes down , \ . V • . . . . . ^ >L> f' parallel with the railway, and, after skirting the height on I '^ « which the Hotel is situated, sweeps away to the north, is %S\Jv, ' the highway from Kendal to Ambleside. Turning up this. ^ 3„ ^ road to the right, and then taking the first turn on the left, ]eaxis_tojOrrest Head, a hill 870 feet high, from which a magnificent view of the lake and its surrounding scenery is to be had. From this vantage ground Winder- mere is seen from end to end, and its ten principal islands may be easily counted. Instead of turning to the left so quickly, the tourist may proceed to Ings, two miles distant, and turn up to Oirest Head there. Ings Chapel was re-built in 1743, by Richard Bateman, a Leg- horn merchant, and the marble which forms the floor was sent by him from Italy. He was a native of Ings, and left it a poor boy to push his fortune in London. He rose from the humblest post in a mercantile house to be his master's partner. Returning to England from Leghorn with a valuable cargo, he was poisoned by the captain of the vessel, who wished to secure the cargo for himself. Near Ings is Hugil Hall, once the residence of Collin- son, the Naturalist and Antiquary. In the valley, Reston V Scar is a prominent feature. The return from Orrest Head may be varied by taking the road leading from the 26 HANDY GUIDE TO north end of the hill westwards till it joins the one down the Troutbeck valley (see map), and afterwards taking the first turn to the left. On his way back to the village, he will pass in succession on his left " St. Catherine's," (the Earl of Bradford's residence), " The Wood," and ^'^^l^ayV' The last of these once belonged ..to Professor Wilson^ of Edinburgh. ("Christopher North"), but the house he occupied no longer exists. Around Windermere village are pleasant walks in all directions, affording dejightful views. There is also frequent communication daily between it and Ambleside (five miles), and the return journey may be varied by taking the Steamer from either Waterhead or Low Wood piers to Bowness, and then the 'Bus up to Windermere. The Excursion that more particularly belongs to this Centre is that to Patterdale and UUeswater (14 miles) b y._way _ of the Troutbeck JValky and Kirkstone Pass. This may be converted into a Circular Tour (see arrange- ments). The route lies along the Ambleside road, and up the valley of the Troutbeck. The view back doiun the valley, and at various points, is very fine, and is but feebly indicated in the illustration. About a-mile-and-a-half above Troutbeck Bridge, on the Ambleside road, the long straggling village of Troutbeck commences. Here we have, says Professor Wilson, " K mile-long scattered congregation of rural dwellings, all dropped down where the Painter and the Poet would have wished to plant them, on knolls and in dells, on banks and braes, and below tree-crested rocks ; and all bound together in picturesque confusion by old groves of ash, oak, and sycamore, and by flower-gardens and fruit orchards, rich as those of the Hesperides." There aie roads up both sides of the Troutbeck Valley, and near the bridge which connects them at the upper end, is THE ENGLISH LAKES. 27 Troutbeck Chapel. The present Church_was built in 1736, and restored in 1828. Since theinrha^ been re-seated, and stained-glass windows have been inserted. The bell bears the date 1631, and the motto, "Jesvs be ovr speede." The old oak Communion Table was presented to the Church in 1684. The Registers commence about 1579. In days of old, Troutbeck had its Giant, His name was Hugh Hird, and he is said to have been a man of TROUTBECK. wonderful strength and appetite. There is a tradition that at the building of Kentmere Hall he lifted a beam which ten men tried in vain to move ; and when sent by Lord Dacre with a message to the King, he astonished the royal household by eating up a whole sheep to his dinner. The father of Hogarth, tlie Painter, was born at Troutbeck. Half-a-mile beyond the Chapel is the " Mortal Man " Inn, so called from the following verse by some local poet, 2 8 HANDY GUIDE TO which might have been seen on the sign-board a few years ago:— " 'O mortal Man, that liv'st on bread, How comes thy nose to be so red ' ? ' Thou silly ass, that looks so pale, It is with drinking Birkett's ale.' " Two miles beyond the inn, the tourist will perceive below him, an elevation rising from the bottom of the valley, and dividing it into two. This is known as Troutbeck Tongue. To the north-east are the Kentmere Hills. Eight miles from Windermere the Kirkstone Pass is reached, at which there is an inn, said to be the highest inhabited house in England. It is nearly 1,500 feet above the sea. On the left are the Red Screes and Kirkstone Fell, and on the right Frossick and High Street. The latter gets its name from the fact that a Roman road once traversed its summit, and it may still be traced. About a quarter of a mile beyond the inn, the descent of the Pass commences, and Brothers Water comes into view. Here we require to look back up the Pass if we wish to get a proper view of the rock, resembling a miniature " Kirk," from which the Pass derives its name. The distance from the head of the Pass to UUeswater is six- miles, and Brothers Water is half-way. It is three-quarters of a mile in length, and about half-a-mile in breadth, and is well stocked with trout. Hayes Water and Angle Tarn, a little to the east, also afford good sport for the angler, and he will find Iiead quarters at Brothers Water Hotel. Continuing our route, we pass along the shore of Brothers Water, and a little below it cross the Goldrill Beck. Two miles further Patterdale Village is reached at the head of UUeswater. Here there is an excellent Hotel and a comfortable Inn ; but the Coach proceeds ^ THE ENGLISH LAKES. 29 to the steam boat a mile further on. Close beside the pier is the Ulleswater Hotel, beautifully situated, and providing first-class accommodation. [jFor continuation, see Ulleswater J\ 30 CHAPTER III. BoWNESS AND WiNANDER Mere. OWNESS is the Port of Windermere, and is prettilj^^ituated -On a Bay of the Lake. Steamers run in connec- tion with all trains to and from the south end of the Lake ; and all these steamers call at Bowness Pier. It is also only i| miles by road from Windermere Railway Station, as we formerly stated ; and regular commu- ''' nication between the two is main- tained by means of 'Busses. We have already introduced the tourist to its principal hotels on page 24. The special attractions of the place are boating and fishing. There is an excellent fleet of boats for hire, and the lake abounds with trout, char, perch, and pike. There is no thing more delightful than to^^j)addIe one's own ^^canoe^amj^ngjJij^ariousjsland^ a and explore their sylvan beauties. Belle Isle, the largest of these, is X exactly opposite Bowness. It is over thirty acres in extent, and contains the residence of Mr. Curwen. For this reason it is sometimes called Curwen's Isle. His house is perfectly circular, and has a dome-shaped roof. There are HANDY GUIDE TO THE ENGLISH LAKES. 3 1 many fine trees upon the island, and it is intersected by neat walks. Permission to land must be obtained. It was here, and in a building which occupied the site of the present house, that Robert Philipson, of Calgarth, was besieged during the Civil War, to which we have already referred in connection with Kendal Church. Then, besides the rowing and sailing boats, there are the steamers constantly gliding up and down, and tempting one to take a trip along with them. Tourists who have not yet visited Furness Abbey will find this a most convenient centre for doing so, and they can make a circular tour of it by including Coniston, if they choose. Tickets for the tour are issued at the Steam Boat piers daily, and are available for return any day within a week. There are many delightful walks al^out Bowness, and several favourite points of observation. Among the latter are Biskey Howe and Brant Fell. The former is on the right-hand side of the road leading up to Windermere village, and has recently been purchased for a Public Park. On the edge of the Howe the Windermere Hydro- pathic Establishment has just been erected at a cost of _;^25,ooo. No finer situation could have been chosen. The views from its windows can scarcely be surpassed in the district. Brant Fell lies more to the south ; the view from it is exquisite, and includes all the principal mountain summits in the district — from Coniston Old Man on the west to Skiddaw on the north, and High. Street and Hill Bell on the north-east. Along the Lake side, the walks through the Parsonage grounds onjhe_ soutji of the village, and past Rayrigg to Miller's BxQM on the_north of it, are much^jid mired. Bowness is in the parish of Windermere, and its old Church is the Parish Church. It is dedicated to St. 32 HANDY GUIDE TO Martin, and was built in 1485. In this age of general " Restoration," it has not escaped ; and during the process (1873) the famous east window itself has been restored by Mr. Hugh Hughes, of London, under the superintendence of Mr. C. Knight- Watson. The Church, like most of the old ones in the Lake District, is a very unpretending structure, and until quite recently consisted of a nave with two aisles, a chancel, and a low square tower. The renovation has included a new vestry and an extension of the chancel. The tower has also been raised, and a peal of eight bells hung. During the progress of the work it was discovered that the original plaster of the walls had a series of Catechetical questions painted on them, probably done nearly three centuries ago, which had been covered with successive coats of whitewash. This coating has been removed, and the inscriptions restored where illegible ; and these have given the key to the recent additions. The new frescoes are a " Majesty " — Our Lord in glory surrounded by angels, on the west wall above the arch ; the Adoration of the Magi on the north side of the Chancel ; and the Entombment of Our Lord on the south. It has hitherto been supposed that the painted glass of the east window formed part of that which was at one time in Furness Abbey ; but this supposition seems to have rested upon an insufficient foundation. West men- tions it in his history of Furness, published in 1774, but his authority for the statement is unknown. The recent restoration has drawn special attention to this question, and the conclusion now arrived at by those versed in such matters is, that the greater portion of the glass must have been brought from Cartmel Priory, about the beginning of the 1 6th century. THE ENGLISH LAKES. 33 Before the restoration, the window was in a most dilapidated state. The Church suffered much from the Roundheads during the Civil War ; and probably at the time they smashed the organ they broke the window too. It had been " affectionately repaired in places by glazed tissue-paper stained with water colours, and the holes stopped up promiscuously, — the larger ones with mortar, the smaller ones with glaziers" pu-ttyi" One cannot help pausing to think of the number of innocent tourists who have fondly gazed upon tliese very peculiar bits of old stained-glass from Furness Abbey, as represented by the coloured bits of tissue paper. With regard to the cold blue background to the figure of Our Saviour on the Cross, Mr. Hughes remarks that it is "flat and intense, not imitating sky, and makes the window quite a work of itself, and curious beyond any other in England." The figure of Our Lord extends over the three central lights of the window. Angels receive the blood from the -sacred wounds in golden chalices. On His right is the Virgin Mary, and on His left is St. John. Beyond the former are St. George and the Dragon, and St. Barbara ; while to the left of the latter is St. Catherine. In the .seventh light — the one on the extreme right of the spectator — are two figures, believed to represent the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, and two said to be St. Stephen and St. Lawrence. This glass is much earlier than that in the other six lights, although there need be little doubt that it was placed here later. This light would most likely be filled originally by some figure to correspond with St. Barbara in the first light. Over these six figures an elaborate architectural canopy of late perpendicular work extends, ornate with golden-winged angels, playing on musical instruments. The Cross and 4 34 HANDY guidf; to the figures of the Virgin Mary and St. John stand on ground most beautifully covered with foliage, while here and there a half-concealed skull asserts that the place is Golgotha. The upper part of St. Barbara, the faces of Our Saviour and the Virgin Mary, and the upper part of St. John, are restorations. Below these six magnificent figures are six small groups, evidently, by their style and execution, parts of the same window. These we shall notice very briefly : Group I. Under St. Barbara — an ecclesiastic kneeling with hands raised in prayer. Above him are the words "John Plo P'or of Kerkmel." 2. A knight and lady kneeling. Overhead is " Willm Thornboro and hys Wyff." Sir William Thornburgh, of Hampsfield Hall, and the heiress of Broughton-in-Furness. Date, end of 15th century. 3. Similar to No. i, but kneeling in an opposite direction. Behind tlie principal figure are six or seven others, believed to be Canons of Kerkmel. Labels which once bore their names issue from their mouths, but the names are much obliterated. 4. Knight and lady kneeling. Scroll, " Pennington and his Wiff." Date similar to No. 2. 5 and 6. Similar groups, but the curious are left to conjecture who are represented by them. In the upper part of the window are three pictures, the rest being filled chiefly with shields of arms. The first picture represents the entry of Our Saviour into Jerusalem, and the third His Resurrection. Both are believed to be fourteenth century work. Between these two is the Virgin Mary, crowned and seated under a canopy. The infant Saviour stands on her knee. She has an apple in her right hand, thus showing she is depicted as the Second Eve. " Mors per Evam, per Mariam Vita." This is the oldest glass in the window — thirteenth century — and is THE ENGLISH LAKES. 35 very mosaic in character. The Virgin and Child are on the Seal of Furness Abbey, where she is crowned and holds an apple in her right hand. This may possibly fully account for the tradition that the whole of the glass came originally from the Abbey. We have taken these notes from a detailed account of the window in the " Transac- tiofis of the Cumberland and Westmoreland Antiquarian and Archceological Society for 1879." Tourists wishing fuller details than we have given, will find them there, and also in a pamphlet by Mr. Clowes, of Windermere, to be obtained from the booksellers. " The Carriers' Arms." There is a piece of painted glass in the window of the North side called the Carriers' Arms, which are a rope, a wantey book, and five packing pricks, or skewers, being the instruments which carriers use to fasten their packing sheets together. The tradition regarding this window is that the church and also the chapels at Ambleside, Troutbeck, and Applethwaite were all ruinous and unfit for worship ; and as the people were poor, it was proposed to build one central church for all. They could not agree, however, as to the most central position, and it was suggested that whoever gave the largest donation towards the building should be allowed to choose the site. The choice fell to a carrier, who had made a fortune in business, and who offered to cover the church with lead ; and he chose Bowness. On the eastmost pier of the church, on the south side, is an ancient Latin inscription, dated 1629, and com- memorating Guy Fawkes' Day, 5th Nov., 1605. On a stone tablet near the small south door is "The Author's Epitaph upon himself, made in the tyme of his sickness," and which is as follows : — "A man I was, wormes meate I am, To earth returned from whence I came. 36 HANDY GUIDE TO THE ENGLISH LAKKS. Many removes on earth I had, In earth at length my bed is made ; A lied which Christ did not disdaine, Although it covid not him retaine. His deadlie foes might plainlie see Over sin and deatli his victory. Here must I i"est till Christ shall let me see His promised Jerusalem and her felicitie. Veni Domine Jesu, veni cito. Robert Philipson, gent. \iiij'° Octobris an" salutis 1631 anno /Etatis Suae 63''°-" There is a monument by Flaxman to the memory of Bishop Watson, who died at Calgarth, and is buried in the churchyard, close by the east window. The tourist is again referred to the beginning of the Guide for the Coach, arrangements ; and two of the Tours from Bowness are especially mentioned at the beginning of Chapter IV. If he has not yet visited Kendal, he can get to it from Windermere in twenty minutes. 37 WINANDER MERE. <^M ■^ s, N continuation of our route from Furness HIP') ^bbey, we return to Lake Side, at the |^^•-y southern extremity of the lake. ^'|f ' Althou2;h the scenery around the southern ^^ ]^ half of the lake is very Ijeautiful, it has none of the grandeur which surrounds the northern half. As the tourist leaves Lake Side, the hills he sees on his right (east) are the Cartmel Fells, and the most conspicuous summit is called Gummer's How. Of the ten principal islands in the Lake, seven retain the ancient Saxon name of Holm, meaning island ; and before reach- ing Bowness we pass in succession Silver Holm, Grass Holm, and Ling Holm. About two and a-half miles up, a promontory juts in on the West, called Rawlinson's Nab ; and a little further north on the east, the promontory of Storrs is conspicuous, with the Summerhouse at its extremity. The Mansion on the adjacent shore is St orrs H all, originally built by Sir John Legard, Bart., but to which ex- tensive additions have since been made. Wliile it be- longed to the late Mr, Bolton, Canning was a frequent visitor ; and here he met Scott, Wordsworth, Southey, Wil- son, and Lockhart in 1825. A little to the north of this, the lake is narrowed by promontories on both sides, 38 HANDY GUIDE TO and between the two a general Ferry is established. The steamer may possibly touch at the pier on the west side, close beside which is Ferry Hotel. Next we cross the Lake and approach Bowness, leaving the thickly wooded Belle Isle on our left. The little town looks quite charming from the Lake, as it picturesquely fringes the little Bay, and dots the hill side. Should the tourist land here, he will fmd the Hotels mentioned on page 24. The " Crown " may be seen from the deck of the steamer, finely situated a little way up the face of the hill. About three-quarters of a mile above Bowness on the right are STORRS HALL. the woods of Rayrigg and Rayrigg House, for several years the summer residence of Wilberforce. We next come to Calgarth Hall, on the same side, built by the late Bishop Watson, of Llandafif, on the site of the ancient seat of the Philipsons, of Calgarth. The Park is watered by the Troutbeck, which here enters the Lake. A little farther north on the opposite side is Wray Castle, the most conspicuous residence on the westernTshoreT"' Now we approach Low Wood on the right, with its steam- boat pier and Hotel — a favourite residence with those THE ENGLISH LAKES. 39 who desire to give themselves up for a time to the enjoy- ment of the surrounding scenery. A Httle to the north of Low Wood is Dove Nest, a plain two-storey hou^e^ which was the residence of Mrs. Hemans_in iS.'^o. She was " so delighted with the spot that she scarcely knew how to leave it." At the head of the Lake is Water- head Pier, and close by is Waterhead Hotel. Convey, ances run between the Pier and Ambleside, which is nearly a mile distant. In addition to the residences we have named, a host of modern villas dot the hill- sides which surround the Lake. BOWNESS FROM THE LAKE. Like most of the other lakes, the finest scenery sur- ^ rounds the head of Windermere ; and as we approach it, i the mountains to the north seem much nearer than they really are. Loughr lgg^F ell stands boldly forth in front ^ towards the north-west. To the left of it are the Lang- dale Pikes — Harrison Stickle, 2,400 ft., and Pike Stickle, 2,300 ft. — while still further to the west are Bowfell, 2,960 ft., and Scawfell, 3,210 ft., the loftiest mountain in 40 HANDY GUIDE TO THE ENGLISH LAKES. ICngland. On the right is Wansfell, i,6oo ft., and to the north of it the Kirkstone Pass and Fairfield. Windermere is ten miles in length, and a mile in breadth, and its depth does npt exceed 240 feet. Its principal feeders are the Brathay and the Rothay, which unite their waters just before entering the lake. The Brathay drains the Langdale Vale, while the Rothay discharges the waters of Grasmere and Rydal. It is said that in the spawning season, when trout and char ascend the river, the former invariably select the Rothay, while the latter, without exception, enter the Brathay. -i.^,^^ 41 CHAPTER IV. ? O N I S TO N ONISTON mny be visited by Circular Tour from Bowness. The Coach crosses Winder- mere by the Ferry, and proceeds along the route we are about to describe. Four hours are allowed at Coniston for a tour of the Lake, or to ascend the " Old Man," and the Coach then returns via Skelwith Bridge and the head of Windermere. Or, Coniston may be included in the tour by Steamer, Rail, and Char-a-Bancs, from any Pier on Windermere. The Ferry is about three-quarters of a mile below Bowness. From this we cross to Ferry Hotel, on the west side of the Lake, and the tourist may well pause and enjoy the views from this point. On a hill above the Hotel, but quite near, is the Station House. From it the Lake is seen at your feet nearly throughout its whole extent. The windows are filled with coloured glass, so as to represent the landscape as it appears at different seasons of the year. Proceeding on our way to Coniston, we pass through the village of Sawrey, two miles from Ferry Hotel, and near the foot of Esthwaite Water. There are .rt-<_X»-' P \AZ. U*^-! t*-*-0*T>'^i-^'\ 42 HANDY GUIDE TO good roads on both sides of this lake, which is two miles in length by half-a-mile in breadth. The scenery by which it is surrounded contains no striking features. At its upper end is a floating island, with trees upon it. At the head of the Lake is Hawkshead, a small town, which dates from very ancient times. Its Church occupies an elevated site, and from it there is a fine view. It was founded about the time of the Conquest, but was rebuilt in the reign of Elizabeth by Edwin Sandys, Archbishop of York, and contains a monument to the memory of the Archbishop's parents. 1 ESTIIWAITK AND HAWKSHEAD. Archbishop Sandys also founded the Grammar School here in 1585. Wordsworth and his brother, and several other famous men, were educated here. Wordsworth's name is cut on one of the benches, and is believed to have been done by himself when a pupil. The School Library contains 1,000 volumes, Hawkshead is four miles from Ferry, four from Coniston, and five from Ambleside. The Red Lion is a good Hotel, and a favourite head quarters for anglers. THE ENGLISH LAKES. 43 About a mile north of Hawkshead, at the point where the road to Ambleside branches off, stands Hawkshead. Hall. Here the Abbots of Furness used to hold their Manor Courts, and here the monks on duty in the district resided ; it is now a farm-house. Our road now turns west ; and about three miles further we reach Waterhead Hotel, at the head of Coniston Lake. The village is nearly half-a-mile distant, and the principal Hotel there is the " Crown." Coniston Lake, anciently called Thurston Water, is six miles in length, and about thiee-quaners of a mile in breadth. Its extreme depth is about 160 feet. The waters abound with char and trout, and Coniston competes with Buttermere for the honour of producing the finest char in the district. A Steam Gondola plies on the Lake all the Summer, and makes ilie tour of it three times a day. At the south end of Coniston Lake there is nothing striking about the scenery; but as the gondola approaches the head, the Coniston, Yewdale, and Tilberthwaite Fells hem it grandly in, the Old Man and Wetherlam being .specially conspicuous ; while away to the north, rising above these, the summit of Helvellyn and other peaks in that district close the view. On the west side of the lake, about half-a-mile south- east from Coniston village, is Coniston Hall, an ancient seat of the Le Flemings, which is said to have changed hands but once since the Conquest. It is now a farm- house. Nearly opposite to it, on the east side, is Coniston Bank, from which Miss Martineau considers the best view of the lake is to be obtained. About three-quarters of a mile further north is Tent Lodge, from which there is also a very fine view of the lake, with the village ot Coniston and its overhanging hills in the background. «/v 44 HANDV GUIDE TO vV, , \^<^^Tlie "Old Man." All who can spare the time (and ' ^ it fates five hours to do it comfortably) should climb Coniston Old Man, in order to enjoy the magnificent panorama which presents itself to the view. This hill, the highest summit of the Coniston Fells, is 2,633 ft* ^^ height. It is composed of fine roofing slate, which is quarried, and carried down the lake in boats. There are also copper mines under it, which have been worked from very early times, and at present yield employment to a large number of workmen. To ascend the mountain, the tourist should follow the road to the Copper Mines, and when these are reached, he should next make his way to the Slate Quarries, Avhich he will see half-way up the mountain. He will then hold to the right until he sees the mountain tarn called Low Water, and at the same time he will perceive the cairn which crowns the summit of the Old Man. From this point he must just scramble to the top the best way he can. The view from the summit is very extensive, except towards the north-west, where it is bounded by the high peaks of Bowfell, Scaw- fell, and Great Gable. By referring to the map, the tourist will be able to distinguish the various mountains and lakes, etc., for himself. His view on the south includes Morecambe Bay, and in clear weather, the Isle of Man can be distinctly seen to the west. Close to the sj( Old Man, on the north, is Wetherlam (2,400 ft.), under which lies the road througliTilberthwaite. The small lake between the two mountains is Levers Water. To the west ij ^jeatliwaite Tarn, and to the south-west, IS Goat Water. These tarns all yield good sport to the angler. Another mode of ascent, and one preferred by many, is to leave the village by the Walna Scar road, after THE ENGLISH LAKES. 45 traversing which for half-a-mile or so, a clearly-defined track will be seen to lead off on the right up the moun- tain. Tourists who ascend the one way may conveniently descend the other. They may also obtain permission at the works to visit the Copper Mines, should they desire to do so. Of the walks in the neighbourhood of Coniston, the favourite is that into Yewdale and back by Tarn How, a round of between three and four miles. The view of the Lake from Tarn How is very fine. Should the tourist have his head-quarters at the Waterhead Hotel, Tarn How will be nearest to him, and he can return by Yewdale or not as he pleases. From Coniston the tourist may proceed to Wast- water and Scawfell. (i.) By rail to Irton Road Station, via Broughton ; thence four miles by road to Strands, w^hich is one mile from the foot of Wastwater. Should he wish to visit Stanley Gill Fall, he must go on to Boot, and return to Irton Road. (See next route.) (ii.) He may proceed on foot by the Walna Scar road and across the Duddon Valley and Eskdale to Boot, whence he may take train to Irton Road and walk to Strands as before ; or he may take the read from Boot to Wastdale Head, six miles distant. As it is beyond the scope of this Guide to enter minutely into this purely pedestrian route, we may state here that the_o_nly Inn between Coniston and Boot is at Newfield (Seathwaite), five miles from Coniston Church. Beyond this, the tourist must hold a north-westerly .« direction, right across the Fells for about four miles, to Birkerthwaite Farm, whence there is a road past Dalegarth , '. Hall to Boot. At Dalegarth Hall, a guide should be .^ T '• obtained to visit Dalegarth Force, otherwise called Stanley . ^-rU ^-tVW 46 HANDY GUIDE TO 1 STANLFA' GILL lALL. / i> -i THE ENGLISH LAKES. 47 Gill Fall, the finest in the Lake District. It is situated within private grounds, otherwise no guide is necessary. The volume of water is not great, but the Fall is 60 feet ^^V' in height, and is surrounded by majestic rocks in a dell "^ ^ f* of exceeding beauty. It is a mile from Boot, and tourists (^ who approach it from that point obtain a guide at the / - Bridge. Within a mile is Birker Force, 65 feet in height. ^ ^ Should the tourist not feel disposed to go farther west than Coniston, he may proceed through Yewdale and Tilberthwaite to Dungeon Gill and the Langdales (nine miles), and thence to Ambleside ; or he may take 'I the direct road to Ambleside, which is eight miles from Coniston. Coaches run daily between the two. ^■' Wastwater is most conveniently visited by route (i). At Strands there are two comfortable Inns, and a boat may be hired to take the tourist up Wastwater, which is the best way to view it. The scenery is wild in the extreme. The Lake is hemmed in by lofty hills, almost entirely "1^ destitute of vegetation, and rising at one part perpendi- - 5 cularly from the edge of the water. It is three and a-half '^. miles in length, half-a-mile in breadth, and 270 feet deep. It has never been known to be frozen over, which is ^^.o^ probably owing to its great depth and the shelter afforded ^ by the mountains. It contains trout and a few char. Looking up the vale, Yewbarrow forms a fine apex ; Kirkfell pushes forward its bold front on the left, and at ;.:y- the head of the dale the pyramidal Gable appears conspicuous. Lingmell comes finely in view on the right, over which Scawfell and the Pikes reign pre- eminent. The Haycocks may be seen through the lateral vale on the left, called Bowderdale, and the Pillar crowns the head of Mosedale. Middle Fell is on the margin of the lake on the west, and the Screes on the 48 HANDY GUIDE TO THE ENGLISH LAKES. opposite side complete the panorama. The " Screes'" are .1 profusion of loose stones extending from near the summit of the mountain quite into the water, and resting upon so steep a declivity that the slightest disturbance in any part communicates a sliding motion to the rest. Scawfell Pike is the loftiest mountain in England, and must be distinguished from Scawfell itself, which is <;lose beside it. The former has a Cairn on the summit, surmounted by a pole. A spur from the Pikes, having the separate name of Lingmell, is right in front of the Tourist as he lands at the head of Wastvvater. This he must ascend nearly to its summit, and then turn to the right (east), and keep in that direction for three-quarters of a mile or so. " Deflections to the right and left in succes- .sion will place the hardy climber on Scawfell Pike." Scawfell summit is three-quarters of a mile to the south, and the deep chasm of Mickledore lies between. The Tourist should commence the descent of the Pike on the norh-east side, by way of Esk Hause, from which he may either proceed north into Borrowdale, or east into F^angdale ; the latter being best suited for those following the order in which this Guide is arranged. From Scawfell to Dungeon Gill Hotel, by way of Angle Tarn, the distance is six miles. \For contimiatioii io Ambleside^ see next Chapter^ 49 CHAPTER V. cr^:- V i^- Ambleside, To "Windermere Station, 5 miles ; Bowness, 6 ; Coniston. Rydal, i-^ ; Grasmere, 4 ; Patterdale, 9 ; and Keswick, 17 MBLESIDE is practically if/ie centre of V the Lake District ; and anyone who prefers fixed head-quarters, and does not mind the loss of time involved in returning every night to the same place, may at once pitch his camp here, as we are told the Romans did eighteen centuries ago. The Jittle^ town i is romantically situated in the valley of the Rothay^ a.nd half encircled by stately hills. It has good hotels, and comfortable lodgings may also be had. It holds frequent ; communication by coach daily with Windermere and Bow- / ness on the one hand, and with Rydal, Grasmere, and f Keswick on the other. Coaches also start from it to Coniston and to the Langdales on the west, and to Patterdale and Ulleswater to the north-east. It is, besides, within a mile of Winander Mere and its ever-plying steam yachts. None of the buildings in the town claim special notice 5 50 HANDY GUIDE TO To the west is the new Church of. St.__Mary, -designed by the late Sir Gilbert Scott, and consecrated in 1854. ' Of several stained glass windows in it, the principal one is a memorial to Wordsworth, presented, as an inscription records, by English and American admirers of the poet. On the east of the town, and about half-a-mile dis- tant, is Stock Gill Force, a pretty waterfall, about 70 feet in height. It is divided at the summit, by a crag, into two streams, which again unite before they are finally precipitated into the basin below. The walk up the Stock Gill may be continued south-eastwards to Wansfell (1,590 ft.) and Troutbeck, should the tourist feel disposed, and he can return by Low Wood, two miles from Ambleside. The views from Wansfell and neighbourhood are very fine, and the tourist may return by Skelgill instead of the lower road, should he prefer it. [See map.) To the west, the summit of Loiighrigg Fell may be easily gained ; and, considering its moderate eleva- tion of 1,000 feet, the views from it may be said to be unequalled. From that part of the Fell, where the lovely ^oughrigg Tan? is just under your feet, there is an excellent view of the great Langdale Valley and the Pikes. Of the various Excursions that may be made from Ambleside, the one that specially belongs to it is that up the Langdale Valley to Dungeon Gill Fall and the Pikes. A coach makes the round daily, returning by Grasmere and Rydal. It leaves Ambleside by the Coniston Road, but instead of crossing Brathay Bridge, the route lies up the left bank of the Brathay, through the village of Clappersgate. After proceeding nearly two miles, the road divides. The one to the left leads to Skelwith Bridge, and a little above the Bridge is Skelwith THE ENGLISH LAKES. 51 Force. The coach will wait, if desired, until the Force is visited. The volume of water is the greatest of all the falls in the Lake District, but the height does rot exceed 20 feet. The scenery in which it is set is very fine, however. Up through the cleft in the rock from which the water issues, the Langdale Pikes may be perceived in the distance. Continuing our route, we next come to Colwith Bridge, four-and-a-half miles from Ambleside, and a little above it is Cohvith Force, -T ': ^ BRATHAY BRIDGE. down which the water rushes from a height of 70 feet. This fall is best seen from below, and this point of observation may be gained by approaching from the west side of the bridge, through the wood. Resuming our journey, we come to Little Langdale Tarn, a short distance beyond which the road to the Valley of the Duddon and Eskdale, by the Wrynose Pass, branches off to the left at Fell Foot. About one-and-a-half miles up this road the "Three Shire Stones" mark the spot where the counties of Cumberland, Westmoreland, and Lancashire meet. But this is a digression. Our ^^ •^ 52 HANDY GUIDE TO route to Dungeon Gill runs north-west from Fell Foot. After passing Blea Tarn, we come to Wall End, with Dungeon Gill Old Hotel, lo miles from Ambleside. This is really the extremity of the round, for we go no farther west. The road turns towards the right, and after proceeding another mile, Millbeck and Dungeon Gill DUNGEON GILL FALL. New Hotel are reached. A quarter-of-a-mile above the hotel is Dungeon Gill Fall. "There is a spot which you may see, If ever you to Langdale go, Into a chasm a mighty block Hath fall'n, and made a bridge of roclc : THE ENGLISH LAKES. 53 The gulph is deep below ; And in a basin, black and small, Receives a lofty waterfall." Wordsworth. This Fall is 90 feet in height, but the volume of water is very small. What gives it special note, is the natural archway that has been formed over the top of it by two masses of rock that have fallen from the sides, and become firmly wedged together. A little to the right the Mill Beck is seen tumbling down the hill-side on its way LANGDALE PIKES. from Stickle Tarn. The Tourist who wishes to ascend the Pikes, cannot do better than follow this stream up to the Tarn ; and then leaving it on his right, he should follow a small stream which he will see running down the mountain side. The ascent is steep, but that is the only difficulty. An easier path may be had by following the pony track which ascends from the Dungeon Gill Fall 54 HANDY GUIDE TO THE ENGLISH LAKES. on the right. The fine ridge of rock which overhangs Stickle Tarn is called Pavey Ark. Returning to Ambleside, we pass Langdale Chapel, one- and-a-half miles from Millbeck, and near it is Thrang slate quarry. Here the road divides — that to the left leading up the hill by way of High Close and Red Bank to Grassmere (see next CJiapier\ the other direct to Ambleside. By the latter, Elterwater Tarn soon comes into view, and at its head stands Elterwater Hall. Near the Bridge, on the right, are the works of the Elterwater Gunpowder Company. In a little the road turns south, leaving Loughrigg Tarn on the left ; and after proceeding another mile or so, we rejoin the road by which we left Ambleside in the morning. The distance from Dungeon Gill to Ambleside by this route is eight miles. The Coach route returning by Grassmere makes the " Round " nearly 22 miles. 55 CHAPTER VI. J^YDAL, GrASMERE, AND ffELVELLYN. EAVING Ambleside by the Keswick Road, the village of Rydal is one-and-a- half miles distant. By the longer, but much more picturesque route by way of Rothay Bridge and up the bank of the river, it is a mile further, ^ By the latter route, we pass many villas delightfully situated, and among others Fox How e, J)u|lt ^yJ:he late Dr. Arnold, of Rugb^.^ After" a walk' of two-and-a-half p. miles we rejoin the coach road to Keswick, near the J entrance to Rydal Hall. This mansion is the residence^ of the Le Flemings, whose ancestors came to England with the Conqueror. Sir Thomas le Fleming obtained Rydal Manor by marriage in the reign of Henry VI. Within the grounds are two celebrated Waterfalls, half-a- mile apart, known as the Upper and Lower Falls oJL_ Rydal. They are, indeed, but miniature waterfalls, and are famous for their beauty rather than their grandeur. As the grounds are private, tourists are not allowed to visit the Falls without a guide, and one may be obtained at the Cottage on the left, near the gate. The Lower Fall is approached through a narrow glen, at the end of ^ W 56 HANDY GUIDE TO which is a Summer-house. On entering this, the Fall is seen from the window, within a few yards of the eye of the spectator. " Here," says Mason, " nature has per- formed everything in little, which she usually executes on a larger scale ; and, on that account, like the miniature painter, seems to have finished every part of it in a studied manner. Not a little fragment of rock thrown into the basin— not a single stem of brushwood that starts from its craggy sides, but has its picturesque meaning ; and the little central stream dashing down a cleft of the -^'^^ RYDAL MOUNT. darkest coloured stone, produces an effect of light and shadow beautiful beyond description. This little theatrical scene might be painted as large as the original on a canvas not bigger than those usually dropped in the Opera House." The Upper Fall is quite different in its character ; and, although over fifty feet in height, is not so much admired. At a little distance from Rydal Hall is Rydal Mount, ^ for many years the residence of Wordsworth, and where ■'V he died in 1850. It is a plain, two-storey building, with*,a/ V^ J • y double row of five windows in the front, and a porch. ^/^^^ THE ENGLISH LAKES. 57 \ "It is mantled over here and there with roses, ivy, jessamine, and Virginian creepers." The house contains no relics of the Poet, nor is it occupied by any relative, and the present tenant declines the intrusion of tourists. A foot-path leads behind the house under the Nab^Scar to Grasmere. Returning to the high road, we have Rydal Water on 3"\ our left. It is only half-a-mile long and a third-of-a-mile ,^^p%< broad. It has several islets, and the scenery by which it is ^\^"' surrounded is strikingly beautiful. On the right the Nab_ "C^^^' Scar rears its rocky front, and at its foot is Nab Cottage,. V>^ •= once the residence of Hartley Coleridge. A Uttle beyond, \ > a quarry is reached ; and here two roads, at higher * \^ elevations and with much finer views than the coach roadv^^'^ also lead to Grasmere. The middle one, which is also ^ \ shorter than the coach road, takes the tourist through what V^ v t i^^alled J he WighijOg^Gate, from the belief that wishes ^^^^^ formed there were sure to result favourably. This point is jy '^y^ exactly opposite the middle of Grasmere Lake, and com- ^%t^^ mands a splendid view of it. Continuing, we rejoin the "^^^e coach road at Town End, near the house which Words- x^/^^ ' worth occupied for eight years, and which was afterwards ^^^ ^ the residence of De Quincey. It was to this house that i) /"' Wordsworth brought his bride in 1802, and here Sir Walter Scott paid him a visit. From Town End the road 'i to Grasmere village turns to the left off the main road,, t| and soon Grasmere Church is reached, four miles from H Ambleside. Grasmere Village is situated a little to the head of the Lake. Be§ides_Llie^__Prince^ of JVVales Hotel, whi ch °g \ stands on the sh ore of the Lake, and is the first arrive d V at from the south, there are the Rothay and the Red