CUMBRIA AND THE LAKES – World Travel

Borrowdale And Buttermere Valleys

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 06:59:57 +0000

Hemmed in by wooded fells, flat fields and pointy granite peaks, and sprinkled with the kind of remote farmhouses and sturdy cottages that grace many a Lakeland postcard, the valleys of Borrowdale and Buttermere are many people’s idea of the quintessential Lake District landscape. Separated by the old Honister Pass – once the county’s main slate-mining area – these twin valleys are hugely popular with walkers and hikers, with a network of walking trails and easy access to some of the region’s highest peaks.

Borrowdale stretches for 6 miles from the western edge of Derwent Water to Honister Pass. Buttermere runs northwest from Honister Pass along the shores of Buttermere Lake and Crummock Water towards Cockermouth.

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Carlisle

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 06:59:57 +0000

Flung out on the very edge of England, on the border of the Debatable Lands, the fortress city of Carlisle is certainly no stranger to conflict: throughout its 2000-year history it’s been the site of more sieges, skirmishes and sackings than almost anywhere else in the country.

The city’s massive castle still stands as a reminder of its tempestuous past, but somehow its crenellated battlements, turrets and stout walls have managed to survive the centuries relatively intact. Carlisle is also home to Cumbria’s only cathedral, built from the same rosy red sandstone that characterises the castle and many of the city’s houses; during the 18th and 19th centuries, Carlisle became a bustling hub of the Industrial Revolution, and many of its neat red-brick terraces grew up to house the huge numbers of workers needed to keep the factories and mills running. These days, most of the heavy industries have moved on, and Carlisle is better known for its lively nightlife and busy shops, and as a handy base for exploring the Eden Valley and the Northern Lakes.

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Coniston

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 06:59:57 +0000

Above the tranquil surface of Coniston Water, with its gliding steam yachts and quiet boats, looms the craggy, pockmarked peak known as the Old Man of Coniston (801m). The nearby village grew up around the copper-mining industry; these days, there are just a few sleepy streets, with two fine pubs and some tourist shops, making Coniston an excellent place for relaxing by the quiet lakeside.

Coniston is best known for the world-record speed attempts made on the lake by Sir Malcolm Campbell and his son, Donald, between the 1930s and 1960s. Tragically, after smashing the record several times, Donald was killed during an attempt in 1967, when his futuristic jet boat Bluebird flipped at around 320mph. The boat and its pilot were found in 2001; Campbell was buried in the cemetery near St Andrew’s church.

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Cumbrian Coast

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 06:59:57 +0000

Most visitors never make the trek out to the Cumbrian coast, and with such a wealth of spectacular sights to discover around the Central Lakes, it’s not really surprising. But they’re missing out on one of the county’s hidden gems – a sweeping panorama of gentle fields, coastal trails and sandy bays, dotted with some of Cumbria’s oldest and most historic towns. The Edwardian holiday resort of Grange-over-Sands and the medieval village of Cartmel are both within easy reach of Morecambe Bay, on the county’s southern coast, while on the western coast you’ll find the Roman settlement of Ravenglass – starting point for the classic L’aal Ratty steam railway – and the ancient port of Whitehaven, as well as the controversial nuclear reprocessing plant at Sellafield.

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Grasmere

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 06:59:57 +0000

Nestled at the base of a broad valley dotted with oak woods and peaceful fields, and overlooked by the domed peaks of Helm Crag and Steel Fell, the little village of Grasmere is one of the prettiest in the Central Lakes. Wordsworth lived at nearby Dove Cottage for nine years and occasionally taught at the village school, which is now a famous gingerbread shop; he’s buried under the yew trees of St Oswald’s churchyard with his wife Mary and beloved sister Dorothy. Sadly, the Wordsworth connections have their drawbacks; the village is very much on the coach-tour trail, and is practically overrun with day-trippers in summer.

Wordsworth penned some of his greatest poems at Dove Cottage (35544; www.wordsworth.org.uk; adult £5.95; 9.30am-5.30pm). The building served as an inn called The Hope and Olive until 1793; Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy moved in six years later, to be joined in 1802 by William’s new wife Mary and the three eldest Wordsworth children – John, Dora and Thomas – who were born in 1803, 1804 and 1806. Covered with climbing roses and illuminated by tiny latticed windows, it’s a fascinating and atmospheric place to visit, although it can get very busy. An entertaining half-hour guided tour is included in the admission price, and entry is managed by timed tickets to avoid overcrowding.

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Hawkshead

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 06:59:57 +0000

Lakeland villages don’t come much more picturesque than Hawkshead, with its delightful huddle of cobbled streets, whitewashed pubs, arched alleys and rickety cottages. It’s hardly changed since the days when Wordsworth arrived here to attend the village school, and was once a bustling centre for the local wool trade; until the 12th century, the village was owned by the monastery at Furness Abbey. Cars are banned in the village centre throughout the year; sadly, the same can’t be said for tourist traffic.

You can almost imagine a young Wordsworth gazing out of the windows of the Hawkshead Old Grammar School (admission £2; 10.30am-12.30pm & 1.30-5.30pm Apr-Oct), which the young poet attended from 1779 to 1787 with his younger brother, John. Here Wordsworth would have studied the traditional classical curriculum (especially Latin and Greek), as well as mathematics, science and contemporary literature – he began writing his first poetry at the age of 14 while at Hawkshead. The ground-floor classroom still contains much of its original furniture (including a desk in which naughty young William carved his name) and upstairs you can visit the headmaster’s study and a small exhibition on the history of the school.

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Kendal

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 06:59:57 +0000

The sturdy, grey-slate town of Kendal is practically synonymous with its super-sweet mintcake, a peppermint-flavoured bar that sustained Edmund Hillary and Tensing Norgay on their ascent of Everest in 1953, and still finds its way into the backpacks of many seasoned walkers in the Lake District. During the Middle Ages, Kendal was renowned as a centre for the cloth and wool trades, and the town remains the main commercial centre in the southern Lakes, with some excellent museums and one of the best arts complexes in the county.

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Keswick

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 06:59:57 +0000

Standing at the head of the island-studded, tree-lined lake of Derwent Water, the grey slate town of Keswick is the busiest tourist centre in the Northern Lakes, and a humming hub for outdoor activities of all descriptions, ranging from fell walking to watersports. Several classic walking trails wind their way across the surrounding hilltops, including the long-distance Cumbria Way and the hilltop climbs to Catbells and Castle Crag, which makes Keswick a popular walking base; it’s also famous as the place where graphite was discovered in the early 16th century, and for inventing the humble lead pencil.

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Lake District

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 06:59:57 +0000

For sheer scenic splendour, few places in England can measure up to the outlandishly beautiful Lake District, where Wordsworth, Coleridge and their Romantic compatriots famously sought their poetic muse in the 19th century. The landscape of the Lakes is as breathtaking as any you’ll find in Switzerland or the French Alps – a sweeping panorama of humpbacked mountains, razorblade crags and scree-covered hillsides, strewn with mountainous tarns and some of the largest natural lakes anywhere in England.

With such a wealth of natural riches, it’s hardly surprising that the Lake District is one of the country’s favourite places for savouring the great outdoors, but there’s much more to this region than fine views – it’s also packed with history and culture, from the abandoned slate mines around Honister and the ruined abbey of Furness to the literary landmarks of Dove Cottage and Rydal Mount, both former homes of one William Wordsworth.

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Langdale

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 06:59:57 +0000

Surrounded on all sides by towering peaks, saw-tooth ridges and scree-strewn slopes, the Langdale Valley is one of the most dramatic sights in the Lake District. The main road snakes past Elterwater into the valley of Great Langdale, the starting point for some of the region’s classic trails – including the trail into the Langdale Pikes past Harrison Stickle (736m) and Pike o’ Stickle (709m), and the spectacular ascent of Crinkle Crags (819m). An ancient packhorse trail leads through Little Langdale over Wrynose and Hardknott Passes to the coast, passing a ruined Roman fort en route.

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