SUNDAY, JULY 4, 2010
KLMNO DETAILS
GETTING THERE KLM Royal Dutch Airways offers one-stop flights from BWI Marshall to London Heathrow starting at about $950 round trip. The train from London Euston to Windermere starts at about $84 round trip.
WHERE TO STAY The Sun
Coniston, 011-44-1539-441-248
www.thesunconiston.com A village inn with roots stretching back 400 years, a stone bar and exposed wood beams. Doubles from about $138.
The Waterhead Hotel Near Ambleside, 011-44-1539-432-566
www.elh.co.uk A townhouse-style hotel on the shore of Lake Windermere. Doubles from about $80.
Wasdale Head Inn Wasdale Head, near Gosforth 011-44-1946-726-229
www.wasdale.com A whitewashed inn at the head of the unspoiled Wasdale valley, close to England’s deepest lake and highest mountain. Doubles start at about $172.
SIMON AKAM If Ambleside’s charms aren’t enough, you can catch a boat there and bask in “the splendour, the stillness and solemnity” of Lake Windermere.
through the fields to an house called Holm-ground.” I found Holme Ground still standing, a brick structure enduring with the kind of doughty persistence em- bodied by so much of Britain’s ar- chitecture. Foot travel had proved suc- cessful, but in order to do both the landscape and the guide jus- tice in the time I had, I used the car that afternoon. First I drove east from Coniston, past Hawks- head, where Wordsworth had gone to school, to Windermere, England’s largest natural lake, still crossed at the waist by a ferry. I spent an exhausting and frus- trating hour clambering through the steep woods above the road in search of “a Pleasure-house be- longing to J. C. Curwen, Esq.,” which Wordsworth mentions largely in order to be rude about it. Eventually I found a roofless ruin on an outcrop. A remaining wall was laced with arrow slits, a cosmetic addition by the build- ing’s 18th-century designers; the house was never intended to withstand attack. The guide insists that “one bright unruffled evening at least, must, if possible, be set apart for the splendour, the stillness and solemnity of a three hour voyage upon the higher division of the lake.” So that evening, I arranged passage on a launch from Amble- side, at the head of Windermere. With an hour or so before the
boat’s departure, I drove down the eastern shore to the Low Wood Hotel, which Wordsworth described as a “a pleasant halt- ing-place.” It’s still in business, the original compact structure in- tact, though flanked by a much larger whitewashed wing from the 19th century and various more modern additions includ- ing — horror of horrors — a con- ference center and the Cafe del Lago Bistro. I did not linger. The boat ride on Windermere made up for the disappointing modernity at Low Wood. The launch slipped out in evening sunshine and meandered around the northern reaches of the lake. Beyond the water, the land rose up toward the fells and the moun- tains. As we made our progress I con- sidered my experiences so far. Following Wordsworth’s guide, I had already encountered many relics of the poet. But I had also
come across shrines and memori- als to numerous other individu- als. Coniston was awash in traces of racer Donald Campbell, killed in 1967 when his boat overturned on Coniston Water in pursuit of the world water speed record. Elsewhere, I’d discovered the or- nate grave of John Ruskin, the 19th-century art critic and poet, and near Hawkshead, I had seen signs pointing to Hill Top, once the home of Peter Rabbit creator Beatrix Potter. In part these memorials re-
flected shrewd marketing, but they also attested to the character of the landscape. Although it is home to both England’s highest mountain and its largest lake, the Lake District is modest in scale, particularly by American stan- dards. The countryside does not overwhelm; instead, it remem- bers and commemorates the indi- viduals who have lived in and drawn inspiration from its peaks and waters.
The next morning I took a break from the 1810 itinerary to visit a pair of former Wordsworth homes that are now open to the public. I went first to Dove Cot- tage in Grasmere, a small village by the lake of the same name, where the poet lived from 1799 to 1808. The petite whitewashed dwelling is now a museum, but I couldn’t help thinking that Wordsworth would be slightly horrified by the stream of cam- era-wielding pilgrims there. Rydal Mount, just down the
valley from Grasmere, where Wordsworth lived from 1813 until his death in 1850, was more inter- esting. The house is larger, and the gardens, which Wordsworth designed and which descend toward Rydal Water, are magnif- icent. They were cloaked in the kind of mulchy smell that is typ- ical of manicured English gar- dens for a few weeks in late spring, the very scent of fecundi- ty.
That evening I picked up the guide again. Driving north toward Keswick, I encountered dramatic change since 1810 in the form of the Thirlmere reservoir. Here, the landscape that Words- worth describes simply no longer exists. The Wytheburn Lake that Wordsworth knew is long gone, submerged when Thirlmere was
created in the late 19th century — in the teeth of some fledgling en- vironmental opposition — to pro- vide water for the burgeoning in- dustrial city of Manchester. Wordsworth’s guide goes into
great raptures about the vale of Keswick, but I was disappointed by the town itself. The setting — in a wide valley under a peak called Skiddaw — is fine, but the the town was rather uninspiring, and awash in tour buses. As I crisscrossed the surround- ing area, however, I found not only beauty but also telling survi- vors from 1810 in the outlying vil- lages. In Applethwaite, to the north, I discovered what seemed to be “the small Spinning-mill . . . erected here,” although it has now been converted into a residence. To the south, at Watendlath, a tiny hamlet reached by a winding single-track road, the “beautiful Bridge of one arch” still stands over the outflow of Watendlath Tarn. And farther south in Seath- waite, I encountered the grove of superannuated yew trees, those most delightful survivors. My opinion of Keswick’s environs rose. That afternoon I found, too,
that Wordsworth’s warning that “Ennerdale and Westdale cannot, without a good deal of trouble, be approached in a carriage” re- mains accurate. There are still no roads over the passes that lead to the heads of these valleys, so I was forced to take a long circular route out to the lowlands to the west and then drive back into the hills. In Wasdale, as Westdale is now known, I stayed near Wastwater lake and set out on foot the next morning from the head of the val- ley. My target was Great Gable, a peak just shy of 3,000 feet. As with the name of the valley, Wordsworth’s spelling is different from the accepted modern ver- sion, but “Great Gavel” features prominently in his guide. The summit of this peak is described as one of the best vantage points for appreciating the lay of the land in the central Lake District. Unfortunately, here again the
fickle Lakeland weather put paid to my ambitions. Low clouds hung over the hills that morning, and as I ascended, visibility col- lapsed. Undeterred, I continued upward, following a compass bearing and a line of cairns. But
Extend your stay! FREE!
Buy 3 nights, get 2 nights
*Valid through December 19, 2010. Restrictions apply.
— to misquote perhaps Words- worth’s most famous line of verse — rather than wandering “lonely as a cloud,” I found myself wan- dering lonely in a cloud. At the summit there was no view at all. Here I did, however, find per- haps the most touching survivor of 1810. At the top of Great Gable, Wordsworth writes, there is “a small triangular receptacle of wa- ter in a rock . . . . the shepherds say that it is never dry.” Two hundred years later, this rock receptacle is not only still there but still brimming. I cupped my hands and took a deep drink. The water tasted good enough, although perhaps short of Wordsworth’s rapturous de- scription of “a pure and celestial beverage.” It seemed a fitting toast to my immersion in the ear- ly 19th century.
travel@washpost.com
Akam is a British writer based in Berlin. His Web site is www.
simonakam.com.
WHERE TO EAT L’Enclume Cartmel, near Grange-Over-Sands 011-44-1539-536-362
www.lenclume.co.uk Michelin-starred restaurant offering three prix-fixe menus from about $80 per person, not including wine.
Lucy’s of Ambleside Ambleside,
011-44-1539-432-288
www.lucysofambleside.co.uk A combined delicatessen, cafe and restaurant. An evening meal costs about $44 per person, not including wine.
WHAT TO DO Dove Cottage and the Wordsworth Museum Grasmere, 011-44-1539-435-544
www.wordsworth.org.uk William Wordsworth’s home from December 1799 to May 1808. Admission about $11.
Rydal Mount Near Ambleside, 011-44-1539-433-002
www.rydalmount.co.uk Wordsworth’s home from 1813
Beatrix Potter at her Lake District home, Hill Top.
Hill Top Near Sawrey, Hawkshead 011-44-1539-436-269
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hilltop The home of Beatrix Potter, preserved as it was when the creator of Peter Rabbit lived there. Admission about $10.
Brantwood
Coniston, 011-44-1539-441-396
www.brantwood.org.uk The former home of 19th-century art critic John Ruskin. Admission about $9.
Lakeland Motor Museum Backbarrow, Ulverston 011-44-1539-558-509
www.lakelandmotormuseum.co.uk Collection includes classic cars, motorcycles and replicas of the land and watercraft used by Malcolm and Donald Campbell in their pursuit of speed records. Admission about $10.
INFORMATION
www.golakes.co.uk
— S.A.
K
F5
until his death in 1850 at 80. Admission about $9.
Wordsworth House Cockermouth,
011-44-1900-820-884
www.wordsworthhouse.org.uk Wordsworth’s childhood home, where he lived as a boy in the 1770s. Admission about $9.
Cumberland Pencil Museum Keswick, 011-44-1768-773-626
www.pencilmuseum.co.uk With sources of graphite nearby, Keswick has long been a center of pencilmaking. Exhibits at the museum include the world’s longest colored pencil. Admission about $5.
V.J. KING
Take the kids on a trip this summer. To a different century. THE SUMMERSAVER PACKAGE
5 days/4 nights from $599* per family of four includes Nightly accommodations at the Williamsburg Woodlands Historic Area passes for length of stay
Daily breakfast and $1oo activities credit† This package offers more than a $1,ooo value.
Upgrade your experience with a multi-attraction ticket! To learn more or to book your package,
call 1~8oo~447~8679 or visit
colonialwilliamsburg.com/np.
Be part of the story.
*Stays must take place between May 3o and September 2, 2o1o. Starting rate per room is based on four~night stay at the Williamsburg Woodlands in a standard guest room (two double beds) for two adults and two children (under 17) with Sunday or Monday check~in. Includes breakfast in hotel restaurant; continental breakfast at Woodlands. Pricing varies with room type. Suite upgrade based on availability at an extra charge of $5o per night. Stays that include a Friday or Saturday night incur an
Call 800.266.2444 to plan your vacation.
wintergreenresort.com
additional charge of $5o per night. Limited availability. Reservations are required. Taxes not included. Rates are not applicable for groups or on negotiated group rates. †The activities credit is good at Colonial Williamsburg shops, restaurants, spa, and recreation facilities but may not be applied to reduce the nightly room rate.
© 2o1o The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164