Pania Discovers Wordsworth Country

Wednesday July 21st

The plan today was to go to the Wordswoth properties at Grassmere. The first stop was Dove Cottage which had a pay and display car park attached. There was a slight discount for the combined tour of the house and Dove Cottage on presentation of the parking ticket. We made it in time for the 10 30 tour. The group of about 10 all huddled into the room that would have been the main living room where there was a coal fire burning in the grate. The fire provided both warmth and light as it was a very dark room all panelled, and it is not over warm here yet even though it is supposed to be the height of summer. The tour guide was excellent giving an insight into the family life at the time when the Wordsworth family lived here. Wordsworth only lived there 10 years, but they were the golden years when most of his significant writing took place. The tour of the house was followed by a look around the garden which was small but steep and had some views of Grassmere.

The ticket also gave us entrance to the Wordsworth museum which was just a few steps away. A very informative DVD set the scene and provided a background into the lives of William Worsdsworth and the other romantic poets living in the Lakes at the same time. There was a wealth of diaries, letters, poetry books and manuscripts, all handwritten and impossible to read. Wordsworth’s wife, sister and his wife’s sister all scribed for him as he composed his poetry aloud often while pacing around.

When the family became too large to remain at Dove Cottage, they rented a much grander house a short way up the road, so after morning tea in the adjacent cafe, we jumped in Hemi and drove further on to Rydal Mount. This was Wordsworth’s best loved family home where he lived until his death in1850 aged 80. It was never owned by Wordsworth, but is now owned by his direct descendants, who visit it on frequent occasions. It is not a museum. The gardens are extensive; four acres designed by Wordsworth himself who was a keen gardener. There are views of Lake Windermere from several places in the garden.
Hemi was parked on a slope in a narrow road and Mary refused to play rubic cube amongst the cars so Alan jumped in manoeuvred him out and up the hill to a wider spot where it was safe to turn around. Mary got back in and they drove on to Ambleside where they found a pay and display carpark with a parking ticket machine that was out of order. Yeah free parking and no rushing to get back.

Ambleside is famous for the little house on the bridge, and it is little. It is said that a family brought up at least 7 children in the two tiny rooms one on top of each other. Although entry is free, it was locked so they were unable to see inside. It was a lovely little town to wander through, full of people starting or finishing walks. Shops that sell all the essentials for the outdoors are everywhere, many having their annual sales. An interesting headline in the local paper stated that “Rescuers Slam Hikers in Ugg Boots on the Fells”

Mary found something very special for Hemi in a little craft shop next door to where they had lunch. It was down a little lane in really out of the way place.
It was a magnet that was also a bottle opener and it has a blue VW camper on it. It is quite special as it is sewn out of cloth.

They drove further on to Kendal, where they strolled through the town in the sunshine! They parked in the local supermarket car park which had a cash back on the parking if you spent £5 in their store; not hard to do. So they stocked up and then set the Tom Tom to take them to the campsite at Kendal. Mary disobeyed some impossible instructions and made the lady in the Tom Tom have to reprogramme the route several times, but they got there in the end. It is a smaller campsite beside a very fast flowing river that is not in danger of flooding. They will stop here two nights and get some much needed washing done.

Mary met some people from the New Forest who live in Lymington and are both retired teachers who took early retirement, so they had heaps to talk about.