England Coast to Coast - The Lake District

Our six days of walking across England started near Newby Bridge heading up into the Lake District. The English Lake District is much more mountainous than I imagined providing breathtaking views all day. From a high point we looked back at the Irish Sea, then headed off to picturesque Beacon Tarn. After a couple hours of walking we went over a small pass, since I reached the top first Bill told me I could keep on going follow the trail around the bend, down the hill where I would see Alan and the van with our mid morning snack. I had my doubts as we were in the middle of nowhere but sure enough I kept walking and there was Alan, who had lemon/lime barley water, fruits, nuts and Kendal mint cake for us. He presented us with a lunch menu and after a short break we headed out on the trail again. A couple more miles of walking and we came to the Wilson Arms in Torver, our lunch stop. Most of our lunches were in roadside pubs that seemed to appear out of nowhere and served surprisingly good meals. It was hot enough to sit outside and there was a lot of discussion with the waitress about whether or not the soup could be served with the sandwiches, the upshot of which was that there was no way she was doing anything but bringing the soup first and the sandwiches later. I ended up eating Cumberland sausage because they were out of trout and had a taste of black pudding which was quite edible and changed my mind about black pudding for the better.

In the afternoon we walked by Lake Coniston, known for it’s history as the setting for the world water speed record by Donald Campbell in the Bluebird in the 1960’s and the resulting tragedy. After passing the lake we continued through the town of the same name, where I managed to buy a few postcards. Along the way we passed many stone barns and houses. Bill explained to us that there was a lot of slate in the area providing flat stones for building. After 1750 the slate was less abundant and builders started laying corner stones of the buildings on end. Late in the day we passed what the English call a redundant quarry, which we would call abandoned. The quarry was quite high up and as we descended along the trail we had beautiful views of the valley below including the Three Shires where our day’s walk would end. The pub sits at the intersection of three shires each of which at one time had different drinking laws so the patrons would move from room to room depending on the time of day. We stopped for a half pint before continuing to our hotel the Macdonald Swan in Grasmere.

It is absolutely wonderful to walk 16 miles then arrive at an inn where you’re already checked in and your bags are waiting for you in your room. It is a little bit disconcerting arriving at such hotel exhausted and trying to follow the very complicated directions through the maze of hallways to find your room. Typically we had a little over an hour before we had to be down for dinner. Time I used to make a cup of tea and take a quick bath, which did wonders for restoring fatigued muscles. At 7:15 we gathered in the bar and were presented with menus. Then came the difficult task of choosing from the many sumptuous items offered, I was never disappointed with what I ordered. Dinner was always an interesting time full of challenging discussion. What our small group lacked in raucousness we more than made up for in being interesting. As dessert approached Bill would say “Shall I tell you a little bit about tomorrow?” Of course we all said yes. Bill would launch into a short description of the next day’s walk and answer any questions. After dinner everyone retired to their room happy and exhausted.

The second day started in Grasmere by the church where William Wordsworth is buried, here we encountered several groups of Japanese tourists. We made a short stop by Dove Cottage Wordsworth’s home for a time. Bill explained the poet would take the same route we were walking to Ambleside where there was a post office, when corresponding with Coleridge. A journey that would take pretty much all day to mail a letter. We trod along the coffin route. There was no church in Ambleside so coffins were carried to Grasmere for burial. Along the way are large stones on which to set the coffins down for a moment’s rest.

The day was hot and sticky so we had a somewhat hazy view of Lake Windermere from the lookout point of Jenkyns Crag. We looked down upon the town Windermere where I stayed the night before this whole adventure began. Lunch was at sunny Broadoaks in Troutbeck. It was just as one would imagine an English country home to be; built of stone, covered in greenery, a wood paneled sitting room. The afternoon was much of the same, a bit less picturesque than the first day as we were coming out of the heart of the Lake District. One of the birds Bill identified for me along the way was a small, finch like bird with a red breast which he said was a robin. In my defense the European Robin looks nothing like the American Robin though it does look like the robin you might see in a children’s book illustration.

Walking sixteen mile in a day is good exercise. Walking sixteen miles a day for two days in a row wears out every muscle in your body, not to mention the constant dull ache in your feet (all of which disappears with a long soak in the tub). By the end of the day the other two ladies had opted to get a ride in the van. The other walker and I were set on putting one foot in front of the other and getting to our hotel and a hot bath as fast as possible. When we got to our evening stopover, the Wild Boar near Crook, Bill mentioned that he had never done the last bit quite so quickly before.

England C2C: Prologue; Yorkshire Dales; North Yorkshire Moors
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