The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-05-24
FROM KBSWICK
TO WTNDERMERE.'
Beauties Of a Part Of England as Seen
From the Box Of a Coach.
The Way to Secure an Outside seat-DOwn
Hill Two Miles in Seven Minutes-Flaces
That Have Been Made Memorable.
Special to THE SUNDAY CALL


WINDERMERE England, May i, lo9l'-
The conventional trip taken through the
lake district is either after arrival oy ralI al
IFS southern HEADQUARTERS Wmdermere, by
coach north through the heart of the region
10 KesWick. or on arrival by rail at Kes-
wick over the same grand highway by
coach south TO Windermere. Thus tourists
and particularly American tourists, who
wish to make the best use Of their hours,
are enabled to secure a very good general
idea Of the district aud certainly look upon
that portion richest in associative interest
while viewing its finest lakes, lOYeliest
Wales and Hottest mOuntains-by an ex-
penditure Of but one days time. An old
travellers word for it. seldom in a lfe-tim
can a day be so exaltngly filed
At Keswick or Windermere you have daily
the choice of a score of four-in-hand coaches
Some are of the old English and Concord
patterns but most are built high in air,
open, seating at least twenty fares; are
wonderfully constructed for strength and
IiEhtness; give q delightful sense of breezy
altitude to passengers; and furnish IN their
eaveTnouS bodies vast stOTe-rOom for par
cells and luggage. Most Of these coaches are
provided with guards with musical horns
loiter about the stables OF the nobility IN
winter and exist in a defiant attitude Of
protest against questions IN the summer,
and with the handsOmeSt cOach-hOrseS
To be found in all England. You
can leave Windermere or Keswick,
lu either direction, at any hour OF
the day between and ,; and the ride OF
Jventy-One miles, through several OF the
deepest valleys and over two OF the highest
passes Of the region, Is usually accomplished
IN about five hours,
You are at keSwick. II You have
booked" at least three days in advance,
nave paid for two fares besides your own,
and have privately consulted with stipend
larry notifications the driver and guard as 10
the most favorable measures for viewing
the region, you can secure your seat on the
box Of the most popular going out"
coach at IN the morning, the envy and
glaTes of the remainder of the fares"
whom you ind represent almost every civ
iIzed nationality, Americans and Germans
preIOmInating. II you ask questions you
Will also secure the largest number Of wide
winged "out-and-OuteTS" with which your
crrdence was ever asSaIled. \ our own
knowledge Of the literature and topography
IF the lake region is your sole anu
let against these. But your coach is away
with all the shouting, rattle and footing
necessary to remind you that al last you are
the proud poSseSSOT, with its other mon
aTChs, the guard and the driver, Of the box
! L
thrill which accompanies this reflection has
barely subsidized when you have passed
beautiful Gretna Bridge, and with a sudden
turn 10 the right begin
THE LONG ASCENT OF CASTLE RIGG,
The most windin' one for 'osses O. the
stretch, the driver remarks in the single
truthful statement you will receive all the
way 10 WindeTmere. But in this long, slow
climb you pass Chestnut Hill, quaint lit
tie cT0Oked-TOOf house, with its historic
sycamore, elm and cherry-tree where
Shelley brought his schoolgirl bride and
where they chased each other like happy
children about the hOWeT-bedS, until the
stern CumbUan landlord chased them
both away. As the coach Is halted at the
top Of Castle Rgg, 1000 feet above kes-
wick, grand and beautiful indeed is that
scene behind. The entire vale of Der
went is spread to view. KeSwick gray
ana snug IS half hidden in its bosom. To
the west CLEAN the upper reaches of Der
WentWater with the CTagS Of GTaSSmOOT
beyond. Saddleback looms 10 the north
east. Beyond The tower Of old CrOssth-
waite chuT b. where SOuthtY lies buried,
shines the blue bed Of Bassenthwaite
Water. And across the whole lovely vale,
where the farms spread in CheckeTed
patches Of color TO the sun, lofty Skiddaw
stands monarch sublime Of the Cumbrian
north
This dragging way over Castle Rigg is one
Of the two great heights you will attain by
coach on your pleasant journey. The other
Is at Dunmail Raise, just before you pass
into Westmoreland. You are in Cumber-
land now. This was the Little Britain OF
long ago. 1t was tie home Of those fierce
and uncOnquerable Brigantes wh0 from the
time the region was known as Brigantia
until it became Cumberland. beat back the
SsXOns from the cast, the Welsh from the
south and Picts from the north, and met
every foe outside their mountain gates.
MarvelOusly sweet and fragrant is the morn
ing as you now smoothly spin along these no.
table heights. But it seems to have scarcely
reached the deepest wales. To your right,
the WeSt-fOT your direction IS nearly al
ways due south from kesWick TO Winder-
mere - are the seemingly endless fels,
od1rOus with the budding heath, and here
and there a mass Of color from banks
Of violets, the gentle breeze stirring the
whole fell-side as If with wild and riOtOus
motion and delight, In front, the wide,
smooth mountain road winds between over
hanging lchened rocks, spans shadOwy
dingle5 and at its apparent end seems to
drop sheer into measureless sea Of blue.
But now 10 the LETT down, down, as II into
some vast Witch-caldTOn the sight descends,
and attempts to penetrate the films of mist.
Morning IS late in reaching St Johns Vale.
Dense aud dark is the Wales lowest depth
the mist breaks above in feathery riffs
where the rays Of the eastern sun filters
through in flmy streams Of gold. Half dis
closed behind them are the dark gray out
lines of the mighty crag, Castle Rock. You
cannot see il clearly; but Scott has so nObly
described it in " The Bridal Of Triermain,"
with its
Wicket OF oak, as iron hard.
With irOa studded, cienChed and barred,
And pronZ'd portcuIlIs. iolnd TO guard
The gloomy pass below
THAT YOU NEED NO BETTER VIEW.
Above this, almost on a level with your
coach, which is just beginning the long
southern descent of Castle Rigg lies huge
moving cloud. 1t IS slowly passing down
The valley. Suddenly you realize you are
above the clouds, for "See the Striding
Edge - is chOTused by many of your CON-
paniOns. There it lies, this grim, yellow
black and curved ridge of Helyellyn, ma
jestic monarch Of all this grand lake region.
1t seems across that cloud 10 be the mighty
mural walls Of some weird isle, unattana-
bic beyond a sea Of mountainous waves A
curve in the road for a few moments hides
cloud and mOuntain-tOp. When HeyelyE
again appears. the cloud has been lost in
and over the Vale Of St. John, and there
stands the grand old mountain. fOrest-hung
AT us base, cleft and Scared above. still
higher striped here and there with far
descending torrents, like mighty pumes in
white, and its broken summit and StTiding
Edge" showing thousands of blackened
almost vertical burrows in the eternal stone
of its peaks and ridges.
But you now have something to do besides
gaze on Helvellyn. Your coach is descend
Ing the mountain al tremendous speed. Tue
Wheel-horses are at their best pace, inla trOt,
and the leaders are fairly at a canter The
skids smoke at the wheels. Many a God