Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1919-10-30

tourists, not only because or Its nat
ural attractions, but also on account
Of its literary associations.
First among recorded tourists to
Lakeland was Gray, the poet, author
of the "Megy in a Country Church
yard" says Country Life. He visited
the Westmoreland and Cumberland
lakes in 1859, the year before Words
worth, the most outstanding among
the lake school Of poets, was born.
He discovered the lakes, alike In a
touring and literary sense, and being
essentially of the eighteenth century,
he fled from them and the grandeur
then had the picturesque been In
vented. The beauties of wild nature
were not appreciated, and had they
been the roads of that age and the
lack of proper accommodation were
powerful deterrents.
But for close upon a century Lake
land has been a greatly appreciated
touring ground. Scenery and the lit
erary associations with Wordsworth,
Southey, Coleridge, De Quincy and
their circle, have attracted every type
of holiday maker. First came the
vacation reading parties of university
students, then the honeymoon couples
to whom the Low Wood hotel, Amble-
side, was once, in a sense, sacred /;
and then the railways brought tour
lists from far and near. But not until
the automobile came upon the roads
was Lakeland comfortably or thor
oughly to be explored.
The tourist by motor car here has
choice of every kind of road, or no
road, and may, if he will, take his
sport in questioning with the most
along roads as good as any In this
country. 1t is all a matter of taste
and inclination. The ideal way of
seeing Lakeland is undoubtedly that
Of selecting some central spot at which
to stay and taking from it daily, out
and home, excursions. This is so for
several reasons; chief among them
that Of the somewhat limited area OF
the lake district, which may be stated
at about thirty miles square. The
lakes figure so largely in popular i'm
agination that this will seem scarcely
credible; yet any reference to maps
will prove the truth of it. But it does
not follow from this sheer matter-of,
or that thic rnpinn lie
easily seen or soon exhausted.
Crasmere in the Center.
Exactly in the center Of the lake
district is Grasmere, central geographic
cally, and in its interest, for it was
WORDSWORTH home, and in it's church.
yard he lies.
There are five recognized centerS for
tourists in these regions: Windermere
Ambleside and Grasmere, about equl.
distant, some four miles from one an.
other; Keswick, thirteen miles further
north, and Coniston, somewhat iso
lated, seven miles southwest Of Am
bleside. 1t would be thankless task
to declare any preference among
these, but we will take Grasmere as
the very focus Of the lakes.
Grasmere village is a sweet and gra
cious place. Here Wordsworth resided
for more than fifty years. His later
homes here are not accessible, but
Dove Cottage, where he wrote hi
earliest and best, has been preserved
as it was in his day, and is the resor
of literary pilgrims, while the unpre
tending church beside the Rive
Rotha is much the same as he knew 1t
That is an interesting day trip, alont
excellent roads, which takes us nortl
to Cockermouth, the old market towr
at the extreme northerly edge Of Lake
land, where his birthplace, in MaiI
street, is still shown.
The way runs by Dunmail Raise tt
Wythburn, whose little church, one O.
the smallest in England, is neightore'
by the Nays Head Inn, where the OLE
dalesmen and their wives put up thei
horses while attending service In Older
times. The road then runs alongside
Thirlmere, with the imposing NOUN
tain, Helvellyn, 3,118 feet, on right
Keswick town comes next; consid
cradle place for this part Of the coun
try, and with an oddly foreign appear
ance, caused chiefly by the church
like building Greatly the town halD il
the middle of the street. The chic
industry Is the making Of lead pen
ellis.
Derwentwater LoveIiest Lake.
But Derwentwater itself is the rea
reward of the journey. 1t Is general,
considered the loveliest Of all tn
lakes, and 1t is also the most acceSsl
, BILE, a good road encircling 1t. Beyon'
Keswick we pass Greta Hall, once tn
home Of Southey, and come to Bas
senthwaite Water. Preferably takin
the left-hand road, Skiddaw, 3,054 feet
Ia seen across the water. Cocker
mouth Is some six miles further.