Grasmere (village)
Grasmere is a village and tourist destination in Cumbria, England, in the centre of the Lake District, named after its adjacent lake. It has links with the Lake Poets: William and Dorothy Wordsworth lived in Grasmere for 14 years and called it "the loveliest spot that man hath ever found." Grasmere lies within the historic county of Westmorland. In 1961, the civil parish had a population of 1,029. That of the Ambleside and Grasmere ward was 4,475 in the 2011 census and estimated at 4,592 in 2019. Etymology. One possibility is "the lake (mere) flanked by grass." Although  early spellings with "Grys-" or "Gris(s)-" might suggest Old Norse "griss", meaning "young pig" as the first element, evidence points to the Old English/Old Norse "gres", meaning grass, with the modern form influenced by Standard English. The medial "-s(s)e-" may, as suggested by Ekwall, point to the Old Norse "gres-saer" or "grass-lake" as the original name. The element "mere" refers to a still extant word meaning "lake" or "pool". Geography. The village is on the River Rothay, which flows into Grasmere lake about 0.5 km to the south. The village is overlooked from the north-west by  the rocky hill of Helm Crag, popularly known as "The Lion and the Lamb" or the "Old Lady at the Piano". These names derive from the shape of rock formations on its summit, depending on the side from which it is viewed. The several walks that begin in the village include the ascent of Helm Crag, a longer route up to Fairfield, and a moderate 200-metre ascent to Easedale Tarn. The village is also on the route of Alfred Wainwright's Coast to Coast Walk. The main A591 road connects Grasmere to the Vale of Keswick over Dunmail Raise  to the north, and to Ambleside to the south. In other directions, Grasmere is surrounded by high ground. (At Christmas 2015, the A591 was washed away on the Keswick side of Dunmail Raise, causing traffic to make a long detour. It reopened in May 2016.) To the west, a long ridge comes down from High Raise and contains the lesser heights of Blea Rigg and Silver How. To the east, Grasmere is bordered by the western ridge of the Fairfield horseshoe. Transport. Grasmere lies on the main A591 road between Keswick and Kendal. It is served by the Stagecoach 555  bus service connecting towns such as Keswick and Lancaster. In summer it is also served by a Stagecoach open-top double-decker 599 service, which runs between Grasmere and Bowness-on-Windermere. The nearest railway station is at Windermere (9 miles), which has hourly local services. Communal events. Rushbearing. Grasmere's famous Rushbearing Ceremony, centred on St Oswald's Church, has ancient origins. The present-day ceremony is an annual event which features a procession through the village with bearings made from rushes and flowers. In this procession there are also six Maids of Honour, a brass band, the church  choir, and others carrying their own decorated rush-bearing. Sports. The annual Grasmere Sports in August were first held in 1852. Participants compete in a variety of sports, including Cumberland wrestling, fell running and hound trails (similar to drag hunting). Sweetmeats. Grasmere contains the winner of the "Get Started Award 2014" awarded by the Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs: the Handmade Chocolate Shop. Grasmere Gingerbread is made to a "secret recipe" popularised by Sarah Nelson (1815–1904). By the early 19th century, Grasmere gingerbread was being sold as fairings and as a popular seller in its own right. Poet Dorothy Wordsworth  wrote in 1803 that she and her brother William craved the gingerbread. Religious. Until September 2013, Grasmere's three main church parishes (Catholic, Church of England and Methodist) gathered three times a year to celebrate mass in the Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Wayside. Grasmere also has a Quaker guest house, Glenthorne, where Quaker meetings of worship are held. Government. The Lakes were governed by an urban district council, before becoming part of the Lakes Urban District in 1934. The parish was abolished on 1 April 1974 to form Lakes. Grasmere is represented by Liberal Democrat politicians on  the district and county councils, and at Westminster. Grasmere has lost population since the 1960s. Notable persons. In birth order: