| Great escapes: Lake District 7 |
| Literary Lakes |
| Lakeland has inspired generations of great writers – take a tour of their homes and museums for a fascinating insight into their worlds |
For centuries artists and poets have lovingly
portrayed the Lake District in minute and beautiful detail. Probably the most famous of the region's literary figures is the great 19th-century poet William Wordsworth, who was born and brought up in the market town of Cockermouth in the north-western corner of the National Park. The landscape
and wildlife of the Lakes
remained a profound influence
on Wordsworth throughout his long life.
The Lakes became a creative hub for many of the romantics, and Coleridge and De Quincey were among Wordsworth's regular visitors. The area's other literary celebrities include the children's author Beatrix Potter and the Victorian critic of art, architecture and society, John Ruskin.
1. The World of Beatrix Potter
Turn left out of Limefitt Park caravan site onto the A592. At the traffic island at 2.3 miles go straight on. At 3.5 miles follow the signs for The World of Beatrix Potter Attraction.
Currently celebrating its tenth anniversary, The World of Beatrix Potter is a hugely popular indoor re-creation of scenes from the author's charming tales. Children will love discovering Peter Rabbit in Mr McGregor's garden (above), and meeting Jemima Puddle-duck in the woodland glade.
Open all year. Charges: £3.50
for adults and OAPs; £2 children.
2. Hill Top
Continue on the A592 about
0.5 miles to Ferry House, signposted on your right. Here take the car ferry across to Ferry Nab. It costs just £2. After the crossing follow the B5285 and at
5.1 miles turn right for Hill Top.
Beatrix Potter wrote many of
her famous children's stories at
Hill Top, the 17th-century farmhouse which she bought with the royalties from her first book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Her will decreed that the house should be preserved as she left it, right down to the very china and furniture that she used herself. The garden is as just as delightful as the house, and makes a pleasant break for grown-ups.
Open 31 March-31 October
daily except Thursday and Friday. £3.50 for adults and £2 for children.
3. Beatrix Potter Gallery
Continue on the B285 and enter Hawkshead following the signs for the Beatrix Potter Gallery in the middle of
the village.
The Beatrix Potter Gallery at Hawkshead has a fine exhibition of watercolour illustrations by the author, and many of her original manuscripts are on display here, too. There's also plenty of information about her life as an artist, farmer and conservationist
as well as an author.
Open 1 April-
1 November daily except Friday and Saturday. Admission: £3.50 for adults; £1.50 children; family ticket £7.50.
4. Brantwood
Follow the signs for Hawkshead Hill at 8.8 miles and continue to Brantwood, which appears at 9.8 miles.
Perched high over Coniston Water, Brantwood is one of the most
stunningly located houses in Britain. It is the former home of the artist, writer and visionary John Ruskin and is filled with many
of his watercolours and other memorabilia. There's also a video about Ruskin's life and work.
Open all year daily from
13 March-12 November. Admission: adults £4.50; children £1; family tickets £10.
5. Rydal Mount and Gardens
Retrace your route around the northern tip of Coniston Water and turn right onto the A593 at Coniston at 11.3 miles. Continue on the A593, now
for Ambleside, arriving at 18.5 miles. Here join the A591 for Keswick and turn right at Rydal Mount at 20 miles.
Once the 'most beloved home'
of William Wordsworth, Rydal Mount and Gardens (see over, top left) now belongs to descendants of the poet and is stocked full of portraits, personal possessions and first editions of his works. The garden was landscaped by Wordsworth himself and its shrubs and seasonal flowers provide a visual feast for visitors. Open daily, closed Tuesdays in Winter and
8 January-1 February. Admission prices: £3.75 adults; £3.25 OAPs.
6. Dove Cottage
Continue on the A591 for a fraction over a mile until you arrive at Dove Cottage at 21.1 miles.
Set just back from the shores of Grasmere, 400-year-old Dove Cottage was home to Wordsworth during his most productive years as a poet. Both the building and its gardens are well preserved and maintained. The house is also home to the Wordsworth Museum, which displays manuscripts by the poet along
with portraits of him and his contemporaries.
Open daily from April to October. Admission charges: £1
for adults; 50p for children and senior citizens.
7. Keswick Museum and Art Gallery
Continue on the A591 for Keswick, arriving in Keswick at 32.9 miles, and follow the signs for
Keswick Museum and Art Gallery.
Keswick Museum and Art Gallery gives an intriguing insight into the town's history, from its industrial mining past to its status today as one of Lakeland's main tourist and market towns. Best of all are the original manuscripts of Lakeland poets, including works by Robert Southey, Hugh Walpole and, of course, William Wordsworth.
Open daily from April to October. Entry: £1 for adults;
50p for children and OAPs.
8. Time to eat
Return to Limefitt Park via the A66. At 40.8 miles turn right onto the A5901, turning right again at 45.9 miles onto the A592. Enjoy the drive over the Kirkstone Pass, then stop at the Queen's Head Hotel in Troutbeck, which appears on the right at 60.2 miles, for a late lunch or early evening meal before returning to Limefitt Park caravan site, now just half a mile away.
The Queen's Head in Troutbeck is a remarkable pub, managing as it does to marry a traditional pub feel with restaurant-quality food, service and presentation. An inn since the 17th-century, one of its most interesting features is the bar, whose posts are made from an
original four-poster bed. The pub also has log fires, a slate flagstone floor and low, oak-beamed ceilings.
The lunch menu starts at £2.75 with home-made soup with bread; we recommend the smoked duck and summer-berry salad with mixed leaves and garlic at £5.95. For evening meals, the steak, ale and mushroom cobbler is delicious and well priced at £7.25, while the haunch of venison marinated in red wine, at £14.25, looked great.
Choose from local Boddingtons, Coniston Bluebird, Jennings Bitter or any number of guest beers.
Open 11am-11pm, serving lunch from 12pm-2pm (baguettes until 2.30pm), and evening meals from 6.30pm-9pm.
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Distance 61 miles
Time 7 hours
Start/finish Limefitt Park, Windermere
Suitable for All the family
Refreshment
Queen's Head Hotel
Tel 01539 432174
Information
Keswick Tel 01768 772645
Windermere Tel 01539 446499
Coniston Tel 015394 41533
Attractions The World of
Beatrix Potter Attraction
Tel 01539 488444
Hill Top
Tel 01539 436269
Brantwood
Tel 01539 441396
Rydal Mount and Gardens
Tel 01539 433002
Dove Cottage
Tel 01539 435544
Keswick Museum
Tel 01768 773263
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