A Guide to the Lakes

Dedicated to the Lovers of Landscape Studies, and to All Who Have Visited, or Intend to Visit, the Lakes in Cumberland, Westmorland, and Lancashire

Thomas West

• Publisher: Left of Brain Books
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781396321610
• Topic: Biological Sciences
• Subtopic: Ecosystems & Habitats
• Index: Biological Sciences

Prepare yourself for quite a journey! For this is a hike through the place that inspired William Wordsworth and many other poets.It's delightful display of three historic counties of England "where nature has performed wonders". Places "in which the genius of Britain rivals ancient Greece and Rome" in their beauty.This book lead to a period of continued tourism in the Lake district of England upon being published. So for all you who wish to enjoy "sight of scenes that surpass all description", for all of you who'll travel to England and want a handbook to its most beautiful places, and to all you travel bloggers who would like to learn how to describe places in a marvelously inspiring way, read on!It would be quite interesting to compare the description of the author to The Lakes now. How inns and taverns turned into bars and hotels, how trees have grown and rocks have receded, and how nature and humans have done their doings in the place over the course of time."To this we oppose the sight of the ocean from the summit of all the higher mountains, intersected with promontories, interrupted with islands, and animated with navigation; which adds greatly to the beauty and variety of the grand views."

A Guide to the Lakes

Since persons of genius, taste, and observation, began to make the tour of their own country, and give such pleasing accounts of the natural history, and improving state, of the northern parts of the British Empire, the curious of all ranks have caught the spirit of visiting the same.

The taste for landscape, as well as for the other objects of the noble art (cherished under the protection of the greatest of kings, and best of men,) in which the genius of Britain rivals ancient Greece and Rome, induce many to visit the lakes of Cumberland, Westmorland, and Lancashire, there to contemplate, in Alpine scenery, finished in nature’s highest tints, what refined art labours to imitate; the pastoral and rural landscape, varied in all the stiles, the soft, the rude, the romantic, and sublime. Combinations not found elsewhere assembled within so small a tract of country. Another inducement making the tour of the lakes, is the goodness of the roads; much improved since Mr. Gray made his tour in 1765, and Mr. Pennant his in 1772. The gentlemen of these counties have set a precedent worthy of imitation in the politest parts of the kingdom, by opening, at private expense, carriage roads, for the ease and safety of such as visit the country; and the public roads are properly attended to. If the entertainment be plain, it is accompanied with a propriety of neatness, attention, and easy charge. When the roads are more frequented, the inns may become more elegantly furnished, and expensive; but the entertainment must remain the same, as the viands at present are not excelled in any other quarter of the empire.

The design of the following sheets, is to encourage the taste of visiting the lakes, by furnishing the traveller with a Guide; and for that purpose are here collected and laid before him, all the select stations, and points of view, noticed by those who have made the tour of the lakes, verified by repeated observations, with remarks on the principal objects as they appear viewed from different stations; with such incidents as will greatly facilitate, and much heighten the pleasure of the tour, and relieve the traveller from the burthen of dull and tedious information on the road, or at the inn, that frequently embarrasses, and often misguides.

The local knowledge here communicated, will not affect, much less prevent, the agreeable surprise that attends the first sight of scenes that surpass all description, and of objects which affect the mind of the spectator only in the highest degree.

Such as wish to unbend the mind from the anxious cares, or fatiguing studies, will meet with agreeable dissipation and useful relaxation, in making the tour of the lakes. Something new will open itself at the turn of and Apennines; to which our northern mountains are not inferior in beauty of line, or variety of summit; not in number of lakes, diversity of fish, and transparency of water; not in colouring of rock, or softness of turf; but in height and extent only. The mountains here are all accessible to the summit, and furnish prospects no less surprising, with more variety then the Alps themselves. The tops of the highest Alps are inaccessible, being covered with everlasting snow, which, commencing at regular heights above the cultivated tracts, or wooded and verdant sides, form the highest contrast in nature; with all the variety of climate in one view. To this we oppose the sight of the ocean from the summit of all the higher mountains, intersected with promontories, interrupted with islands, and animated with navigation; which adds greatly to the beauty and variety of the grand views.

Those who have traversed the Alps, who have visited the lake of Geneva, and viewed Mount Blanc, the highest of the Glaciers, from the valley of Chamouni, in Savoy, may still find entertainment in this home tour; where nature, on a reduced scale, has performed wonders in the epitome of her greater works: The analogy of mountainous countries, and their difference, furnishes and observant traveller with amusement; and the travelled visitor of the Cumbrian lakes and mountains, will not be disappointed in this particular.

This Guide will also be of use to the artist in his choice of station, by pointing out the principal objects in a country that abounds in landscape studies, with such variety of scenery. Yet it is not presumed, dogmatically to direct, but only to suggest hints, that may be improved, adopted, or rejected.

The late Mr. Gray was a great judge of perspective; yet whoever makes choice of his station at the three mile-stone from Lancaster, will fail in taking one of the finest afternoon rural landscapes in England: The station he points out is a quarter of a mile too low, and somewhat too much to the left. The more advantageous station, as I apprehend, is on the south side of the great, or Queen’s road, a little higher than where Mr. Gray stood; for there the vale is in full display, with a longer reach of the river, and the wheel of Lune, formed by a high crowned isthmus, fringed with tall trees, that in times past was the solitary site of a hermit. A few trees, by the owner preserved on purpose, conceal the nakedness of Caton-Moor on the right, and render the view complete.

By company from the south the lakes may be visited, beginning with Hawes-water, and ending with Coniston or Thurston-water, or vice versa. Mr. Gray began his tour with Ulls-water, but did not visit all the lakes. Mr. Pennant proceeded from Coniston-water to Windermere, &c. but omitted Ulls and Hawes-water. Mr. Gray was too late in the season for enjoying the beauties of prospect, and rural landscape, in a mountainous country: For in October the dews lie long on the grass in the morning, and the clouds descend soon in the evening, and conceal the mountains. Mr. Pennant was too early in the spring, when the mountains were mantled with snow, and the dells were darkened with impenetrable mist; hence his gloomy description of the beautiful and romantic vale of St. John, in his journey from Ambleside to Keswick. Flora displays few of her charms early in May, in a country that has been chilled by seven winter months.

The best season for visiting the lakes to advantage, is from the first of June to the end of August. During these months the mountains are decked in all the trim of summer vegetation, and the woods and trees, which hang on the mountains sides, and adorn the banks of the lakes, are robed in the variety of foliage, and summer blooms. In August nature has given her highest tints to all her colours on the enamelled plain, and borders of the lakes. The striking contrast of the rugged cliff, the broken ridge, the overhanging rock, the rent conic summit, and brown vegetation of the mountains sides, with the beautiful hanging enclosures of finest verdure, and at their feet stretched out the smooth surface of the lake, are seen in high perfection. These are also the months favourable to botanic studies; the rare plants are then to be found; such as delight in Alpine heights, or such as are only found in ever shaded dells, or gloomy vales.

The author of The six months tour visited the lakes in the fine season, and saw them all except Coniston and Esthwaite, both Lancashire lakes; which are on the western side, and lie parallel to Windermere.

Nothing but want of information could have prevented that curious traveller from visiting the whole range of the lakes; which had he done, and described their scenery with that accuracy and glow of colour, as he has done the lakes of Keswick, Windermere, &c. a copy of that would have been a sufficient Guide to all who made the same tour.

The author of The excursion to the lakes in Westmorland and Cumberland, takes no notice of the Lancashire lakes; his principal objects are Ulls-water, and the lake of Keswick, whose beauties he describes with much eloquence and profusion of stile, interspersed with not a few political and moral reflections; but at Windermere he vilifies and decries the noble characteristic scenery of the finest lake in England. Of the island, so called by way of preeminence, he is pleased to declaim thus, “Upward on the lake we looked on a large island of about thirty acres of meagre pasture ground, in an irregular oblong figure; here and there some misshapen oak trees bend their crooked branches on the sandy brinks, and one little grove of sycamores shelter a cottage. The few natural beauties of this island are wounded and distorted by some ugly rows of firs set in right lines,” and then proceeds, in an ungenteel manner, to abuse the owner for want of taste, in laying it out in gardens and pleasure ground, to suit a house he then proposed, and has since built upon it. This author, however, before he takes leave of the lake, does it the honor of giving one of the first landscape painters of his time, Claude Loraine, and his genius Mr. Smith, to pencil forth the rich variety of Windermere. Messrs. Young and Pennant speak of Windermere in very different strains. The first thinks the island the sweetest spot, and full of the greatest capabilities, of any thirty acres of land in the king’s dominions; and Mr. Pennant is pleased to say, “This delicious isle is blest with a rich pasturage, is adorned with a pretty grove, and has on it a good house.” those gentlemen were upon the island, and the author of The excursion was not; and The excursion itself, for the reasons already assigned, is not a complete Guide to the lakes.

The course of visiting the lakes from Penrith, is ...