Day 29 - Lake District

Unlike our previous pleasant days, today began with rain which continued for most of the day.  We passed through real back roads, which were bitumen but winding and very narrow.  On both sides were high green bushes and trees right to the roadway.  From time to time the bus brushed rather miserable looking bush walkers in raincoats and hats walking in the rain.

The first stop was at Hill Top in the Lakes District.  This is where Beatrix Potter wrote her 23 chIldrens' books, stimulated by the beautiful country garden which she created.  This was not her permanent residence, but she spent much of her time here.  Her fiancé died, and then she did not marry until she was 47 years old.  The house was shown almost as a museum, with letters she had written, a full collection of her books, and some of her original artworks painted for her books.  She was very concerned about the potential extinction of the local breed of herdwick sheep, so she gradually bought 15 farms and set about breeding and educating to ensure survival of these animals.  Her will stated that all her assets are to go to the National Trust on the condition that the Herdwick sheep are bred on these properties.

This is what happened and there are Herdwick sheep on all properties now.

The cottage where William Wordsworth lived was another interesting stop.  He visited France where he fell in love with a lady who became pregnant.  His plan was to return to England and then bring her and the child over from France.  Then WWII broke out, preventing this course of action.  By the time the war was over, he had fallen for a lady in England and married her instead.  His new wife lost her teeth by the time she was aged 48, because people cleaned their teeth with salt and a twig and then polished with carbon.  She obtained false teeth - (either from cadavers or dead soldiers from the battle of Waterloo).  These were fixed with carved ivory.

The Ruskin Museum was extremely interesting.  There were artefacts from long ago, information on famous mountaineers, and a whole room devoted to Donald Campbell.  He was born in 1921 and killed in 1967 when his Bluebird K7 crashed when attempting to exceed 300 mph on Lake Coniston.  The Bluebird remained at the bottom of the lake until 2001 when it and Donald were brought to the surface and he was buried at Coniston.  Remnants of the Bluebird were on display in the museum, and it is gradually being recreated with more pieces extracted from the lake and some parts being re fabricated.  This is on display in the Ruskin Museum.  

We returned to the hotel via a ferry boat at the end of the day, which was very relaxing and gave us attractive views of the lake.

View from our Hotel looking over Lake Windermere.

The Waterhead Hotel at Ambleside in the centre of the Lake District.

The remains of Donald Cambell's Bluebird K7 at the Ruskin Museum in Coniston.

Donald Cambell lost his life on Lake Coniston at a speed of 328 mph when Bluebird flew into the air and did a spectacular somersault.  His boat is being reassembled as the pieces are found and restored.

This is Dove Cottage, William Wordsworth's house.

These are typical of the "all stone" houses built in this area.

The creek winding its way alongside William Wordsworth's grave.

One of the many old mansions along the shoreline of Lake Windermere, which have now been restored and turned into boutique hotels.

Boat trip on Lake Windermere back to our hotel.

Plenty of wildlife along the shore.