by Caroline M. Jackson
I watch as a brace of pheasants strut between the sweet high grasses, their
grating throaty calls interrupting the otherwise melodic bird song. The wind
whispers, causing tiny wall ferns to quiver in the breeze which carries the
scent of wild garlic. A pair of tiny brown rabbits scurry across the
newly-mown lawn cutting a fine track atop the silvery dew. With noses
a-twitch, the couple briefly confer with each other before darting under the
farm gate. A vociferous robin alights on a nearby fence post oblivious to
the antics of the gamboling lambs. I am trespassing on the idyllic pocket of
England which was once home to Beatrix Potter. It was here in this very
setting that she wrote and colorfully illustrated twenty-three charming
animal tales featuring such well known characters as Peter Rabbit, Jemima
Puddle-duck, Mrs. Tiggy-winkle, Jeremy Fisher and Tom Kitten.
To absorb the ambiance of the Lake District
National Park, we stayed in a delightful Georgian Bed & Breakfast called
Ees Wyke Country House at Near Sawrey. Our bedroom overlooked green pastures
and a tranquil lake - hence the name 'Ees Wyke' meaning 'East Water'. Our
hostess also offered gourmet evening meals and these occasions presented us
with a chance to exchange travel tales with fellow wayfarers. Ees Wyke was
often visited by Beatrix Potter who resided in nearby Hill Top farm where
she wrote many of her Peter Rabbit books. She bequeathed it, like the rest
of her extensive estate, to the National Trust.
From our base in the hub of the Lake
District, we were able to make day trips in every direction. To the east, we
took a five minute drive to Lake Windermere and drove onto the little car
ferry which transported us across England's largest lake to the town of
Bowness-on-Windermere where you can visit the World of Beatrix Potter.
Located in the Old Laundry buildings, it is just a five minute walk from the
pier. Young and old alike will enjoy the exquisitely detailed tableaux which
are based on the writer's many animal tales complete with scary Mr.
McGregor. Bowness-on-Windermere, like its neighbor, Ambleside, was awash
with people. Although nearly 18 million visitors come to the Lake District
annually, it is possible to enjoy hours of solitude walking along the myriad
well-marked footpaths. Some follow lake shores, nature trails, and for the
fleet of foot, there are challenging uphill routes to the summits of
Langdale Pikes or Scafell Pike which stands at 978 meters.
The Lake District was also home to poet
William Wordsworth and visitors can make a pilgrimage to his birthplace at
Cockermouth, walk through his homes at Rydal Mount and Dove Cottage and
finally, tarry by his graveside in Grasmere's quaint churchyard. As you
depart through the lychgate, don't miss Sarah Nelson's little gingerbread
shop which has sold her tasty confection on these premises for over 130
years.
For another day of adventure, we headed
northwest towards the busy market town Cockermouth to visit the Lakeland
Sheep and Wool Center. On our arrival, we were ushered into a 300-seat arena
where for the next hour, we watched and participated in one of the
fascinating Sheep Shows which are held four times a day. For the "woollybacks"
the temperature inside was just right but it is advisable to bring your own
woolly sweater. Initially my nose twitched at the animal aroma but I soon
forgot all about it as I became engrossed in the show. Over 19 breeds of
sheep were introduced to us - mostly rams because ewes, according to the
young New Zealand farmer, are "too ornery"….. By the end of the
session I had discovered why only some sheep are allowed to keep their tails
and why the animals don't get chilled after they are shorn. At the end of
the show, I lingered to chat with the shearer and was surprised when the
sheep standing beside me began to eat its neighbor's fleece. According to
the shepherd, this habit has often saved animals from perishing if they are
stranded in a winter snowdrift.
Just beneath the surface of the lovely
rolling countryside lie some interesting resources , one being graphite. In
times gone by, it was used to treat colic, to mark sheep and to prevent guns
and pistols from rusting. Today graphite is still used for pencils and in
nearby Keswick, a visit to the Cumberland Pencil Museum is well worthwhile.
Over 160 years ago, this was the 'birthplace' of Lakeland colored pencils
which are still popular today. During the Second World War, the pencils were
made unpainted except for a range of green ones containing a compass and a
map of Germany. These were issued to bomber command aircrew and POW camps.
Thus the Derwent pencils played a vital part in the wartime escape networks.
During dinner one evening, guests at our
B&B regaled us with tales about hair-raising drives over the Cumbrian
Mountains which lay to the west of Ees Wyke: "You've got to do it; it's
a faith building experience, steep gradients and hairpin bends and the views
are simply breathtaking" encouraged my dinner companion swigging down
his last glass of wine. The next morning dawned bright and clear and after
polishing off a plate of bacon and eggs, my husband agreed to chauffeur me
over the fells and down towards Muncaster Castle near the coast. Our route
took us through Hawkshead where Wordsworth attended boarding school. At
Skelwith Bridge we departed from the 'A' road and turned east along a narrow
ribbon road . Upwards and onwards we climbed, pulling over every so often to
let an oncoming car pass within a hairsbreadth. In the distance we watched a
slow-moving snake of cars creep up the last incline to Hardknott Pass. Near
the summit, we parked on a patch of desolate moorland and pulled our parkas
around us as the wind howled and blustered against the fleecy Blackface
sheep. At this spot, I thought of scribe Daniel Defoe's description of the
area in the early 1700's: 'the wildest, most barren and frightful (country)
..in England.' The journey west down towards the coast following the River
Esk was a little easier. At the tiny village of Eskdale, we gladly abandoned
our car and joined a covey of visitors for a seven mile journey on the
narrow-gauge Ravenglass & Eskdale railway. To round off the day, we paid
a visit to 13th century Muncaster Castle which commands a breathtaking
panorama of the estuary. The gardens alone are worth a visit as is the open
aviary which specializes in an eclectic variety of owls who are sure to spot
you first.
All too soon it was time to leave the Lake
District and travel east across northern England to the Yorkshire Dales
National Park. Our first stop was in the market town of Hawes which is
famous for its Wensleydale cheese. ('dale' in Norse means 'valley').
Introduced by French Cistercian monks in the 12th century, the Wensleydale
Creamery Visitor Center gives one a sense of history and a selection of
tasty cheese samples.
In my trusty little Eyewitness travel guide,
I had read about the limestone Buttertubs, a series of deep rocky clefts
used by monks and farmers to keep butter and cheese cool. It was almost
lunch time and my navigational skills were at a low ebb, so I lowered my
window in the main street and asked a couple of locals if they could direct
us to the Buttertubs. The two ladies looked quite puzzled and said they'd
never heard of them. Eventually the penny dropped: "Ah, you mean the
"Bootertoobs". Why didn't you say so lass!"
After a close shave with a caravan on a tight
bend, we stopped for a 'cuppa' in the busy market town of Thirsk which was
the inspiration for James Herriot's fictional Darrowby, the centre of his
stories about a Yorkshire vet in "All Creatures Great and Small".
Despite some navigational errors on my part
because I was shuffling between maps which sported creases at important
junctions, we were again on track, heading eastwards. Our destination was
the village of Goathland which lies inland from the coastal town of Whitby.
After the busyness of the Lake District, we thought we had reached no man's
land. A heavy sea mist called "the fret" blanketed the coastal
area and the desolate moors, so we were relieved to find our accommodation,
the lovely ivy-clad Mallyan Spout Hotel, nestled in the village of Goathland.
Presently the town is the base for the cast and crew of the popular
Yorkshire Television series, Heartbeat which tells the story of a local
constable's life in the North York Moors National Park. We therefore chose
the Goathland Hotel otherwise known as Aidensfield Arms for our evening
repast of fish 'n chips. At any moment we half expected one of the TV
characters such as Nick Rowan or Claude Jeremiah Greengrass to saunter up to
the bar. Heartbeat fans will also want to visit the interesting Goathland
Exhibition Center.
Train buffs and those with a love of
nostalgia should check out the steam train timetable at Goathland Station
which lies on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway line. Visitors can journey
along the 29 km track between Pickering and Grosmont. Many hikers combine a
locomotive trip with a walk across the moors to one of the medieval
waymarkers.
Since "the fret" stubbornly refused
to lift over Whitby Abbey, we decided to abandon the picturesque coastline
and head forty minutes south to Eden Camp which housed Italian and German
POW's during the WWII. Today, thanks to an innovative local businessman,
twenty-nine huts tell the social history of life in Britain from 1939 to
1945. Topics appeal to men and women alike and include huts devoted to the
Land Army Girls, The Blitz and Women at War. Serendipity abounds - the
"Dig for Victory" movement encouraged vegetables to be grown in
unusual places including the moat at the Tower of London, Hyde Park and even
tomato plants in the window boxes of London clubs.
As a grande finale to our Yorkshire visit, we
headed to nearby Castle Howard which was the location for the television
version of Evelyn Waugh's novel, Brideshead Revisited. The house is still
lived in by the Howard family but visitors can tour the superb rooms and
galleries - richly furnished and filled with family treasures. The one
thousand acres of parkland are magnificent, complete with peacocks, walled
rose garden, pristine lakes and fountains. On such occasions, it seems one's
camera lens just isn't big enough to capture it all for posterity.
Travel tips:
Beatrix Potter's Hill Top farmhouse at Near Sawrey is only open Saturday
through Wednesday.
To cruise around Lake Windermere, consider purchasing a 24-hour Freedom of
the Lake ticket
If you plan on walking, carry a compass, bring appropriate rain gear and
purchase an ordinance survey map of the area.
Three long-distance footpaths traverse the Lake District and Yorkshire. The
Dales Way (130 km) runs from Bowness-on-Windermere to Ilkley in West
Yorkshire. The Coast to Coast Walk (306 km) crosses from St. Bees Head on
the west coast to Robin Hood's Bay in Yorkshire. The Penine Way (412 km)
runs north/south from Kirk Yetholm on the Scottish border to Edale in
Derbyshire.
Roads are narrow, so rent a small car.
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway has its own web site: www.nymr.demon.co.uk
Good buys: Lake District - slate coasters, cakes of lanolin soap from Sheep
Centre; Beatrix Potter memorabilia; watercolor paintings.
Yorkshire - Wensleydale Cheese with cranberries or ginger; Lindisfarne
cowslip wine; licorice Pontefract sweets.
Further Info:
British Tourist Authority 1-888-VISIT UK
British Airways 1-800-AIR WAYS
