Lakeland longings 3 - From the Watendlath Road

Just lately, I've been browsing Facebook photos of Mark up in the Lakes and having to work hard to suppress feelings of insane jealousy, so I thought I'd look back at my last Lake District holiday and make you feel jealous too. After all, a jealousy shared is a jealousy halved. Yes?

As the title suggests, this view is taken from the Watendlath Road and looks down over Derwent Water towards Keswick. The bulk of Skiddaw can be seen to the right and, in the far distance, the long ribbon of Bassenthwaite Lake.

Ambleside

In the past two weeks, we've been up to Cumbria twice; once to take Mark back to Uni for the start of the new semester and then again, to take Ben up to look round on an Open Day.

Mark has changed campus and is now in the small town of Ambleside, close to Windermere; the largest body of water in the Lake District. He has a spacious room in this three-storey slate house owned by the Uni.

According to Wikipedia, the name Ambleside derives from Old Norse -  Á-mel-sǽtr = "river — sandbank — summer pasture".

Originally a market town and one end of a packhorse route, the local economy is now mainly reliant on the tourist industry and the town is full of guest houses, pubs and bars, cafes and retail outlets aimed more at the visitor than the local.

On a late summer Sunday, it is a hive of activity!

This is just one of many, many retail outlets aimed at the outdoor enthusiast, catering for everything from walking to climbing to watersports to camping... There is a whole range of stuff from the fashionable for those who like to look the part, to middling range gear for the occasional dabbler, to quality equipment for the specialist. If you're wanting something reliable enough for the tops of the Lakeland fells, you need to be able to distinguish which is which, as the price tag doesn't always follow the quality!

Gardens

Day 3: Gardens

I'm sure most Universities have gardens. These are dual purpose because they are a peaceful place to find a bit of personal space or to chill with friends, but also provide a working classroom for FE students training in horticulture or garden design.

I'll leave you to enjoy a few photos.

Yurts

Day 2: The Yurt Village

Part of the work of the university involves provision in outdoor education and experience. That is the reason for the Yurt Village.

I'd heard of Yurts, but was a bit vague as to what they are. Apparently, a Yurt is a traditional, nomadic, circular tent from Mongolia. There are about eight in the village on campus. The smaller ones are for sleeping and will comfortably house 8 people, but there's also a larger central one which acts as a meeting place.  Mark spent an evening in the large one watching climbing films. He says they fitted about 40 people in comfortably (and I'm pretty sure it was a 'bring your sleeping bag and find a floor space' job, rather than rows of seats. Rows don't quite fit with a Yurt, do they?)

Apparently, they are also surprisingly warm. They are well insulated and every Yurt has its own wood burning stove. Let's face it, if a Yurt can cope with a Mongolian winter, it's hardly going to struggle in Cumbria is it?

The wooden building is a communal cooking area; useful for groups booking in for a stay, and apparently, the kinds of groups which come range from primary school children to corporate businesses, each with a programme of activities to suit.

The yurts were empty as we wandered, but I peeped in through the keyhole and caught a narrow view of the inside. I have to say that they look very cosy! I really fancy a night in one!! It would be great fun to camp out there with a bunch of friends! (But maybe that's just the kid in me wanting to play 'den'.)

High ropes course

On Thursday evening, after work, Mark and I loaded all of his stuff into the boot of the car and headed for the M6 and Penrith. After almost four weeks at home with glandular fever, he was finally returning to University. 

On Friday morning, he gave me the full guided tour of campus and I've picked out a few of the more interesting bits to show you.

Of course, the campus has all of the usual things; library, teaching rooms, sports complex, accommodation, eating places etc etc etc, but I thought I'd select just three slightly more unusual features and show you one each day for the next three days.

Day 1: The high ropes course.

Imagine climbing the centre pole, balancing on the circular platform, launching yourself into the air and touching the yellow ball; even better, grabbing it and hanging on?

How is your pulse rate?

It makes a welcome break from writing essays!!

And yes, he did manage to grab the ball. I've seen the photos on Facebook :)

Happy birthday, Mark :)

North Eastern Lakes

Peering down through the briefly separating mist, this is our onward route; Brothers Water, lying tucked away at the foot of Kirkstone Pass, overshadowed by towering fells. At only half a mile long and less than a quarter of a mile wide, Brothers Water is one of the smaller lakes in the National Park. It was described by Dorothy Wordsworth as 'the glittering, lively lake' and it lived up to its name by being bathed in sudden sunlight as we descended the steep road towards it.

Brothers Water is one on which Mark will not be kayaking, as The National Trust, who now own it, have forbidden boating in a bid to preserve its natural beauty.

Two miles further north, however, is Ullswater, a significantly larger body of water which is very likely to see kayak action; especially as it is the closest lake to campus. At 8 miles in length, Ullswater comes second only to Windermere's 10.5 but, in spite of its size, it is significantly quieter. This is a much less commercialised side to the Lake District and all the more beautiful because of it. Although I'm not exactly going to be breathing down Mark's neck, I do look forward to spending some time enjoying this corner of England.

Beck

One favourable by-product of rain is that the becks were full. This one was collecting water from the fell side and somersaulting its way down towards Brothers Water in the distance.

Rain swollen beck sings

Pushes, plunges, churning on

Calm lake is waiting

Kirkstone Pass

Early evening over Kirkstone Pass? Erm...No! This was actually yesterday 12.15pm, dinner time!

Today, I'm a little weary! Those familiar with English geography will know that Kirkstone Pass is not exactly on my doorstep, being the road between Windermere and Ullswater in the Lake District. But yesterday was Mark's arrival day at the University of Cumbria, so the three of us piled into the car (along with a huge amount of 'stuff') and headed for the M6.

In theory, we could have stayed on the motorway to within about 3 miles of campus, but we turned off a bit early in search of this pub, the Kirkstone Pass Inn. In spite of the low cloud, we were not disappointed. The Inn is small, friendly, has bags of character and served a good roast dinner followed by a huge wedge of sticky toffee pudding.

The Inn is at an altitude of 1,481 feet above sea level. It isn't the highest in England (Tan Hill, Yorkshire, 1732 feet) or even the second highest (Cat and Fiddle, Derbyshire 1690 feet), but it is impressive! On a clear day, the views from here would be stunning. Yesterday, they were more 'atmospheric'...

Shrouded in mist...

But the outdoor tables show the potential.

PS: Yes, I do know that the Cat and Fiddle is really in Cheshire, but you could stand at the front door of the inn and virtually spit at the Derbyshire county boundary sign, so there!

Reflections on Ennerdale Water

This is Ennerdale Water in the Lake District. The protruding rock on the right is Anglers Crag. The total distance around the lake is roughly nine miles; a beautiful walk on a sunny day with the light shimering and reflecting off the surface of the clear, cold water.

On Sunday, my eldest is moving up to the Lakes, to the University of Cumbria. Over the next three years, I expect he will become very familiar with this part of the world. Wish I could go too! I think he's going to love it!

Go explore other samples of 'reflect' at Photo Friday. There are some stunning images!

Blue

A brief diversion from my garden for Alphabe-Thursday Rainbow Summer School and the colour for today is BLUE.

This is Windermere, which is the largest lake in the Lake District National Park and I'm posting this in way of a celebration for my eldest son who got his A level results last week and has had his place confirmed at the University of Cumbria. He will spend his first year at the Newton Rigg campus in Penrith, just on the edge of The Lakes and then move to Ambleside; a small town on the northern tip of Windermere.

His chosen course is Outdoor Leadership and the setting is perfect for all of the activities involved in his course. He's going to love it!

Daffodils

A couple of months ago, a friend and I met for lunch at one of the many garden centres around Derby. Afterwards, we browsed the bookshop and came across a book with an amusing title. I can't remember it exactly, but the gist was that the book was full of poems which we had probably learned at school and believed we knew, but, if challenged, would struggle to recite past the first verse?

This particular poem has to be one of the most famous English poems ever written, and seemed very appropriate for Easter Monday. I managed about half of verse two, with the odd snippet from three and four. Shameful! :(

I wandered lonely as a Cloud

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee;

A poet could not be but gay,

In such a jocund company!

I gazed—and gazed—but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

by William Wordsworth (Published in Collected Poems, 1815)

But did you know that this was actually Wordsworths second stab at this particular poem? His first version, written in 1804 and published in 1807, has only three stanzas. Verse two is omitted completely, while 1, 3 and 4 have subtle changes.

The poem was inspired by an entry in the journal of his sister Dorothy, after they had taken a walk along the shores of Ullswater in the spring sunshine; a lake which, I suspect, is going to become more familiar to me over the next three years, as my eldest son is hoping to attend the University of Cumbria, based in Penrith - Ullswater being the closest of the lakes at about 8 miles from campus.

A baggage-ferrying, round-trip of 320 miles has to have some compensations! :)

Belated PS: I find it fascinating when other blogs which I follow have similar themes or particular references which link with what I also have blogged. It's over a week since I decided to write about daffodils on Easter Monday, and today, there is a quote from Wordsworth's poem on this blog:
http://www.saltairedailyphoto.blogspot.com/ , which I thoroughly enjoy reading daily!  Do take a peek.