Lake District walk, 2022, Day 5, 6 miles

Gorgeous. There were scenes on both sides of the path that were so green and beautiful that it didn’t feel real. I’d stand on the path and take photos of both sides because it was just amazing.

We walked out of Lancet House, up the road, then onto the path and we were on our way to Grasmere. We’d hardly gotten a head of steam going when we came up to Rydal Hall. A bit of history: The Fleming family can be traced back to 864AD and were related to Baldwin, Earl of Flanders.  When William Duke of Normandy (William the Conqueror) mustered his troops to invade England and claim the throne in 1066, the then Earl of Flanders joined him and brought with him his kinsmen  in armour. One of these was Sir Michael le Fleming who was also a kinsman of Matilda wife of William the Conqueror. Amazing. This manor house was the adaptation from the first building, built in 1409. Amazingly, the family lived and owned it continuously until 1973. The main reference people make to it though, is that Rydal Mount was the house Wordsworth rented from Fleming until Wordsworth’s great granddaughter bought it in 1969. 

 So then, we went to see Rydal Mount, a modest house where Wordsworth, Mary, his wife, and Dorothy, his sister, lived with Mary and William’s children. For someone who loves personal history and house museums (me) this was a wonderful house to explore. William, Mary and Dorothy all lived, studied, and died there. And the best – because it’s still in the Wordsworth family – most of the furnishings are the same. Things that had left or been given away are still coming back, there were notes of art or books or furniture that were found at auction as recently as 2020. So cool. 

Kaziah was very patient and let me explore and read to my heart’s content. 

Then we kept walking on into Grasmere, another dream of a Lake District village. Not a long walk and we’re looking forward to climbing up to the crags tomorrow, but it was a wonderful walk. We found our hotel, Inn at Grasmere, bags already dropped off, and left our little backpacks and went out for lunch/tea. Went to a great place just down the way and had a wonderful lunch with tea and Victoria sponge for me and Bakewell for Kaziah. Both of which we’ve seen made on the Great British Baking show. Both of which Kaziah remembered and I did not. For me, really more about the personalities than the food watching that show. 

After lunch we went to a really well curated small book store, left with 3 more books. So – walk, tea, books. And we’re not done yet!

We then went to Dove Cottage where the Wordsworths lived, first Dorothy and William, then Mary joined, and then the first 3 of their children. Again, well preserved, wonderful to see and more stories. Pretty cool to sit in their garden on benches in the same place where they would sit and listen (via QR code) to a wonderful English voice quoting Wordsworth’s poems written that exactly described what we were seeing. I do love history made intimate – seeing what he saw, listening to what he wrote, and wondering how hard was it for Mary that William and Dorothy were nonstop best friends, both intense, both writing. The guide said one of their good friends said that William and Dorothy were the two most selfish people he knew. At the same time, they had friends that lasted all their lives. Amazing family.

Kaziah and I have a great little room, on the corner so two windows, looking out over the hills one way, trees the other and old stone buildings both ways. On the road again, but that’s probably just how it is since we walk to our hotel and it’s easier if it’s on the road. We had some time to read, then dinner at the pub in the hotel and then relaxing. A perfect day.