Grasmere, Wordsworth and the Lake District - Part 1

St. Bees to Robin Hood’s Bay – To Grasmere Part 1:

We had overnighted at the wonderful small village of Stonethwaite in England’s Lake District. This was day four of a seventeen day walk from St. Bees on the Irish Sea to Robin Hood’s Bay on the North Sea. For any of you who want to do this walk, we have a comprehensive downloadable course available. See the ads to the right – The Coast to Coast Walk.

With the taste of a delicious marmalade still lingering, we set off towards the well known Lakeland town of Grasmere. Across Stonethwaite Bridge to the north bank of Greenup Gill and then a constant climb along a thin gravel path up the valley.

Above us, fleecy clouds had deflected the sun’s direct rays and a cool wind removed all perspiration. Briefly stopping at Lining Crag refreshed us enough for the final ascent to Greenup Edge, the highest point of today’s walk.

Austere views. Fells and peaks, a total absence of trees or bushes. Valleys, rivulets and exposed rocks. Amazing views. We gazed upon a fractured and worn landscape whose charm was inescapable. I could make out tiny shapes of walkers ahead of us on the distant ridges. Clouds brushed the tops of the jumbled peaks and I sensed the moistness they left in their wake.

It was almost unbelievable. I had to touch the ground with my hands to make sure that I was not in a dream or watching a wilderness documentary on television. There are some fabulous documentaries available. One that I’m currently enjoying is David Dimbleby’s – Seven Ages of Britain, full of history, culture and scenic views.

Up at these heights there were other walkers and we again met the British couple, Zillah and her son Tim, with Doris their Border Collie who kept darting around and sniffing at everything in sight.

“What an interesting walk so far,” Zillah greeted us.
“It’s magnificent,” agreed Carol. “Where are you heading to?” she asked.

“To Grasmere today and Patterdale tomorrow,” said Zillah. Tim and Zillah were making their way to Keld, which was the halfway mark of this walk. They had already walked some sections of the route, from Keld to Robin Hoods Bay, during previous excursions.

A photo session was called for again. Discovering that they would be staying at the same farm as ourselves in Patterdale the following night, we agreed to meet there for dinner.

Yet we still had some way to go before arriving in Grasmere.

More to come….