267 THE LAKE DISTRICT. For the accommodation of strangers about to make the Tour of the Lake District, and who are in doubt, from the number of routes, which, and in what order to take them, we have drawn up an abstract of four Tours, which it is supposed commence and terminate at each of the four principal towns lying upon the edge of the district, viz., Kendal, Ulverston, Penrith, and Whitehaven. By consulting the map of the Lake District, and charts, Tourists will be able to vary the Tours according to their convenience; and by reference to the Index, the reader will find the page of the volume, in which the objects mentioned in the abstract are described at length. ABSTRACT OF TOURS. I. KENDAL. KENDAL-BOWNESS-WINDERMERE-AMBLESIDE-TROUTBECK Excursion-CONISTONascend the OLD MAN-Circuit of CONISTON LAKE-AMBLESIDE-LANGDALE ExcursionExcursion round GRASMERE and RYDALMERE-WYTHBURN-ascend HELVELLYN-THIRLEMERE-KESWICK-Circuit of Derwentwater-VALE of ST. JOHN-ascend SKIDDAW-BASSENTHWAITE Excursion-BORROWDALE-BUTTERMERE-SCALE HILL-Excursion to ENNERDALE WATER-EGREMONT-STRANDS at the foot of WAST WATER-ascend Scawfell Pike -KESWICK by way of Sty Head-PENRITH-Excursion to HAWES WATER-Excursion to ULLESWATER-PATTERDALE-AMBLESIDE, by HAWKSHEAD and ESTHWAITE WATER to BOWNESS-KENDAL. II. ULVERSTON. ILVERSTON-Coniston Lake-Waterhead Inn-ascend the OLD MAN-AMBLESIDE-Circuit of WINDERMERE-TROUTBECK Excursion-LANGDALE Excursion, in which Langdale Pikes may be ascended-Excursion to RYDAL, GRASMERE and Loughrigg Tarn-Grasmere-Wythburn ascend HELVELLYN-Thirlmere-KESWICK-Circuit of DERWENTWATER-Excursion into the VALE of ST JOHN-ascend SKIDDAW-Circuit of BASSENTHWAITE LAKE-Excursion through BORROWDALE to BUTTERMERE-CRUMMOCK WATER-SCALE HILL-ENNERDALE WATER EOREMONT Strands-ascend SCAWFELL PIKE-WAST WATER-Over Sty Head to KESWICK -PENRITH-Excursion to HAWES WATER-Excursion to ULLESWATER-PATTERDALE AMBLESIDE-HAWKSHEAD-ESTHWAITE WATER-ULVERSTON-Excursion by Broughton into DENNERDALE and SEATHWAITE. III. PENRITH. PENRITH-Excursion to HAWES WATER-ULLESWATER-PATTERDALE-ascend HELVELLYN, by Kirkstone, to AMBLESIDE-TROUTBECK Excursion-Circuit of WINDERMERE-LANGDALK Excursion-ascend LANGDALE PIKES-Coniston-Circuit of CONISTON LAKE-ascend the OLD MAN-return to AMBLESIDE-Excursion round GRASMERE and RYDALMERE-WYTHBURN THIRLEMERE-KESWICK-ascend SKIDDAW-Circuit of DERWENTWATER-Excursion into the Vale of St John-Circuit of BASSENTHWAITE WATER-BORROWDALE-BUTTERMERE SCALE HILL-Excursion to ENNERDALE WATER-EGREMONT-STRANDS at the foot of WAST WATE-ascend Scawfeil Pike-KESWICK by way of Sty Head-PENRITH. IV. WHITEHAVEN. WHITHAVEN-Excursion to Ennerdale Lake-EOREMONT-WAST WATER-ascend SCAWFELL 268 THE LAKE DISTRICT. THE section of England, known by the name of the Lake District, occupies a portion of the three counties of Cumberland, Westmorland, and Lancaster, and extends over an area, the greatest length and breadth of which are not more than forty-five miles. The picturesque attractions of the district are probably unequalled in any other part of England; and although some of the Scottish lochs and mountains must be admitted to present prospects of more imposing grandeur, it may safely be said, that no tract of country in Britain combines in richer affluence those varied features of sublimity and beauty which have conferred upon this spot so high a reputation. For the lover of nature, no tour could be devised of a more pleasing charac ter than that which these lakes afford. "We penetrate the Glaciers, and tra verse the Rhone and the Rhine, whilst our domestic lakes of Ullswater, Keswick, and Windermere exhibit scenes in so sublime a style, with such beautiful colourings of rock, wood, and water, backed with so stupendous a disposition of mountains, that if they do not fairly take the lead of all the views of Europe, yet they are indisputably such as no English traveller should leave behind him."* Nor is it only to the admirer of external nature that this district presents attractions. It is no less interesting to the antiquarian, the geologist, and the bo tanist. The remains of three Abbeys,-Furness,-Calder, and Shap,—of numerous castles, of one or two Roman stations,-and of many Druidical erections, -afford ample scope for the research of the antiquarian; whilst the rich variety of stratified and unstratified rocks, forming a complete series from the granitic to the carboniferous beds ;-and many rare plants, with ample facilities for observing the effect produced upon vegetation by the varying temperature of the air at different altitudes, yield to the students of geology and of botany abundant matter for employment in their respective pursuits. A further interest is imparted to the locality from its being the spot with which many of our great modern poets have been more or less intimately connected, and from which many of their finest poems have emanated. The district may be traversed by many routes, the selection of which will depend upon the tourist's convenience and taste, but especially upon the point • CUMBERLAND. |