ABs, l. 74. 'b\‘) UWBOto accompaiiy HAF BLACK’S PICTURES QBE GBIDE ENGLISH LAKES. BLACK’S TRAVELLING JVIAPS. REDUCED ORDNANCE MAP OF SCOTLAND. SCALE—TWO MILES TO THE INCH. 1. Edinburgh District (North Berwick to Stirling, and Kirkcaldy to Peebles). 2. Glasgow District (Coatbridge to Ardrishaig, and Lochgoilhead to Irvine). 3. Loch Lomond and Trossachs District (Dollar to Loch Long, and Loch Earn to Glasgow). 4. Central Perthshire District (Perth to Tyndrum, and Loch Tummel to Dunblane). 5. Perth and Dundee District (Glen Shee to Kinross, and Montrose to Pitlochry). 6. Aberdeen District (Aberdeen to Braemar, and Tomintoul to Brechin). 7. Upper Spey and Braemar District (Braemar to Glen Roy, and Nethy Bridge to Killiecrankie). 8. Caithness District (whole of Caithness and east portion of Sutherland). 9. Oban and Loch Awe District (Moor of Rannoch to Tober- mory, and Loch Eil to Arrochar). 10. Arran and Lower Clyde District (Ayr to Mull of Cantyre, and Millport to Girvan). 11. Peterhead and Banff District (Peterhead to Fochabers, and the Coast to Kintore). 12. Inverness and Nairn District (Fochabers to Strathpeffer, and Dornoch Firth to Grantown). In cloth case, 2s. 6d., or mounted on cloth, ^s. 6d. each. LARGE MAP OF SCOTLAND, IN 12 SHEETS. SCALE—FOUR MILES TO THE INCH. A complete set Mounted on Cloth, in box-case . .£180 Do. On Mahogany Boilers, Varnished . 2 2 0 Separate Sheets in case, 2s. 6d., or mounted on cloth, y. 6d. each. EDINBURGH : ADAM AND CHARLES BLACK. 5. aldy tod -och jch and J to % - I of re, id ol iUi'T-'I fe^0 it '■ 1M j lt 1 S i lii 1 Uni <■ qp-HV3. Hr ‘ & 'J u cj&*«ia.' “w JiP'vtlt an3o«i ‘ytntt^- sI S»i 1 'J*rte- a i ifli i'/-,' I W*! 1 fef '' ’ '.(^11; ••. iili ii. I vV > ii i' !«iil i s rr' f- 1 JI: irai sw » J BLACK’S PICTUKESQUE GUIDE TO THE ENGLISH LAKES INCLUDING THE GEOLOGY OF THE DISTRICT BY JOHN PHILLIPS, M.A. LL.D. P.B.S. F.G.S. LATE PROFESSOR OF GEOLOGY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD OUTLINE MOUNTAIN VIEWS BY MR. FLINTOFT ILLUSTRATIONS BY BIRKET FOSTER TWENTIETH EDITION EDINBURGH ADAM AND CHARLES BLACK 1881 <18 . JYQ01 ^ IQ 7Pi ^I^EFACE. That section of England, to ■which this small volume professes to he a Guide, occupies a portion of the three counties of Cumberland, Westmorland, and Lancaster, and extends over an area, the greatest length or breadth of which is nowhere more than fifty miles. The picturesque attractions of the district are beyond question unequalled by any PREFACE. other part of England; and although some of the Scottish lochs and mountains must he admitted to present prospects of more imposing grandeur, it may safely he said, that no tract of country in Britain dis- plays a finer combination of sublimity and beauty. Eor the lover of nature, no Tour can he named of a more pleasing character than that which these Lakes afford; yet we see crowds of people hurrying to the Continent on the return of each summer, without deigning to glance at the lovely scenery of their own land. “We penetrate the Glaciers, and traverse the Ehone and the Ehine, 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, hacked 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 spot presents attractions. It is scarcely less interesting to the antiquarian, the geologist, and the botanist. The remains of three Abbeys—Furness, Calder, and Shap—of numerous Castles—of one or two Eoman Stations—and of many Druidical erections— afford ample scope for the research of the antiquarian; Richard Cumberland. PREFACE. V whilst the rich variety of stratified and unstratified rocks, forming a series from granite 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. The absence in the Lake country of those tradi- tions, with which other places similarly characterized by nature abound, has often been remarked with surprise; and, notwithstanding what has been urged by Southey, we are still at liberty to express our wonder that there is not a greater number of legends, superstitions, and tales of stirring incident, connected with a district so richly supplied with all the attributes to which the popular fancy is prone to link romantic associations of this kind. An interest, however, of no ordinary kind is im- parted to the locality from its being the spot with which many eminent literary men have been more or less connected, and from which several of their finest works have emanated. William Wordsworth, S. T. Coleridge, his son Hartley Coleridge, Eobert Southey, Bishop Watson, Professor Wilson, Thomas de Quincey, Thomas Hamilton (author of Cyril Thornton), Elizabeth Smith, Charles Lloyd, Dr. Arnold, Harriet Martineau— all of these, an honoured list of names, have been resi- vi PREFACE. dent among the Lakes. Archbishop Sandys, Hogarth, and Komney the painter, also sprung from this country. The mountains best known and most usually ascended are—Skiddaw, Helvellyn, Langdale Pikes, Coniston Old Man, and Scawfell. In addition to these, we have described with some minuteness, as well worthy of being ascended, Saddleback, High Street, and Wansfell. Guides can be procured at any of the neighbouring hotels, who, for a moderate compensation, will conduct strangers to the summit by the least cir- cuitous path ; and, being generally intelligent persons, will point out and name those objects most worthy of notice, which are visible on the ascent or from the highest point. Fine clear days should be selected for these mountain expeditions, as well for the advantage of having an extensive prospect, as for safety. Mists and wreaths of vapour, capping the summits of moun- tains, or creeping along their sides, are beautiful objects when viewed from the lowly valley; but when the wanderer becomes surrounded with them on the hills they occasion anything but agreeable sensations, and have not unfrequently led to serious accidents. The best weather in the Lake district generally prevails from the middle of May to the end of June, and in the autumn from the latter part of August to the end of October. CONTENTS. Lancaster Kendal .... Walks and Excursions from Kendal Longsleddale and Hawes Water Windermere . , . .16 Bowness 19 Walks from Bowness . .22 The Ferry ••.... 28 Circuit of Windermere from Bowness ... 31 Ambleside . 3g Loughrigg Fell . ... .43 Troutbeck • .... 43 Rydal, Grasmere, and Easdale .... 47 viii CONTENTS. The Langdale Excursion from Ambleside . 64 Millbeck to the Summit of the Pikes ... 68 "Wansfell Pike ...... 69 Ambleside to Coniston ..... 71 Coniston Old Man . .75 Lancaster to Ulverston and Furness Abbey . 79 Ulverston to Windermere by Kailway ... 81 Furness Abbey ...... 85 Broughton ...... 93 Broughton to Seatbwaite and Ambleside by Koad . 94 Ambleside to Keswick by Thirlemere ... 97 Keswick....... 99 Walks and Excursions from Keswick . .107 Derwentwater ...... 109 Keswick by the Lake-side to Borrowdale . 112 Continuation of this tour by Honister Crag, Butter- mere, Crummock, and Lowes Water, returning by the Yale of Lorton or the Yale of Newland . 116 Buttermere ...... 120 Crummock Water . .123 Lowes Water ...... 125 Vale of St. John 127 Keswick to Wastwater ..... 131 Wastwater . .133 Scawfell ....... 134 Wastdale Head to Buttermere by Passes of Black Sail and Scarf Gap ..... 138 Skiddaw ...... 139 Blencathara or Saddleback . .143 Ullswater—Penrith to Patterdale . .147 Pooley Bridge . .148 Patterdale ...... 154 Patterdale to Ambleside by Kirkstone Pass . 157 Helvellyn ...... 158 High Street ...... 162 Penrith 166 CONTENTS. ix Walks and Excursions from Penrith . 170 Brougham Castle ..... 172 Mayhorough . .179 Dacre Castle ...... 181 Eden Hall ...... 185 Lowther Castle . .186 Greystoke Castle ..... 193 Excursion to Shap Abbey and Hawes Water . 195 Walk from Lowther Yale to Patterdale . 199 Whitehaven ...... 201 Excursions from Whitehaven . .204 St Bees ....... 204 St. Bees to Ennerdale Lake .... 206 St Bees—Egremont to Wastwater . 210 Calder Bridge ...... 211 ITINERARY. I. Ulverston—Coniston Lake—Ambleside 213 III.II. Kendal—Bowness—Hawkskead—ConistonKendal to Ambleside ....2 21415 IV.V. Ambleside—Langdale—Eskdale—Egremont—WhitehavenAmbleside—Rydal—Grasmere—Thirlemere—Keswick . 216218 VII.VI. Keswick—Borrowdale—Buttcrmere—ScaleWhitehaven—Cockermoutb—Bassentbwaite Hill—Cockermouth Lake—Keswick . 221220 VIII.IX. Keswick—Borrowdale—Wastwater—EgremontKeswick—Threlkeld—Penrith ...2 22425 XI.X. Penrith—Ullswater—Patterdale—Kirkstone—AmblesidePenrith—Shap—Kendal .2 22627 Geology of the Lake District 231 Physical Geography 265 Synopsis of Mountains, Lakes, and Waterfalls .... 272 Memoranda for Botanists 274 Miscellaneous .... 278 Notes for Pedestrians .... 279-285 EXPLANATION OF ENGKAVINOS, ETC. MAP. The heights of the principal mountains in feet are annexed to their names. Bye-roads are marked thus Foot-roads and mountain tracks - - - — The line dividing counties .... The dotted lines beyond the coast line indicate the extent of sand dry at low water. Churches and chapels are marked with a cross . X Waterfalls . HI- GH ARTS. Pagt, Windermere, Coniston, Grasmere, and Rydal Lakes . 20 ButtermereDerwentwater Lake, and Crummock Bassenthwaite Lake, Lake and Lowes.... Water . 124107 Wast Water 133 Ullswater, and Hawes Water 152 MR. FLINTOFT’S OUTLINEGROUPS. VIEWS OF MOUNTAIN 1. Mountains at the head of Windermere, as seen from the \ north end of Belle Isle | 34 2. Mountains as seen from Bisket How, Bowness 3. Mountains surrounding Grasmere and Rydal Vales, as seen from Red Bank 4. Mountains at the head of Coniston Lake, as seen near Tent Lodge, on the road from Coniston to Ulverston .