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A Dream Realized

One summer morning in late July 2011, we alighted at Oxenholme station. A mountain goat ‘luxury’ bus drove us  to the Lake District, the biggest national park in England. I felt thrilled. A dream of so many years slowly unfolding before me. Rolling downs, hillocks, sheep grazing on mountain folds whistled past as we drove on. Ice melting in the Ice Age had fossilised  into grey stone slabs, and these were heaped alongside roads – a sort of fencing.

The Lake District threw out a varied landscape – narrow country lanes, innumerable lakes (6 big ones and 250 smaller), highlands, rolling downs, mountain sheep and roe deer. We were scheduled to go on a cruise on Lake Conniston, but the boat was  full. No seats for fifteen people at a go. Drove to Hawkshead instead, for lunch stop and small walks. This was ‘Potter Country’ remember–shops selling Beatrix Potter souvenirs, ice-cream shops, eat-shops. A grammar school stood on  the village square – the school where Wordsworth studied. This was the only link to Words worth, during the entire tour. I had counted so much onseeing ‘Dove Cottage’ at Grasmere where the poet had lived with his wife and sister.  Naturally disappointed.

Next stop, Hilltop House and its grounds. In front, a room selling Potter memorabilia. The main house itself had such small rooms and narrow stairs. Beatrix would use Hilltop as her writing pad and walk over to it from a bigger house opposite, she had  moved in after marriage. The story goes, as recounted by our driver-guide: She had no idea of her own worth. She approached the bank to check on it. The banker politely told her she had more than she could chew.

I was fascinated by a house opposite Hilltop, clicked a few pictures. A tall house standing apart from the road, spires lifting up to the blue cloudless sky, and half-hidden by trees on either side.

To Lake Windermere for a long cruise. But wait! A photo-shop en-route. A road went town to a tiny ‘Tawn Haws’ (tear-drop shed by Highland woman molested by marauding Vikings).

We took a thirty minute cruise from Ambleside to Bowness on Windermere. This is the biggest lake in the Lake District. You could hire a paddle boat or a yacht. Interesting! You could also relax and enjoy the whole lake, with a ‘freedom of the lake’ ticket. Board M.V. Swan, Teal or Term for a continuous round-the-lake cruise (3 hrs.), watch the magnificent scenery glide by and even break the journey at the various stops.

Cream tea at Lindeth House, a country house hotel in Bowness. Set in six acres of private garden, it belonged to the Potter family. Were driven back to the train station by the old faithful ‘Mountain Goat’.

Boarded the Virgin Express at about 6.42 p.m., and it dropped us politely at Paddington at 9.24 p.m. So much for British punctuality! The train had been running late at Oxenholme by just a few minutes, a fact taken note of and ‘gently regretted’.