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Western Coast north of Penrith
to Wallsend on the Eastern Coast.
You can hike the wall, stopping at
tea rooms or pubs as you wish, or
drive from one excavated site to
the next to learn more about how
people there lived 1,600 years ago.
While the weather is notoriously unpredictable (locals will tell
you that it’s not unusual to experience all four seasons in a single
day), showers and racing clouds
only emphasize the grandeur of
the scenery. Late fall is supposedly
the wettest season, but our week
in early November sparkled with
sunshine and cool breezes on all
but one day. The Faeries hidden in
those fells must have been with us.
England’s Lake District
Charming destination has literary
connections, lovely scenery
by Doris Settles, Staff Writer
Tucked into the hillsides of interior England is one of the most
charming vacation destinations
anywhere. Encompassing a total
area of just over 885 square miles,
a picturesque patchwork of lakes,
valleys, woodlands and fells make
England’s Lake District one of the
best places in Britain to get out
and experience the great outdoors, whether it’s on a leisurely
bike ride down country lanes or a
day-long hike across the hills. It’s
no wonder the Lake District is the
go-to vacation spot for locals and
internationals alike.
With houses, apartments and
cottages with service-in arrangements (a full kitchen), the accommodations in the Lake District
are well-suited for a relaxing week
with short side trips to a large
selection of things to do. The Lake
District has wonderful food and
a plethora of tearooms to sample.
Make sure to try the customary
British fare and the famous area
ciders.
The Lake District has numerous artistic and literary connections, most famously William
Wordsworth, who was born in
Cockermouth in 1770 and drew
much of his poetic inspiration
from the surrounding landscape.
Other poets, writers and painters also lived and worked in the
area, including John Ruskin,
Beatrix Potter, Arthur Ransome
and Alfred Wainwright, author of
the classic Pictorial Guides to the
Lakeland Fells.
My sister and I recently spent a
week near Penrith in the northern
Lake District with our niece, her
husband and two small children.
Even though the scenery called us
out, day-long walks or bike rides
with an infant and a 3-year-old
weren’t on our agenda. Fortunately, we had two natives to ferry
us around, driving on the “wrong”
side of the road.
We headed one sunny afternoon to the old Scotland-Britain
border, which is marked with
what remains of Hadrian’s Wall.
The Romans colonized Brit-
ain and the military, under the
command of Emperor Hadrian,
built a large wall to keep out the
“barbarian” Scots. An English
Heritage site, Hadrian’s Wall runs
from Bowness-on-Solway on the
The Lake District
has numerous
artistic and literary
connections.
Quaint Sophistication...
Retirement Living
at its Finest!
3310 Tates Creek Rd.,
Lexington, KY 40502
(Across from Lansdowne Shoppes)
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