Guest Post by Willis Eschenbach
People are all aflutter demanding that the governments around the world step in and do something, anything, about the eventual end of oil and fossil fuels. It reminds me of the old saying,
The Stone Age didn’t end because we ran out of stones!
However, now that I’m in the Lake District in England, I’ve had to revise that saying, because around here, near as I can tell the Stone Age never officially ended at all. Oh, not the people, they’re as modern as any … but they use stone everything. Now I was expecting stone houses … and I’d heard of (but never seen) stone roofs. Both of those they have aplenty.
But I wasn’t prepared for stone gateposts …
And while I’ve seen many stone fences in my time, they were always made of stones piled one atop the other. They have lots of those kinds of fences in the Lake District, but also another kind I’d not seen. These are made of single flat stone slabs stood on edge.
I didn’t inquire closely as to how the folks living in the stone houses with the stone fences and stone roofs might have constructed their beds and their toilets, that seemed a bridge too far, and I was afraid of what might be revealed ..
We’ve spent the night in Hawkshead, for no apparent reason other than that the YHA Youth Hostel here has the best rates in the area. And since the gorgeous ex-fiancee and I are both in our middle youth, it worked out fine.
As many people have claimed, the scenery here in the Lake District is gorgeous, and Hawkshead is no exception.
It’s one of the spots for which the term “bucolic” might have been invented.
Hawkshead is in the Beatrix Potter country, and the William Wordsworth country, and man, they don’t want you to forget either one. I guess Peter Rabbit must be big in Japan, because there were a couple of busloads of Japanese tourists at her house in Near Sawrey, and all the Beatrix Potter Official Stockist shops had Japanese translations on their signs. And Wordsworth’s name pops up everywhere, unfortunately sometimes to the detriment of what is assuredly a more interesting and recondite history:
The town has a lovely church which we visited and admired, but the folks here say it’s not that old, it only dates from the 1500s … bummer. Despite that disappointment, I did find Herman Melville’s dale that I mentioned in my last post, and I did follow it down to the lake as Melville said:
In this case, the lake was Lake Windermere, one lake over from the lake pictured above. From the number of sailboats I assume Windermere means “Windy Lake”, so I’m probably wrong about that, folk etymology being what it is … but windy or not, it is one of the most scenic lakes it’s been my pleasure to behold.
The turf around here is all clearly marked by the glaciers of the last Ice Age, with the characteristic rounded valleys and the hills sometimes scraped clean of dirt down to the bone. The glaciers make for a lovely soft kind of landscape, with all of the sharp points ground smooth.
On the northeast side of lake Windermere there’s a charming forest that runs along the lake. In one section there was no undergrowth, just acres of ferns …
Strangely, between the forest and the lake there’s also a place which is a caravan park with permanent residents, called “Strawberry Garden”. It’s in one of the world’s prettiest locations, right on the waterfront. Of course, it’s all marked
PRIVATE
This site is privately occupied by long term caravan owners.
THERE IS NO PUBLIC ACCESS
Here’s a shot of it from over the fence … a stone fence, as you might imagine …
Why did I find this strange?
Well, the site is owned, not by a private individual or a company, but by the National Trust. Says so right on the other sign:
THE NATIONAL TRUST
STRAWBERRY GARDEN
PRIVATE — Access to caravan site and cottages only.
NO UNAUTHORISED ENTRY
It has the National Trust logo on it and everything … I was gobsmacked. The National Trust is in the business of providing stupendous caravan spaces to the fortunate few, while the public is kept out entirely? How does that work? Gotta be some history there I’m unaware of.
We walked a couple of miles along Lake Windermere. It was absolutely stunning. My thanks to all who recommended the Lake District, our time here has been great. The only downside are the roads. Typically, the roads around this area are about one and seven-sixteenths car widths from side to side … in the wide parts … and there are always stone walls on both verges, which tend to focus one’s attention mightily. Add bicyclists and walkers and the odd horse or two, and it’s a Disneyland E-Ticket ride, except with real hazards.
Tomorrow we’re going to see Hadrian’s Wall, and then up into Scotland. The adventure continues. My thanks to everyone for their texts and comments. Unfortunately there are far too many to acknowledge individually, but I do read and appreciate them all. We’re headed for the land of haggis and sporrans, should be fun.
Best regards,
w.
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Willis.
Vindolandia would be a great location on the wall to visit. It is possible to get a real taste of Roman life from the letters that were sent back and forth.
“The fort of Vindolanda was one of the earliest Roman garrisons, and even older than Hadrian’s Wall. Most of the letters, or writing tablets, date from this time (AD 97–103).
The letters enable us to picture community life. We can inspect official correspondence which demonstrated the army’s efficiency, work assignments, the soldiers’ diet and what they did in their time off.
Incoming mail (tablet 346) is also revealing: ‘I have sent you … pairs of socks from Sattua, two pairs of sandals and two pairs of underpants.’ It was obviously a bit cold for soldiers on the north-west frontier of the Roman Empire.
In one letter (tablet 291) Claudia Severa invites Sulpicia Lepidina to her birthday party:
Claudia Severa to her Lepidina greetings. On 11 September, sister, for the day of the celebration of my birthday, I give you a warm invitation to make sure that you come to us, to make the day more enjoyable for me by your arrival… I shall expect you, sister. Farewell, sister, my dearest soul, as I hope to prosper, and hail.”
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/scotlandshistory/caledonianspictsromans/vindolandaletters/index.asp
http://www.vindolanda.com/
tonyb
Hi Willis
In the UK every region used to use its local materials for building houses. Thames Valley – clay,ergo bricks. The Cotswold Hills (Gloucestershire, where I grew up) limestones and oolitic limestone roofing tiles, often massive. Wood – historically used for building wagons etc, not houses, or in the case of oak, ships. Unauthorised cutting down of an oak tree was once a capital offence in Sweden.
The use of stone walls to demarcate fields comes from the need to clear the stones from agricultural areas. I most noticed this in Coatia where the walls can be 12 foot thick. There was never any economic incentive to take them elsewhere, so they just built walls!
LOL for I too thought of GK Chesterton and the rolling roads. Potter was a heroine of mine. Scientist and artist, farmer and sheep breeder and passionate defender of her heritage, natural and manmade.
Wilis,
stone is still `in` slightly due to the fact it decays at a very slow rate, as an engineer iys a very handy substance, the `larder` always had a slate shelf in it to keep things real cool, the house I have just finished building (with lots of granite parrapets and gateposts, and steps, and slate) will be good for a few hundred years I hope, The stone tunnel I`ve also just built, complete with granite spiral staircase, from first principles is well worth a visit if you end up in devon
Willis,
If you do manage some time in Scotland then you should drive up ‘The Great Glen’ from Fort William past Loch Ness and the ‘monster’ to Inverness . Just East of Inverness is the museum for the Battle of Culloden which was between the Catholics and Highlanders and the Protestants and Lowlanders, which you may find interesting. Go a little further East into Speyside and you can follow ‘The Whisky Trail’ which is a signed tour of the Scots Whisky distilleries. At each they will not only show you around but allow you to have a sample.
Of course you could go North of ‘The Great Glen’ and into Sutherland (Southern Land) and Caithness (The Kingdom of Cait) which was settled from the North. The two counties suffered considerably in ‘The Clearances’ when tenant farmers and crofters were thrown off the land to allow the Lairds to try to farm sheep. You can still see the stone foundations of cottages in villages that were razed by fire. It is because of ‘The Clearances’ that there are so many ex-patriot Scot’s communities in Canada and the East Coast of the USA. Many of the scots worked as engineers on the new steam ships – possibly the reason that the engineer on Star Trek’s Starship Enterprise was Scots.
I expect those caravans are Gypsies, and they are accomodated on public land to keep them from squatting in other locations.
You must take a ride on the famous Edinburgh Trams 😉
@London247 – re the P.S. – fortunately for Willis it’s now too cold up here for midges!
Stone fenceposts? Kansas — http://www.rushcounty.org/postrockmuseum/
Not a great weather forecast for tomorrow Willis – with a bit of luck the mist will be down and will hide from your eyes the miles and miles of wind farms between the border and the Scottish central belt. We still (for the time being) have a beautiful country up here, although idiot politicians and those with their snouts in the subsidy trough are working hard to change that.
Oh – and those stone walls are called ‘dykes’ in Scotland. You won’t upset anyone if you say you ran into a dyke on your way north. Except maybe the local farmer.
Glad you are enjoying yourself. Hawkshead is a lovely place but you haven’t mentioned one of the most important things there….The Pubs! Enjoy some English beer whilst you are here.
The mention of ‘Hardknot Pass’ brought back memories of holidaying in the Lake District with my parents in the 1970’s.
We got stuck behind another motorist on an icy bend on the 1:3 section while travelling in my dads Austin Allegro (or “All Agro” as it was colloquially known). Unfortunately the only way my dad could get going again was to decamp all the family, including suitcases and we had to walk uphill carrying the suitcases. It didn’t take long before some witty walker shouted “you’ld find it easier using a rucksack mate”!
Read Corbridge for for bridge (big fingers ) 🙂
Ian W says:
September 10, 2013 at 12:19 pm
Lowland Scots (also Highland, English & Irish) served on both sides at Culloden. The Jacobite army of that twit “Bonnie Prince Charlie” Stuart consisted mainly of Highlanders, but also a some Lowlanders & a small detachment of Englishmen from the Manchester Regiment. The Jacobites were supported & supplied by France, so French & Irish units augmented their army.
The British royal (pro-Hanoverian) forces were mostly English Redcoats, along with a significant number of Scottish Lowlanders & Highlanders, a battalion of Ulstermen & some Hessians & Austrians.
Enjoy Scotland, Willis, and remember to go on the Jacobite railway and stay on Seil Island (Innish B&B) visiting the Oyster Bar at Ellenabeich and the Slate Islands Heritage Centre (Jim Watson there will give you the history). If you can take a trip from there, or nearby Ardfern, to the Corryvreckan – do it!
http://www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/jacobite/Jacobite_Details.html
http://www.slateislands.org.uk/centre.html
http://www.whirlpool-scotland.co.uk/how.html (Easdale is near Ellenabeich)
http://www.venture-west.co.uk/boat-trips/corryvreckan
Willis,
“I didn’t inquire closely as to how the folks living in the stone houses with the stone fences and stone roofs might have constructed their beds and their toilets, that seemed a bridge too far”
I can’t speak for the UK, but in the US the typical home toilet is made of porcelain which is sort of a kind of man made stone. 🙂
Stone houses? God forbid – modern people live in trailer parks!
Willis – it sounds like you are having a fantastic time. Great photos, by the way. Cheers to you. 🙂
If/When you ever get around to visiting Wales, you will need to visit the slate mines — the source of those stone roofs.
Perhaps you are starting to get an inkling of why UK ex-pats look at American houses and just don’t understand why anyone would live in, let alone build structures that any random passing wolf could huff and puff put of existence.
Western Kansas is thick with stone fence-posts, stone gate-posts, & stone buildings. Has something to do with the scarcity of trees (besides cottonwoods in the river bottoms, which are almost as useful as Bill Cosby’s Pudding Pops for lumber) & all the limestone underlying the great plains. Until you have cheap transport or a good brick industry you have to make do with what you have.
Willis your observations on ‘Strawberry Garden’ are so, so sharp. Most UK residents will not even know what disgrace the National Trust is as an organisation. In fact many millions in the UK proudly place National Trust stickers on their cars oblivious to the brutality and disregard this organisations shows to both its tenants and the wildlife that is unfortunate to roam the vast acres it ‘manages’. Speak to any farmer who rents land from this bunch of ‘progressive’ left wing green-shirts and they will tell you they are the very worst kind of landlord you could imagine. The NT are of course very happy to despoil the National Parks of the UK with bird killing crucifixes called wind turbines, but try having a family BBQ on one of their beaches and their lawyers will have a field day.
You may already know this but most of the land they ‘occupy’ was either donated by landowners or ‘grabbed’ by the UK government in lieu of stupendous taxes the land owners could not pay. They then charge for the right to access this land. I have cycled past the beautiful Strawberry Gardens many times and like you wondered why the land, that is effectively owned by the state, is out of bounds even though the NT is the most vocal when is comes to access to private land and demands the ‘right to roam’ over other peoples property. The liberals are well and truly in the NT machine.
It’s bad in the UK, but the US is even worse I think. I was charged USD 15 recently just to access the Lake Mead National Park this year. I am happy to pay parking fees or access to an historic property, but to drive through government owned land for 30 minutes to see what is really a man made money making lake is quite a disgrace. Strawberry Gardens may be a lot lot smaller than Lake Mead but the problem is just the same – governments that want to steal land and charge us, or prevent us, from accessing it.
There are some rather wonderful children’s books set in the Lakes which feature quite young children sailing on their own.
The 1st book has a telegraphic reply from Father to a request to sail alone with the famous quote ‘BETTER DROWNED THAN DUFFERS IF NOT DUFFERS WONT DROWN’
Philip Peake says:
September 10, 2013 at 1:24 pm
“If/When you ever get around to visiting Wales, you will need to visit the slate mines — the source of those stone roofs”
Not so I’m afraid. The Lakes are spattered with old slate mines:
http://www.honistergreenslate.com/department/_roofing_slate_/
Richard, I think a lot of us actually know how useless the National Trust really is. They have long forgotten what they should be there for! In Berkshire there’s a hill behind Streatley where you ‘could’ picnic (that has great views). However, the NT (instead of using a tractor to cut the grass) allow the nearby farmer to graze his cattle there to ‘cut’ the grass. Hence the entire area is covered in cow pats. We quite literally couldn’t lay a blanket down anywhere without some of it touching a cow pat! The National Trust are a waste of space, far more interested in wasting money on huge country mansions and adding a gift shop to the exits – full of green NT tat.