Wandering like Wordsworth

SEPTEMBER and October are perfect months to explore Wordsworth Country. The crowds have mostly gone and it is possible to see the walking country which William (1770-1850) and Dorothy Wordsworth (1771-1855) explored.

This brother and sister act -- he wrote poetry while she wrote wonderful prose -- lived long because they walked long distances.

I parked in the free car park between Dove Cottage (home of the Wordsworth from 1799 to 1808) and the Swan Inn, directly on the A591 outside Grasmere. I had read an old walking book which said that there was an "easy walk" of 1.5 miles from the Swan to Alcock Tarn.

It also said that the Wordsworths loved the tarn and wrote some of their material on its banks. How wrong the book was but what a wonderful walk I had. It was not 1.5 miles but 4.5 miles and the going was, to say the least, tough.

It climbs almost to 1,500 feet and then descends equally steeply down to Dove Cottage. This walk should only be done in dry weather as it got very slippery during the rain.

My first stop was at the Swan. Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) used to stay with the Wordsworths. They were not drinkers but Walter enjoyed his dram and used to sneak off for a drink.

Imagine his embarrassment when he and the Wordsworths at the end of a walk called in for a meal. The waiter greeted Walter by asking if he wanted his usual!

From the Swan I climbed the narrow road until I reached the footpath signed to the right indicating Alcock Tarn. The path follows a lovely stream full of little waterfalls and called Greenhead Gill. The ascent to the tarn is long and steep but easy to follow and well worth the effort. There are lovely views of Grasmere village and lake from the top and during the descent through bracken and trees.

As you get near to Dove Cottage pass a little tarn on your right and then look out for a large flat stone. This marks one of the stops on what is known as the Corpse Road.

Farmers living on the hills had to make their last journey to Grasmere church carried by family and friends. These stones were placed so that the bearers could have a rest with the coffin resting on a flat surface.

The National Trust look after much of the area of this walk and they have done a wonderful job in preserving Dove Cottage. The atmosphere of the little cottage has not been affected by the thousands of visitors which pass through it.

What they have done is to establish other new, but not obtrusive, buildings to house a library and study centre devoted to the Wordsworths.

This is not so much of a Drive and Stroll as a Drive and Sweat. At the end, however, as I enjoyed my meal at the Swan it was well worth the effort. If you want to wander with the Wordsworths plan carefully and take stout footwear and butties and a drink. You will need them.