Potter and Wordsworth Again
I can't remember how many times I've mentioned Beatrix Potter and William Wordsworth as examples of famous names in the realm of cultural tourism ...
but I feel I must mention them again as just last weekend I was in the Lake District and you couldn't get away from tourist attractions with their names on.
Our objective was to take a young Canadian relative to Keswick to introduce her to that charming town with its delightful shops and cafes surrounded by wonderful scenery - much like Lyme Regis. However, it seemed a shame not to make a detour to see Beatrix Potter's Hill Top house and it was well worth it. Interestingly, this National Trust property does not have its own teashop but relies on the excellent Sawrey House Hotel next door which must profit handsomely and deservedly from the literary heritage next door.
I must add that I consider visiting the tea shops at National Trust properties to be one of life's great pleasures. There is one such place of refreshment in the South West which is still on my priority list and that is Castle Drogo, just over the border in Devon. I have heard that it serves the best lemon cake in the world and I intend to investigate and establish for myself the veracity of that claim. However, that ambition pales into insignificance besides my desire to take afternoon tea in the lounge of Three Cups Hotel where Professor Tolkien and G.K. Chesterton enjoyed the hospitality and atmosphere of one of Britain's greatest historical and cultural national treasures.
Meanwhile, back in the Lake District, we drove from Hawkshead to Keswick via Grasmere. If anyone doubts the value of literary heritage to the tourist industry, visit Grasmere. You can't escape Wordsworth there or Sir Walter Scott or Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Go and visit Dove Cottage and The Old Swan. I rest my case.
but I feel I must mention them again as just last weekend I was in the Lake District and you couldn't get away from tourist attractions with their names on.
Our objective was to take a young Canadian relative to Keswick to introduce her to that charming town with its delightful shops and cafes surrounded by wonderful scenery - much like Lyme Regis. However, it seemed a shame not to make a detour to see Beatrix Potter's Hill Top house and it was well worth it. Interestingly, this National Trust property does not have its own teashop but relies on the excellent Sawrey House Hotel next door which must profit handsomely and deservedly from the literary heritage next door.
I must add that I consider visiting the tea shops at National Trust properties to be one of life's great pleasures. There is one such place of refreshment in the South West which is still on my priority list and that is Castle Drogo, just over the border in Devon. I have heard that it serves the best lemon cake in the world and I intend to investigate and establish for myself the veracity of that claim. However, that ambition pales into insignificance besides my desire to take afternoon tea in the lounge of Three Cups Hotel where Professor Tolkien and G.K. Chesterton enjoyed the hospitality and atmosphere of one of Britain's greatest historical and cultural national treasures.
Meanwhile, back in the Lake District, we drove from Hawkshead to Keswick via Grasmere. If anyone doubts the value of literary heritage to the tourist industry, visit Grasmere. You can't escape Wordsworth there or Sir Walter Scott or Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Go and visit Dove Cottage and The Old Swan. I rest my case.
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