After a pleasent morning walk along the eastern shore of Esthwaite water, our first view of Hawkshead came as we left the trees and saw the church of St. Michael's and All Angels on a hill over the village and the green sheep pastures surrounding. The road curved around and over Black Beck and into the car park at the Visitor Information Center. |
Our first quest was to find Walker Ground Manor, our B&B for the night. Despite it's small size, Hawkshead can be confusing to the uninitiated, with narrow winding lanes leading back on themselves, and like most places in England, few signs to help the wayward traveler. After a couple of false starts and a U-turn, we found our way to Vicarage Lane up the hill, where Jean visited with some of the locals.
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Soon we came to Walker Ground Manor, where we were greeted by our host, Dougie Bell, a brilliant conversationalist and breakfast chef. Dougie made us feel at home right away.
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Walker Ground Manor is a comfortable home set on a hillside looking over Hawkshead village and the surrounding countryside. The term "Ground" is the old Norse word for agricultural holdings. Walker Ground is surrounded by fields marked by upright stone slabs, the old Norse method of delineating one's "ground."
We found our room to be comfortable and spacious, with a beautiful view over the gardens behind the house, complete with a rushing stream splashing among rocks at the edge of the trees. We had a quick cup of tea, then headed straightaway down the trail through sheep pastures, filled with sheep, to Hawkshead.
We found our room to be comfortable and spacious, with a beautiful view over the gardens behind the house, complete with a rushing stream splashing among rocks at the edge of the trees. We had a quick cup of tea, then headed straightaway down the trail through sheep pastures, filled with sheep, to Hawkshead.
Inside the ancient church, Jean lighted a candle for the generations of her ancestors (Brocklebank, Middlefel, Shaw) who were christened, married, and buried here beginning almost 400 years ago.
In the dark quiet of the moment, silent tears of overwhelming emotion marked the culmination of the unlikely journey of life that brought her to this ancestral home. |
We stopped in at the Hawkshead Grammar School, where William Wordsworth learned his letters as a wee lad, to ask the curator, David Warren, about records of the burial ground. In the process of not finding out about burial records, we learned a lot about the history of the school and Hawkshead!
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David did recommend that if anyone in Hawkshead would know if there were still Brocklebanks living in the village, it would be John Dewhurst, local undertaker. |
We walked the 1/2 mile from the school to the "Sawmill," where Dewhurst's work shop was located. Lots of sawdust on the old flooring. And there he stood, elderly, tall, thin, wool cap. "No Brocklebanks live in Hawkshead anymore," he stated with kind authority. Jean was sad to hear it was so. Yet pleased that at least a Brocklebank was standing there in his shop that day, even though, as is the custom of undertakers, he seemed somehow to be measuring us, as we talked.
We walked back to Hawkshead, looking for possible pubs for dinner, peeking down alleyways and making our decision for later. We refound our way to Vicarage Lane and uphill to our B&B, where we sat contentedly in the downstairs lounge, sipping tea and making notes in our journals, in awe at our discoveries of the day. Hawkshead felt like coming home and choosing ancient Walker Ground Manor for our overnight stay added to that experience.
As the light faded into evening, we made our way to the Kings Arms Hotel for dinner and drinks, then back to Walker Ground for a quiet visit with our hosts.
We walked back to Hawkshead, looking for possible pubs for dinner, peeking down alleyways and making our decision for later. We refound our way to Vicarage Lane and uphill to our B&B, where we sat contentedly in the downstairs lounge, sipping tea and making notes in our journals, in awe at our discoveries of the day. Hawkshead felt like coming home and choosing ancient Walker Ground Manor for our overnight stay added to that experience.
As the light faded into evening, we made our way to the Kings Arms Hotel for dinner and drinks, then back to Walker Ground for a quiet visit with our hosts.
Leaving idyllic Hawkshead with reluctance, we boarded the bus to Ambleside, relishing the excitement of our trip north to Scotland.
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