Grasmere - The Very Centre of the Lake District
| Grasmere, in the heart of the English Lake District, was immortalized
by William Wordsworth in the early 19th century through his
romantic poetry. It continues to be a haven of tranquillity in
today's hectic and volatile world. It is geographically the centre
of the Lake District and as such, is the ideal base for touring, walking,
boating and fishing. The attractive village centres around a church
dating back to the mid 13th century. Many of the houses in the village are
built of the local slate in the typical Victorian cottage style and were
built from the middle of the 19th century through and into the early 20th
century. The white washed farmsteads, (like
Broadrayne Farm circa 1627), around
the valley are the earliest residential properties in the valley. Over the
centuries the valley has only had small scale industries other than
farming. These include water driven fulling mills, (to pound hand-woven
cloth with soft brown soap to mat and felt the wool). Charcoal
burning for gunpowder manufacture etc... and also mining for copper and
hematite iron ore
which began way back in 1564 . Sheep farming has always been the backbone of the community but
farming patterns have changed dramatically over the years. For
instance in the early 19th century there were about 19 small farms in the
valley now there are only 2 full time farms and 1 part time farm.
|
The Lake District is the most beautiful corner of
England. The two neighbouring valleys of Rydal and Grasmere are surely
the most beautiful of all. Come hear sit by the lake, feast your
eyes, breathe fresh mountain air, watch water cascading down
the mountainside, listen to the birds, get within 30 feet of wild
deer, (Roe and Red), walk in the footsteps of England's most famous
poet. |
| The earliest cottages date from the 1600s most of these
can be easily be recognised by their white washed walls. All the early houses
and cottages are built of exposed local slate, much of
which was quarried from the back of Helm Crag , this is unique to Grasmere
and and can be instantly recognized by its distinct iron red hue. The
village retains a strong sense of community with an active village
society, amateur dramatic company, Brownies, Guides and Scout groups and a village school.
The village has in
the retail sector a mini
supermarket, chemist, post office, newspaper shop, delicatessen, pubs,
restaurants, cafes, several outdoor clothing shops and guess
what ?... the worlds biggest jigsaw shop! For greater detail
follow the links below on local shops and services.
For those of you who would like further in depth information please visit our links page. |
