Ullswater and the surrounding area
A picturesque area within easy reach of the M6. Many small villages and hamlets with character. Superb views over the lake, surrounded by hills.
There is a wealth of information about this area in the book "Reflections on Ullswater" - reviewed below.
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Book review: Reflections on Ullswater
Cumbria Heritage Series £6.99 Order now from Amazon.com
ISBN 0-9521070 - 2-3 Edited by Liz Berry
Reviewed by Alan Chard for LakesUK.com
The first thing to say about this volume is that it is NOT another walking guide, but is an introduction to the Ullswater area and its history.
An ideal book to browse before visiting Ullswater or the surrounding area because it puts the area into historical context and brings to life the past of the area. Great reading while you are there too.
It is well produced on good quality paper , a handy size, approx. 8 inches square (210 mm). It contains a wide variety of colour and monochrome photographs ranging from exceptional views to historical prints, sometimes as many as 5 per opening. Every photograph, including the covers, is described too. Each of the 25 chapters has been written by a specialist, which means that there is lots of detailed information.
The chapters are short and concise - manageable bites of relevant, interesting information, presented in an easy-to-read style. The order is logical, beginning by putting the area into a historical context with reference to ancient occupations by Celtic and Norse people with explanations of how some of the modern place names were derived. The geological formation of the area is covered starting 500 million years ago through glaciation (2 million years ago) and later.
The descriptions of harsh winter conditions and the political struggles to prevent excessive water abstraction and speedboating make interesting reading, as do the accounts of Donald Campbell and his water speed records in the 1950s. The transport sections cover road, rail and water. The steamers section I found very useful and detailed. Over 90% of journeys in the lake district are made by car! In general the road and rail expansions of the past were not well-liked by the romantic poets, although it is later pointed out that had many of these schemes escaped the axe or had been built then transport in the area would be better today.
Present day transport is featured, I noted the 'Patterdale Rambler', a bus which provides a regular service between Patterdale, Pooley Bridge and Penrith. Also the 'Kirkstone Rambler' from Ambleside to Patterdale. Some itineraries are suggested which would provide memorable days out.
The villages and other areas of note are described in a series of short, some examples are Helvellyn (climbed over 1200 times by Johnson Thompson a local guide), Around Hartsop, Patterdale, Glenridding and many others. Several famous houses are described including Dalemain with 34 rooms, mentioning 'a confusion of stairways and hidden rooms' in its Tudor wing.
The history of the Patterdale mountain rescue team highlights the excellent work done by these highly-trained volunteers, a service which costs £20,000 a year to run and is financed from donations. My favourite section was the account of lead mining in the Glenridding valley, where the shafts extended to 1422 ft (424m) deep. I never knew that silver had been extracted from the lead too. Lead mining finally ended in 1962. Neither did I know that and atomic weapons test was conducted under Sheffield Pike!
The book finishes by looking at the protection of the area and the future.
I found this a most interesting book which I will dip into on many occasions.
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